At last it was broken in.

With a thundering crash it fell inwards, and Teja entered the dwelling
of his enemy.

Upon the threshold, with a leap like that of a panther, the Moor sprang
upon him, grasping his throat and raising a dagger in his hand.

But the Goth let fall his axe, seized him in his right hand, and, like
a stone from a sling, the Moor flew sideways through the door and
rolled down the steps into the street.

"Where art thou, Cethegus?" again sounded the voice of Teja, coming
nearer and nearer, from the vestibule and the atrium.

Some doors, which had been bolted by the secretary, Fidus, were forced
one after the other by Teja's axe.

With difficulty Cethegus dragged himself to the middle of the Hall of
Jupiter. He still hoped to be able to reach the study and take the
writings and treasure out of the statue of Caesar.

He heard the crash of another falling door, and the voice of Teja now
sounded from the study.

He heard how the soldiers, who had pressed forward after Teja into the
library, were demolishing the statues and busts of his ancestors.

"Where is thy master, old man?" asked Teja's voice.

The slave had taken refuge in the study.

"I know not, by my soul!"

"Not even here! Cethegus! coward! Where hidest thou?"

It was now evident that the soldiers had also entered the study.

Cethegus could no longer stand upright.

He leaned against the marble statue of Jupiter, from which the hall
took its name.

"What shall be done with this house?" he heard some one ask.

"It shall be burned!" cried Teja.

"The King has forbidden that," answered the voice of Thorismuth.

"Yes; but I have begged this house from the King. It shall be razed to
the ground! Down with the temple of that devil! Down with the holiest
of holies--this idol!"

A fearful blow resounded.

With a crash the Caesar statue fell in fragments to the ground.

Gold, jewels, and rolls of papyrus covered the floor.

"Ah! the barbarian!" cried Cethegus, forgetting himself, and he was
about to rush into the study with his drawn sword, when he fell
senseless at the foot of the statue of Jupiter.

"Hark! What was that?" cried a boyish voice.

"The voice of the Prefect!" exclaimed Teja, and opening the door which
led from the study into the hall, he sprang forward, swinging his
battle-axe.

But the hall was empty.

A pool of blood lay at the feet of the Jupiter, and a broad track of
the crimson fluid led to the windo