e word he has reached her."

To all intents and purposes a prisoner, Narcissus was marched along the
mosaic pavement of a bronze-roofed colonnade, whose marble columns
flanked the approach to the palace steps. Drenched guards, posted near
the eaves where water splashed on them clanged their shields in darkness
as the decurion passed; there was not a square yard of the palace
grounds unwatched.

There was a halt beside the little marble pavilion near the palace
steps, where the decurion turned Narcissus over to an attendant in
palace uniform, but no comment; the palace was too used to seeing
favorites of one day in disgrace the next.

Within the palace there was draughtily lighted gloom, a sensation of
dread and mysterious restlessness. The bronze doors leading to the
emperor's apartments were shut and guards posted outside them who
demanded extremely definite reasons for admitting any one; even when
the centurion's message was delivered some one had to be sent in first
to find out whether Marcia was willing, and for nearly half an hour
Narcissus waited, biting his lip with impatience.

When he was sent for at last, and accompanied in, he found Marcia,
Pertinax and Galen seated unattended in the gorgeous, quiet anteroom
next to the emperor's bedchamber. The outer storm was hardly audible
through the window-shutters, but there was an atmosphere of impending
climax, like the hush and rumble that precedes eruptions.

Marcia nodded and dismissed the attendant who had brought Narcissus.
There was a strained look about her eyes, a tightening at the corners of
the mouth. Her voice was almost hoarse:

"What is it? You bring bad news, Narcissus! What has happened?"

"Sextus has been arrested by the main gate guard!"

Galen came out of a reverie. Pertinax bit at his nails and looked
startled; worry had made him look as old as Galen, but his shoulders
were erect and he was very splendid in his jeweled full dress. None
spoke; they waited on Marcia, who turned the news over in her mind a
minute.

"When? Why?" she asked at last.

"He proposed I should smuggle him in, that he might be of service to
you. He was stormy-minded. He said Rome may need a determined man
tonight. But the centurion of the guard recognized him--knew he is
Maternus. He refused to summon the commander. Sextus is locked in a
cell, and there is no knowing what the guards may do to him. They may
try to make him talk. Please write and ord