midday
Still clinging to his knees she raised her head to him ; her eyes still dimmed with tears looked strangely wondering up at his face whilst her lips murmured faintly : `` Art thou a god , that thou shouldst act like this ? '' But obviously the small stock of patience possessed by the praefect was now exhausted , for he pushed the woman roughly away from him . `` A truce on thy ravings now , woman . The midday hour is almost on us . I have no further time to waste on thine affairs . Put the girl up on the catasta , '' he added , speaking in his usual harsh , curt way , `` and take this woman 's arms from round my shins . '' And it was characteristic of him that this time he did not interfere with his lictors when they handled the woman with their accustomed roughness .