his forehead, charm away his pain, and bring sleep to his horror-stricken
bed. He had done nothing to vex her; nay, every petition she had urged--
But suddenly the image rose before him of old Vindex and his nephew, whom
he had sent to execution in spite of her intercession; and again the
awful word, "the deed," rang in his inward ear. Were these hideous
thoughts to haunt him even by day?

No, no! In his waking hours there was much to be done which might give
him the strength to dissipate them.

The kitchen-steward was by this time in attendance; but what did
Caracalla care for dainties to tickle his palate now that he had a hope
of seeing Melissa once more? With perfect indifference he left the
catering to the skillful and inventive cook; and hardly had he retired
when Macrinus returned.

The slaughterer had acquired his information through a comrade, who said
that he had twice caught sight of Melissa at the window of the chambers
of mystery in the upper story of the Serapeum, yesterday afternoon. He
had hoped to win the reward which was offered for the recovery of the
fugitive, and had promised his colleague half the money if he would help
him to capture the maiden. But just at sunset, hearing that the massacre
was ended, the man had incautiously gone out into the town, where he had
been slain by a drunken solder of the Scythian legion. The hapless man's
body had been found, but Macrinus's informant had assured him that he
could entirely rely on the report of his unfortunate colleague, who was a
sober and truthful man, as the chief augur would testify.

This was enough for Caracalla. Macrinus was at once to go for the high-
priest, and to take care that he took no further steps to conceal