thee!it is one of the nine hundred and ninety-nine shops of old Julia Felix, in the sunny part of the city, where thou mayst bask before the door in the day—and I will sell the oil and the wine for thee, my father and then, please Venus (or if it does not please her, since thou lovest not her name, it is all one to Lydon ;)—then I say, perhaps thou mayst have a daughter, too, to tend thy grey hairs, and hear shrill voices at thy knee, that shall call thee Lydon's father!' Ah! we shall be so happy-the prize can purchase all. Cheer thee! cheer up, my sire! -And now I must away. me. Come! thy blessing." As Lydon thus spoke, he had already quitted the dark chamber of his father; and speaking eagerly, though in a whispered tone, they now stood at the same place in which we introduced the porter at his post. "O bless thee! bless thee! my brave boy," said Medon, fervently; "and may the great Power that reads all hearts see the nobleness of thine, and forgive its error!" The tall shape of the gladiator passed swiftly down the path; the eyes of the slave followed its light, but stately steps, till the last glimpse was gone; and then sinking once more on his seat, his eyes again fastened themselves on the ground. His form, mute and unmoving, as a thing His heart! who, in our happier age, can even imagine its struggles - its commotion? of stone. 66 May I enter?" said a sweet voice. "Is thy mistress Julia within ?" The slave mechanically motioned to the visitor to enter, but she who addressed him could not see the gesture -she repeated her question timidly, but in a louder voice. "Have I not told thee?" said the slave, peevishly: "enter." 66 Thanks," said the speaker, plaintively; and the slave, roused by the tone, looked up, and recognised the blind flower-girl. Sorrow can sympathise with affliction - he raised himself, and guided her steps to the head of the adjacent staircase (by which you descended to Julia's apartment), where, summoning a female slave, he consigned to her the charge of the blind girl. CHAPTER VII. THE DRESSING-ROOM OF A POMPEIAN BEAUTY. -IMPORTANT CONVERSATION BETWEEN JULIA AND NYDIA. THE elegant Julia sat in her chamber with her slaves around her;-like the cubiculum which adjoined it, the room was small, but much larger than the usual apartments appropriated to sleep, which were generally so diminutive, that few who have not seen the bed-chambers, even in the gayest mansions, can form any notion of the petty pigeon-holes in which the citizens of Pompeii evidently thought it desirable to pass the night. But, in fact, "bed" with the ancients, was not that grave, serious, and important part of domestic mysteries, which it is with us. The couch itself was more like a very narrow and small sofa, light enough to be transported easily, and by the occupant himself,* from place to place; and it was, no doubt, constantly shifted from chamber to chamber, according to the caprices of the inmate, or the changes of the season. For that side of the house which was crowded in one month, might, perhaps, be carefully avoided in the next; so susceptible were the inhabitants of the most beautiful climate in the world, of those alternations of sun and breeze, which, to our hardier frame, inured to the harsh skies of the north, would be scarcely perceptible. There was also among the Italians of that period a singular and fastidious apprehension of too much daylight; their darkened chambers, which at first appear to us the result of a negligent architecture, were the effect of the most elaborate study. In their porticoes and gardens, they courted the sun whenever it so pleased their luxurious * "Take up thy bed and walk," was (as Sir W. Gell somewhere observes) no metaphorical expression. tastes. In the interior of their houses they sought rather the coolness and the shade. Julia's apartment at that season was in the lower part of the house, immediately beneath the state rooms above, and looking upon the garden, with which it was on a level. The wide door, which was glazed, alone admitted the morning rays; yet her eye, accustomed to a certain darkness, was sufficiently acute to perceive exactly what colours were the most becoming-what shade of the delicate rouge gave the brightest beam to her dark glance, and the most youthful freshness to her cheek. On the table, before which she sat, was a small and circular mirror of the most polished steel: round which, in precise order, were ranged the cosmetics and the unguents the perfumes and the paints - the jewels and the combs the ribands and the gold pins, which were destined to add to the natural attractions of beauty - the assistance of art and the capricious allurements of fashion. Through the dimness of the room glowed brightly the vivid and various colourings of the wall, in all the dazzling frescoes of Pompeian taste. Before the dressing-table, and under the feet of Julia, was spread a carpet, woven from the looms of the East. Near at hand, on another table, was a silver basin and ewer—an extinguished lamp, of most exquisite workmanship, in which the artist had represented a Cupid reposing under the spreading branches of a myrtle-tree; and a small roll of papyrus, containing the softest elegies of Tibullus. Before the door, which communicated with the cubiculum, hung a curtain, richly broidered with gold flowers. Such was the dressing-room of a beauty eighteen centuries ago. The fair Julia leaned indolently back on her seat, while the ornatrix (i. e. hair-dresser) slowly piled, one above the other, a mass of small curls; dexterously weaving the false with the true, and carrying the whole fabric to a height that seemed to place the head rather at the centre than the summit of the human form. Her tunic, of a deep amber, which well set off her dark hair and somewhat embrowned complexion, swept in ample folds to her feet, which were cased in slippers, fastened CHAPTER VII. -IMPOR THE DRESSING-ROOM OF A POMPEIAN BEAUTY. THE elegan around her room was s ments appr diminutive, even in the petty pigeor dently thou fact, "bed" and importa us. The c small sofa, 1 the occupan doubt, consi cording to the season. in one mont BLACKWELL'S, our neighbours, have helped the tastes. In the interior of their houses they sought rather the coolness and the shade. Julia's apartment at that season was in the lower part of the house, immediately beneath the state rooms above, and looking upon the garden, with which it was on a level. The wide door, which was glazed, alone admitted the morning rays; yet her eye, accustomed to a certain darkness, was sufficiently acute to perceive exactly what colours were the most becoming-what shade of the delicate rouge gave the brightest beam to her dark glance, and the most thful freshness to her cheek. On the table, before which she sat, was a small and ular mirror of the most polished steel: round which, precise order, were ranged the cosmetics and the guents the perfumes and the paints - the jewels and combs the ribands and the gold pins, which were tined to add to the natural attractions of beauty the istance of art and the capricious allurements of fashion. rough the dimness of the room glowed brightly the vid and various colourings of the wall, in all the dazzling escoes of Pompeian taste. Before the dressing-table, d under the feet of Julia, was spread a carpet, woven om the looms of the East. Near at hand, on another ble, was a silver basin and ewer-an extinguished lamp, most exquisite workmanship, in which the artist had presented a Cupid reposing under the spreading branches. a myrtle-tree; and a small roll of papyrus, containing e softest elegies of Tibullus. Before the door, which >mmunicated with the cubiculum, hung a curtain, richly roidered with gold flowers. Such was the dressing-room f a beauty eighteen centuries ago. The fair Julia leaned indolently back on her seat, while he ornatrix (i. e. hair-dresser) slowly piled, one above the other, a mass of small curls; dexterously weaving the false with the true, and carrying the whole fabric to a height that seemed to place the head rather at the centre than the summit of the human form. Her tunic, of a deep amber, which well set off her dark hair and somewhat embrowned complexion, swept in ample folds to her feet, which were cased in slippers, fastened |