of wavy hair.

"No!" said Licinia. "I thank the gods that I could not. One cry for
mercy did he utter, one cry of horror when first he felt himself
uplifted and looked down into the awful face of Death which awaited him
below. Then mayhap he lost consciousness for I heard not a sound, and
the whole city lay still in the hush of the noonday sleep. Less than one
minute had intervened since first I saw that avenging figure outlined
against the blue curtain of the sky: less than one minute even whilst my
heart had ceased to beat. And then did a cry of horror escape my lips,
and the praefect looked down into my face. Nor did he move as yet, but
slowly meseemed as if the ruddy glow died from out his cheeks and brow,
and after a while the tension on the mighty arms relaxed, and slowly
were they lowered from above his head. He no longer was looking at me
now, for his eyes were fixed upon the distant sky, as if they saw there
something that called with irresistible power. And upon the heat-laden
air there trembled a long sigh as of infinite longing. Then the praefect
gathered my lord Hortensius' inanimate body in his arms as a mother
would her own child, and with slow and steady steps he descended the
gradients of the rostrum. At its foot he caught sight of me, and called
me to him: 'My lord hath only fainted,' he said to me; 'do thou chafe
his hands and soothe his forehead, whilst I send his slaves to him.' He
laid the precious burden down in the cool shadow, taking off his own
cloak and making of it a pillow for my lord Hortensius' head. Then he
went from me, and as he went I could hear him murmur: 'In Thy service,
oh Man of Galilee.'"

Even as these last words still trembled on Licinia's lips there came a
sharp cry of rage, followed by one of terror, as with quick and almost
savage movement Dea Flavia picked up the heavy mirror of bronze and
hurled it across the chamber. It fell with a loud crash against the
delicate mosaic of the floor, but as it swung through the air its sharp
metal edge hit a young slave girl on the shoulder; a few drops of blood
trickled down her breast and she began to whimper in her fright.

It had all happened so suddenly that no one--least of all Licinia--could
guess what it was that had so angered my lady. Dea Flavia had raised
herself to a sitting posture, and thrown her hair back, away from her
face which looked flushed and wrathful, whilst two sharp furrows
appeared between her brows.

The wom