“Good,” answered Saturius, with a relief which he could not altogether conceal.  “And now for the culprit’s name.”

“The culprit’s name,” said Caleb, leaning forward and speaking slowly, “is Marcus, who served as one of Titus Caesar’s prefects of horse in the campaign of Judaea.  He bought the lady Miriam, commonly known as Pearl-Maiden, by the agency of Nehushta, an old Libyan woman, who conveyed her to his house in the Via Agrippa, which is known as the ‘Fortunate House,’ where doubtless, she now is.”

“Marcus,” said Saturius.  “Why, he was reported dead, and the matter of the succession to his great estates is now being debated, for he was the heir of his uncle, Caius, the pro-consul, who amassed a vast fortune in Spain.  Also after the death of the said Caius, this Marcus was a favourite of the late divine Nero, who constituted him guardian of some bust of which he was enamoured.  In short, he is a great man, if, as you say, he still lives, whom even Domitian will find it hard to meddle with.  But how do you know all this?”

“Through my friend Caleb.  Caleb followed the black hag, Nehushta, and the beautiful Pearl-Maiden to the very house of Marcus, which he saw them enter.  Marcus who was her lover, yonder in Judaea——­”

“Oh! never mind the rest of the story, I understand it all.  But you have not yet shown that Marcus was in the house, and if he was, bad taste as it may have been to bid against the prince Domitian, well, at a public auction it is lawful.”

“Ye—­es, but if Marcus has committed a crime, could he not be punished for that crime?”

“Without doubt.  But what crime has Marcus committed?”

“The crime of being taken prisoner by the Jews and escaping from them with his life, for which, by an edict of Titus, whose laws are those of the Medes and Persians, the punishment is death, or at the least, banishment and degradation.”

“Well, and who can prove all this?”

“Caleb can, because he took him prisoner.”

“And where,” asked Saturius in exasperation, “where is this thrice accursed cur, Caleb?”

“Here,” answered Demetrius.  “I am Caleb, O thrice blessed chamberlain, Saturius.”

“Indeed,” said Saturius.  “Well, that makes things more simple.  And now, friend Demetrius—­you prefer that name, do you not—­what do you propose?”

“I propose that the necessary documents should be procured, which, to your master, will not be difficult; that Marcus should be arrested in his house, put upon his trial and condemned under the edict of Titus, and that the girl, Pearl-Maiden, should be handed over to me, who will at once remove her from Rome.”

“Good,” said Saturius.  “Titus having gone, leaving Domitian in charge of military affairs, the thing, as it chances, is easy, though any sentence that may be passed must be confirmed by Caesar himself.  And now, again farewell.  If our man is in Rome, he shall be taken to-night, and to-morrow your evidence may be wanted.”