And it was characteristic of him that this time he did not interfere with his lictors when they handled the woman with their accustomed roughness.
CHAPTER V
"Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days."—Ecclesiastes xi. 1.
The fair-skinned Cheiron up on the rostrum now took over the duties of the disgraced Hun Rhavas.
The interlude had caused the crowd to linger on despite the approach of noonday, an hour always devoted, almost sacred, to rest. But now that decorum was once more restored and the work of the sale could be proceeded with in the methodical manner approved by the praefect, interest began to flag.
The crowd seemed inclined to wait just a brief while longer in order to see Nola put up on the catasta and to hear the bid of twenty aurei made for her by her mother—a bid which, at the praefect's commands, was to be final and undisputed. Just to see the hammer come clashing down as an epilogue to the palpitating drama was perhaps worth waiting for. The human goods still left for sale after that would have to be held over for a more favourable opportunity.
The praefect was preparing to leave.
Up on the platform Nola, the daughter of Menecreta, smiled at the world through a few lingering tears. She was very happy now that her golden hair was allowed to stream down her shoulders, and that it was only because the praefect had so ordered it that the low price of twenty aurei would be accepted for her.