us
did not for a moment doubt--all his hopes of adoption were at an end
in spite of Sabina's support. How should Hadrian choose for his son and
successor a man who was destined to die before 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
t