"Yes, noble Cinna," said Aurelius, frankly; "now, when I calmly think it over, I am astonished at my own audacity. And yet--what was I risking after all? My life! And my freedman would have had ample time to warn you.--This occurred the day before yesterday."
Cinna changed color from red to white, and from white to red again.
"Go on, go on!" urged the others; and Aurelius proceeded:
"The Propraetor was thunderstruck. For a moment I fancied he feared for his own safety; that he thought that his legions had already been secretly instigated to rebellion, and that at a given signal the revolt would break out. He seemed to breathe more freely, when I told him that the friends of freedom had addressed themselves to him, hoping to precipitate some prompt decision; counting on his knowledge of affairs, his rectitude, and his time-tested patriotism to guide them to an issue from the situation. I painted in glowing colors the fermenting discontent, the smothered disaffection and hatred of the populace, the tyranny of the capricious and detested despot, his crimes and foul deeds that cry to Heaven, and the inevitable pressure from within towards some complete change. Then I reminded him once more of your names, you who are here to defend the cause of our country: Nerva, Cinna, Trajan.--What else I may have said I forget, but the gods willed, that I should touch some chord which roused a threatening echo in the old warrior's breast. It may be, that some personal motives weighed with him--be that as it may, the Propraetor is on our side, and as soon as you please you can go to take counsel and lay schemes with him."
"If the whole thing is not a trap on his part?" said Afranius.
"No, no," cried Trajan. "I remember now. Clodianus told me last summer, that after the death of his first wife the Propraetor had wished to marry Julia.... Did he not know how Julia had died?"
"He knew it only by vague report. I told him the facts as they were commonly current in Rome; and he did, certainly, seem very much shocked...."
The sudden appearance of Herodianus at the door interrupted Caius Aurelius in his speech. Behind the freedman they could see the ragged figure of a beggar.
"A messenger from Rome," said Herodianus mysteriously. "He has brought important news, if he speaks the truth."