of the vast property owned
by the late praefect was being somewhat mysteriously administered, and
up to this hour no one had been able to gain any definite information
with regard to its ultimate destination. There were those who averred
that a great deal of ready money--including the proceeds of the sale of
the late praefect's house in Rome and of his villa at Ostia--had found
its way to a section of very poor freedmen who lived on the Aventine and
who formed a somewhat isolated little colony not viewed altogether
kindly by the official magistracy of the city.

But all that was mere gossip and did not withstand the test of time.
After three months people had plenty of other matters to think of and to
talk about.

There were the festivals and games which had accompanied the re-entry of
the Caesar into Rome. The city had been beflagged and adorned with
banners and with garlands. For thirty days did the rejoicings last, and
brilliant sunshine shone over the golden glories of autumn and kissed
the foliage of oleanders until they blushed a brilliant crimson, and
tinged the marble of palaces and temples every morning with rose.

The games in the great Circus went on without intermission for thirty
days; there were military and naval pageants, combats between the lions
from Numidia and the new hyenas and crocodiles; there were gladiatorial
contests and chariot races. Much human blood was shed for the
delectation of the masters of the world, much skill displayed, much
prowess vanquished by prowess greater, much valour laid to dust.

But the Caesar's pet black panther did not appear again in the Circus.
The mighty fist of the dead praefect had mayhap laid the creature low;
in any case it were not safe to re-awaken dormant memories.

And Caius Julius Caesar Caligula, the father of his armies, the best and
greatest of Caesars, showed himself at all these pageants more crazed
than ever; he hardly ever spoke now to the people. 'Twas averred that
Caesonia, his wife, had given him a potion to cure him of his infatuation
for Dea Flavia, his kinswoman, whom he had exalted above all the other
Augustas, and whose absence from Rome and from all festivities had
rendered him half distracted with wrath.

He would have liked to vent that wrath on Dea, but he could not lay
hands on her. She had left her palace even before his re-entry into
Rome, taking none but two of her most trusted slaves with her; the
others did not know whither she