Chapter 1

Marcellus glanced casually in the direction of the house; then stared frowningly; then rubbed his eyes with his fists, and stared again. Lucia’s lips puckered into a reluctant grin.

‘In truth, my sister,’ he groaned, ‘I am in much worse condition than I had supposed.’

‘You’re all right, Tribune,’ she drawled. ‘There really are two of them.’

‘Thanks! I am relieved. Are they as bright as they are beautiful?’ he asked, as the twins neared.

‘It is too early to tell. This is their first day on duty. Don’t frighten them, Marcellus. They’re already scared half out of their wits. They have never worked before… No, no, Bambo! Come here!’

Rosy with embarrassment, the Macedonians began unburdening their silver trays, fussily pretending they were not under observation.

‘Cute little things; aren’t they?’ chirped Marcellus. ‘Where did Father pick them up?’

‘Don’t!’ whispered Lucia. She rose and walked to the balustrade, her brother sauntering after her. They turned their faces toward the city. ‘What did Tullus think of what you did?’ she asked, irrelevantly.

‘Tell me’—Marcellus ignored her query—’is there anything peculiar about these slaves that makes you so extraordinarily considerate?’

Lucia shook her head, without looking up—and sighed.

‘I was just thinking,’ she said, at length, ‘how I might feel if I were in their place.’ Her troubled eyes lifted to meet his look of inquiry. ‘It is not impossible, Marcellus, that I may soon find myself in some such predicament…. You wouldn’t like that. Would you?’

‘Nonsense!’ he growled, out of the corner of his mouth. ‘You’re making too great a disaster of this! Nothing’s going to happen. I’ll see to that.’

‘How?’ demanded Lucia. ‘How are you going to see to it?’

‘Well’—temporized Marcellus—’what do you think I should do—short of going to that ugly reptile with an apology?’

Lucia brightened a little and laid her hand on his arm.

‘Do that!’ she pleaded. ‘Today! Make peace with him, Marcellus! Tell him you were drunk. You were; weren’t you?’

‘I’d rather be flogged—in the market-place!’

‘Yes—I know. And perhaps you will be. Gaius is dangerous!’

‘Ah—what could he do? Tiberius would not permit his half-witted stepson to punish a member of the Gallio family. It’s common knowledge that the old man despises him.’

‘Yes—but Tiberius consented to his regency because Julia demanded it. And Julia still has to be reckoned with. If it came to a decision whether that worn-out old man should stand up for the Gallio family—against Gaius—with his shrewish wife screaming in his ears, I doubt that he would trouble himself. Julia would stop at nothing!’

‘The vindictive old—’ Marcellus paused on the edge of a kennel word.

‘Think it over.’ Lucia’s tone was brighter, as if she felt herself gaining ground. ‘Come—let us eat our breakfast. Then you will go to Gaius, and take your medicine. Praise him! Flatter him! He can stand any amount of it. Tell him he is beautiful! Tell him there’s nobody in the whole Empire as wise as he is. Tell him he is divine! But—be sure you keep your face straight. Gaius already knows you have a keen sense of humor.’

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