so of submission to the other's wish.

Taurus Antinor turned away from the loathsome presence without another
word and with a firm step. And Caligula, standing motionless in the
middle of the room waited quietly for his return.

CHAPTER XXXIII

"Come, take up the cross, and follow me."--ST. MARK X. 21.

Taurus Antinor had some difficulty in finding the clothes that he
wanted, which would serve as a disguise for the Caesar and himself, and
he had to explore the huge deserted palace from end to end before he
came on the block of the slaves' quarters; here in one of the cubicles
he ultimately discovered a few bundles of garments, which had apparently
been hastily collected and then forgotten by one of the runaway scribes.

These he found on inspection would suit his purpose admirably. Writing
tools and desk he had already collected; there were plenty of these
littering the building in every corner.

Armed with all these necessaries, he made his way back to the lararium
without again crossing the peristylium where the soldiers were
assembled.

Sitting on the altar steps, with the desk between his knees and the
light from the narrow shaft above falling full upon the parchment, he
wrote out carefully and laboriously the proclamation of pardon which was
destined on the morrow to assure the people of Rome that all their
delinquencies against the majesty and the person of their Caesar would by
him be forgotten.

It was necessary so to word it that not a single loophole should remain
through which Caligula could ultimately slip and break his word. More
than one beginning was made and whole lines erased and rewritten before
the praefect of Rome was satisfied with his work.

The Caesar in the meanwhile was tramping up and down the tiny room like
his own favourite black panther when it was in a rage. Throwing his
thick, short body about in a kind of rolling gait, he only paused at
times for a moment or two in order to hurl a vicious snarl at the
praefect.

His fingers were twitching convulsively the whole time, with longing no
doubt to grasp the leather-thonged whip which they were so fond of
wielding. At intervals he would gnaw his nails down to the quick while
snorts of bridled fury escaped through his pallid lips.

But Taurus Antinor went on with his work, absolutely heedless of the
Caesar's rage. When the wording of the proclamation satisfied him, he
held out the pen for Caligula to sign. He knelt on the flo