weaver's beam, and throwing his enormous body into attitudes which showed
that no child's play was going on, he let drive the lance, which, shooting
with more force than exactness of aim, struck upon the outer rim of the
shield, and then glancing sideways was near spearing a poor slave, whose
pleasure it was, with others, to stand in the neighborhood of the butt, to
pick up and return the weapons thrown, or withdraw them from the shield,
where they might have fastened themselves.

Involuntary laughter broke forth upon this unwonted performance of the
lance; upon which it was easy to see, by the mounting color of Antiochus,
that his passions were inflamed. Especially--did we afterward
suppose--was he enraged at the exclamation of one of the slaves near the
shield, who was heard to say to his fellow: 'Now is the reign of women at
an end.' Seizing, however, on the instant, another lance, he was known to
exclaim, by a few who stood near him, but who did not take the meaning of
his words: 'With a better mark, there may be a better aim.' Then resuming
his position, he made at first, by a long and steady aim, as if he were
going, with certainty now, to hit the shield; but, changing suddenly the
direction of his lance, he launched it with fatal aim, and a giant's
force, at the slave who had uttered those words. It went through him, as
he had been but a sheet of papyrus, and then sung along the plain. The
poor wretch gave one convulsive leap into the air, and dropped dead.

'Zenobia!' exclaimed Julia.

'Great Queen!' said Fausta.

'Shameful!'--'dastardly!'--'cowardly!'--broke from one and another of
the company.