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Virgilia - or, out of the Lion's Mouth - Out of the Lion's Mouth by Felicia Buttz Clark
page 16 of 97 (16%)
Martius was a little taller than his father.

Aurelius Lucanus was, like many another pagan, no great believer in
the gods, although, partly from regard to prevailing sentiment, partly
because of his business relations, he outwardly gave attention to the
formal customs of the day.

This morning, as father and son entered the Forum, passing by the
great statue of Jupiter standing in front of the temple dedicated to
his worship, Aurelius bowed profoundly, and muttered a prayer, but
Martius, his proud young head held high, passed by, without making his
obeisance.

The two were followed, as usual, by a servant, who happened this
morning to be Alyrus, the Moor. He closely observed Martius and a
faint smile or sneer added to the ugliness of his disfigured face.
Alyrus had a fine face, so far as form and feature went, but his
expression was full of cunning and revenge. In his ears he wore two
huge gold rings, chased in cabalistic characters of strange design.
They were the emblem of his chieftain power in that land bordering on
the desert, from which he had been so rudely carried away. It was not
strange that Alyrus, a barbarian, should bear in his heart a bitter
hatred for the Romans and all that belonged to them. A slave, he was,
and Sahira, too, but they loathed their bonds. It did not occur to
Alyrus to be grateful that when they were placed on a platform down
yonder at the lower end of the Forum, to be sold to the highest
bidder, Aurelius Lucanus, who had bought him first, being moved by
pity, had also purchased Sahira, his daughter, paying for her many
sesterces of gold, because she was very beautiful and could bring a
high price. Thus, father, and daughter, (who was somewhat superfluous
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