Malchus too was found to be missing.

"They must have fled together," Flavia said. "There was an understanding
between them. Doubtless Malchus feared that this affair with your son
might cause him to be taken away from here. Perhaps it is best so, and
I trust that they may get away, though I fear there is little chance,
since no slaves are allowed to leave the city without a pass, and even
did they succeed in gaining the open country they would be arrested
and brought back by the first person who met them. But that is not the
question for the present."

"What think you, my friend, what are we to do in this terrible
business?"

"I know not," the praetor said with a groan.

"The honour of both our families is concerned," Flavia said calmly.
"Your son has been found in my house at night and slain by my lion. All
the world knows that he was a suitor for Julia's hand. There's but one
thing to be done; the matter must be kept secret. It would not do to try
and remove Sempronius tonight, for the litter might be stopped by the
watch; it must be taken boldly away in daylight. Send four slaves whom
you can trust, and order them to be silent on pain of death. I will tell
my household that if a word is breathed of what has taken place tonight,
I will hand whoever disobeys me over to the executioners. When you have
got your son's body home you can spread a rumour that he is sick of the
fever. There will be no difficulty in bribing the leech. Then in a few
days you will give out that he is dead, and none will be any the wiser."

The praetor agreed that this was the best plan that could be adopted,
and it was carried out in due course, and so well was the secret kept
that no one in Rome ever doubted that Sempronius had fallen a victim to
fever.

Julia's anger in the morning, when she heard that the Gaulish slave girl
and the Carthaginian were missing, was great, and she hurried to her
mother's room to demand that a hue and cry should be at once made
for them, and a reward offered for their apprehension. She had, when
informed of the scenes which had taken place in the night, and of the
death of Sempronius, expressed great astonishment and horror, and indeed
the news that her accomplice had been killed had really shocked her. The
sentiment, however, had faded to insignificance in the anger which she
felt when, as the narrative continued, she heard of the escape of the
two slaves.

A stormy scene took place between her and her m