in a house already well-supplied with women-slaves) were able to dwell
together, and Sahira was spared many humiliations and dangers to which
a beautiful young slave was inevitably subjected in these degenerate
days of ancient Rome.

Alyrus was not the only person who observed the "irreverence" of
Martius. A priest of Jupiter, coming out of the Temple, saw the whole
thing and made his own comments. He knew Aurelius Lucanus, the
Advocate, slightly, but not the young man with him.

He stepped quickly to the side of Alyrus, who had been very profound
in his reverence to the god, although he hated Rome's gods as he hated
her people.

"Who is that young man?" inquired the priest.

"The son of my master, Aurelius Lucanus."

"And thou?"

"I am a humble porter," responded Alyrus, with such bitterness that it
attracted the priest's attention. Being a man who understood character
at a glance, he seized the opportunity. Anything which could in any
way enable the pagans to hunt down the hated, despised followers of
that Christus who had made them so much trouble, was worth following
up. The priests knew that there were thousands of men in Rome who had
no faith at all in the gods, but there were few who would dare neglect
an outward observance. When a man did that, in the public Forum, he
was certainly possessed of that strange courage typical of the
Christians.