ve been added to
the list of those few Roman women of high degree who even then gave up
all their rank and state in order to share the persecutions of the
Nazarenes. But it was otherwise ordered. Already indications, each
slight in itself, but altogether of important bearing, began to present
themselves before her, warning her that jealous eyes were watching her,
and that, if she would avoid the consequences of misconstruction, she
must bring her feeble investigations to a close.

Until now, Leta, in her struggle to alienate the husband from the wife,
had been actuated simply by the exigencies of her ambitious policy.
Bearing in her heart no especial hatred toward her mistress, she would
willingly have spared her, had not the circumstances of the case seemed
to require the ruin of the one preliminary to the exaltation of the
other. But now, other incentives to her efforts were added. First in her
mind came jealousy of Cleotos; for though she had cast him off, and bade
him stifle the yearnings of his heart, and, by the cool exercise of
intellect and craft alone, seek a better fortune for himself, it was
hardly natural that she should feel pleased to have him so soon appear
to take her at her word. She would have better liked to see him display
more prolonged sorrow for her loss. Then came jealousy of AEnone, who had
apparently been able to console him so early. And mingled with all this,
there began to press upon her a startling thought--one which she at
first contemned as unlikely and absurd--but which, though continually
driven away, so obstinately returned and commended itself to her
attention with newer plausibility, that at last she began to give bitter
and anxious heed to it. What if this constant communication between
AEnone and Cleotos were to result in a mutual love? It was no uncommon
thing in those days for the high-born lady to cast her eyes upon the
slave. How mortifying to herself, then, if, while she had been exerting
all her powers of fascination, taxing the utmost resources of her
intellect, and making of her whole existence one labored study for the
purpose of gaining an undue influence over the lord, Cleotos, without
art or disguise or apparent effort, or any advantage other than that
afforded by his simple-hearted, trusting nature, should have quietly won
from the other side of the house a victory of almost equal importance?
And further than this--what if the lord were to perish in some brawl or
by th