nd again her small, quivering hands wandered to and
fro the inexorable door. Poor thing that thou wert! in vain had been all
thy noble courage, thy innocent craft, thy doublings to escape the hound
and huntsmen! Within but a few yards from thee, laughing at thy
endeavors--thy despair--knowing thou wert now their own, and watching
with cruel patience their own moment to seize their prey--thou art saved
from seeing thy pursuers!

'Hush, Callias!--let her go on. Let us see what she will do when she
has convinced herself that the door is honest.'

'Look! she raises her face to the heavens--she mutters--she sinks down
despondent! No! by Pollux, she has some new scheme! She will not
resign herself! By Jupiter, a tough spirit! See, she springs up--she
retraces her steps--she thinks of some other chance!--I advise thee,
Sosia, to delay no longer: seize her ere she quit the garden--now!'

'Ah! runaway! I have thee--eh?' said Sosia, seizing upon the unhappy
Nydia. As a hare's last human cry in the fangs of the dogs--as the sharp
voice of terror uttered by a sleep-walker suddenly awakened--broke the
shriek of the blind girl, when she felt the abrupt gripe of her gaoler.
It was a shriek of such utter agony, such entire despair, that it might
have rung hauntingly in your ears for ever. She felt as if the last
plank of the sinking Glaucus were torn from his clasp! It had been a
suspense of life and death; and death had now won the game.

'Gods! that cry will alarm the house! Arbaces sleeps full lightly. Gag
her!' cried Callias.

'Ah! here is the very napkin with which the young witch conjured away my
reason! Come, that's right; now thou art dumb as well as blind.'

And, catching the light weight in his arms, Sosia soon gained the house,
and reached the chamber from which Nydia had escaped. There, removing
the gag, he left her to a solitude so racked and terrible, that out of
Hades its anguish could scarcely be exceeded.

Chapter XVI

THE SORROW OF BOON COMPANIONS FOR OUR AFFLICTIONS. THE DUNGEON AND ITS
VICTIMS.

IT was now late on the third and last day of the trial of Glaucus and
Olinthus. A few hours after the court had broken up and judgment been
given, a small party of the fashionable youth at Pompeii were assembled
round the fastidious board of Lepidus.

'So Glaucus denies his crime to the last?' said Clodius.

'Yes; but the testimony of Arbaces was convincing; he saw the blow
given,' answered Lep