At the Mercy of Tiberius is not a story of Ancient Rome. It is set in a Southern section of the United States Augusta J Evans was a Southern author who opened a hospital for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War in Mobile, Alabama. Of Evans' nine books St Elmo is her most well known. She is also credited for her beautiful writing style. Beryl's mother was disowned when she married a foreigner. Beryl confronts her grandfather, the General, and asks for money to help the family. After she leaves he is murdered. Beryl is prosecuted for his murder by "Tiberius" whose name is actually Lennox Dunbar. The ending and the real circumstances of the General's death will come as a surprise to the reader.