early in October, when it seems as though the skies opened to let down
streams of water, washing trees and bushes, drenching the heavy dust,
which, during a long summer drouth had accumulated so much in the
cracks of the stones on the streets, on the roofs and ledges of the
houses and on the leaves of vines and flowers that even the
thunder-storm on that night when Alyrus made his visit to the temple
had not had force enough to remove it.

It was a desolate day. In Rome when it rains the whole aspect changes,
it becomes dreary and depressing. Even people are affected by the
gloom, nerves are set on edge, and Aurelius, having had a trying
morning, was a little irritated to find his wife in this condition.

Remembering her weakness, he sat down beside her, took her cold hand
in his and said, gently: "What is the matter, dear one? What has
happened to annoy thee?"

"It is that miserable sect of Christians. I cannot bear them. Here is
thy son, Martius, acting the fool, stubborn, wilful, and now Virgilia
must show the same traits. It is past endurance. Something must be
done to break this charm whatever it is, that controls them so. I wish
that every Christian in the land would be destroyed by Jupiter. He can
do it if he wishes."

The lawyer's face grew stern. One of his troubles that morning had
been that everlasting affair of the Lady Octavia, who insisted on
freeing her slaves, and by this had succeeded in involving herself in
a law-suit which threatened disaster, because of a prior claim to a
certain slave who was very valuable.