have killed me than that poor obliging fool! You cursed, stupid idiots!
You have killed my dummy! I must sit as he did and look on. I must
swallow stinking air of throne-rooms. I must watch sluggards fight--you
miserable, wanton imbeciles! It is Paulus you have killed! Do you
appreciate that? Jupiter, but I will make Rome pay for this! Who did
it? Who did it, I say?"

Rage blinded him. He did not see the choking wretch whose wrist
Narcissus twisted, until he struck at Narcissus again and, trying to
follow him, stumbled over the assassin.

"Who is this? Give me a sword, somebody! Is this the murderer? Bring
that lamp here!"

Bolder than the others, having recently been praised, the senator
Tullius brought the lamp and, kneeling, held it near the culprit's face.
The murderer was beyond speech, hardly breathing, with his eyes half-
bursting from the sockets and his tongue thrust forward through his
teeth because Narcissus' thumbs had almost strangled him.

"A Christian," said Tullius.

There was a note of quiet exultation in his voice. The privileges of
the Christians were a sore point with the majority of senators.

"A what?" demanded Commodus.

"A Christian. See--he has a cross and a fish engraved on bone and wears
it hung from his neck beneath his tunic. Besides, I think I recognize
the man. I think he is the one who waylaid Pertinax the other day and