In a few and rapid words, Marsyas told her of Eutychus' theft and flight, but his ideas hasted from his narrative to more testimony in favor of his conclusion. He remembered Eutychus' jealousy of Drumah, his ruffian mistreatment of Lydia when the praetor moved against the Nazarenes, his attempt to expose her to Justin Classicus because, his jealousy of Marsyas revived, he had no other way of retaliating; and finally of his humiliation at Marsyas' hands before Agrippa and Drumah. "Bitter fool that I was not to understand him in time!" he cried. "In my soul, I know that we follow him to a pitfall in this matter!" Junia slipped her fingers along the gilt grooves in the arm of the divan. Flaccus was a clumsy villain, of a surety! What overt conspiracies he evolved! A wild boar of the German forests would not make more clamor at its attacks! A wonder he had not exposed her, ere this. But for his influence, which made her a place in Caesar's house, she had given up his service long ago. Her lips curled with disgust and perplexity. "Forewarning," she said gloomily, "is a torture when forearming avails naught." He caught the depression in her tone and turned to her quickly. "Agrippa hath been here, Marsyas," she continued. "Yet he was not to be stopped, I thought, then, that it was only the knave's playing for time!" "What dost thou mean?" he demanded. "Tell me!" "Agrippa was here. Eutychus hath been caught, but Piso notifies the Herod that the prisoner hath appealed to Caesar, claiming to have information against Agrippa which concerns Caesar's life and welfare!" Marsyas seized her arm. "What sayest thou?" he cried. "And since thou hast uncovered Flaccus' hand supporting the villain, Agrippa is in greater peril than I had supposed!" For a moment the two looked at each other: Junia with uneasiness on her face, and Marsyas transfixed. He saw his plans against Saul of Tarsus tumbling; he saw the Pharisee triumphing over Lydia! "It may still be hoped," she ventured, "that the knave lies!" "Junia, thou knowest Agrippa! It is my terror lest the knave be armed with a truth!" "Out with it all," she went on desperately. "The Herod is convinced that he is innocent--this time--of any ill-will against Caesar, and he came here and spent the greater part of an hour, beseeching me to use my influence to hasten Caesar's hearing of Eutychus!" "In God's name, answer! Did you refuse him?" "I did! I besought him to let Caesar follow his own way, since the emperor is notedly slow in hearing charges in these later years. I assured him that Caesar might be more displeased, urged against his inclination to hear a stupid slave, than the slave's charge could make him. But the Herod is more stubborn than the classic steed of Judea. He demanded haughtily of me, if I expected him to treat with a slanderer or beg a truce with a lie. Then I refused him my offices. Wherefore he hath posted off to Antonia!"