About nine o'clock
She had risen at dawn and attended to the affairs of her household , and now retired to rest and pray . Mingled with the Roman crowd on the yesterday she had seen Miriam , whom she loved , marching wearily through the streets of Rome . Then , able to bear no more , she went home , leaving Gallus to follow the last acts of the drama . About nine o'clock that night he joined her and told her the story of the sale of Miriam for a vast sum of money , since , standing in the shadow beyond the light of the torches , he had been a witness of the scene at the slave-market . Domitian had been outbid , and their Pearl-Maiden was knocked down to an old woman with a basket on her back who looked like a witch , after which she vanished with her purchaser . That was all he knew for certain . Julia thought it little enough , and reproached her husband for his stupidity in not learning more .