In his emotion, Balbinus forgot the spies of the secret police. He straightened himself, and raised an arm in greeting.
‘Farewell, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, praetor of a free City. That far you got on your own merits. Never mind the false honours that came after. Keep a good seat for me, wherever you are going. I shall join you very soon.’
The lady Clodilla prodded her litter-bearers to make them move on. Really it wasn’t safe to be seen in the company of Balbinus. You never knew what he would say next.
Copyright
First published in 1958 by Faber & Faber
This edition published 2012 by Bello an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited Pan Macmillan, 20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR Basingstoke and Oxford Associated companies throughout the world
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Copyright © Alfred Duggan, 1958
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