o conduct
Hadrian to the house of Paulina--"

"Oh!" cried Antinous lamentably enough, and grasping the Roman's hand.
"You will not--you can not. Oh Verus! you will not do that."

"Simpleton," laughed the praetor, slapping the alarmed youth lightly
on the shoulder. "What good could it do me to ruin you? I have only
one thing at heart just now, and that is to save Caesar from care and
anxiety. Keep him occupied only during the third hour after midnight
and you may count on my friendship; but if out of fear or ill-will you
refuse me your assistance you do not deserve your sovereign's favor and
then you will compel me--"

"No more, no more!" cried Antinous interrupting his tormentor in
despair.

"Then you promise me to carry out my wish?"

"Yes, by Hercules! Yes, what you require shall be done. But eternal
gods! how am I to get Caesar--"

"That, my young friend, I leave with perfect confidence to you and your
shrewdness."

"I am not shrewd--I can devise nothing," groaned the lad.

"What you could do out of terror of your master you can do still better
for love of him," retorted the praetor. "The problem is an easy one; and
if after all you should not succeed I shall feel it no less than my
duty to explain to Hadrian how well Antinous can take care of his own
interests and how badly of his master's peace of mind. Till to-morrow,
my handsome friend--and if for the future you have flowers to send, my
slaves are quite at your service."

With these words the praetor left the room, but Antinous stood like
one crushed, pressing his brow against the cold porphyry pillar by the
window. What Verus required of him did not seem to have any harm in it,
and yet it was not right. It was treason to his noble master, whom
he loved with tender devotion as a father, a wise, kind friend, and
preceptor, and whom he reverenced and feared as though he were a god. To
plot to hide impending trouble from him, as if he were not a man but
a feeble weakling, was absurd and contemptible, and must introduce an
error of unknown importance and extent into his sovereign's far-seeing
predeterminations. Many other reasons against the praetor's demands
crowded on him, and as each occurred to his mind he cursed his tardy
spirit which never let him see or think the right thing till it was too
late. His first deceit had already involved him in a second.

He hated himself; he hit his forehead with his fists and sobbed aloud
bitterly again and again, t