athen, and Dada, following their example,
had a similar bow on her shoulder; now, however, she accepted a blue
ribband that Demetrius bought for her and pinned it in the place of
the red one as being the color of Marcus, to the old singer's great
annoyance. Demetrius laughed loudly in his deep bass tones, declaring
that his brother was already most anxious to win, and that, when he saw
her with these ribbands he would strain every nerve, in gratitude
for her partisanship. He could assure her that Marcus thought of her
constantly.

"I am glad of that," she said simply; and she added that it was the same
with her, for she had been thinking all night of Marcus and his horses.
Medius could not help remarking that Karnis and Herse would take it very
ill that she should display the Christian color to-day of all days; to
which she only replied that she was sorry for that, but that she
liked blue better than red. The answer was so abrupt and short that it
startled Demetrius, who had hitherto seen Dada gentle and pliant; and
it struck him at once how deep an aversion the girl felt for her present
protectors.

There was music, as usual, in the towers at either end of the row
of carceres; but it was less stirring and cheerful than of yore, for
flutes, and several of the heathen airs had been prohibited. Formerly,
too, the Hippodrome had been a place where lovers could meet and where
many a love-affair had been brought to a happy climax; but to-day none
of the daughters of the more respectable families were allowed to quit
the women's apartments in their own homes, for danger was in the air;
the course of events in the Serapeum had kept many of the younger men
from witnessing the races, and some mysterious influence seemed to weigh
upon the gaiety and mirth of which the Hippodrome on a gala day was
usually the headquarters.

Wild excitement, expectation strung to the highest pitch, and
party-feeling, both for and against, had always, of course, been rife
here; but to-day they were manifest in an acuter form--hatred had
added its taint and lent virulence to every emotion. The heathen were
oppressed and angered, their rights abridged and defied; they saw the
Christians triumphant at every point, and hatred is a protean monster
which rages most fiercely and most venomously when it has lurked in the
foul career of envy.

The Christians could hate, too, and they hated the idolaters who gloried
with haughty self-sufficiency in their