dedication. All
who know of it are sworn to secrecy."

With this she led the way into a dark vestibule adjoining the temple,
and in a few moments the great block of stone which had admitted them
had turned into its place again. Those who passed by, even in broad
sunshine, could not distinguish it from all the other blocks of which
the ground-floor of the edifice was built.

CHAPTER XXIX.

While the lady Euryale preceded her young charge with a lamp up a
narrow, dark staircase, Alexander waited in one of the audience-rooms
till the emperor should call him. The high-priest of Serapis, several
soothsayers of the temple, Aristides, the new head of the night-watch,
and other "friends" of the monarch had accompanied him thus far. But
admittance to the innermost apartments had not been permitted, for
Caracalla had ordered the magician Serapion to call up spirits before
him, and was having the future declared to him in the presence of the
prefect of the praetorians and a few other trusty followers.

The deputation of citizens, who had come to apologize to Caesar for
the annoying occurrences in the Circus, had been told to wait till the
exorcisms were over. Alexander would have preferred to hold aloof
from the others, but no one here seemed to think ill of him for his
thoughtless behavior. On the contrary, the courtiers pressed round
him--the brother of the future empress-with the greatest assiduity:
the high-priest inquired after his brother Philip; and Seleukus, the
merchant, who had come with the deputation, addressed many flattering
remarks to him on his sister's beauty. Some of the Roman senators whose
advances he had received coldly enough at first, now took up his whole
attention, and described to him the works of art and the paintings
in the new baths of Caracalla; they advised him to offer himself as a
candidate for the ornamentation of some of the unfinished rooms with
frescoes, and led him to expect their support. In short, they behaved
toward the young man as if he might command their services, in spite of
their gray hairs. But Alexander saw through their purpose.

Their discourse ceased suddenly, for voices were audible in the
emperor's apartments, and they all listened with outstretched necks and
bated breath if they might catch a word or two.

Alexander only regretted not having either charcoal or tablets at hand,
that he might fix their intent faces on the wood; but at last he stood
up, for the door