ainst him like a great cat. Malchus stroked
its side, and then, going to a fountain, filled a flat vessel with water
and placed it before it. The lion lapped the water eagerly. Since its
assault upon the slave who usually attended to it, none of the others
had ventured to approach it. They had, indeed, thrown it food, but had
neglected to supply it with water.

"We shall get on well together, old fellow," Malchus said. "We are both
African captives, and ought to be friends."

Finding from the other slaves that until the previous day the animal
had been accustomed to run about the house freely and to lie in Flavia's
room, Malchus at once unfastened the chain and for some time played with
the lion, which appeared gentle and good tempered. As the master of
the household soon informed the others of the orders he had received
respecting Malchus, the slaves saw that the newcomer was likely, for
a time at least, to stand very high in the favour of their capricious
mistress, and therefore strove in every way to gain his goodwill.

Presently Malchus was sent for again, and found Julia sitting on the
couch by the side of her mother, and he at once acknowledged to himself
that he had seldom seen a fairer woman. She was tall, and her figure was
full and well proportioned. Her glossy hair was wound in a coil at the
back of her head, her neck and arms were bare, and she wore a garment
of light green silk, and embroidered with gold stripes along the bottom,
reaching down to her knees, while beneath it a petticoat of Tyrian
purple reached nearly to the ground.

"Is he not good looking, Julia?" Flavia asked. "There is not a slave in
Rome like him. Lesbia and Fulvia will be green with envy."

Julia made no reply, but sat examining the face of Malchus with as much
composure as if he had been a statue. He had bowed on entering, as he
would have done in the presence of Carthaginian ladies, and now stood
composedly awaiting Flavia's orders.

"Ask him, Julia, if it is true that he is a cousin of Hannibal and the
captain of his guard. Such a youth as he is, I can hardly believe
it; and yet how strong and sinewy are his limbs, and he has an air of
command in his face. He interests me, this slave."

Julia asked in Greek the questions that her mother had dictated.

"Ask him now, Julia," Flavia said, when her daughter had translated the
answer, "how he came to be captured."

Malchus recounted the story of his being blown by a gale into th