Well, if she was lost to him
she was lost to Marcus also, and from that thought he would take such
comfort as he might. Indeed he had no other, for during those dreadful
hours the fires of all Gehenna raged in his soul. He had lost--but who
had found her?
Throughout the long night Caleb tramped round the cold, empty-looking
palace, suffering perhaps as he had never suffered before, a thing to
be pitied of gods and men. At length the dawn broke and the light crept
down the splendid street, showing here and there groups of weary and
half-drunken revellers staggering homewards from the feast, flushed
men and dishevelled women. Others appeared also, humble and industrious
citizens going to their daily toil. Among them were people whose
business it was to clean the roads, abroad early this morning, for after
the great procession they thought that they might find articles of value
let fall by those who walked in it, or by the spectators. Two of
these scavengers began sweeping near the place where Caleb stood, and
lightened their toil by laughing at him, asking him if he had spent his
night in the gutter and whether he knew his way home. He replied that he
waited for the doors of the house to be opened.
"Which house?" they asked.
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