re him? How could he, Verus, expect that
Caesar should ally his fortunate star with the fatal star of another
doomed to die?

These reflections did nothing to help him, and yet he could not escape
from them, till suddenly his charioteer pulled up the horses abruptly by
the side of the footway to make room for a delegation of Egyptian priests
who were going in procession to Lochias. The powerful hand with which his
servant had promptly controlled the fiery spirit of the animals excited
his approbation, and seemed to inspire him to put a clog boldly on the
wheels of speeding fate. When they were no longer detained by the
Egyptian delegates he desired the charioteer to drive slowly, for he
wished to gain time for consideration.

"Until the third hour after midnight," said he to himself, "all is to go
well; it is not till the fourth hour that signs are to appear in the sky
which are of evil augury for me. Of course the sheep will play round the
dead lion, and the ass will even spurn him with his hoof so long as he is
merely sick. In the short space of time between the third and fourth
hours all the signs of evil are crowded together. They must be visible;
but"--and this "but" brought sudden illumination to the praetor's mind,
"why should Caesar see them?"

The anxious aspirant's heart beat faster, his brain worked more actively,
and he desired the driver to make a short circuit, for he wanted to gain
yet more time for the ideas that were germinating in his mind to grow and
ripen.

Verus was no schemer; he walked in at the front door with a free and
careless step, and scorned to climb the backstairs. Only for the greatest
object and aim of his life was he prepared to sacrifice his inclinations,
his comfort and his pride, and to make unhesitating use of every means at
hand. For the sake of that he had already done many things which he
regretted, and the man who steals one sheep out of the flock is followed
by others without intending it. The first degrading action that a man
commits is sure to be followed by a second and a third. What Verus was
now projecting he regarded as being a simple act of self-defence; and
after all, it consisted merely in detaining Hadrian for an hour,
interrupting him in an idle occupation--the observation of the stars.

There were two men who might be helpful to him in this matter--Antinous
and the slave Mastor. He first thought of Mastor; but the Sarmatian was
faithfully devoted to his master