A very few moments would bring Dumnorix to the villa, and the young slave did not doubt that Gabinius was with the lanista to direct the attack.

Agias tore at his chains, and cursed again, calling on all the Furies of Tartarus to confound the porter and Falto.

Suddenly before the loophole passed a slave damsel of winning face and blithesome manner, humming to herself a rude little ditty, while she balanced a large earthen water-pot on her head.

It was Chloe, whom the reader has met in the opening scene of this book, though Agias did not know her name.
"By all the gods, girl!" he cried frantically, "do you want to have your master slaughtered before your very eyes ?" Chloe stopped, a little startled at this voice, almost from under her feet.
"Oh, you, Master Assassin!" she sneered.

"Do you want to repeat those pretty stories of yours, such as I heard you tell last night ?" "Woman," cried Agias, with all the earnestness which agony and fear could throw into face and voice, "go this instant! Tell Master Drusus that Dumnorix and his gang are not a furlong[113] away.