by all in the praetorium, but unable honourably to avoid compliance with that which the laws enjoined, Varro had Gisippus brought back, and in presence of Titus said to him:—­“How camest thou to be so mad as, though no constraint was put upon thee, to confess a deed thou never didst, thy life being at stake?  Thou saidst that ’twas thou by whom the man was slain last night, and now comes this other, and says that ’twas not thou but he that slew him.”  Gisippus looked, and seeing Titus, wist well that, being grateful for the service rendered by him in the past, Titus was now minded to save his life at the cost of his own:  wherefore, affected to tears, he said:—­“Nay but, Varro, in very sooth I slew him, and ’tis now too late, this tender solicitude of Titus for my deliverance.”  But on his part:—­“Praetor,” quoth Titus, “thou seest this man is a stranger, and was found unarmed beside the murdered man; thou canst not doubt that he was fain of death for very wretchedness:  wherefore discharge him, and let punishment light on me who have merited it.”

Marvelling at the importunity of both, Varro readily surmised that neither was guilty.  And while he was casting about how he might acquit them, lo, in came a young man, one Publius Ambustus, a desperate character, and known to all the Romans for an arrant thief.  He it was that had verily committed the murder, and witting both the men to be innocent of that of which each accused himself, so sore at heart was he by reason of their innocence, that, overborne by an exceeding great compassion, he presented himself before Varro, and:—­“Praetor,” quoth he, “’tis destiny draws me hither to loose the knot of these men’s contention; and some God within me leaves me no peace of his whips and stings, until I discover my offence:  wherefore know that neither of these men is guilty of that of which each accuses himself.  ’Tis verily I that slew the man this morning about daybreak; and before I slew him, while I was sharing our plunder with him, I espied this poor fellow asleep there.  Nought need I say to clear Titus:  the general bruit of his illustrious renown attests that he is not a man of such a sort.  Discharge him, therefore, and exact from me the penalty prescribed by the laws.”

The affair had by this time come to the ears of Octavianus, who caused all three to be brought before him, and demanded to know the causes by which they had been severally moved to accuse themselves; and, each having told his story, Octavianus released the two by reason of their innocence, and the third for love of them.  Titus took Gisippus home, having first chidden him not a little for his faint-heartedness and diffidence, and there, Sophronia receiving him as a brother, did him marvellous cheer; and having comforted him a while, and arrayed him in apparel befitting his worth and birth, he first shared with him all his substance, and then gave him his sister, a young damsel named Fulvia, to wife, and said to him:—­“Choose now, Gisippus, whether thou wilt tarry here with me, or go back to Achaia with all that I have given thee.”