us, and a slave woman. Well, before he gets there, certain trusty
fellows, such as Domitian knows how to lay his hands upon, will have
entered the house, and having secured the steward and the woman, will
await the coming of Marcus beneath the archway. You can guess the rest.
Is it not well conceived?"

"Very well," answered Caleb. "But may there not be suspicion?"

"None, none. Who would dare to suspect Domitian? A private crime,
doubtless! The rich have so many enemies."

What Saturius did not add was that nobody would suspect Domitian because
the masked bravoes were instructed to inform the steward and the slave
when they had bound and gagged them, that they were hired to do the deed
of blood by a certain merchant named Demetrius, otherwise Caleb the Jew,
who had an ancient quarrel against Marcus, which, already, he had tried
to satisfy by giving false evidence before the court-martial.

"Now," went on Saturius, "I must be going, for there are one or two
little things which need attention, and time presses. Shall we balance
that account, friend Demetrius?"

"Certainly," said Caleb, and taking a roll of gold from a drawer he
pushed it across the table.

Saturius shook his head sadly. "I laid it at twice as much," he said.
"Think how you hate him and how richly your hate will be fed. First
disgraced unjustly, he, one of the best soldiers and bravest captains in
the army, and then hacked to death by cutthroats in the doorway of his
own house. What more could you want?"

"Nothing," answered Caleb. "Only the man isn't dead yet. Sometimes the
Fates have strange surprises for us mortals, friend Saturius."

"Dead? He will be dead soon enough."

"Good. You shall have the rest of the money when I have seen his body.
No, I don't want any bungling and that's the best way to make certain."

"I wonder," thought Saturius, as he departed out of the office and
this history, "I wonder how I shall manage to get the balance of my
fee before they have my Jewish friend by the heels. But it can be
arranged--doubtless it can be arranged."

When he had gone, Caleb, who, it would seem, also had things which
needed attention and felt that time pressed, took pen and wrote a short
letter. Next he summoned a clerk and gave orders that it was to be
delivered two hours after sunset--not before.

Meanwhile, he enclosed it in an outer wrapping so that the address was
not seen. This done, he sat still for a time, his lips moving, almost a