ay,
bounding into the arena to save another's life: strong and
determined--measuring and accepting every risk, looking neither to right
nor left whilst he carried his self-imposed burden to safety, and then
falling without a groan, felled to the ground by the claws of the
panther.

And outside the cries had become quite distinct.

"Death to the Caesar! Hail Taurus Antinor! Hail!"

The people, in their fury and their exultation, had condemned one man
and exalted another. Truly the gods themselves had guided them in their
choice. And now it seemed as if the final choice rested with her: as if
in some distant shrine, mysterious oracles had spoken and told her that
the future of Rome lay in her hands.

And involuntarily she looked down on her hands and saw that they were
tiny and weak, and yet one of them would within the next few seconds
point the way to Destiny, show her whither she should go, carrying on
her giant shoulders the whole empire of the world.

At her feet a cowardly and inhuman creature grovelled, abjectly praying
for a life which by its continuance could only bring more sorrow, more
horrors and more misery to thousands upon thousands of human beings
dependent on this half-crazy monster.

Behind her, beyond two walls there lay a man amongst men, for whom the
people clamoured, whose very presence betokened strength and whose every
glance diffused peace. A man born to rule a people and to guide the
destinies of an empire, and whose life of simple integrity had yesterday
been crowned by an act of sublime sacrifice.

And the choice rested with her.

Her ears were buzzing with the hoarse cries from without: the cry of
"Death!" mingling with that of "Hail!"--the name of Caesar blended with
that of the praefect of Rome; and through it all, drowning them by their
hideous sound, the groans and shrieks of a bloodthirsty tyrant, brought
down to the dust by his own cruelties, and even now thirsting for more.

The choice did rest with her.

She had but to run a few steps to the vestibule and there to call loudly
to the populace that even now was invading the slope of the hill toward
her house. She had but to rush to her door and to shout boldly:

"The Caesar is here, and the praefect of Rome is nigh!"

And the twenty men who were waiting with naked swords would be as naught
before the onslaught of the people.

She looked round her helpless and dazed whilst the fawning creature on
the ground embraced her an