epeat this prophecy that the seer
had called Macrinus to him, but to inform him that the future empress
was betrothed to a young Alexandrian, and that the tender intercourse
between the lovers had not been interrupted during Caracalla's
courtship. This had come to Serapion's ears yesterday afternoon,
through his adroit assistant Kastor, and he had taken advantage of the
information to prepare Caesar during the night for the faithlessness of
his chosen bride.

The Magian assured the prefect that what the spirit of the great
Macedonian had hinted at yesterday had since been confirmed by the
demons in his service. It would now be easy for Macrinus to possibly
hinder Melissa, who might have been all-powerful, from coming between
him and the great goal which the spirits had set before him.

Serapion then repeated the prophecy, which came with such convincing
power from the bearded lips of the sage that the prudent statesman cast
his last doubts from him, and, exclaiming, "I believe your words,
and shall press forward now in spite of every danger!" he grasped the
prophet's hand in farewell.

Up to this point Macrinus, the son of a poor cobbler, who had had
difficulty in rearing his children at all, had received these prophetic
utterances with cool deliberation, and had ventured no step nearer to
the exalted aim which had been offered to his ambition. In all good
faith he had done his best to perform the duties of his office as an
obedient servant to his master and the state. This had all changed now,
and, firmly resolved to risk the struggle for the purple, he returned to
the emperor's apartments.

Macrinus had no reason to expect a favorable reception when he entered
the tablinum, but his great purpose upheld his courage. He, the upstart,
was well aware that Fortune requires her favorites to keep their eyes
open and their hands active. He therefore took care to obtain a full
account of what had happened from his confidential friend the senator
Antigonus, a soldier of mean birth, who had gained favor with Caesar
by a daring piece of horsemanship. Antigonus closed his report with
the impudent whistle of the Greek athlete; he dwelt chiefly on his
astonishment at Melissa's absence. This gave food for thought to the
prefect, too; but before entering the tablinum he was stopped by the
freedman Epagathos, who handed over to him a scroll which had been
given to him for the emperor. The messenger had disappeared directly
afterwa