d an echo of his
voice.

She would have stayed here for hours longer, talking to that absent
personality, powerful and mysterious more than ever now, listening to
the rugged voice which she would never hear again. But there was
something that she must do ere she gave herself over finally to her
dreams; there was a duty to accomplish which she knew he would ask of
her.

Therefore--after a last, long, all-embracing look on the place which
would for ever be as a sanctuary in her sight--she went back to the
studio at last, and herself going to the door she called Folces back to
her.

"The praefect of Rome, good Folces?" she asked as soon as the man had
entered, "wilt see him again?"

"Taurus Antinor named Anglicanus hath left Rome to-day on his way to
Syria, O Augusta!" said the man, humbly insisting on the name of his
master.

"Dost not go with him?"

"He hath commanded me to stay here and to look after his household until
such time as he doth direct."

"His household?" she said. "I had not thought of that. What is to become
of his house in Rome, his villa at Ostia and his slaves?"

"The praefect of Rome," said Folces, "made ere he died a testament
wherein he did command the freedom of all his slaves, and ordered a
certain sum of money to be set aside which will enable even the humblest
amongst us all to live decently like freedmen. The house in Rome and the
villa at Ostia are to be sold, whilst the remainder of Taurus Antinor's
private fortune is to be administered by his general agents. He said
that he would see to it later on. I am still his slave; he did not
confide in me."

"Yet he asked thee to look after his household."

"It will take a little time until the manumissio testamento can take
effect. In the meanwhile we all are Taurus Antinor's slaves and must
look after his houses until they have been sold."

"Wilt be happy as a freedman, Folces?"

"Yes, Augusta," replied the man simply, "for then I shall be at liberty
to follow Taurus Antinor as his servant."

She sat quite silently after this, her tear-stained eyes fixed into
vacancy. Folces was on his knees waiting to be dismissed. It was some
little while before she remembered his presence, then in a gentle voice
she bade him go.

"Shall I take a message back to my master?" he asked humbly. "I could
find him, I think, if I had a message."

"I have no message," she said; "go, good Folces."

CHAPTER XXXV

"We are unprofitable servants: