eary morning, giving
but few signs of life. Many there were who thought that, overcome with
drowsiness owing to the heat, she had fallen asleep with her head buried
in the fragrant depths of the lilies which she held.

Certain it is that throughout the spectacle she had kept her eyes
closed, and when death-cries filled the air with their terrible echo,
she had once or twice put her small hands to her ears.

Whenever she had done that the Caesar had laughed, and apparently made
jest of her with the other Augustas who, in their turn, appeared greatly
amused.

The spectacle indeed had been somewhat tame, and but for the human chase
of a while ago, would have been intolerably dull. There was surely
nothing in the death of a few miserable slaves to upset the nerves of a
Roman princess. As for the gladiators! well! they were trained and well
paid to die.

Not far from the Caesar's person, and leaning against the wall of the
tribune in his wonted attitude, the praefect of Rome had also stood
silently by. The Emperor had ordered his presence, nor could the
praefect of the city be absent when the sacred person of the Caesar was
abroad amongst his people.

But no one could say whether the Anglicanus had seen or heard anything
of what went on around him. His eyes of a truth were wide open, but they
did not gaze down upon the arena; they were hidden by that dark frown
upon his brow, and no one could guess whereon was his ardent gaze so
resolutely fixed, no one could guess that from where he stood Taurus
Antinor could perceive the outline of a delicate profile, with the
softly rounded cheek, and a tiny shell-like ear half hidden by the filmy
veil of curls.

He could see the lids with their fringe of golden lashes fall wearily
over the eyes, he could trace the shudder of horror which shook the
slender figure from time to time.

Once the lilies dropped from Dea Flavia's hand, and the soft swishing
sound which they made in falling caused her to wake as from a reverie.
She looked all round her with wide-open eyes, and her glance suddenly
encountered those of the praefect of Rome. It seemed to him that her
very soul was in her eyes then, a soul which at that moment appeared
full of horror at all that she had seen.

But as quickly as she had thus involuntarily revealed her soul, so did
she conceal it again beneath her favoured veil of unbendable pride. She
frowned on him as if angered that he should have surprised a secret, and