"Well, Master Englishman," Ben Soloman said, as he came up to his
bedside, "what do you think of things?"
"I do not know what to think," Charlie said feebly. "I do not know
where I am, or why I am here. I remember that there was a fray in
the street, and I suppose I was hurt. But why was I brought here,
instead of being taken to my lodgings?"
"Because you would be no use to me in your lodging, and you may be
a great deal of use to me here," Ben Soloman said. "You know you
endeavoured to entrap me into a plot against the king's life."
Charlie shook his head, and looked wonderingly at the speaker.
"No, no," he said, "there was no plot against the king's life. I
only asked if you would use your influence among your friends to
turn popular feeling against Augustus."
"Nothing of the kind," the Jew said harshly. "You wanted him
removed by poison or the knife. There is no mistake about that, and
that is what I am going to swear, and what, if you want to save
your life, you will have to swear too; and you will have to give
the names of all concerned in the plot, and to swear that they were
all agreed to bring about the death of the king. Now you understand
why you were brought here. You are miles away from another house,
and you may shout and scream as loud as you like.
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