Virgilia or, Out of the Lion's Mouth

cool arcade opening on the garden, Martius narrated to Virgilia h

eeze, even when the sun scorched the bricks and square stones of the street in front of their house. Occasionally, a man would pass through the streets, carryi

weird melody penetrate

the kitchen so tiny that there was scarcely room for the cook and his attendants to move about. Yet here, they prepared th

e was sent, also, with Virgilia when she went to pay a visit to some of her friends, or when, in former times, she went to see one of the Vestal Virgins, and worshipped at the shrine. There had been some talk of her taking the vows of the Vestals, who held a very high position in Rome, but both her father and mother felt that, as an only daughter, she could not be spar

nd head like one of the ancient pagan gods, whose statues have come down to us from the chisel of Phidias, the Greek sculptor. His skin was fair and his hair yellow as gold. Between him and the dark Moor who walked near him, there was the difference between light and darkness. It was not a difference in physic

been, listening to the song of the water-c

s cast a malignant glance at M

er heard it at our functions or in the temples. Who was that man, Alyrus? Thou, who sittest

, after all, for the Moor kept closely to himse

as shortly as he dared speak to his master.

A

es were laid in snow and cracked ice, brought from distant lands and preserved in this tropical clime by some process known to the Romans. If Aurelius Lucanu

e peach daintily with a sharp silver knife. Thes

lose half her income by this freak, and a good share of her principal invested in these slaves. What would Aureus Cantus have said to such a wild thing as this? He should have tied up his affairs in

loved them both very dearly, and hated to be severe with them. The illness of Claudia c

come to enjoy the festivities of the

l. I wish that father would buy a home out on the Campagna. But he says that he cannot afford to k

that when the Empero

o, too. The Emperor wa

agnificent villa is fin

re is room for us

seen Octavi

f the gates and along the Ostian Way. Mother never wished to go. She

and, seeing no one, said, under his breath: "I do not wonder that mother does not desire to go there

up Virgilia'

eard much of Christ. With her, I went to the meetings of the

at I shall stay here, to work in my father's office, to take up his profession, to be in that dearest place of all-home. It is hard to be exiled, Virgilia, hard never to see Rome again, Rome, the centre of the world. But if it should be hard for m

s clenched hands, where the nails sank into the flesh, f

eligion that she hates, not us. But when the moment comes that she asks me to give u

ancient days with strength to face a shameful and awful

hrilled by he

r. We will go forth together, if need be. Let us ho

the garlands for the statues of the gods, I offer sweet oils and spices and libations at the altar. I could not do otherwise

hem and longed for the moment when he could wreak his revenge. Alexis looked at them in love, for he, too, was a Christian, and the reason for the scene which Claudia had made in the garden on the day when Martius returned from exile, was well known to all the servants. In the dark corners of their miserable quarters, they discussed the situation, wondering what would happen. In these early days of Christianity, men and women often worked side by side, never daring to make known that they were Christians, for fe

ter's had and press it warmly, when hi

seems to be very weak. Do nothing to agitate or

girl looked in bewi

e heard what I sai

rugged his

time, we must worship in secret. Some day, all will be open to

will give u

r strength. Her lovely eyes were lustreless. The neck on which Sahira had hung a splendid cord of sapphires from Persia, linked together with milky pearls from India, was thin and haggard. Her skin, fair an

hing her mother's querulous complaints, giving her cooling drinks and telling her old

that night air is injurious. Many ancient Roman dwellings show that rooms used for sleeping sometimes had no windows at all, the sole me

ower designs in mother-of-pearl. There was one chair, with slender arms, also in ebony and mother-of-pearl, and a stand, with ewer and basin of beaten brass. The floo

nd let in a flood of glorious evening light. Through the aperture she could see a patch of brilliant blue sky. The swallo

iguing in her mother's room. She had refused to have any sun or light except th

idly through her mind. She saw herself as she had been, a pagan, a worshipper of the gods, with no thought above the arranging of her hair or the flowers she would wear at the banquet

ver forget. It was one

by Marcus leaving A

ed out by a side entra

owy passageways of the

o were at Rome. The light from torches stuck into the rough walls of the cubiculum shone on an hundred upturned faces

fellow Christian, Paul, who had se

Lord Jesus Christ * * * Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world * * * I long to see you * * * I am debtor both to

, who had for some time been confined at Caesarea, had finally appealed to Caesar, and would be brought to

er thought that some day the Apostle would come to Rome, it might be soon, and

d on, but the dreams were not prophetic; in the visions which