slaves or swarthy Africans jostled against him; the din of scholars declaiming in an adjoining school deafened him; a hundred unhappy odors made him wince.  Then, as he fought his way, the streets grew a trifle wider; as he approached the Forum the shops became more pretentious; at last he reached his destination in the aristocratic quarter of the Palatine, and paused before a new and ostentatious mansion, in whose vestibule was swarming a great bevy of clients, all come in the official calling costume—­a ponderous toga—­to pay their respects to the great man.  But as the inner door was pushed aside by the vigilant keeper, all the rest of the crowd were kept out till Pratinas could pass within.

The atrium of the house was a splendid sight, with its veined marble pillars, mosaic floor, bubbling fountain, choice frescoes, and expensive furniture upholstered in Tyrian purple.  A little in the rear of this gorgeous room was seated in a high armchair the individual who boasted himself the lord of this establishment, Lucius Atilius Calatinus.  He was a large, coarse man, with a rough, bull-dog face and straight red hair.  He had been drinking heavily the night before, and his small bluish eyes had wide dark circles beneath them, and his breath showed strongly the garlic with which he had seasoned the bread and grapes of his early lunch.  He was evidently very glad to see his Greek visitor, and drove the six large, heavily gemmed rings which he wore on one of his fat fingers, almost into the other’s hand when he shook it.

“Well met, Pratinas!” was his salutation.  “Tell me, is that little affair of yours settled?  Have you stopped the mouth of that beastly fellow, Postumus Pyrgensis, who said that I was a base upstart, with no claim to my gentile name, and a bad record as a tax farmer in Spain, and therefore should not be elected tribune[30]?”

  [30] The ten tribunes had power to convene the people and Senate,
  propose laws and “veto” the actions of other magistrates.

“I have stopped him,” said Pratinas, with a little cough.  “But it was expensive.  He stuck out for ten thousand sesterces.”

“Oh, cheaply off,” said Calatinus, laughing.  “I will give you my cheque on Flaccus the banker.  But I want to know about the other matter.  Can you make sure of the votes of the Suburana tribe?  Have you seen Autronius?”

“I have seen him,” said Pratinas, dryly.

“And he said?”

“Twenty thousand sesterces for him to deposit with trustees[31] until the election is over.  Then he as go-between[32] will make sure of a majority of the tribesmen, and distribute to them the money if all goes well at the comitia.[33] It was the best bargain I could make; for Autronius really controls the tribe, and some one might outbid us.”

  [31] Sequestres.

  [32] Interpres.

  [33] Assembly of the Roman tribes for election.

“All right,” broke out Calatinus with a laugh, “another cheque on Flaccus.”