She put her arms about his neck and gave him a look whose meaning he understood.
"By all the gods! you are worthy to be the wife as well as the daughter of a king," he whispered, his cheeks red with enthusiasm. "But they will think me a poor spy if I give not the names of the conspirators, and how may I?"
"But the God-fearing fool, Vergilius—you know he is of them?"
"I am sure—I heard his voice, but I have not seen him."
"You shall see him," said she, with rising fury in her eyes; "and I shall see him"—she paused, her hands clinched, her tongue sorting hot words—"melting in fire," she added, fiercely. She clapped her hands; she leaned forward, her body shaking with a silent, horrible laughter of the spirit.
A moment she seemed to dwell upon the awful picture. Then, turning to
Manius; "Give the password to my father and let him go and listen. I
promise you their names shall not be long a secret. He must hear all.
Give him plans of that chamber so he may guard the exits."
"I will do my part, dear and wonderful daughter of Herod! To-morrow I shall begin the good work." So saying the Roman embraced Salome and spoke his farewell.
Having left her, he went to his own palace and sat awhile pondering.
"But if Herod is there," said he to himself, "and the soldiers come in with lights and the council members see me, they will learn that I have betrayed them. And some may be there who know of my part in other enterprises. By showing proof—Jupiter! they would bring confusion or death upon me. I must not be there, and yet—and yet I must. They wait for the shrill voice to declare the fulness of time. Unless I be there the king may be no wiser for his coming. I will go, but I will not tell Herod of the long way underground to the street of tombs. I will announce the fulness of time and quit the council before its proclamation is made. Then the old lion may spring his trap, and who, save Ben Joreb, will know that I ever sat with traitors. And as for the priest, I shall warn him. I know that he is weary of Antipater and will take a share in the new enterprise."