sa had been seen the day before, had known that the
false-hearted girl had given herself to another man while she feigned
love for him.

The high-priest repelled the suspicion with his usual dignity, and went
on to adjure Caesar not to visit on an industrious and dutiful community
the sins of a light-minded girl's base folly and falsehood.

But Caracalla would not suffer him to finish; he wrathfully inquired who
had given him a right to force his advice on Caesar.

On this Timotheus replied, with calm dignity:

"Your own noble words, great Caesar, when, to your honor be it spoken,
you reminded the misguided skeptic of the true meaning of the old gods
and of what is due to them. The god whom I serve, great Caesar, is second
to none: the heavens are his head, the ocean is his body, and the earth
his feet; the sunshine is the light of his all-seeing eye, and everything
which stirs in the heart or brain of man is an emanation of his divine
spirit. Thus he is the all-pervading soul of the universe, and a portion
of that soul dwells in you, in me, in all of us. His power is greater
than any power on earth, and, though a well-grounded wrath and only too
just indignation urge you to exert the power lent you by him--"

"And I will exert it!" Caesar exclaimed with haughty rage. "It reaches
far. I need no help, not even that of your god!"

"That I know," replied Timotheus. "And the god will let those fall into
your hands who have sinned against your sacred majesty. Any punishment,
even the severest, will be pleasing in his sight which you may inflict on
those guilty of high-treason, for you wear the purple as his gift and in
his name; those who insult you sin also against the god. I myself, with
my small power, will help to bring the criminals to justice. But when a
whole population is accused, when it is beyond the power of human justice
to separate the innocent from the guilty, punishment is the prerogative
of the god. He will visit on this city the crimes it has committed
against you; and I implore you, in the name of your noble and admirable
mother--whom it has been my privilege to entertain under this roof, and
who in gratitude for the favors of Serapis--"

"And have I grudged sacrifices?" Caesar broke in. "I have done my utmost
to win the graces of your god--and with what success? Everything that can
most aggrieve the heart of man has befallen me here under his eyes. I
have as much reason to complain of him as to accus