eat them, and attack their
houses of prayer so fiercely that the Christians are forced to hide."

"What dost thou wish to say?" inquired Vinicius.

"This, lord, that synagogues exist openly in the Trans-Tiber; but that
Christians, in their wish to avoid persecution, are forced to pray in
secret and assemble in ruined sheds outside the city or in sand-pits.
Those who dwell in the Trans-Tiber have chosen just that place which was
excavated for the building of the Circus and various houses along the
Tiber. Now, when the city is perishing, the adherents of Christ are
praying. Beyond doubt we shall find a countless number of them in the
excavation; so my advice is to go in there along the road."

"But thou hast said that Linus has gone to Ostrianum," cried Vinicius
impatiently.

"But thou has promised me a house with a vineyard at Ameriola," answered
Chilo; "for that reason I wish to seek the maiden wherever I hope to
find her. They might have returned to the Trans-Tiber after the outbreak
of the fire. They might have gone around outside the city, as we are
doing at this moment. Linus has a house, perhaps he wished to be nearer
his house to see if the fire had seized that part of the city also. If
they have returned, I swear to thee, by Persephone, that we shall find
them at prayer in the excavation; in the worst event, we shall get
tidings of them."

"Thou art right; lead on!" said the tribune.

Chilo, without hesitation, turned to the left toward the hill.

For a while the slope of the hill concealed the conflagration, so that,
though the neighboring heights were in the light, the two men were in
the shade. When they had passed the Circus, they turned still to
the left, and entered a kind of passage completely dark. But in that
darkness Vinicius saw swarms of gleaming lanterns.

"They are there," said Chilo. "There will be more of them to-day than
ever, for other houses of prayer are burnt or are filled with smoke, as
is the whole Trans-Tiber."

"True!" said Vinicius, "I hear singing."

In fact, the voices of people singing reached the hill from the dark
opening, and the lanterns vanished in it one after the other. But from
side passages new forms appeared continually, so that after some time
Vinicius and Chilo found themselves amid a whole assemblage of people.

Chilo slipped from his mule, and, beckoning to a youth who sat near,
said to him,--"I am a priest of Christ and a bishop. Hold the mules for
us; thou