44 A "flash house" in POMPEII. 



his baffled foe now struggling, (but struggling with 

 disdain) in the gripe of the sturdy Amazon. 



" Fair play/' cried the gladiators, " one to one,'' 

 and crowding round Lydon and the woman, they 

 separated our pleasing host from his courteous guest. 

 But Lydon, feeling ashamed at his present position, 

 and endeavouring in vain to shake off the grasp of 

 the virago, shpped his hand into his girdle, and 

 drew forth a short knife. So menacing was his 

 look, so brightly gleamed the blade, that Stratonice, 

 who was used only to the fistic methods of battle, 

 started back in alarm ! 



" O gods ! " cried she, " the ruffian ! — he has 

 concealed weapons ! is that fair ? Is that like a 

 gentleman and a gladiator? No indeed, I scorn 

 such fellows ! " With that she contemptuously 

 turned her back on the gladiator, and hastened to 

 examine the condition of her husband. 



But he, as much inured to these constitutional 

 exercises as an English buli-dog is to a contest with 

 a more gentle antagonist, had already recovered 

 himself. The purple hues receded from the crimson 

 surface of his cheek, the veins of the forehead retired 

 into their wonted size. He shook himself with a 

 complacent grunt, satisfied that he was still alive, 

 and then looking at his foe from head to foot with 

 an air of more approbation than he had ever bestowed 

 upon him before — 



" By Castor," said he, " thou art a stronger fellow 

 than I took thee for ! I see thou art a man of merit 

 and virtue ; give me thy hand, my hero." 



" Jolly old Burbo ! " cried the gladiators applaud- 

 ing, " staunch to the back-bone — give him thy hand 

 Lydon." 



" Oh, to be sure," said the gladiator : " but now 

 I have tasted his blood, I long to lap the whole." — 

 , " Per Hercle ! " returned my host, quite unmoved, 

 " that is the true gladiator feeling. Pollux ! to think 

 what good training may make a man ; why a beast 

 could not be fiercer ! " 



