all the events
of the past few days, thou wilt make thine entry into Rome amidst the
rejoicings of thy people."

"Pardon!" hissed Caligula through set teeth. "Never!"

"Yet is a proclamation of universal pardon necessary for thy safety,"
said Taurus Antinor with solemn earnestness. "As soon as I have placed
thee under the protection of that sheltering roof on the Aventine, I
would return to Rome with thy proclamation, and with the news that in
three days' time thou wouldst enter the city at the head of thy people.
The people, frightened at first, would imagine that divine interference
had led thee triumphantly out of danger, thy clemency would allay their
fears and fire their enthusiasm; they would soon make ready to welcome
thee with rejoicings. But without thy promise of pardon fear would gain
the mastery over those who led this rebellion, and fear quickly would
beget despair. In their terror of thy coming vengeance they might oppose
thy coming, and such is the temper of the people just now that all the
strength of thy legions--half-spent in this last expedition--might be
powerless against it; thy chosen soldiers even might turn against thee."

The Caesar was silent, and even in this dim light it was easy to read on
his ghastly face the inner workings of his tortuous mind--rage, malice,
a raging thirst for revenge fought against his own cowardice and the
steady influence which the praefect's calm and firm attitude was
exercising over him, much against his will.

"Time is precious, O Caesar," continued Taurus Antinor earnestly; "the
people will not wait. The shadows of evening will soon be drawing in and
the storm has not yet wholly passed away. The hour is propitious now, an
thou wilt accept my service, we can slip away and mingle with the few
straggling groups of malcontents before the crowd has again rushed the
hill. An thou wilt not tarry and canst brace thyself up to indifferent
demeanour in the streets, I swear to thee that thou wilt be under safe
shelter in an hour."

"If I but dared to trust myself so entirely in thy keeping...."

Taurus Antinor shrugged his broad shoulders with marked contempt for his
forbearance was threatening to give way.

"Is there anyone else," he asked, "whom thou wouldst rather trust? Name
him then, O Caesar, and, alive or dead, I'll bring him to thy presence
within the hour."

But to this the Caesar made no reply. He knew better than anyone could
tell him that the man whom he