he prize of
my soldiery. Only"--and he turned to Timotheus--"this house of your god,
which has given me shelter, with the priests and the treasure of great
Serapis, are spared. Now it lies with each of you to show whether or no
he is faithful to me. All of you"--and he addressed his friends--"all
who do me service in avenging me for the audacious insults which have
been offered to your sovereign, are assured of my imperial gratitude."

This declaration was not without effect, and murmurs of applause
rose from the "friends" and favorites, though less enthusiastic
than Caracalla was accustomed to hear. But the feebleness of this
demonstration made him all the prouder of his own undaunted resolve.

Macrinus was one of those who had most loudly approved him, and
Caracalla rejoiced to think that this prudent counselor should advise
his drinking the cup of vengeance to the dregs. Intoxicated already
before he had even sipped it, he called Macrinus and Zminis to his side,
and with glowing looks impressed on them to take particular care that
Melissa, with her father, Alexander, and Diodoros were brought to him
alive.

"And remember," he added, "there will be many weeping mothers here by
to-morrow morning; but there is one I must see again, and that not as a
corpse--that bedizened thing in red whom I saw in the Circus--I mean the
wife of Seleukus, of the Kanopic way."

CHAPTER XXXI.

On the wide ascent leading to the Serapeum the praetorians stood
awaiting Caesar's commands. They had not yet formed in rank and file,
but were grouped round the centurion Martialis, who had come to
tell them, sadly, of his removal to Edessa, and to take leave of his
comrades. He gave his hand to each one of them in turn, and received a
kindly pressure in return; for the stubborn fellow, though not of the
cleverest, had proved himself a good soldier, and to many of them a
trusty friend. There was not one who did not regret his going from among
them. But Caesar had spoken, and there was no gainsaying his orders.
In the camp, after service, they might talk the matter over; for the
present it were wise to guard their tongues.

The centurion had just said farewell to the last of his cohort, when
the prefect, with the legate Quintus Flavius Nobilior, who commanded the
legion, and several other higher officers, appeared among them. Macrinus
greeted them briefly, and, instead of having the tuba blown as usual and
letting them fall into their r