--was to seem
forever imperturbable and loving.

"Let Narcissus bear witness then; since Caesar bids me, I obey! Again
and again I have warned you, Caesar. If I were less your slave and more
your sycophant I would have tired of warning you. But none shall say of
Marcia that her Caesar met Nero's fate, whose women ran away and left
him. Not while Marcia lives shall Commodus declare he has no friends."

"Who now?" he demanded angrily. "Get me my tablet! Come now, name me
your conspirators and they shall die before the sun sets!"

When he scowled his beauty vanished, his eyes seeming to grow closer
like an ape's. The mania for murder that obsessed him tautened his
sinews. Cheeks, neck, forearms swelled with knotted strength.
Ungovernable passion shook him.

"Name them!" he repeated, beckoning unconsciously for the tablet that
none dared thrust into his hand.

"Shall I name all Rome?" asked Marcia, stepping closer, pressing herself
against him. "O Hercules, my Roman Hercules--does love, that makes us
women see, put bandages on men's eyes? You have turned your back upon
the better part of Rome to--"

"Better part?" He shook her by the shoulders, snorting. "Liars,
cowards, ingrates, strutting peacocks, bladders of wind boring me and
one another with their empty phrases, cringing lick-spittles--they make
me sick to look at them! They fawn on me like hungry dogs. By Jupiter,
I make myself ridiculous too often, pandering to a lot of courtiers! If
they despise me then as I despise myself, I am in a bad way! I must
make haste and live again! I will get the stench of them out of my
nostrils and the sickening sight of them out of my eyes by watching true
men fight! When I slay lions with a javelin, or gladiators--"

"You but pander to the rabble," Marcia interrupted. "So did Nero. Did
they come to his aid when the senate and his friends deserted him?"

"Don't interrupt me, woman! Senate! Court!" he snorted. "I can rout
the senate with a gesture! I will fill my court with gladiators! I can
change my ministers as often as I please--aye, and my mistress too," he
added, glaring at her. "Out with the names of these new conspirators
who have set you trembling for my destiny!"

"I know none--not yet," she said. "I can feel, though. I hear the
whispers in the Thermae--"

"By Jupiter, then I will close the Thermae."

"When I pass through the streets I read men's faces--"

"Snarled, have they? My praet