“Take out the horses,” he cried to the municipal guards; “we can use them for carrying water.”—­“Help the ladies out of the chariot.”—­“Take them between you Nonnus and Lucanus.”—­“Now, stow the chariot in there among the bushes.”—­“Make way there in front, make way for our pumps.”  And each of these orders was obeyed as promptly as if it was the word of command given by a general to his well-drilled soldiers.

After the pumps had been fairly started Pontius rode close up to Balbilla and said: 

“Caesar is safe and sound.  You no doubt wished to see the progress of the fire from a spot near it, and in fact the colors down there are magnificent.  I have not time to escort you back to the Caesareum; but follow me.  You will be safe in the harbor-guard’s stone house, and from the roof you can command a view of Lochias and the whole peninsula.  You will have a rare feast for the eye, noble Balbilla; but I beg you not to forget at the same time how many days of honest labor, what rich possessions, how many treasures earned by bitter hardship are being destroyed at this moment.  What may delight you will cost bitter tears to many others, and so let us both hope that this splendid spectacle may now have reached its climax, and soon may come to an end.”

“I hope so—­I hope it with all my heart!” cried the girl.

“I was sure you would.  As soon as possible I will come to look after you.  You Nonnus and Lucanus, conduct these noble ladies to the harbor-guard’s house.

“Tell him they are intimate friends of the Empress.  Only keep the pumps going!  Till we meet again Balbilla!” and with these words the architect gave his horse the bridle and made his way through the crowd.

A quarter of an hour later Balbilla was standing on the roof of the little stone guard-house.  Claudia was utterly exhausted and incapable of speech.  She sat in the dark little parlor below on a rough-hewn wooden bench.  But the young Roman now gazed at the fire with different eyes than before.  Pontius had made her feel a foe to the flames which only a short time before had filled her with delight as they soared up to the sky, wild and fierce.  They still flared up violently, as though they had to climb above the roof; but soon they seemed to be quelled and exhausted, to find it more and more difficult to rise above the black smoke which welled up from the burning mass.  Balbilla had looked out for the architect and had soon discovered him, for the man on horseback towered above the crowd.  He halted now by one and now by another burning storehouse.  Once she lost sight of him for a whole hour, for he had gone to Lochias.  Then again he reappeared, and wherever he stayed for a while, the raging element abated its fury.