Marcia well understood him.  Knowing that he could not escape to confer with the slaves in the corridor, because the door leading to the corridor from the smaller anteroom was locked, she was at no pains to prevent his overhearing anything.  He could be dealt with either way, at her convenience; a reward might seal his lips, or she could have him killed the instant that his usefulness was ended, which was possibly not yet.

“Sextus,” she said, “must be dealt with.  Pertinax, you are the one who should attend to it.  As governor of Rome you can—­”

“He is thoroughly faithful,” said Pertinax.  “He has been very useful to us.”

“Yes,” said Marcia, “but usefulness has limits.  Time comes when wine jars need resealing, else the wine spills.  Galen, go in and see the emperor.”

Galen shook his head.

“He is a sick man,” said Marcia.  “I think he has a fever.”

Galen shook his head again.

“I will not have it said I poisoned him.”

“Nonsense!  Who knows that you mixed any poison?”

“Sextus, for one,” Galen answered.

“Dea dia!  There you are!” said Marcia.  “I tell you, Pertinax, your Sextus may prove to be another Livius!  He has been as ubiquitous as the plague.  He knows everything.  What if he should turn around and secure himself and his estates by telling Commodus all he knows?  It was you who trusted Livius.  Do you never learn by your mistakes?”

“We don’t know yet what Livius has told,” said Pertinax.  “If he had been tortured—­but he was not.  Commodus slew him with his own hand.  I know that is true; it was told me by the steward of the bedchamber, who saw it, and who helped to dispose of the body.  Commodus swore that such a creeping spy as Livius, who could be true to nobody but scribbled, scribbled, scribbled in a journal all the scandal he could learn in order to betray anybody when it suited him, was unfit to live.  I take that for a sign that Commodus has had a change of heart.  It was a manly thing to slay that wretch.”

“He will have a change of governors of Rome before the day dawns!” Marcia retorted.  “If it weren’t that he might change his mistress at the same time—­”

“You would betray me—­eh?” Pertinax smiled at her tolerantly.

“No,” said Marcia, “I would let you have your own way and be executed!  You deserve it, Pertinax.”  Pertinax stood up and paced the floor with hands behind him.

“I will have my own way.  I will have it, Marcia!” he said, calmly, coming to a stand in front of her.  “He who plots against his emperor may meet the like fate!  If Commodus has no designs against me, then I harbor none against him.  I am not sure I am fitted to be Caesar.  I have none to rally to me, to rely on, except the praetorian guard, which is a two-horned weapon; they could turn on me as easily and put a man of their own choosing on the throne.  And furthermore,