HELIOGABALUS

Pardon an old soldier, little moonstone. I should say an inclination, an impulse—a prompting.

LUCIA

[Getting out of bed] Now I'll show you, Cæsar, that I do love you, with a Christian love.

HELIOGABALUS

[Somewhat at a loss] Positively, darling, you alarm me.

[She has got to HELIOGABALUS' bed by now. She enters the space between the two beds, and he sits up and takes her by the waist]

LUCIA

There!