will not wait till to-morrow, Augusta," urged Ancyrus, the
elder, "canst tell a raging tempest to pause or a thunderstorm to bide
thy time? They are quiet for the nonce but in an hour they will again
invade the imperial hill. Thy house will not be safe."

"Then must ye put a check upon the people as best ye can, my lords; I
cannot make my choice at this hour," she said determinedly, "if ye
cannot wait and if ye fear the people, then must you make your plans
without my help."

They consulted with one another in whispers. The Augusta was obdurate
and without her they did not care to act. Her personality was alone
powerful enough at this crisis to satisfy the people, and she alone
could stand for the success of their intrigues against the people's loud
demands for the praefect of Rome.

Betwixt two dangers the plotters chose the lesser one. If the populace
got once more out of hand they would, whilst invading the palaces, find
the Caesar and no doubt murder him. That act of vengeance once
accomplished they would probably calm down for a while. They would
expend their strength in clamouring for the praefect of Rome, but the
praefect of Rome was certainly dead, else he would have appeared ere
this. The darkness of the night would perforce put a stop to all
street-rioting; under its cover the praetorian praefect could easily
rejoin the guard, and by the third hour of to-morrow, everything would
be prepared for the proclamation of the newly chosen Caesar.

Not one of these conspirators had any doubt as to who that Caesar would
be. Chosen from among their ranks, he would be compelled to reward
richly those who had placed him on the throne.

Dea Flavia waited quietly while these hurried consultations were going
on. Now that she saw that her wishes had prevailed, she once more became
gracious and kind.

With a sign of the head and a smile that contained a promise she
intimated to them that they were dismissed.

"I beg of you, my lords," she said, "to look upon my house as your own
until the morrow. My slaves will offer you food and drink, and prepare
you baths to refresh you, and sleeping-chambers for the night. To-morrow
you will have mine answer. May the gods protect ye until then, my
lords."

She touched a small gong summoning Dion and Nolus back into her
presence. To them she entrusted the task of seeing to the needs of these
great lords and of watching over their comforts.

It would have been churlish and inexped