"And what has he done, do you say? Tell me that again."

"He has found out the chiefs of the party of Lucius Septimius Severus.
He has also discovered the leaders of Pescennius Niger's party. He
says, too, there is a smaller group that looks toward Clodius Albinus,
who commands the troops in Britain."

"Did he tell you names?"

"No. He said he knew I would tell you, and you might tell Commodus, who
would write all the names on his proscription list. Sextus, I tell you,
reckons his own life nothing, but he is extremely careful for his
friends."

"It would be easy to set a trap and catch him. He is insolent. He has
had too much rein," said Marcia. "But what would be the use?" Narcissus
answered. "There would be Norbanus, too, to reckon with. Each plays
into the other's hands. Each knows the other's secrets. Kill one, and
there remains the other--doubly dangerous because alarmed. They take
turns to visit Rome, the other remaining in hiding with their following
of freedmen and educated slaves. They only commit just enough robbery
to gain themselves an enviable reputation on the countryside. They
visit their friends in Rome in various disguises, and they travel all
over Italy to plot with the adherents of this faction or the other.
Sextus favors Pertinax--says he would make a respectable emperor--
another Marcus Aurelius. But Pertinax knows next to nothing of Sextus'
doings, although he protects Sextus as far as he can and sees him now
and then. Sextus' plan is to keep all three rival factions by the ears,
so that if anything should happen--" he nodded toward the curtain, from
behind which came the sounds of childish laughter and the crashing voice