away. With the pain, which had spoiled many
good hours for me, the quiet had brought me something more to the
purpose-thoughts and plans. Yes, during those peaceful weeks the things
my father and tutor had taught me became clear and real for the first
time. I realized that I must become energetic if I meant ever to be a
thorough sovereign. As soon as I could use my foot again I became an
industrious and docile pupil under Cilo. From a child up to the time of
this cruel experience, my youthful heart had clung to my nurse. She was
a Christian from my father's African home--I knew she loved me best
on earth. My mother knew of no higher destiny than that of being the
Domna,--[Domna, lady or mistress, in corrupt Latin. Hence her name of
Julia Domna] the lady of the soldiers, the mother of the camp, and the
lady philosopher among the sages. What she gave me in the way of love
was but copper alms. She threw golden solidi of love into Geta's lap in
lavish abundance. And her sister and her nieces, who often lived with
us, treated me exactly as she did. They were distantly civil, or
they shunned me; but my brother was their spoiled plaything. I was as
incapable as Geta was master of the art of stealing hearts; but in my
childhood I needed none of them: for, if I wished for a kind word, a
sweet kiss, or the love of a woman, my nurse's arms were open to me. Nor
was she an ordinary woman. As the widow of a tribune who had fallen in
my father's service, she had undertaken to attend on me. She loved me
as no one else ever did. She was also the only person whom I would
willingly obey. I came into the world full of wild instincts, but she
knew how to tame them kindly. My aversion to my brother was the one
thing she checked but feebly, for he was a thorn in her side too. I
learned this when she, who was so gentle, explained to me, with asperity
in her tone, that there was but one God in heaven, and on earth but
one emperor, who should govern the world in his name. She also imparted
these convictions to others, and this turned to her disadvantage. My
mother parted us, and sent her back to her African home. She died soon
after." He was silent, and gazed pensively into vacancy; soon, however,
he collected his thoughts and said, lightly:

"Well, I became Cilo's diligent pupil."

"But," asked Melissa, "did you not say that at one time you attempted
his life?"

"I did so," replied Caracalla darkly; "for a moment arrived when I
cursed his te