Rumour said that Muscula had been detected plotting
against the life of Bessas, that she had been. examined under
torture, found guilty, and executed. Certain gossips pretended that
there was no plot at all, but that Bessas, weary of his mistress,
had chosen this way of getting rid of her. Be that as it might,
Muscula was dead.
CHAPTER XVII
LEANDER THE POLITIC
For most of his knowledge of private things that happened on the
Palatine--and little that went on in the household of Bessas
escaped him--Marcian depended upon his servant Sagaris. Exorbitant
vanity and vagrant loves made the Syrian rather a dangerous agent;
but it was largely owing to these weaknesses that he proved so
serviceable. His master had hitherto found him faithful, and no one
could have worked more cunningly and persistently when set to play
the spy or worm for secrets. Notwithstanding all his efforts, this
man failed to discover whether Veranilda had indeed passed into the
guardianship of Bessas; good reason in Marcian's view for believing
that she was still detained by Leander, and probably in some
convent.
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