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Tell us, sweet lord' she bent towards him with large, rolling eyes 'was it not Helladius who won for the Greens when Thomas the Blue was overturned and killed? 'For all I know it may have been, replied Basil carelessly; he had scarce heard the question. 'I swear you are wrong, Muscula, put in the third lady.
Whether it were true or not he cared little, but he was disturbed by its having become subject of talk at this moment, for Heliodora could not fail to hear the story. The death of Muscula set him quivering with expectancy. That it resulted from his plotting he could not be assured.
If, she asked herself; he had told her falsehoods, to what end had he contrived them? Nothing that she could conjecture was for a moment satisfying. If he told the truth, what an opportunity were here for revenge on Muscula, and for the frustration of Basil's desire.
He told then that Muscula, bribed by Basil, was secretly endeavouring to procure the release of Veranilda, which should be made to appear an escape of Basil's contriving. The lover's visits to Heliodora, he said, and his supposed ignorance as to where Veranilda was detained, were part of the plot.
But she knows that I too have my little bosom friend she touched her waist 'though it does not glitter before every eye. Therewith Muscula turned and tripped off, looking back to laugh aloud before she disappeared in the corridor. Galla was already gone, half persuaded, half threatened away by Vivian, who now stood with knitted brows glaring at Basil.
In gossip with certain Romans who were wont to hang about the commander, flattering and fawning upon him for their base advantage, he learnt that no one had yet succeeded to the place left vacant by the hapless Muscula; only in casual amours, generally of the ignoblest, did Bessas bestow his affections. Of Heliodora there was no talk.
The warm mouth breathed against his cheek and a name was murmured. The second day after this saw an event in the Palatine which was matter of talk for some two days more, and then passed into oblivion. Rumour said that Muscula had been detected plotting against the life of Bessas, that she had been examined under torture, found guilty, and executed.
'Heliodora, stroke his curls, and give him a kiss, I beseech you. Who knows what dreadful thing may happen else? 'I have had enough of this, said Galla, rising with a careless laugh. 'Your house has been intolerable, most dear Heliodora, since you made friends with Muscula.
His black hair was short, and crisped into multitudinous curls with a narrow band of gold pressing it from the forehead to the ears. 'Oh, look at little Vivian! cried Muscula. 'He has the eyes of an angry rat. What vexes him? Is it because he saw Basil touch Heliodora's slipper? 'If I had! sputtered the boy. 'By the devil, if I had! 'Oh, he affrights me! went on the mocking woman.
You think too much of yourself, O Muscula, since you ate crumbs from the hands of Bessas. The boy Vivian gave a loud laugh, rolling on his cushions. 'O witty Galla! he exclaimed. 'Crumbs from the hand of Bessas. Say on, say on; I love your spicy wit, O Galla! Cannot you find something sharp, for the most grave, the most virtuous Basil?
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