Searching
them with his eyes, for one instant it seemed to him that far away he
caught sight of a little knot of figures climbing a black marble stair
in the dark shadow of some temple. He sped across the open space, he
ran up the great stair, to find at the head of it a young man in whom he
recognised the auctioneer's clerk, gazing along a wide street as empty
as was the stair.
The rest is known to us. He followed, and twice perceived the little
group of dark-robed figures hurrying round distant corners. Once he
lost them altogether, but a passer-by on his road to some feast told him
courteously enough which way they had gone. On he ran almost at hazard,
to be rewarded in the end by the sight of them vanishing through a
narrow doorway in the wall. He came to the door and saw that it was very
massive. He tried it even, it was locked. Then he thought of knocking,
only to remember that to state his business would probably be to meet
his death. At such a place and hour those who purchased beautiful slaves
might have a sword waiting for the heart of an unsuccessful rival who
dared to follow them to their haunts.
Caleb walked round the house, to find that it was a palace which seemed
to be deserted, although he thought that he saw light shining through
one of the shuttered windows.
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