Their talk continued for a long time, arid, because of the lateness
of the hour, Marcian stayed to sleep in his friend's house. Before
sunrise on the morrow, Basil sent forth his invitations to all of
the Anician blood in Rome. The first to respond was Gordianus, whose
dwelling on the Clivus Scauri stood but a few minutes' walk away.
Though but a little older than Basil, Gordian had been for several
years a husband and a father; he was in much esteem for his worldly
qualities, and more highly regarded for the fervour of his religious
faith. A tall, handsome, dignified man, he looked straight before
him with frank eyes, and his lips told of spirit tempered by
kindliness. Between him and his relative no great intimacy existed,
for their modes of life and of thought were too dissimilar, but each
saw the good in the other, and was attracted by it. Not long ago
Gordian had conceived the project of giving his young sister
Aemiliana as wife to Basil. Maximus favoured this design, but his
nephew showed no eagerness to carry it out, and Roman gossip
presently found a reason for that.
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