score to settle with you," and grasping her by the left
wrist he pulled her from the block and led her unresisting through the
crowd and to the shadows beyond.

Already No. 7 had been summoned to the block and the auctioneer was
taking up his tale, when from out of these shadows rose the sound of a
dreadful yell. Some of the audience snatched torches from their stands
and ran to the spot whence it came. There, on the marble pavement
lay the Eastern dead or dying, while over him stood the Jewess, a red
dagger, his own, which she had snatched from its scabbard, in her hand,
and on her stately face a look of vengeful triumph.

"Seize her! Seize the murdering witch! Beat her to death with rods,"
they cried, and at the command of the auctioneer slaves ran up to take
her.

She waited till they were near, then, without a word or a sound, lifted
her strong, white arm and drove the knife deep into her own heart. For
a moment she stood still, till suddenly she stretched her hands wide and
fell face downwards dead upon the body of the brute who had bought her.

The crowd gasped and was silent. Then one of them, a sickly looking
patrician, called out:

"Oh! I did well to come. What a sight! What a sight! Blessings on you,
brave girl, you have given Julius a new pleasure."

After this there was tumult and confusion while the attendants carried
away the bodies. A few minutes later the auctioneer climbed back into
his rostrum and alluded in moving terms to the "unfortunate accident"
which had just happened.

"Who would think," he said, "that one so beautiful could also be so
violent? I weep when I consider that this noble purchaser, whose name
I forget at the moment, but whose estate, by the way, is liable for the
money, should have thus suddenly been transferred from the arms of Venus
to that of Pluto, although it must be admitted that he gave the woman
some provocation. Well, gentlemen, grief will not bring him to life
again, and we who still stand beneath the stars have business to attend.
Bear me witness, all of you, that I am blameless in this affair, and,
slaves, bring out that priceless gem, the Pearl-Maiden."

CHAPTER XXIV

MASTER AND SLAVE

Now a hush of expectancy fell upon the crowd, till presently two
attendants appeared, each of them holding in his hand a flaming torch,
and between them the captive Pearl-Maiden. So beautiful did she look as
she advanced thus with bowed head, the red light of the torches f