one, for the roundness of your arms and the colour of your eyes
would betray you at once to any one who looked closely at you. However,
as I can see no better way, I will get the garments and some for myself
to match, and some stuff for staining the skin and hair."

The next day Malchus bought the clothes and dye and managed to bring
them into the house unobserved, and to give to Clotilde those intended
for her.

The lion, under the influence of the mingled firmness and kindness of
Malchus, had now recovered his docility, and followed him about the
house like a great dog, sleeping stretched out on a mat by the side of
his couch.

Sempronius continued his visits. Malchus was seldom present when he
was with Flavia, but Clotilde was generally in the room. It was now the
height of summer, and her duty was to stand behind her mistress with a
large fan, with which she kept up a gentle current of air over Flavia's
head and drove off the troublesome flies. Sometimes she had to continue
doing so for hours, while Flavia chatted with her friends.

Sempronius was biding his time. The two slaves were still high in
Flavia's favour, but he was in hopes that something might occur which
would render her willing to part with them. He watched Julia narrowly
whenever Malchus entered the room, and became more and more convinced
that she had taken a strong fancy for the Carthaginian slave, and the
idea occurred to him that by exciting her jealousy he might succeed in
obtaining his object. So careful were Malchus and Clotilde that he had
no idea whatever that any understanding existed between them. This,
however, mattered but little; nothing was more likely than that
these two handsome slaves should fall in love with each other, and he
determined to suggest the idea to Julia.

Accordingly one day when he was sitting beside her, while Flavia was
talking with some other visitors, he remarked carelessly, "Your mother's
two slaves, the Carthaginian and the Gaul, would make a handsome
couple."

He saw a flush of anger in Julia's face. For a moment she did not reply,
and then said in a tone of indifference:

"Yes, they are each well favoured in their way."

"Methinks the idea has occurred to them," Sempronius said. "I have seen
them glance at each other, and doubt not that when beyond your presence
they do not confine themselves to looks."

Julia was silent, but Sempronius saw, in the tightly compressed lips and
the lowering brow with wh