ked sword fell on the couch: the stroke he only
escaped by having so accidentally changed his place! The glass had
revealed the glitter of the blade behind him, and he was indebted to a
few inches of space for his life!

Looking round, he beheld a masked figure preparing to repeat the
stroke. Severus, with his usual courage and presence of mind, threw
his mantle across the assassin's sword. He cried out, and the chamber
was immediately filled with guards; but whether from treachery or
inadvertence, the traitor was nowhere to be found. He had escaped,
leaving his weapon entangled in the folds of the mantle. On
examination, the emperor's surprise was visibly increased when he
recognised the sword as one belonging to Caracalla! The soothsayer's
prediction was apparently fulfilled. To the emperor's superstitious
apprehensions the crystal goblet was charged with his safety. But lo!
on being sought for, the charmed cup was gone!

* * * * *

The next morning, as the sun was just rising over the green wolds, and
the fresh air came brisk and sharply on the traveller's cheek, a
stranger was noticed loitering through the narrow streets of the
imperial city. He had passed the great Galcarian or western gate, from
which the statue of the reigning emperor on that memorable morning was
found razed from its pedestal. The outer and inner faces of the gate
were whitened for the writing of edicts and proclamations by the
government scribes, and likewise for the public notices of minor
import, these being daubed on the walls with various degrees of skill,
in red or black pigments, according to the nature of the decrees that
were issued by the praetor, and the caprice of the artist.

On that morning a number of idlers had assembled about the gate. The
statue of the emperor, fallen prostrate, had been removed, and an
edict promptly supplied, to the purport that an impious hand, having
attempted the life of the monarch, a reward of one hundred thousand
_sestertia_ would be the price of his apprehension. Another reward of
the like sum was offered for the discovery of a crystal goblet stolen
from the emperor's chamber.

The individual we have just noticed wore the common sleeved tunic of
coarse wool; over it was a cloak buckled on the right shoulder, the
yarn being dyed in such wise that, when woven, it might resemble the
skin of a brindled ox--such was the dress of the ancient Britons. His
head was covered