The woman smiled sarcastically.

"And scorn it for thyself?"

Aquila made no answer, but rode on in sulky silence.

"Perpol, it must be pleasant to be a queen," the woman observed with
an assumption of childishness in her voice.

"Peril's own habit!" Aquila declared.

"Peril! Fie! That is half the pleasure of this game of life. It is
tiresome to live any other way than hazardously."

"Thou shalt have pleasure enough in this journey thou art to take,"
Aquila declared a little threateningly.

The woman laughed. When Aquila spoke again, his voice was full of
concern.

"I was a fool for not forcing you to stay in Ascalon. You are
reckless--reckless!"

"It was that which made me attractive," the woman broke in, "to Nero,
to Vitellius and to you."

"Reckless and useless!" Aquila went on decisively. "Hear me, now; I
trifle no longer. Sometime to-night thou'lt leave us and journey to
Emmaus and inform Julian what has wrecked his plans, and send him with
despatch to Zorah. This thou wilt do, by all the Furies, or when I do