him Dea
Flavia--like a goddess in her white tunic--was beautiful to behold.

The Caesar laid three fingers on the young man's head, and turned his
bloodshot eyes up to the vault of heaven. Then Hortensius Martius rose
from his knees and went up to the Augusta Dea Flavia, and knelt down
before her. She took no heed of him whatever. She did not look upon his
bowed head as he stooped very low and kissed the hem of her gown; some
who watched the scene very closely declared afterwards that she snatched
her robe away from his hands.

And from the arena down below was heard again the snarl of the thwarted
beast.

From the Emperor's tribune, to right and left, wide marble steps led
down to the floor of the arena. At the bottom of these steps huge iron
gates, wrought with gold and studded with nails, guarded them against
access from below. Two legionaries were stationed at these gates.

When Hortensius Martius appeared at the top of the steps the audience
screamed with delight and cheered him to the echoes.

He was indeed a figure like to please the most hardened spectator. Not
over tall, and slight of build, he looked elegant and graceful in his
short white tunic, with the deep purple bands that proclaimed his
patrician rank.

A young exquisite, with well-groomed hands and hair delicately perfumed
and curled, the tense expression of his face gave him nevertheless an
air of determination and of strength. He had taken off his cloak and was
winding it round his left arm, otherwise, of course, he was unarmed as
the Emperor had directed.

The women blew him kisses across the width of the arena, and some of the
more enthusiastic--or the younger--ones pelted him with roses as he came
down the steps.

And down below the panther, as if scenting this new prey, sent a roar of
expectation into the vibrating air.

Caligula smiled with hideous complacency as he looked down on the
descending figure of the young man, and when the people cheered, and the
shower of roses fell in a blood-red mass at Hortensius' feet, the Caesar
snarled even as the panther had done, showing a row of yellow teeth,
like fangs.

At last Hortensius Martius had reached the foot of the steps. The
massive iron gates stood alone between him and the black panther, which
cowered some twenty feet away behind a low monticule covered with tufts
of grass, its tiny eyes of topaz fixed upon the oncoming prey.

Hortensius gave the order for the opening of the gates