. The sorceress of Rome. no order would come into the chaotic confusion of his mind. What was the dominion of Rome to him now ? What the dominion of the Universe ? What devil in human shape had counselled the act in theseeds of which slumbered his own destruction ? The flame of the dying candle flickered and grew dim. Had Stephania returned ? He heard no steps, no soimd in her chamber. At the memory of what he had seen, a groan broke fromhis lips. How he hated that boy, who after wresting from him thedominion of the city, had stolen from him the love of his wife! Stolen ? Had it not
. The sorceress of Rome. no order would come into the chaotic confusion of his mind. What was the dominion of Rome to him now ? What the dominion of the Universe ? What devil in human shape had counselled the act in theseeds of which slumbered his own destruction ? The flame of the dying candle flickered and grew dim. Had Stephania returned ? He heard no steps, no soimd in her chamber. At the memory of what he had seen, a groan broke fromhis lips. How he hated that boy, who after wresting from him thedominion of the city, had stolen from him the love of his wife! Stolen ? Had it not been thrust upon^ him ? What mortalcould have resisted the temptation ? He would die — thusit was written in the stars; — but Stephania would weep forhim— On tip-toe the Senator stole to the chamber of his door stood ajar. The chamber was empty. The candle flared up for the last time, Ughting up the it sank down and went out. Crescentius was alone in the darkness. 313 CHAPTER XI THE INCANTATION. T was near the hour of midnightwhen a figure, muffled and con-cealed in,an ample mantle leftCastel San Angelo. The guardson duty did not challenge it andafter crossing the AeUan bridge,it traversed the deserted thor-oughfares xmtil it reached theFlaminian way, which it en-tered. Avoiding the foot-pathnear the river, the figure moved stealthily along the fartherside of the road, which, as far as could be discerned by theglimpses of the moon which occasionally shone forth from abank of heavy clouds, was deserted. A few sounds arose fromthe banks of the river and there was now and then a splash inthe water or a distant cry betokening some passing profound silence reigned. The low structures andwharfs on the opposite bank could be but imperfectly discerned,but the moonlight fell clear upon the mausoleum of Augustusand the adjacent church of St. Eufemia. The same glimmeralso ran like a silver-belt across the stream and revealed thegloomy walls of th
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