e gardens, where
the tops of the pines and cypresses were growing ruddy from the light
of morning. That part of the building was empty, so that echoes of music
and sounds of the feast came with decreasing distinctness. It seemed to
Lygia that she had been rescued from hell, and borne into God's bright
world outside. There was something, then, besides that disgusting
triclinium. There was the sky, the dawn, light, and peace. Sudden
weeping seized the maiden, and, taking shelter on the arm of the giant,
she repeated, with sobbing,--"Let us go home, Ursus! home, to the house
of Aulus."

"Let us go!" answered Ursus.

They found themselves now in the small atrium of Acte's apartments.
Ursus placed Lygia on a marble bench at a distance from the fountain.
Acte strove to pacify her; she urged her to sleep, and declared that
for the moment there was no danger,--after the feast the drunken guests
would sleep till evening. For a long time Lygia could not calm
herself, and, pressing her temples with both hands, she repeated like a
child,--"Let us go home, to the house of Aulus!"

Ursus was ready. At the gates stood pretorians, it is true, but he
would pass them. The soldiers would not stop out-going people. The space
before the arch was crowded with litters. Guests were beginning to go
forth in throngs. No one would detain them. They would pass with the
crowd and go home directly. For that matter, what does he care? As the
queen commands, so must it be. He is there to carry out her orders.

"Yes, Ursus," said Lygia, "let us go."

Acte was forced to find reason for both. They would pass out, true; no
one would stop them. But it is not permitted to flee from the house of
Caesar; whoso does that offends Caesar's majesty. They may go; but in the
evening a centurion at the head of soldiers will take a death sentence
to Aulus and Pomponia Graecina; they will bring Lygia to the palace
again, and then there will be no rescue for her. Should Aulus and his
wife receive her under their roof, death awaits them to a certainty.

Lygia's arms dropped. There was no other outcome. She must choose her
own ruin or that of Plautius. In going to the feast, she had hoped
that Vinicius and Petronius would win her from Caesar, and return her to
Pomponia; now she knew that it was they who had brought Caesar to remove
her from the house of Aulus. There was no help. Only a miracle could
save her from the abyss,--a miracle and the might of God.

"Acte