ster.

"Commodus had then invited him to demonstrate his prowess in the Stadium
of the Palace. There Martius had shown such skill, courage, agility,
judgment, grace and ease that Commodus was delighted. He had Martius ride
a number of wild, fierce and unmanageable horses and was more and more
charmed with him.

"Next day he had another batch of intractable mounts for him. As Martius
was manoeuvring one which he had almost subdued Commodus stepped too near
the plunging brute and, in saving the Emperor from being run down and
trampled, Martius was somehow thrown and his neck broken.

"Commodus was very penitent, felt that he had caused Martius' death, had
him given a funeral of Imperial magnificence and, as soon as her grief had
quieted enough, paid Marcia a ceremonial visit of condolence, as if she
had been the widow of a full general killed in battle on the frontier.

"One sight of Marcia was enough. Within a very short space of time her
wiles had ensnared him and Crispina raged in vain."

Then she told me all the story of the intrigues by which Marcia poisoned
the Emperor's mind against the Empress, until Crispina fell under all
sorts of suspicion in the eyes of Commodus: of how at the same time Marcia
subtly laid snares for Crispina and enticed her into injudicious behavior
with several gallants, until finally the Emperor put her under
surveillance, later relegated her to Capri, then to some more distant
island, and finally had her brought back to Rome, publicly tried,
convicted and executed.

I told her my conjectures as to the queer outcome of the arrest of
Ducconius Furfur and as to who Palus really was and who occupied the
throne while Palus exhibited himself as wrestler, boxer, charioteer and
what not.

"I know nothing to confirm your surmises," she said, "but we about the
Court have often been puzzled at the way Commodus appeared to be in two
places at once. You set me thinking."

After the second cockcrow, since dawn was not now far away, we fell to
talking of the future.

"I shan't marry anybody, ever, except you, dear!" she promised, without my
asking it and again and again: "I'll remain a widow until I die unless we
outlive Commodus, and Tanno and I succeed in having you rehabilitated. I
have many consolations in my wealth and social position and friends."

"And suitors," I put in, mimicking her tone when she bantered me about
Marcia.

"And suitors!" she replied. "Caius, I love you, and I'll nev