hould fall into unworthy hands,
he seemed to have shaken off ten years of nightmare trouble. His voice
began to lose its bitter harshness; for the first time his slaves no
longer trembled at his glance. His attitude toward Marius was
curious--also, in view of his nature, touching. On Marius he lavished
all the pride and tenderness of an adoring father to his son, and of
both there was more than anyone had guessed. He worshipped Marius
openly, gloried in him exultingly, and was fiercely and suppressedly
jealous of Livinius's prior right. He hung on Marius's every word;
shared his sports and hunting; tried to regain a moment of his lost
youth that he might be a comrade as well as a father. At times a strange
mood took him, when he, Eudemius the proud, became humbly grateful that
Marius should be willing to mate with the ill-starred daughter of his
house. In general they accepted each other on terms of complete
equality. Each was receiving and conferring a favor; there was no debt
on either side.

Marius found himself not in the least embarrassed by his superfluity of
parents. He adjusted himself to the circumstances with tact and a
sympathetic consideration which would scarcely have been expected of
him. He managed the two fathers with consummate skill, divided his
attentions honorably between them, and played the role of demigod to
perfection. When Livinius and Eudemius were together, he was
circumspect, careful lest he arouse parental jealousy on either side;
but when he and Eudemius were alone, he cast aside restraint and called
him "father" to Eudemius's heart's content. More and more the two came
to lean on the ready strength of him; since it is the law of life that
the old, for all their wisdom and the experience of their years, shall
inevitably come to look for support and guidance to the young, who enter
the lists unproven in all but strength.

Six months at least must elapse before Marius could lawfully claim what
was already his in fullest measure. There were endless settlements to be
made, for Eudemius was determined that nothing should be left undone
which would assure the maintenance of his name and fortune. Marius's
heirs must take the name, even as he himself must do; the gold and lands
must be protected so far as human means might devise. Eudemius had
lawyers from the famous law-school at Eboracum, and spent long hours in
his library, poring over deeds and instruments. There must be an exact
accounting o