speaking
to an invisible presence. "And he said at thy call he would give up the
world, and suffer death and torture and shame for thee!... Then so be
it! And I do defy thee, O man of Galilee! even I, Dea Flavia Augusta, of
the imperial House of Caesar! For that man whom I hate and despise, for
that man who has defied and shamed me, for that man whose heart and
allegiance thou hast filched from Caesar, for him will I do thee battle
... and that heart will I conquer; and it shall be Caesar's and
mine--mine--for I will break it and crush it first and then wrest it
from thee!"

And even as she spoke, from far away over the hills and beyond the
Campania the thunder rolled dully in response.

CHAPTER XIV

"Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice
like him."--JOB XL. 9.

A few moments later Licinia came running back into the room.

"Augusta!" she exclaimed excitedly even before she had crossed the
threshold. "Augusta! quick! the Caesar!"

Dea Flavia started, for she had indeed been suddenly awakened from a
dream. Slowly, and with eyes still vague and thoughtful, she turned to
her slave.

"The Caesar?" she repeated, whilst a puzzled frown appeared between her
brows and the young blood faded from her cheeks. "The Caesar?"

"Aye," said the old woman hurriedly. "He is in the atrium even now,
having just arrived, and his slaves fill the vestibule. He desires
speech with thee."

"He does not often come at this hour," said Dea Flavia, whose face had
become very white and set at mention of a name which indeed had the
power of rousing terror in every heart just now. "Doth he seem angered?"
she asked under her breath.

"No, no," said Licinia reassuringly, "how could he be angered against
thee, my pet lamb? But come quickly, dear, to thy robing room; what
dress wilt put on to greet the Caesar in?"

"Nay, nay," she said with a tremulous little laugh, "we'll not keep my
kinsman waiting. That indeed might anger him. He has been in this room
before and hath liked to watch me at my work. Let him come now, an he
wills."

Licinia would have protested for she loved to deck her darling out in
all the finery that, to her mind, rendered the Augusta more beautiful
than a goddess, but there was no time to say anything for even now the
Caesar's voice was heard at the further end of the atrium.

"Do not disturb your mistress. I'll to her myself. Nay! I'll not be
announced. 'Tis an informal cousinly visit