At sight of Basil, the child drew rein; jumped down, and ran forward with smiling demonstrations of respect.
'What is it, Laetus ?' asked Basil, with no welcome upon his sombre countenance.

'I cannot talk with you now.' The boy, who had been sold into slavery from the far island of the Angles, did but smatter the Roman tongue.

With a few words to signify that his message was important, he delivered a letter, and Basil, turning aside impatiently, broke the seal.

Upon the blank side of a slip of papyrus cut from some old manuscript were written lines which seemed to be in Greek, and proved to be Latin in Greek characters, a foppery beginning to be used by the modish at Rome.
'Heliodora to Basil.

You are bidden to supper.