thful loveliness combined
with the stately aloofness of conscious power.

At any other time but this, the unscrupulous voluptuary would have gazed
on his beautiful kinswoman with eyes that would have shamed her with
their undisguised admiration, and mayhap his look and actions would have
placed a severe test on her loyalty and on her respect for him.

But to-day Caligula only saw in her the tool whom conspirators meant to
use for their treacherous ends, her loveliness paled in his eyes before
the awful suspicion which he had of her guilt, and whilst she stood
quietly awaiting his pleasure, he marvelled how much she knew of the
traitors' plans and whether her white fingers would effectually thrust
the dagger into an assassin's hand.

She had dismissed her slaves at his bidding--all unconscious as she was
of any danger that might threaten her through him. He waited for a while
in silence, then he said abruptly:

"Dea Flavia, what is thine age?"

She looked up at him, smiling and puzzled.

"Some twenty years, great Caesar," she replied, "but of a truth I had not
kept count."

"Twenty years?" he retorted, "then 'tis high time that I chose a husband
for thee."

This time she looked up at him boldly, and although in her glance there
was all the respect due to the immortal Caesar, yet was there no show of
humility in her attitude as she threw back the heavy masses of her hair
and drew up her slender figure to its full stately height.

"Was it to tell me this," she asked simply, "that the greatest of Caesars
sought his servant's house to-day?"

"In part," he rejoined curtly, "and I would hear thine answer."

"My lord has not deigned to ask a question?"

"Art prepared to accept the husband whom I, thine Emperor will choose
for thee?"

"In all things do I give thee honour and reverence, O Caesar," she
replied, "but----"

"But what?"

"But I had no thought of marriage."

"No thought of marriage!" he retorted roughly as, unable to sit still,
harassed by rage and doubt, he once more started on that restless walk
of his up and down the room.

She watched him with great wondering eyes. That something serious lay
behind his questionings was of course obvious. He had not paid her this
matutinal visit for the sole purpose of passing the time of day; and she
did not like this strange mood of his nor his reference to a topic over
which he had not worried her hitherto.

In truth the thought of marriage had never ente