Christ, who enlightened thee, has shown thee favor.
Last night Caesar's freedman and those of the prefect came to select
Christian maidens for disgrace; they inquired for thy betrothed, but our
Lord sent her a fever, of which prisoners are dying in the Tullianum,
and they left her. Last evening she was unconscious, and blessed be the
name of the Redeemer, for the sickness which has saved her from shame
may save her from death."

Vinicius placed his hand on the soldier's shoulder to guard himself from
falling; but the other continued,--

"Thank the mercy of the Lord! They took and tortured Linus, but, seeing
that he was dying, they surrendered him. They may give her now to thee,
and Christ will give back health to her."

The young tribune stood some time with drooping head; then raised it and
said in a whisper,--

"True, centurion. Christ, who saved her from shame, will save her from
death." And sitting at the wall of the prison till evening, he returned
home to send people for Linus and have him taken to one of his suburban
villas.

But when Petronius had heard everything, he determined to act also. He
had visited the Augusta; now he went to her a second time. He found her
at the bed of little Rufius. The child with broken head was struggling
in a fever; his mother, with despair and terror in her heart, was trying
to save him, thinking, however, that if she did save him it might be
only to perish soon by a more dreadful death.

Occupied exclusively with her own suffering, she would not even hear of
Vinicius and Lygia; but Petronius terrified her.

"Thou hast offended," said he to her, "a new, unknown divinity. Thou,
Augusta, art a worshipper, it seems, of the Hebrew Jehovah; but the
Christians maintain that Chrestos is his son. Reflect, then, if the
anger of the father is not pursuing thee. Who knows but it is their
vengeance which has struck thee? Who knows but the life of Rufius
depends on this,--how thou wilt act?"

"What dost thou wish me to do?" asked Poppaea, with terror.

"Mollify the offended deities."

"How?"

"Lygia is sick; influence Caesar or Tigellinus to give her to Vinicius."

"Dost thou think that I can do that?" asked she, in despair.

"Thou canst do something else. If Lygia recovers, she must die. Go
thou to the temple of Vesta, and ask the virgo magna to happen near the
Tullianum at the moment when they are leading prisoners out to death,
and give command to free that maiden. The chie