The Roman Traitor (Vol. 1 of 2) - The UK Mirror Service

THE MEN 7
agitated, and uneven. Now he would stride off ten or twelve steps
with strange velocity, then pause, and stand quite motionless for
perhaps a minute's space, and then again resume his walk with
slow and faltering gestures, to burst forth once again, as at the
instigation of some goading spirit, to the same short-lived energy
and speed.
Meantime, his color went and came; he bit his lip, till the
blood trickled down his clean shorn chin; he clinched his hands,
and smote them heavily together, and uttered in a harsh hissing
whisper the most appalling imprecations—on his own head—on
him who had deceived him—on Rome, and all her myriads of inhabitants—on
earth, and sea, and heaven—on everything divine
or human!
"The black plague 'light on the fat sleepy glutton!—nay, rather
all the fiends and furies of deep Erebus pursue me!—me!—me,
who was fool enough to fancy that aught of bold design or manly
daring could rouse up the dull, adipose, luxurious loiterer from
his wines—his concubines—his slumbers!—And now—the dire
ones hunt him to perdition! Now, the seventh hour of night
hath passed, and all await us at the house of Læca; and this foul
sluggard sottishly snores at home!"
While he was cursing yet, and smiting his broad chest, and
gnashing his teeth in impotent malignity, suddenly a quick step
became audible at a distance. The sound fell on his ear sharpened
by the stimulus of fiery passions and of conscious fear, long ere
it could have been perceived by any ordinary listener.
"'Tis he," he said, "'tis he at last—but no?" he continued, after
a pause of a second, during which he had stooped, and laid his
ear close to the ground, "no! 'tis too quick and light for the gross
Cassius. By all the gods! there are two! Can he, then, have
betrayed me? No! no! By heavens! he dare not!"
At the same time he started back into the darkest corner of
the arch, pulled up the cape of his cassock, and slouched the
wide-brimmed hat over his anxious lineaments; then pressing