ted, as in my report of his reputation in Marseilles,
according to Doris, and uttered one or two remarks. Otherwise he was
apparently absorbed in my narrative.

When it was over he said:

"I believe you, your story sounds true; all of it. You have had amazing
adventures and have escaped alive manifestly by the special favor of the
immortal gods, particularly of Mercury. Like you, I pay special attention
to winning and keeping the favor of Mercury, though, of course, for me, as
for all soldiers, Mithras is the most important god.

"You may be very sure that I shall, as far as may be, provide that no
informer or secret-service agent can ever again succeed in gaining
credence for baseless fabrications, such as those from which you have
suffered. I shall endeavor to have it arranged that reports of any one
agent be checked up by reports of another, the two being wholly unknown to
each other. Thus no man shall, if I can prevent it, again be persecuted as
you have been. I am shocked at such laxity and I shudder at the power
wielded by Marcus Galvius Crispinillus, and at his misuse of it. I can
find no trace of any reasonable motive; he seems to have slandered you
from mere whim or the mere love of causing misery, or some spite or
perhaps to increase the impression of his own importance.

"Now there looms before me the duty of seeing you restored to your rights,
as to both rank and property.

"In respect to your standing as a Roman nobleman there has been, is and
will be no difficulty. I have had everything attended to and all necessary
formalities have been gone through, all official, public records made. You
are a Roman nobleman in good standing with every right which your birth
assured you.

"As to your property matters are not so simple. I find that you will be
very wealthy, anyhow, as the heir of one-fourth of the estate of your late
master, Pompeianus Falco, and also as inheritor of his marvellous
collection of gems and curios, therefore, even without anything of your
confiscated property, you will be affluent.

"But that does not absolve me from the duty of seeing justice done you; of
putting you in possession of your house here in Rome and of your estates
in Sabinum, and in Bruttium. I find that all these were held by the
_fiscus_ until after the death of Cleander. Owing to the destruction of a
large part of the Palace records in the great fire I cannot make sure
whether what I am told is true. I am told that yo