aesar's face might have the worst result
possible. In conclusion, there were those who through humanity begged
Tigellinus to stop persecution.

"See whither ye are going," said Barcus Soranus. "Ye wished to allay
people's anger and convince them that punishment was falling on the
guilty; the result is just the opposite."

"True!" added Antistius Verus, "all whisper to one another now that the
Christians were innocent. If that be cleverness, Chilo was right when he
said that your brains could be held in a nutshell."

Tigellinus turned to them and said: "Barcus Soranus, people whisper also
to one another that thy daughter Servilia secreted her Christian slaves
from Caesar's justice; they say the same also of thy wife, Antistius."

"That is not true!" exclaimed Barcus, with alarm.

"Your divorced women wished to ruin my wife, whose virtue they envy,"
said Antistius Verus, with no less alarm.

But others spoke of Chilo.

"What has happened to him?" asked Eprius Marcellus. "He delivered them
himself into the hands of Tigellinus; from a beggar he became rich;
it was possible for him to live out his days in peace, have a splendid
funeral, and a tomb: but, no! All at once he preferred to lose
everything and destroy himself; he must, in truth, be a maniac."

"Not a maniac, but he has become a Christian," said Tigellinus.

"Impossible!" said Vitelius.

"Have I not said," put in Vestinius, "'Kill Christians if ye like;
but believe me ye cannot war with their divinity. With it there is no
jesting'? See what is taking place. I have not burned Rome; but if Caesar
permitted I would give a hecatomb at once to their divinity. And all
should do the same, for I repeat: With it there is no jesting! Remember
my words to you."

"And I said something else," added Petronius. "Tigellinus laughed when I
said that they were arming, but I say more,--they are conquering."

"How is that? how is that?" inquired a number of voices.

"By Pollux, they are! For if such a man as Chilo could not resist them,
who can? If ye think that after every spectacle the Christians do not
increase, become coppersmiths, or go to shaving beards, for then ye will
know better what people think, and what is happening in the city."

"He speaks pure truth, by the sacred peplus of Diana," cried Vestinius.

But Barcus turned to Petronius.

"What is thy conclusion?"

"I conclude where ye began,--there has been enough of bloodshed."

Tigellinus looked at him