ok; and hardly had he retired
when Macrinus returned.

The slaughterer had acquired his information through a comrade, who said
that he had twice caught sight of Melissa at the window of the chambers
of mystery in the upper story of the Serapeum, yesterday afternoon. He
had hoped to win the reward which was offered for the recovery of the
fugitive, and had promised his colleague half the money if he would help
him to capture the maiden. But just at sunset, hearing that the massacre
was ended, the man had incautiously gone out into the town, where he had
been slain by a drunken solder of the Scythian legion. The hapless man's
body had been found, but Macrinus's informant had assured him that he
could entirely rely on the report of his unfortunate colleague, who was a
sober and truthful man, as the chief augur would testify.

This was enough for Caracalla. Macrinus was at once to go for the
high-priest, and to take care that he took no further steps to conceal
Melissa. The slaughterer had ever since daybreak kept secret watch on all
the doors of the Serapeum, aided by his comrades, who were to share in
the reward, and especially on the stairway leading from the ground floor
up to the mystic's galleries.

The prefect at once obeyed the despot's command. On the threshold he met
the kitchen-steward returning to submit his list of dishes for Caesar's
approval.

He found Caracalla in an altered mood, rejuvenescent and in the highest
spirits. After hastily agreeing to the day's bill of fare, he asked the
steward in what part of the building the chambers of mystery were; and
when he learned that the stairs leading up to them began close to the
kitchens, which had been arranged for Caesar's convenience under the
temple laboratory, Caracalla declared in a condescending tone that he
would go to look round the scene of the cook's labors. And the lion
should come too, to return thanks for the good meat which was brought to
him so regularly.

The head cook, rejoiced at the unwonted graciousness of a master whose
wrath had often fallen on him, led the way to his kitchen hearth. This
had been constructed in a large hall, originally the largest of the
laboratories, where incense was prepared for the sanctuary and medicines
concocted for the sick in the temple hospital. There were smaller halls
and rooms adjoining, where at this moment some priests were busy
preparing kyphi and mixing drugs.

The steward, proud of Caesar's promised