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As he spake thus, Penchrysa leaned forward and whispered in the ear of the astounded Roman, 'Come, and we will rule together! Her lovely face showing lovelier in the soft moonlight, her breath honey-sweet upon his cheek, the vision of rule together had almost intoxicated him. But then the shame of betrayal rose in him like a flood. Lust dropped from him as a garment.
'How is she named? inquired his friend further, unable to subdue his interest. 'Penchrysa, said Rufus, 'but for short I call her Pen. 'Penchrysa, repeated Castus to himself; ''tis a fit and most romantic name. Then aloud he asked, 'Did she look upon Cæsar as he passed by this morning?
Penchrysa looked upon him with a glowing eye that seemed to Castus to have lost its first hostility, as she said simply she was pleased that he had been victorious.
After this some cock-fighting followed, and many of the spectators left or changed their seats. Castus marked Penchrysa rise and walk away with her brother, and he followed them amid the crowd. 'I am victorious, he said, as he came up with them, 'but the victory is yours, for had you not applauded I had not won.
Tethering his horse to a tree near by he advanced towards it, and the moon now risen faintly touched it with light. Two figures moved from it as he came up. The first was Penchrysa, the second an old, grey-bearded man. 'Welcome, O Roman! said she gravely, then with more emotion, 'thy looks and actions tell me thou lovest me.
Castus had seen Penchrysa sitting in the amphitheatre to his right hand, and had at once realised that she was really interested in the fight and was applauding himself, not her cousin. Inspired by this to renewed effort he deceived his friend by a clever feint, then getting in a fine clean hit with his left on the forehead, followed it up with a right-hander on the jaw.
Rufus staggered backward, swayed wildly on his feet, then fell unconscious to the ground. Applause broke out over the whole amphitheatre, and Castus was proudly conscious that the white hands of Penchrysa were clapping him vigorously, even as he ran forward to raise his friend's head and assist him to his feet as he recovered from his faint.
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