f course. She was a near kinswoman of the Emperor,
and the child of his adoption; she was all-powerful with the Caesar as
with all men through the might of his personality as much as through
that of her wealth.

But he had no thought of yielding nor any thought of fear. It seemed as
if in the heat-laden atmosphere two mighty wills had suddenly clashed
one against the other, brandishing ghostly steels. His will against
hers! The might of manhood and of strength against the word of a
beautiful woman. Nor was the contest unequal. If he could crush her with
a touch of his hand, she could destroy him with one word in the Caesar's
ear. She had as her ally the full unbridled might of the House of Caesar,
while against her there was only this stranger, a descendant of a
freedwoman from a strange land. For the nonce his influence was great
over the mind of the quasi-madman who sat on the Empire's throne, but
any moment, any event, the whisper of an enemy, the word of a woman,
might put an end to his power.

All this Dea Flavia knew, and knowing it found pleasure in toying with
his wrath. Armed with the triple weapon of her beauty, her purity and
her power, she taunted him with his impotence and smiled with scornful
pity upon the weakness of his manhood.

Even now she turned to Nola and said with gentle firmness:

"Get up, girl, and come with me."

But at her words the last vestige of deference fled from the praefect's
manner; pity now would have been weak folly. Had he yielded he would
have despised himself even as this proud girl now affected to scorn him.

He interposed his massive figure between Dea Flavia and the slave and
said loudly:

"By thy leave, Nola, the daughter of Menecreta, is the property of the
State and 'tis I will decide whither she goeth now."

"Until to-morrow only, Taurus Antinor," she rejoined coldly, "for
to-morrow she must be in the slave market again, when my agents will bid
for and buy her according to my will."

"Nay! she shall not be put up for sale to-morrow."

"By whose authority, O praefectus?"

"By mine. The State hath given me leave to purchase privately a number
of slaves from the late censor's household. 'Tis my intention to
purchase Nola thus."

"Thou hast no right," she said, still speaking with outward calm, though
her whole soul rebelled against the arrogance of this man who dared to
thwart her will, to gainsay her word, and set up his dictates against
hers, "thou hast no rig