Now, however, a third class of spectators, composed of citizens who desired only to witness the chariotrace, availed themselves of the recess to come in and take their reserved seats; by so doing they thought to attract the least attention and give the least offence.Among these were Simonides and his party, whose places were in the vicinity of the main entrance on the north side, opposite the consul.
As the four stout servants carried the merchant in his chair up the aisle, curiosity was much excited.Presently someone called his name. Those about caught it and passed it on along the benches to the west; and there was hurried climbing on seats to get sight of the man about whom common report had coined and put in circulation a romance so mixed of good fortune and bad that the like had never been known or heard of before.