utler and cellarer can
set before him."

"But his news is of extreme importance," gasped Decimus, only half
believing his ears.

"I have spoken," said the general, sternly. "What is his name?"

"He is called Quintus Drusus, Imperator."

"Ah!" was his deliberate response, "send him to me when he will eat
and drink no more."

Decimus saluted again, and withdrew, while his superior opened the
roll in his hands, and with all apparent fixity and interest studied
at the precepts and definitions of the grammar of Dionysius Thrax, the
noted philologist.

At the end of some minutes Quintus Drusus stood before him.

The young Praenestian was covered with dust, was unkempt, ragged; his
step was heavy, his arms hung wearily at his side, his head almost
drooped on his breast with exhaustion. But when he came into the
Imperator's presence, he straightened himself and tried to make a
gesture of salutation. Caesar had risen from his chair.

"Fools!" he cried, to the little group of slaves and soldiers, who
were crowding into the room, "do you bring me this worn-out man, who
needs rest? Who dared this? Has he been refreshed as I commanded?"

"He would take nothing but some wine--" began Decimus.

"I would have waited until morning, if necessary, before seeing him.
Here!" and while Caesar spoke he half led, half thrust, the messenger
into his own chair, and, anticipating the nimblest slave, unclasped
the travel-soiled paenula from Drusus's shoulders. The young man tried
to rise and shake off these ministrations, but the proconsul gently
restrained him. A single look sufficed to send all the curious retinue
from the room. Only Antiochus remained, sitting on a stool in a
distant corner.

"And now, my friend," said Caesar, smiling, and drawing a chair close
up to that of Drusus, "tell me when it was that you left Rome."

"Two days ago," gasped the wearied messenger.

"_Mehercle!_" cried the general, "a hundred and sixty miles in two
days! This is incredible! And you come alone?"

"I had Andraemon, the fastest horse in Rome. Antonius, Caelius, Cassius,
Curio, and myself kept together as far as Clusium. There was no longer
any danger of pursuit, no need for more than one to hasten." Drusus's
sentences were coming in hot pants. "I rode ahead. Rode my horse dead.
Took another at Arretium. And so I kept changing. And now--I am here."
And with this last utterance he stopped, gasping.

Caesar, instead of demanding the tidings fr