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diff --git a/47571-8.txt b/47571-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 55cb11b..0000000 --- a/47571-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,17495 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Neæra. A Tale of Ancient Rome by John W. -Graham - - - -This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -http://www.gutenberg.org/license. If you are not located in the United -States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are located -before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Neæra. A Tale of Ancient Rome - -Author: John W. Graham - -Release Date: December 06, 2014 [Ebook #47571] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO 8859-1 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NEÆRA. A TALE OF ANCIENT ROME*** - - - - - - NEÆRA - - A TALE OF ANCIENT ROME - - - - _This Edition is intended for circulation only in India and the British - Colonies._ - - - - - - Macmillan's Colonial Library - - NEÆRA - - A TALE OF ANCIENT ROME - - - - BY - JOHN W. GRAHAM - - -London -MACMILLAN AND CO. -AND NEW YORK -1887 -No. 33 - -[All rights reserved.] - - - - - - CONTENTS - - -PART I - CHAPTER I. - CHAPTER II. - CHAPTER III. - CHAPTER IV. - CHAPTER V. - CHAPTER VI. - CHAPTER VII. - CHAPTER VIII. - CHAPTER IX. - CHAPTER X. - CHAPTER XI. -PART II - CHAPTER I. - CHAPTER II. - CHAPTER III. - CHAPTER IV. - CHAPTER V. - CHAPTER VI. - CHAPTER VII. - CHAPTER VIII. - CHAPTER IX. - CHAPTER X. - CHAPTER XI. - CHAPTER XII. - CHAPTER XIII. - CHAPTER XIV. - CHAPTER XV. - CHAPTER XVI. - CHAPTER XVII. - CHAPTER XVIII. - CHAPTER XIX. - CHAPTER XX. - CHAPTER XXI. - CHAPTER XXII. - CHAPTER XXIII. - CHAPTER XXIV. - CHAPTER XXV. -PART III. - CHAPTER I. - CHAPTER II. - CHAPTER III. - CHAPTER IV. -SOME OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. -Macmillan's Colonial Library. -Footnotes -Transcriber's Note - - - - - - - PART I - - - NEÆRA - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - -Anno Domini Twenty-six, Tiberius Caesar, the ruler of the world, left -Rome, with a small retinue, never to return. In the following year he -arrived at the island of Capreae, and there took up his permanent abode. -It was a spot which already possessed substantial proofs of imperial -favour, in the shape of villas, baths, and aqueducts built by the orders -of the Emperor Augustus. It well merited the partiality displayed, for -there are few places to be found more favoured by nature, in point of -situation, than this small, lofty, iron-bound mountain-island of Capreae. - -Opposite, at a distance of three miles, approaches the tip of a sharp -promontory of the mainland, which divides two bays curving away on either -hand. That on the north, from the earliest times, has had the reputation -of being the loveliest in the world. That on the south, although not -comparable, has yet considerable beauty. Capreae, therefore, stands aloof -amid the blue waters, at the apex of these two semicircles, surveying both -from its lofty mountain and sheer cliffs. - -Why the Emperor Tiberius left Rome and secluded himself, for the remainder -of his life, in this small island, away from the seat of his empire, has -never, with certainty, been explained. Whether it was for political -reasons, or for the purpose of giving full indulgence to those vicious -habits which rumour so freely ascribed to him, is not within the scope of -these pages to be determined. He hastened to continue to his new home -those same marks of favour which his deified predecessor had begun. Armies -of workmen assailed the summits of the cone-like hills and wave-washed -cliffs. New villa-palaces arose on every hand, so that the narrow limits -of the island hermitage might afford to Caesar the utmost variety -possible. Of the twelve projected villas, each named after a deity, some -three or four had been completed and occupied at the time of our story, -whilst the building of the remainder was actively proceeding. In the -autumn of the year thirty, the date of our story, Tiberius had hidden -himself away from his people for about three years, and, already, dark -rumours were flitting abroad of strange enormities and dread cruelties -shrouded in that outline of mountain amid the sea. The seclusion of the -imperial hermit was strictly preserved, and unauthorised feet were -jealously warned from his rocky retreat. Curiosity became more inflamed -and imagination more rampant. To turn the invisible Caesar into something -akin to an ogre or monster was an easy and natural outcome of the insular -mystery. - -One thing, however, is certain, that, although lost, as the Emperor may be -said to have been, to the eyes of the world, the world and its affairs, in -turn, were never hidden from him. Caesar remained Caesar--sleepless, prompt -and vigorous amid his mysterious rocks. Day after day, couriers came and -went with tidings from every corner of the known world. The vast empire, -like a sprawling giant, had Capreae for its heart, which impelled the -life-blood ceaselessly to every extremity of its veins and arteries. - - * * * * * * * - -On an October morning, one of the long, swift boats, used in the imperial -despatch service, left the landing-place in the little Marina, on the -north side of Capreae, and shot away toward the barren promontory of -Minerva opposite. - -The vessel was one of a number used for the busy service of communication -with the mainland, and was built on fine, sharp lines to attain high -speed. Plenty of power was lent by the brawny arms of a dozen stout -slaves, whose oars swept the craft along, with the gently rippling sea -foaming under its sharp bows. The morning was bright, and a delicious -autumn serenity softened mountain and sea with a mellow haze; so that in -default of a breeze to fill the large sail stowed neatly away under the -bulwarks, the rowers bent their backs with a will to their work. - -There was one passenger on board--a young man with a soldierly air. He -seemed not more than two or three-and-twenty years of age, with large, -handsome, boldly-cut features, of the true Roman cast, and keen, dark -eyes. The expression of his face, something stern and proud in repose, -was, perhaps, heightened by a naturally dark complexion, still swarthier -with sun and wind. He lay wrapped in a large military cloak, beside the -steersman, whose chatter he acknowledged, now and again, by a nod, or -occasionally a brief word, or smile which softened all severity of visage -with a gleam as bright as the sunny sky above. - -After leaving the chill shadow of the terrific, perpendicular cliffs of -the island, the passage across the straits to the mainland was rapidly -made. As the vessel glided finally to its destination alongside a small -landing parapet of stone, on the shore of the promontory, the young man -arose, flung back his cloak, and sprang lightly ashore. He showed a manly -stature of at least six feet, and a spare, sinewy frame of the best -athletic build, deep in the chest and thin in the flank. No other garb, -than that which clothed him, could more admirably display these fine -proportions. - -There was the richly-chased, polished cuirass, moulded closely to the -lines of the body from throat to abdomen, and imitating them as accurately -as a plaster cast. From this hung the short drapery of a kilt, or -philibeg, nearly to the knee, leaving the leg, downward, bare to the high -boots, which were laced up to the swell of the calf. The muscular arms of -the young officer were likewise uncovered, save for a short way beneath -the shoulder. The large cloak, before noticed, which hung gracefully from -his left shoulder, greatly enhanced the effect of this military panoply, -particularly suiting the tall stature of the wearer. It was fastened at -the neck by a gold buckle, and could be shifted to either shoulder, or to -the back, or wrapped around the body altogether. On military service, a -polished, crested helmet would have completed the costume; but, at -present, after the usual Roman fashion, the young man's head bore no -covering but its own dark, close-curling hair. For arms, he wore the -short, straight, Roman sword, and a poniard. - -Just as it may be remarked at the present day, of a certain exclusive -portion of our own military service, so the unusual richness of the young -officer's appointments, as contrasted with those of the legionaries, -denoted him to be one of the Pretorian Guard, the household troops, lately -gathered into a permanent camp at Rome, and brought fairly into a position -for entering on their future famous career in the affairs of the city and -empire. - -As he left the boat its crew saluted him. Returning the courtesy, he flung -the perspiring slaves some pieces of money, and walked rapidly up the -shore towards a group of buildings, comprising the posting establishment, -which had newly sprung into existence, as a necessary adjunct to the -Emperor's abode. A signal had been waved from the despatch-boat before -reaching the shore, and when he arrived at the door of the stables he -found the ostlers awaiting him with a horse ready caparisoned for the -road. - -'Back to Rome, Centurion?' said one, saluting him. - -'Back to Rome,' replied he, girding his cloak close around him. - -'A good journey!' chorused the stablemen. - -Two or three coins rattled on the gravel for answer, and the Pretorian -vaulted on to the horse's back, and galloped away. - -Riding as rapidly as the path would permit, and without drawing rein, it -was not long before the lovely plain of Surrentum broke on his view, -embosomed in the circling vine and olive-clad mountains, edged by the blue -waters of the sea, clothed with luxuriant fruit-groves, and studded with -the villas of the noble and wealthy, who had retired hither to revel in -the soft, salubrious air of this most lovely spot of a lovely land. - -But our horseman paid little attention to the exquisite scene. His -thoughts were otherwise absorbed. He passed the girdling hills, and closed -with the town of Surrentum itself. At the posting station, in the midst, -he changed horses and went on, scarcely giving time for an idle crowd to -gather round. He did not, however, go very many hundred yards on his -second stage, before he suddenly drew rein on the very outskirts of the -town, where the last houses straggled out amid garden-plots and fields. It -was at a point where a by-road debouched upon his own, almost at right -angles. It seemed to lead back to the town by a roundabout course, and was -lined on either side, in a straggling, intermittent way, by gardens and -cottage-houses, in the manner of a country village street. The dwelling -nearest to where he stood, at the end of the lane, was about a hundred -yards distant. It was a small, humble house, like the majority of its -neighbours, and was the outpost habitation of the town in that direction. -It was detached and flanked on the town side by a small olive-grove. In -the rear of the premises was an outbuilding; a workshop, to judge by its -black, smoking chimney. The house itself was open-fronted as a shop. - -The Centurion turned down this lane, and, when within a few yards of the -house, dismounted and led his horse through a gap in a ruinous wall to the -inside of the enclosure, where he tethered him amid some trees. Thence he -walked up to the house, and looked inside the open shop, pausing with a -fixed gaze. - -The interior was fitted with shelves, on which was displayed a stock of -pottery of a kind for which Surrentum was noted. It was not upon these, -however, that the rapt eyes of the soldier rested, but upon the tall, -lithe figure of a girl, who was busily engaged in taking the articles down -and dusting them. Her back being toward him, he entered the shop with a -stealthy step and stood behind her without her knowledge. Pausing, for a -moment, to gaze upon the figure and the glossy coils of the luxuriant -brown hair of the unconscious girl, he bent down and whispered in her ear -the name 'Neæra!' - -She started violently, and the bowl, which she was wiping, fell from her -fingers and shivered with a crash on the floor. - -'Oh, sir, is it you?' she murmured. - -Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes fell. - -'Yes, Neæra, it is I--but only for a few niggard moments. I am on my way -back to Rome. 'Tis six weeks since I saw you, Neæra--you look pale! have -you fared well?' - -'Quite well,' was the brief, constrained reply. - -'And your father and mother?' - -'Both are well--they are within if you will be pleased to see them.' She -moved as if to go to the interior of the house, but he laid his hand -gently on her arm and detained her. - -'In a moment, Neæra--do you wish to be rid of me?' - -She gave a hasty, timid glance into the street, and he led her aside into -a recess which was less overlooked. - -'You neither look at me nor speak, Neæra--are you displeased to see me? -Would you rather have had the weary six weeks prolonged into twelve?' She -raised her head and looked at him with an appealing expression in her -beautiful gray eyes, but, in a brief moment, her gaze fell once more. -'Still you do not say whether I am welcome or not, Neæra?' he persisted. - -'Spare me from an answer, I pray you,' she replied, in an almost inaudible -tone. - -His swarthy cheeks flushed with a yet deeper colour, and he drew himself -up. 'As you will,' he returned; 'but if your answer would be "Nay," say it -without hesitation or fear; for I would have the truth from your heart, -even at the expense of a little courtesy.' Her agitation increased, and -her fingers worked nervously with the dusting cloth she held. Those -fingers, though stained and roughened with toil, were slenderly and -delicately formed. He took them in his own, and, in spite of her attempt -to withdraw them, kept them in his grasp. - -'What has happened, Neæra?' said he, looking into her downcast face. 'Has -anything that I have done angered you, or rather, that I have left undone, -since I have been chained to duty in yonder island for six weeks? It is -long indeed, but we must reflect that had the Prefect no business with -Caesar then our meetings would be far seldomer. To Caesar and Prefect I -owe the happy chance of seeing you, and on them for a while still depend -future opportunities. But what is troubling you, Neæra? You are pale and -worn--what has happened?' - -'Nothing but reflection--ah, sir, have pity on me--it was better not to have -returned at all.' - -'Ah, is it so?--that is easily mended!' he replied, in bitter astonishment. - -'Don't blame--don't kill me with scornful tones!' she said, with more -courage, even though the courage of despair; 'think, as I have been -thinking through these bitter weeks--oh, so bitter! It is right--it is just -that you see me no more. What is there in common between us? I am a poor -potter's girl--am rude in speech and manner; you are nobly born and rich----' -Her voice trembled with extreme agitation, and she stopped abruptly as if -she could trust it no longer. A smile of infinite tenderness and pity -illumined his fine features. - -'Had I needed but one thing more to clench my love, you have given it me,' -he said, catching her hands again and drawing her towards him. - -'No--it were better to love one of your own station,' she panted, trying to -repulse him. - -'It is too late to tell me that. Come, look at me, child!' - -'No, I have been foolish and am to blame. I ought to have seen that your -way of life cannot be mine. My father has also said it, and he is wise.' - -'Ay, he has said it, but you?' - -'I say it is truth and must be followed.' - -'Foolish! You only bind me the faster to you. Your joint wisdom is vain -against my conviction. What! are we to part because a weak, foolish fancy -seizes you, that your speech and bearing are not like the artificial, -superfine graces of the proud dames who loll away their lives in palaces? -Gods forbid! Why, there are those of your sex in Rome--ay, even in -Surrentum, who would deem me as the dust beneath their feet.' - -'And there are others, also, whom you would look upon in the same -fashion,' replied the girl. - -'True! and many of them of family and wealth far beyond mine.' - -'Yet what you have of both is far above me, and therefore, between us, all -remains the same.' - -'Surrentum cannot better you in a lawyer's wit, Neæra,' he said, with a -smile, 'but you spend it in so poor a cause. There remains something far -beyond rank and wealth.' - -'Whatever it is, it is not for us in common,' she said, striving to appear -calm; 'it is over now. I have been weak and foolish, and oh, how I have -suffered for it! Forgive me, Centurion, if you can forgive me--go from me -and forget me--all our folly.' As she looked him full in the face there was -a depth of anguish in her eyes which filled him alike with pity and joy. -At the same time she held out her hand, but he folded his arms across his -breast. 'Centurion!' he repeated, in a tone of reproof; 'Neæra, have you -forgotten my name?' - -His bearing and speech throughout had never shown a sign of hesitation -which might have encouraged her in her determination. He stood before her -vast, immovable, and calmly resolute. Her glance drooped, and her -outstretched hand and arm gradually fell to her side. Then she buried her -face in her hands. - -He bent closer till his breath played on her hair. 'Neæra,' he said, 'you -have been kinder and called me Lucius ere now. Enough of this madness--this -folly of saws and maxims! Misdoubting girl, I love you for what you are, -and above all on this earth. To thrust me away were to wreck me wholly; -and you would not though you possess the power. For I have gathered it -from your lips, your eyes, your sweet face, that you have some measure of -love for me in return. Is it not so? Speak, Neæra!' - -She trembled violently, and, yielding to an irresistible impulse, he threw -his arms around her and pressed a fervent kiss upon her cheek. - -She freed herself with a desperate exertion, and stood off, panting and -shaking in extreme emotion, with her cheeks aflame. - -'Neæra!' he ejaculated, advancing to her again. - -'No, no! Leave me--go and forget me, if you would be merciful and kind!--oh, -you are cruel! Alas, can I ever look in my father's face again!' - -The sound of a footstep in the passage leading to the interior broke upon -their ears. She cast one swift look of lofty reproach, mingled with -sorrow, upon the young man, and then drooped her head upon her breast. - -A short, thick-set man presented himself in the shop. His hands, his -coarse garments, and even his face, were stained with the grime of the -furnace and the smearings of clay; but through these outward tokens of the -common artisan shone the unmistakable signs of superior intellect, in the -brilliancy of his eyes, deep set under thick brows, and in a massive -forehead, which was very broad and full at the base. His hand, which he -raised with a gesture of surprise, as his gaze rested on the young couple, -was of the shape usually supposed to be peculiar to the gifted artist and -mechanic, being long, square-tipped, and sinewy, with an immense -flexibility and power of thumb. Reading the tell-tale faces of the pair -with a rapid glance, his countenance instantly assumed a grave sternness, -unlike the preoccupied expression which previously rested upon it. - -'What--Centurion! Martialis!' he said, coldly, and even with an amount of -haughtiness which might, ordinarily, have been deemed incommensurate with -the relative stations of himself and his visitor. - -Although his tone was quiet and free from anger or emotion of any kind, -there was an unusual quality in it which seemed to strike the girl not the -less acutely, for she hid her pale face in her hands. - -'Yes, Masthlion, even I!' returned the Pretorian, stepping forward and -offering his hand. - -Masthlion met the open, frank gaze of the young officer for a moment; -then, as if not noticing the proffered greeting, he dropped his eyes to -the floor and remained for a few seconds in deep thought. Then raising his -head he said-- - -'Centurion, I should be grieved to say that you are unwelcome, yet, I say -plainly, that the honour of your visit is not altogether free from that -feeling. Not from personal dislike, I am bound to say. I will be frank -with you. I am a poor fellow, who earns a modest living for my family by -the hard labour of my hands. You are of the knightly order, and hold high -office in Caesar's service. You are wholly above the station of me and -mine. As you do not honour my humble dwelling for the sake of buying my -handiwork in the way of trade, I have, therefore, a right to reflect and -inquire what object your presence has.' - -'You have a perfect right, Masthlion,' replied the other, 'and, although -you know, as I think, right well already, I commend your method of putting -the matter thus plainly. I have as little inclination to allow any -misunderstanding and ambiguity to creep about my actions as you have, and -I will, therefore, give you freely, and without hesitation, an answer as -clear as your question--I love your daughter Neæra!' - -The potter nodded in a manner which showed that the reply was no other -than expected. His glance roved from one to the other, whilst his -daughter's head drooped so low that her face was completely hidden. - -'It is a matter which demands further talk, and, as there is no reason why -it should take place in the sight of neighbours and passers-by, perhaps -you will enter my poor house, Centurion.' - -'Willingly--I desire nothing better,' was the reply. - -Masthlion, heaving a deep sigh, took his daughter by the hand and led the -way along the inner passage. Martialis followed them into a small room, -furnished simply with a table, some stools, and a couch; whilst, for -ornament, some brackets and shelves bore a few exquisitely-finished -specimens of glasswork, together with some small figures sculptured in -stone, the fruits of the potter's self-taught genius. From the door -Masthlion called aloud for his wife, and she hastily appeared. She was a -spare woman, with patient eyes. Her face had been comely, but was worn and -faded with the hardship and anxiety of a long struggle against hunger and -want in their early wedded life. - -A significant glance passed between her and her husband as she perceived -what had occasioned the demand for her presence. - -She made a silent obeisance to the visitor, and waited for her husband to -speak. - -As for Neæra, she stood with her head still bowed on her breast. - -Her lover's tall, erect form, draped in its ample flowing cloak, seemed to -fill the little room. His eyes rested with calm confidence on Masthlion, -who began in grave measured tones:-- - -'Wife, the Centurion Martialis hath told me that he loves our daughter.' -Here he paused a few moments, looking on the floor. 'What we should tell -him is this, that she is our only child, the one light of our house. But -had we twenty, we must be assured, as far as possible, of good and -honourable keeping ere we let one go from our roof. You understand this, -Centurion?' - -'Perfectly; it is only natural and proper. Do what you think best for your -assurance.' - -'First, then! is it from mere fancy that you would try to take my daughter -away, and then to cast her off when that fancy has burnt itself out, after -the fashion of many of your order?' - -'No,' said the young man, drawing himself up with sparkling eyes; 'I told -you I loved her--now I tell you she must be my wife, or none other.' - -'And are you sure you would always rest in the same mind as now?' - -'Ah, as far as human thought and perception can go, I have no doubt of -it,' returned Martialis proudly. - -Masthlion shook his head and sighed; and his wife, from long habit of -waiting on his looks, unconsciously did the same, though without offering -any remark of her own. - -'It is ever the way with the young--eager and heedless!' said the potter. -'Centurion, as an older man, and one who has not lived in the world with -blind eyes, I must tell you that I disagree with you. You are attracted by -the child's fair looks, and you know not, or forget, that familiarity will -weaken their influence over your senses. The gods made women fair to -please the hearts of men; but, did they bestow upon them no other -qualities, they would become nothing more than mere toys to be bandied -about at will. Looks attract first; but it is the disposition, and the -accomplishments of the mind, which are necessary to weave a lasting bond -of esteem and love. Where, within these humble walls, has this poor child -learnt those manners and graces which, from habit, you require, before -all, in a companion? Where could she have gathered the refinements which -would be necessary to the wife of one of your station? Could you present -her to your fine friends and family? She would shame you at every turn--at -every word. The first blush of your fancy would wear off. You would grow -angry and disgusted. You would repent of your bargain, and the rest would -be nothing but bitterness, reproaches, and unhappiness--if not worse. This -is a picture more to be depended on than yours, Centurion. Go, therefore, -and if you think over it, as you ought to do, without allowing your -feelings to bias your reflections, you will see that I am right, and you -will come no more. Thus there will be one rash, ill-advised affair the -less in the world.' - -'Masthlion, your daughter has already told me this,' answered the -Centurion, with a smile. - -'Did she so?' cried the potter, casting a look of pride and satisfaction -at the girl. 'Then she did wisely and obediently--and bravely too, if I -guess aright. Alas! your proudest dames could have done no better. Come -and kiss me, my brave girl!' - -Neæra glided to him, and hid her face in his shoulder. - -Martialis folded his arms and watched them. The potter had unconsciously -dealt a deathblow to his own cause, if it needed one at all. Their eyes -met at that moment. The acute perception, or instinct, of the artisan -interpreted too well the calm, resolute light of the young man's glance, -so warm with the picture of the fair girl before him, and he groaned -inwardly as he restlessly stroked his daughter's glossy locks. He knew not -what to say, so heavily did the sense of his helplessness press upon him. - -'It is a year since I stopped one day at the old fountain-basin yonder,' -said Martialis, stretching out his arm. 'I had ridden far and was thirsty, -and Neæra was filling her pitcher. It was thus I met her first. I went on -my way, but her image haunted my mind. I sought her again, and discovered -that her looks did not belie her heart. I have chosen her to fill my mind, -even as you would have me choose; not from a light fancy of the eyes -alone, but because I know she is pure, noble, and good in spirit. As for -the rest, you may magnify, from ignorance, my position and importance. -Neæra is naturally predisposed toward those trifling changes which you -deem necessary, and she would glide into them instinctively and -unconsciously. Masthlion, these arguments will be vain, so use them not. I -ask you to give me your daughter Neæra, in betrothal.' - -The potter did not reply straightway, but, smoothing the trembling girl's -head ceaselessly with his hand, he stood with his brow contracted in -painful thought, and his eyes bent on the ground. - -'In good faith, Centurion,' he said, after an uneasy silence, 'you rend my -heart between doubt and anxiety, and a desire to act generously as well as -prudently. Can I deliver up my child to a stranger? Were you of this -district I could judge better of you. You are honest and fair-spoken, and -your looks correspond to your speech. But yet you are no more than a -stranger, and Surrentum knows you not.' - -'I would fetch Rome, if I could, to aid you,' said the young man. 'You are -pleased to be satisfied with my appearance; I, for my part, will await -your further inquiries with confidence.' - -'I have no suspicion of your character, noble sir, but prudence requires -proof. I cannot give you a decided answer, for now we are at odds and -evens. You are sanguine and confident of the future; I am not. Hawks -should pair only with hawks, and sparrows with sparrows. More words at -present, however, would be spent to no purpose--the matter requires time -and reflection.' - -'The child Neæra is not goods or chattels, husband--is she to have no word -for herself?' remarked his wife quietly. - -'Ay, truly, Tibia; thou hast ever a word in season,' answered the potter -to his delighted spouse. 'The gods forgive me for a thoughtless blockhead. -It would be a fine way of making a pot without first proving if the clay -be fit. What say you, Neæra--do you love this young man?' - -The girl clung closer, and buried her face deeper in his shoulder, but her -silence was eloquent. - -The soldier's bronzed face gathered a deeper tinge, and his ears were -strained to catch the accents which he expected to follow, but which came -not. - -'Come, my child,' continued Masthlion earnestly; 'I want thee to say truly -what thy heart prompts thee to say. If thou lovest him speak it then; -there is no crime or harm in it that I can see. You have heard what has -passed, and I can call your confession, if it is what I expect it to be, -only by as hard a name as a misfortune. Speak!' - -A simple 'Yes' was the reply, in a voice so low and yet so clear that it -caused her lover's blood to bound in his veins with exquisite joy. He -stepped forward as if to take her, but the hand of Masthlion restrained -his eager advance. - -'Enough,' said the potter, 'the mischief is done, it is clear, but yet the -matter must rest as it is for a time. I am yet unconvinced, and I give not -my consent so heedlessly to a partnership so brimful of hazard. I must be -better assured. In the meantime, Centurion, I ask of thee one condition.' - -Martialis was burning with eagerness, for his beloved now stood before him -ready to his arms, with downcast eyes and cheeks blushing with sudden joy -and hope. - -'Name it!' he said quickly. - -'It is that you neither visit nor correspond with this child without my -knowledge.' - -'It is no more than I have done hitherto,' said Martialis. - -'I believe it, and it is much to your credit,' returned Masthlion. 'Now -go, Centurion. Stand by our agreement; and may the gods direct the matter -to the best end--for I need their help.' - -'Farewell!' said the young man, reaching forward to clasp Neæra to his -breast. - -'No!' said the potter, once more stretching his ruthless arm before him. - -The Centurion frowned; but the cloud fled when he saw the tender, curving -lips of Neæra moving, as though silently fashioning his name, and her -beautiful eyes, more beautiful still, with the light of love and hope and -joy. From the divine smile on her face he drew consolation, as he grasped -the earthy hand of the potter instead of hers. - -With a lingering look he drew his cloak around him, and hastened away at a -pace which received additional lightness and speed from his feelings. A -couple of minutes more and he was galloping at a headlong speed on the -road to Rome. - -As soon as their visitor had departed, Masthlion withdrew to his workshop -at the rear of his premises. He found it vain, however, to try and use his -tools during the disturbed state of his mind; for every now and then he -discovered himself standing motionless with them in his hand, his thoughts -being far away. After a wasted half hour, therefore, he threw them down, -and, washing his hands and face, left the house to wander away on a lonely -ramble along the edge of the sea, and up the ravines of the hills, in -order to give unrestrained liberty in his meditations. - -The mountains were looming dark and purple in the gathering gloom, and a -chilly breath from the dusky sea was stirring the leaves when he turned -his steps homeward. He found his simple supper and his wife and daughter -awaiting him. An unusual restraint weighed upon them all. The customary -familiar chat was lacking, and the meal passed quickly and in silence. - -When Neæra put her arms round her father's neck for her nightly caress, -she whispered, 'Have I done wrong in loving him, father? Are you -displeased with your Neæra?' - -'I am not displeased, child. I blame no one for loving; yet would I be -less anxious had you loved some humbler man.' - -'He is noble and good, father.' - -'The gods grant it true.' - -'If you will it I will see him no more.' - -'Nay, you talk foolishly--I hope I am neither harsh nor selfish. Get to -bed, child, and try if you can sleep, though your heart be galloping, this -moment, to Rome.' - -'Say you are not angry with me then!' she murmured. - -'I blame you not, silly girl; I blame six feet or more of human flesh, and -a handsome face, which hath beguiled your silly girlish thoughts. Heaven -only knows how much more mischief of the same nature they are guilty of -already, for I do not--now go!' - -Her lips pouted a little, but she left the room with a light step. - -The firm, determined mouth of the man quivered, and the moisture dimmed -his deep-set eyes. He passed his hand over his massive brow and gave a -deep sigh. - -'Wife!' he said briefly, 'I am going to Rome.' - -'To Rome!' echoed Tibia fearfully, for the mention of the great city -always loaded her simple rustic mind with a sense of mystery and danger. - -'Ay, to Rome,' rejoined Masthlion; 'the time has come when I must try and -find your brother, if alive. Silo will give me a passage in his -trader--'tis about his time to be touching here Tiberward.' - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - -On the following day, in Rome, about the seventh hour, or noon, a small -party descended the slope of the Janiculan Hill toward the Tiber. - -Though not included in the more famous cluster of the seven hills across -the river, which formed the heart of Rome, the Janiculum, with its long -straight ridge running nearly north and south, was the greatest in -altitude, and commanded the noblest and most extensive view of the city -itself, as well as the loveliness of the surrounding plain, as far as the -circling Apennines beyond. - -With the straight line of the hill as a base, a sharp curve of the river -forms the other two sides of a triangle, enclosing a level tract of -ground. This was the Transtibertine district, which formed the fourteenth, -and largest, region of the city, as arranged by Augustus. In interest and -importance it was perhaps the least, being populated by the lowest -classes, particularly fishermen, tanners, and the like. It was also the -original Ghetto, or quarter of the Jews, which now occupies the bank of -the river immediately opposite. - -The obvious advantages of dwelling above the crammed and stifling valleys -naturally brought the hills, in time, from the princely and fashionable -Palatine, almost wholly in the hands of the powerful and wealthy classes. -The Janiculum, as a suburban mount, was greatly lacking in the noble -buildings and ancient traditions which clothed the urban seven. Neither -was it fashionable, for it lay too far from the public places of the city, -most frequented by society. Nevertheless, there were some who preferred -its fresher and purer air, its nobler prospect and its greater seclusion, -to the advantages and attractions of a more central residence. - -One of these was a wealthy man who had long retired from a busy, public -life, to devote himself to the quiet pursuits of study, in a house he had -built, and gardens he had laid out, on a commanding eminence of the hill. - -The name of Quintus Fabricius had once been celebrated in the city as that -of a senator distinguished for uprightness, firmness, and liberality, but -his public fame had almost passed away with a new generation. He was now, -at the time we speak of, far better known throughout Rome in connection -with a domestic matter, which will unfold itself in the following pages. - -He was of an old family; and if wealth, taste, and an easy conscience -could make a man happy, surely he might be said to be truly so. We will -follow him, for it is he, and his five slaves, who form the small party -previously mentioned. - -They walked in three divisions. Two powerful slaves led the van, whose -especial care was to clear a way for their master through the crowded, -tortuous lanes. When their cry of 'Place, place,' was unheeded, they -enforced a passage, after the usual custom, by a rough and ready use of -their brawny arms and shoulders. The remaining three slaves walked in the -rear, each bearing some trifling burden of personal attire or convenience -belonging to their master. In the centre walked Fabricius himself. - -He was tall and spare, but with a slight stoop. His features were regular -and handsome. His hair, though closely cropped, was yet thick and -luxuriant, but white as snow. He could not have been less than seventy- -five years of age; but the vigorous, free motions of his limbs, and the -healthy hue of his aged, wrinkled face, denoted a still sound -constitution, preserved by a temperate mode of life. His dark eyes, though -somewhat sunken, were yet bright and quick. As he now passed along, -engaged with no train of thought in particular, their expression was one -of settled melancholy abstraction. His mouth was closely knit and firm, -but, occasionally, as some poor neighbour saluted him, his lips curved -into a kindly smile. His vigorous old age, and the natural nobility of his -appearance, were calculated to inspire respect; but there were also -distinctions in his dress which marked his rank. His toga was made of -wool, in its natural colour of greenish white, a fashion of garment which -was preserved by men of distinguished rank long after the toga itself had -fallen into disuse. On the right breast of his short-sleeved tunic, where -it peeped from beneath the graceful folds of the toga, might be seen a -glimpse of the 'Angustus Clavus,'(1) or narrow purple stripe, which was -woven into the garment, and ran down perpendicularly from each shoulder. -The high buskins on his feet were each fastened in front by four black -thongs, ornamented by a small crescent, the exclusive, sartorial badge of -senatorial rank. Such little particulars were trifling enough in extent, -and unnoticeable to a stranger, but to a Roman eye they denoted at once -the rank and importance of the wearer. They were, however, unnecessary in -the poor and crowded suburb through which he and his slaves passed -leisurely towards the river. He was well known to the humble inhabitants, -in consequence of the proximity of his mansion, which stood on the height -overlooking them; and, also, by acts of liberality and good-nature, which -ever met with full appreciation. Hence, as he wound his way through the -crowded and not altogether sweet-flavoured district, his vanguard of -slaves before mentioned had only occasion now and again to use their -voices to open a free passage. The people gave way readily, with gestures -of respect. - -The main street of the district which they traversed brought them, in a -few minutes, nigh to the river, just where it curved round the point of -land. In a right line before them stretched the Aemilian Bridge, leading -direct to the Palatine Mount and the city; to the left hand forked another -road over the island of the Tiber. At this junction the leading slaves -halted and turned to learn their master's pleasure as to his intended -route. The old man hesitated as if undecided, and, as he did so, a slim -personage presented himself before the stationary group. Two or three -rings on his fingers proclaimed his gentility as a Roman knight, and every -fold of his toga was disposed with the most scrupulous exactness. He might -be about forty years of age, with straight black hair, a long nose, curved -very much downwards, and small black eyes, rather too prominent and close -set to be called handsome. As he halted, his lips parted in a smile, which -displayed a row of brilliant white teeth. The slaves of Fabricius, on -perceiving him, made him marked obeisance. - -'Titus Afer!' murmured one of them in his master's ear. - -Fabricius looked up from his momentary deliberation or abstraction. - -'Ha, nephew, is it you?' said he. - -'Even so, dear uncle. You seem to be on the horns of a dilemma,' returned -the new-comer; 'have you started out to dine, uncle, not having settled -where to turn in for your dinner?' - -'Why, no; I am going to dine with my old friend Florus on the Quirinal--but -you, nephew?' - -'Oh, I!--it is of no consequence--I was coming just to spend an hour with -you. It is three days since I have seen you. With your permission I will -turn and go along with you, for a space, on your way, whichever it is!' - -'By the Circus Flaminius; it is less crowded, though a little longer in -distance,' said Fabricius. - -He gave a slight motion of his hand, indicating the left turn, and they -took their way over the Cestian Bridge unto the island of the Tiber, -sacred to Aesculapius. Thence by the bridge of Fabricius they were quickly -on the opposite bank, and passing round by the outer side of the -Capitoline. - -So far they walked in silence. The elder seemed absorbed in abstraction, -and the younger to be waiting, as if in deference to his relative's -cogitations. At length the old man turned his head toward the slaves who -followed and waved his hand. They fell back farther in rear. - -'Were you coming to tell me aught of your mission, Titus?' he began. - -'I went as you desired,' returned his nephew, nodding. - -'It was good of you, as ever, nephew; but to no purpose, I suppose--as -ever,' said the old man, adding the last words with a weary, half- -suppressed sigh. - -'None at all!' rejoined Afer, with another and deeper sigh. 'The woman was -six-and-twenty years old if she was a day; and, as for her appearance, she -was as likely to have grown from your Aurelia, as a barn-door fowl from an -eaglet. These tales and rumours are detailed by knavish people simply to -work upon your weakness, uncle, and to squeeze your purse--why listen to -them?' - -'Ah, nephew--how can I shut my ears?' - -'You are an unfailing, bottomless gold-mine to these people.' - -'Oh!' cried the old man fervidly, throwing up his open palm to the blue -heavens, and looking up with a burning glance of his sunken, sorrow-laden -eyes, 'if the good gods would only give me back my lost darling, the joy -of my old age,--my gold, and all that I have, to the last farthing, might -be flung, if need be, broadcast over the streets of Rome.' - -The black brows of the nephew knitted at the vehement words. - -'And, truly, if what you have spent already, uncle, on this vain quest -were sown broadcast, there would scarce be a gutter vagabond in the city -that would not be the richer. You have done all you can do, and I have -helped to the best of my ability.' - -'You have, nephew, right nobly. Think not that I have forgotten it.' - -'Then why cast good after bad? Will you not be assured after all these -silent years of the hopelessness of all efforts?' - -'If I lived to a hundred years, nephew, I could never sever hope from -me--it is part of me.' - -'And I have none left, though I grieve to say it, and, moreover, my reason -is less governed by feeling than yours--poor Aurelia!' - -'The gods overlook us,' said Fabricius, with a quiver in his voice, while -the lips of the other curled in scorn. - -'The impudent scoundrel, whom you sent to pilot me to his supposed -discovery, demanded two thousand sesterces ere he would budge. It is -horrible, but I was forced to pay the extortioner. I would not mention it, -uncle, but for my misfortune of being not too well provided with -property.' - -'It shall cost thee no more than it ever has,' returned Fabricius; 'thou -shalt have it back and another two thousand, as well, for thy kindness.' - -'Nay--I should seem to make a trade of robbing you like the rest of them.' - -'Say no more, nephew, I insist upon it.' - -The other shrugged his shoulders and was silent, and so they reached the -foot of the Quirinal Hill, upon which the house was situated where -Fabricius was to dine. Here Afer halted. - -'You are for the bath then?' said Fabricius. - -'Even so; and then to dine with Apicius.' - -'Ah! we old-fashioned men dine at an old-fashioned hour. This Apicius -gives feasts such as we could never dream of.' - -'The finest in Rome.' - -'Well, every one to their own tastes. Florus and myself will, no doubt, -enjoy our modest entertainment as much as Apicius his profusion, though it -cost nothing in proportion. It is a foolish, empty way of spending one's -money, Titus.' - -'From necessity I am not likely to copy it, uncle. Nevertheless, if he -choose to throw a portion of his away on me, I will not refuse it.' - -'Yet there is a subtle danger in it, for----' - -'Nay, nay, uncle,' said his nephew, laughing; 'if you begin to moralise -your dinner will grow cold. So I will go and tell you later how mine was -served.' - -'Come then to see me soon, nephew--a good appetite. Farewell!' - -Fabricius and his slaves turned to ascend the hill, and Afer watched them -going. 'Nothing will cure him of this delusive hope, it is clear,' he -muttered. 'Assuming, therefore, that all this profitless expense is -unavoidable, it is only just and prudent that it should flow mainly into -the purse of his heir, and not into the swindling hands of scamps and -aliens, in order to feed wine-shops and brothels. Hermes himself will give -me witness that I spoke truth when I said that yon vagabond demanded two -thousand sesterces ere he would budge. So he did, but he only got two -hundred in the end. What a brilliant idea--what a stroke of genius it was, -on my part, to obtain the monopoly of this infatuation! Formerly, every -one of sufficient impudence could work upon his credulity, and extort -their own terms from the foolish old man; but since my appointment as -superintendent of inquiries, I regulate all to suit my own ideas. It -pleases him and it benefits me. Who could do better? Not the deities -themselves.' - -'But if your terms were more liberal your custom would increase, as well -as your profits, noble Afer,' said a deep voice in his ear. - -The knight wheeled round with the swiftness of light, and the severity of -the sudden surprise was seen in the rush of blood which suffused his -otherwise pale face. His brows knitted so as almost to hide the furious -glance of his eyes. - -Before him stood a man whose superior bulk, lighter complexion, broader -and less marked physiognomy, betrayed other than the Latin blood. He was -dressed in the rough woollen tunic of the common citizen, girded with a -belt of untanned leather, whilst his feet were shod with a kind of sandal, -having strong leather soles. The short sleeves of his tunic displayed his -hairy, muscular arms. His chin was bristly and needed the razor, and his -hair unkempt and disordered. He might be anything in the lowest strata of -the city community, but there was that in his loafing, cunning appearance, -which seemed not to belong to an honest, industrious mechanic. His -attitude, as he stood regarding his superior, whom he had so familiarly -accosted, was cool and careless, and his smile as full of impertinence as -assurance. - -If a glance could have laid him dead upon the pavement, he would have -fallen, straightway, before the rage, hate, and contempt which flashed -upon him from the glowing eyes of Afer. But, unabashed, he altered not a -jot of his bearing. - -'Is it thou?' uttered Afer, in a voice thick with passion; 'how darest -thou lurk at my elbow and play the eavesdropper?' - -'It needed no extra sharp ear to catch what you said, patron. But for the -noise of the streets you might have been heard somewhere between this and -the Palatine. It is dangerous to think in such a loud, public voice, and I -recommend you to shake off the habit, for your own good, patron.' - -The familiar style of this speech in no way allayed the storm in the mind -of the knight, and he shook like an aspen leaf, with a passion impossible -wholly to hide. - -'You are not in the humour to see me, patron--you are angry with me,' added -the man coolly; 'it is as plain as anything can be.' - -'Take heed, or your presumption, which is growing beyond all bounds, will -run you into a certain amount of danger--impudent vagabond, is it for such -as you to accost me thus? More respect, I bid thee, or beware!' - -The menacing tone of the knight, and the dangerous, evil expression on his -face, might have been judged sufficient warning in an ordinary case, but -the man's hardihood was in no way daunted. - -'Presumption, patron,' he echoed; 'there, with your honour's leave, I must -differ with you. I consider myself--in regard to the intimate relations -between us--a most modest, respectful, and untroublesome client. Why, it is -full three months since I presented myself to your honourable presence. I -have seen you at chance times--for I am compelled now and again to -encourage wearisome existence by the grateful sight of your person--but -these have only been glimpses at a distance. Nor would I intrude myself -upon you now, only that hard necessity compels me. In fact, patron, my -treasure is drained to the last sesterce, which went this very morning to -inspire my failing strength with a draught of vinegar, which they called -wine.' - -'I have nothing to give you--you are importunate beyond reason. You have, -already, had much more than was stipulated. That you know as well as I. I -will give you no more, so be off!' - -'What, patron, and without as much as the cost of a mouthful of dinner? -cast me off to starve?'--this with a burlesque of righteous horror in his -looks and gestures--'I, too, who have had the blessed fortune to do you -such service! Some reptile has bitten my noble patron and changed his -nature. Poor Cestus, then, may go and hang himself, or throw himself to -fatten the pike in the Tiber; but no--you cannot, surely, refuse poor -Cestus, thus empty and naked before you.' - -'Silence!' cried he of the toga, as fiercely as he could, without -attracting the attention of the passers-by. 'Good-for-nothing spendthrift, -you have had enough to have made you wantless for the remainder of your -life, with an ordinary amount of care in its use!' - -'I only follow the fashion of many of my betters, patron. To be free with -one's treasure is an excellent way of becoming popular and powerful--none -better--in Rome at least.' - -'Enough, I have said! If you are wise you will leave your insolence behind -you, among your pot companions, when you seek to come before me.' - -'Surely, patron, when you consider the matter calmly, you can hardly -refuse me a small present,' said Cestus, assuming instantly a mock -respect, which was only too palpably impudent. - -The knight bit his lip, and the heaving of his breast stirred the folds of -his toga with rapid pulsations. - -'You fool!' he said bitterly; 'do you imagine I would beggar myself to -enrich you? No--I can afford no more!' - -'May I be cursed if I should ever think of bringing you to the same sad -state as mine,' was the satirical answer. 'Far from that, I know, so well, -that the fountain of your purse is fed from a stream which flows unfailing -out of Latium, even as the grateful spray of Orpheus, on the Esquiline -yonder, is fed by the aqueduct from the waters of heaven. You will excuse -the style for once, patron: you know I was once in the household of a -poet.' - -These words drew upon him another viperous look, but being in a position -which rendered him careless of such exhibitions of his superior's -feelings, he continued his simile. 'It is wonderful to me, patron, that -you are content to see such scanty driblets filtered through a worn old -fountain, when you might, so easily, direct the full glorious flood -straight to your own coffers. My devotion to your welfare is my only -excuse for my tongue. But, patron--you are a most patient, enduring man.' - -'I am--of your insolence, you dog,' was the rapid and burning answer. 'A -less enduring man would have had your ribs tickled, or your tavern cup -flavoured long ere this, most noble Cestus.' - -The man palpably changed colour and winced; but if the words of his patron -had not the effect of quelling him, they instantly changed his easy -impertinence and effrontery into a sullen, dogged front. - -'Come,' growled he, with a dark, lowering visage, 'if we get to -threatenings, you shall find that two can play at that game. Give me some -money and let me go--I must have it, and no more trifling!' - -'Good! If you _must_ have it you must, and I cannot refuse,' answered the -knight, whose humour seemed as suddenly to change, as if in triumph, for -he actually allowed a smile to part his lips. 'I grieve that words of mine -should have ruffled you. As I am not in the habit of carrying about with -me such an amount of money as you will doubtless consider proper to ask, -perhaps you will do me the favour to walk with me as far as my house, dear -Cestus?' - -Cestus hesitated, and looked doubtingly on the unexpected spectacle of his -patron's politeness. His cunning nature was suspicious. - -'What a changeable man!' was the bland remark of the other; 'a minute ago -he was demanding his wants, like a robber tearing spoil from a victim. Now -when he is asked to walk a short way to receive it, he hangs back.' - -'No tricks, master--or else!' said Cestus, eyeing him keenly. - -'Tricks! Certainly not. You are very coarse. Come!' - -Afer then led the way with the man at his heels, so close indeed that he -turned and motioned him to keep at a greater distance. Their course lay -through the middle of the Subura, a district which lay in the valley, -between the Eastern hills and the Fora. It was one of the most ancient -districts of the city, as well as the most densely peopled, and noted for -its crowded thoroughfares, its low society, its noise and dirt. -Occasionally the traffic would come to a dead-lock, amid much shouting and -forcible language, caused, perhaps, by the stoppage of some heavy wain, -laden with blocks of building material, hauled along with ropes. Or, -again, some great man, in his litter, surrounded by his servants, thought -fit to halt, for some purpose, in the narrow ways. His suite would, -thereupon, become the nucleus of a squeezing crush of pedestrians, who -cast frowning glances at the litter and its occupant. At another place, -his greatness, moving along, would meet with a like obstruction, and there -would be seen the spectacle of rival slaves battling a passage through. -Nor were the customs of the tradesmen calculated to increase the public -convenience, for they intruded their business into the already too limited -space. Their stalls jutted out, and even then failed altogether to confine -their occupations. A cobbler hesitated not to ply his awl in public, nor a -barber to shave his customer outside his door. The gutters were frequented -by noisy hucksters plying their trade, and selling all kinds of articles, -from sulphur matches to boiled peas and beans. Importunate beggars were -rife with every sorrow, complaint, and ailment; from the lame, sick, and -blind, to the shipwrecked sailor, carrying a fragment of his ill-starred -ship over his shoulder, as a proof of his sad lot. Down the narrower -alleys were noisome, reeking dens crammed with the scum of the city. -Thieves, murderers, blackguards, bullies loafed about; fallen women also -loitered and aired themselves till the evening approached, when all this -daylight idlesse of human filth betook itself to its frightful occupations -of crime and wickedness, either in its own refuges, or flooded abroad upon -the city. Yet this district, from its central position, was necessarily -frequented, and even inhabited, in a few cases, by the higher orders of -society. To imagine an unsealed Whitefriars, or a tract of the east end of -modern London, cramped and narrowed, after the style of the old Roman -city, and placed between two fashionable quarters, would give the best -idea of the character of the Subura of Rome. It was the peculiar situation -of the city which led to this intermixing of classes. In a city of a -plain, where no part of the ground offers any advantage over another, the -wealthy naturally form a district select from the poor. In Rome, the great -and wealthy sought the elevated and pleasanter faces of the hills, while -the poorer people remained beneath. Thus the intermediate valleys, however -populated, unavoidably became thoroughfares, and no doubt, to a certain -extent, the haunts of all classes. - -Through the teeming Subura, then, we will follow our two characters. They -each threaded their way after their own manner. The knight, slim, supple, -and quick, slipped along like an eel, avoiding all contact and gliding -through every opening with the accustomed ease of a person city bred. On -the other hand the Subura was the home of Cestus, to whom every nook and -corner was familiar. This fact, combined with his superior weight and -bulk, rendered his movements more careless and independent of passers-by, -some of whom came into collision with him, to their own sorrow. He was, -moreover, recognised by more than one fellow inhabitant as he passed -along. Two or three fellows, as idle and rough looking as himself, leered -knowingly at him from the open front of a wine-shop where they were -lounging. Another one nodded and winked to him from out of a reeking, -steaming cook-shop where he was munching a light meal of the simplest -character. Among the many street idlers, one greasy vagabond, with an -evil, bloated face, went so far as to catch his arm and whisper, with a -coarse laugh, 'What, Cestus, boy, hast hooked thy patron? Thou wilt come -back like a prince!' But Cestus shook him off, and having cleared the -Subura, he and his patron entered on a less crowded path, and the short, -steep ascent of the Esquiline Hill. - -At the summit they passed a statue of Orpheus. He was represented playing -on the lyre to a group of wild animals, exquisitely modelled in the -attitudes of rapt attention to the inspired music. The group was placed in -the centre of a large circular basin for the reception of the spray, which -usually danced and sparkled from the head of the immortal musician. On -this day, however, for some reason, the fountain was dry. - -As he passed, the knight turned round, and, pointing with his finger to -draw his follower's attention to the fact, said, with a cold smile, 'My -Cestus, when you likened the supply of my funds to the feeding of that -fountain, you made a bad comparison--it is a bad omen, good and faithful -man. Do you accept it?--I do.' - -Cestus was in no way behind the age in superstition. - -'Humph!' muttered he, bestowing a parting glance at the dry figures and -empty basin; 'plague on the aediles for falling short of water just at -this time! No matter--water, or no water! omen, or no omen! I shall still -remain a faithful client to my patron.' And he followed on with a grin. -After proceeding another hundred yards Afer stopped before the porch of a -dwelling, small and modest, but pleasantly situated, overlooking no small -portion of the city. - -'Step in, man, and drink a cup of wine while we arrange terms,' said he, -with ironical politeness. - -But some suspicion was awakened in the breast of the other and he did not -stir. 'Bring it to me--I will wait here,' said Cestus, with a shake of his -head. - -'But you have not told me what you want.' - -'Six thousand will serve me.' - -'You are growing modest, Cestus--come and I will give it you.' - -But Cestus still refused to proceed inside the house. - -'Why--what do you fear?' demanded Afer. - -'You said something over there, where we met, that I liked not, patron,' -returned Cestus doggedly; 'there is something about you now that bodes no -good. I will, therefore, put no wall between me and the open street.' - -'What I said over there was true enough,' said the knight, drawing near -and fastening upon him a peculiar look; 'there are scores in Rome who -would have said "dead men tell no tales," and, acting on that, would have -made you a breathless carcase long ago, if they had suffered the behaviour -which you have favoured me with. Fool, do you think I would hurt you any -more than you would harm me. No; you are as necessary to me as I to you--I -have more work for you to do--come!' - -He went inside, and proceeded to one of the doorways which opened off the -spacious hall, or atrium, as it was called, which had a tesselated floor -and a small fountain in the midst. At the sound of his foot appeared two -or three slaves to wait upon him. Cestus followed more slowly, with a -keen, wary glance at the various doors and passages around, as though they -might, at any moment, belch forth vassals to fasten on him. The knight -lifted the curtain of an apartment and beckoned him to follow. He did so, -and found himself, with no small amount of misgiving, in a small room, -lighted by a narrow window of glass. There were a couple of couches, for -furniture, and a small carved table, and, for ornament, three or four -bronze statues of exquisite workmanship. In addition to these the walls -were adorned with frescoes of mythological subjects, done by no unskilful -hand. Afer, standing with the curtain still uplifted in one hand, pointed -with the other to a couch, and, bidding his follower wait, disappeared. -Cestus remained motionless, watching the screen of the doorway, with all -his senses strained like a beast of prey, to catch the least sound. But -nothing reached his ear, till, at the end of a quarter of an hour, his -patron returned. He came to the table and threw a bag thereon. It jingled -as it fell, and the eyes of Cestus flashed and fastened on the precious -object. - -'There, my worthy Cestus, are six thousand sesterces; take them and use -them economically.' - -The broad hand of the man fell upon the bag and thrust it away in the -breast of his tunic. - -'What--are you not going to tell it over to see that I cheat you not?' said -Afer mockingly. - -'No--I can trust your counting, noble patron,' answered Cestus hurriedly; -'and now I will go, for I am craving with hunger.' - -'And thirst!' added Afer, clapping his hands loudly. - -The echo had hardly died away when a young Greek slave entered, bearing a -cup and a larger vessel of variegated glass. At a nod from his master he -filled the cup with wine from the flagon and handed it to Cestus. But that -individual hesitated and declined with some amount of confusion. Nothing -but the direst need could have compelled him to make such a sacrifice. - -'I dare not drink with an empty stomach--I dare not indeed; 'tis rare wine, -but allow me to go, or I shall drop from sheer want of food, most noble -patron--indeed I shall!' - -'Then I will drink it for you, O man of tender stomach--you grow delicate,' -said Afer, with a derisive laugh; 'fortune to us both!' - -He drained it off, and the slave disappeared with the emptied cup. - -'If I want thee soon I can hear of thee at the same place, Cestus?' - -'As usual!' - -'I will keep you no longer. Go and feed on the best sausages you can -find.' - -'Thanks, noble patron--you will find me ever ready and devoted.' - -'As I found thee this morning. Expect to hear of me very soon.' - -With these words they emerged into the hall, and Cestus, drawing a long -breath as he saw the way clear, went off at a pace which utterly belied -his fainting state. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - -From the centre of his atrium Afer watched his well-furnished client -retreat down the passage or lobby which led to the street, and marked, -with a sour smile, the hasty stride, or almost leap, with which he -vanished out of the sunlight which filled the porch. He stood a while with -lips compressed, as, with a heart aching with wrath and mortification, he -pondered on what had passed, on the sum of money he was lacking, and the -hateful manner of its extortion. Then he turned and bade his slaves -prepare to accompany him to the bath, which was an indispensable daily -luxury to a Roman, and usually indulged in previous to the dinner hour. - -Though not what Rome would call a wealthy man, T. Domitius Afer was of -sufficient means, and from his connection with Fabricius, we may gather, -of sufficient right of birth, to rank him among the equestrian order. His -house, though small, was incontestably ruled by a master possessing the -somewhat rare quality of exquisite taste. Harmony and symmetry reigned -over all its appointments, ordered by the still more rare magic of the -hand, which rounds off the formal chilliness of perfect chastity and -regularity, by an artful and timely touch of graceful negligence. - -There was no painting, statue, nor carved vase, nor couch, which might -not, from its beauty and delicacy of design and finish, have had a place -amid the household magnificence of Caesar. The combination of faculties -which we call taste can perform wonders of delight with the meanest -appliances. It requires inexhaustible resources, together with barbaric -ignorance and coarseness, to shock the senses. - -Afer remained some minutes pacing up and down the atrium of his house in -deep thought. Then rousing himself he beheld his slaves awaiting his -departure, with towels, unguents, and other necessaries. Without further -delay, therefore, he left the house and proceeded to some private baths in -the neighbourhood, where he enjoyed the company of some acquaintances, as -well as the physical refreshment of what moderns call a Turkish bath. When -he had leisurely gone through this delightful process; when he had finally -been scraped with the strigil, rubbed dry and anointed from head to foot -with a perfumed unguent, his youthful Greek attendant robed him with most -elaborate care to suit his exacting taste, and he left the baths to step -into a kind of sedan chair, which awaited him at the doors. He was borne -thus, the short distance which intervened, to the house of one Apicius, on -the Palatine, the most fashionable quarter in Rome, and finally to become -almost the exclusive property of the emperors. - -He alighted in a courtyard, whereon opened the magnificent entrance of a -very large and imposing mansion. He went in. The lofty interior gleamed -with rich marbles and gilding, and the air was laden with the scent of the -perfumed fountain which twinkled and sparkled in the shaft of light, -descending from the blue sunny sky through the square opening in the -centre of the roof. Beyond was the vista of the entire length of the -house, through its columns and peristyle to a portico and ornamental -garden beyond. The sumptuous magnificence which met the eye at every turn, -the priceless statuary, the frescoes on every wall, the rare, polished, -carved wood and stone, the ivory, gilding, and tapestries, betokened the -lavish extravagance of vast wealth. Crossing the spotless floor of marble, -Afer was ushered into a reception room of the same rich character, where -lounged or stood some half dozen guests engaged in conversation. Our -knight's attire, though of irreproachable taste and fashion, was modest -compared with the superlative richness displayed by some of those he now -rubbed against. - -Charinus was a dandy of the first water, whose glorious garments, -oppressive perfumes, smooth, well-tended, effeminately handsome face and -languid hauteur, at once betrayed his disposition and ambition. Flaccus -was a dandy, whose still youthful and ambitious mind animated a physical -organisation long since bereft of vigour and beauty. Art did its best to -disguise the ruthless blight of time, and age put a good face on its -impotence, whilst it was being racked with follies and excesses which -belonged to its grandchildren. So the withered old trunk stuck itself over -with green boughs, seeking to hide its sapless rottenness, but succeeding -only in rousing the laughter of men. - -In the puffy face, and uncertain wavering eyes of Pansa, together with his -nervous, trembling fingers, could be seen the demon of drunkenness; whilst -his seat apart, and his sullen, dejected, downcast looks, marked a -nightmare depression of spirits, during a brief separation from the wine -cup. - -Torquatus, unlike Flaccus, retained no foolish vanity in his advanced -years, and his simple attire bore a strong contrast to the rest. Curiosity -might be awakened as to the reason why he was included in the company -present, for peevish, snappish acidity was plain as written symbols in his -prying, sharp, small eyes, in his hard, withered, wrinkled face, and thin, -sourly down-drawn lips. To the host, in the middle of these, Afer -proceeded to pay his respects. Unheedful, unanswering to the chatter -around his chair, the lord of the house sat absorbed in his reflections. -He leant his head first on one hand and then on the other, shifting -continuously and restlessly, as if a prey to uneasy thoughts. His face was -pale, and his brows slightly contracted. Ever and anon, when his attention -was desired to hear something of interest, he gave a nod, or glimmering -smile, rather weary and ghastly than otherwise. His dress was the envy -even of the dandies, his guests; for his 'synthesis,' or loose upper -garment, which all wore, as more convenient for table than the toga, was -made of silk--a fabric, at that time, in Rome, of such extravagant cost, as -to be forbidden by imperial edict only a few years before the date of this -story. The appearance of Afer before him roused him from his reverie. - -'Welcome, my friend,' said he, extending his hand, and shaking himself, as -if to clear away all thoughts that interfered with his duties as host; -'welcome to my poor house!' - -'I trust you marked the poverty as you came through,' rasped the voice of -Torquatus, the sour, ever on the watch to vent a sneer. - -'I came hastily to greet Apicius, our generous host,' returned Afer, as he -exchanged courtesies with the smiling guests, all of whom he knew. - -'And faster still to eat his dinner,' added the old man. - -'Ho! ho! Torquatus, I see you are in your best humour,' cried Apicius, -joining in the laugh, with more vivacity and briskness in his appearance. - -'Who arrived first to his appointment, Apicius?' inquired Afer. - -'When my slave called me to the room, I found Torquatus here alone to -greet me,' replied the host. - -'Then has Torquatus the best right to the best part of your dinner, noble -host, since his eagerness to eat it outstripped us all. Hungry Torquatus!' - -Loud laughter from all drowned the snarling reply of the old man, but his -scowling eyes spoke volumes. - -'Thou hast it fairly,' said Apicius, when the merriment ceased; 'but don't -be ill-humoured, Torquatus--it so ill becomes thee.' - -The juvenile mirth of Flaccus shook his sides at this, and dislocated some -of the enamel on his face; and ere the amusement had subsided, the heavy -purple curtain of the doorway was drawn aside to admit another comer, a -man in the prime of his age, of tall commanding presence and handsome -countenance. He bestowed one rapid glance upon the occupants of the room, -and ere their eyes, in turn, were drawn towards him, his lips were -wreathed in a bland smile. - -'The Prefect Sejanus!' announced the slave at the door. - -As the name of the most powerful man in Rome fell on the ears of the -company, it banished the laughter from their lips. Following the example -of their host, they pressed around the new arrival, eager to salute him. -Flaccus, the elderly dandy, who was a small man, tried to strain himself, -like the frog in the fable, into an individual of imposing appearance. -Torquatus posed himself into a caricature of a philosopher of elevated and -dignified severity. Even the nerveless Pansa elevated his tremulous eyes, -and rose from his chair. But when the first greetings were over, the -conversation soon fell back once more into a current of liveliness and -jest, under the influence of the imperial minister's good humour and -indiscriminate affability. - -'Come, friends, it is time to get to table,' said Apicius; 'and for the -laggards who are yet absent, let them abide by what their unpunctuality -may bring them. Ha! here comes one. Caius, I cannot enter my dinner as an -equal attraction to love; but yet, for once----' - -'What is the finest feast to a man in love! Heed him not, Martialis,' said -Sejanus, grasping the hand of the newcomer. The latter, a young man of -about thirty, smiled in response to a shower of badinage which followed -this initiative, until a slave entered and announced the feast in -readiness to be served. - -'Come, then!' cried the host; 'we lack one, but he is ever behind--'tis -part of his religion. Let him take the empty place when he thinks fit.' So -saying, he took Sejanus, as his most distinguished guest, by the hand, -and, followed by the others, led the way to the dining apartment, where a -table, blazing with an equipage of precious metal, awaited them. - -It is no purpose of these pages to enter into a detailed description of -the extravagance, the innumerable and curious dishes, of a Roman banquet -of the first order. Antiquaries have already done so in accounts which are -easily to be met with. The recital of the ingenuity, invention, and wealth -lavished on a meal is extraordinary to modern measurement of luxury and -extravagance. Fish, fowl, and beast were brought from the ends of the -earth, in order that jaded appetites might nibble at them, or at some -particular part of them, dressed by a _chef_ of the highest art; and, in -the present instance, nothing was likely to be lacking from the feast of -one who won historic fame as a gourmand. - -Nor was the entertainment deemed sufficient of itself, but it must be -served in an apartment of splendour equal to the occasion. That of Apicius -did not aspire to the novelty and outlay brought to bear on the saloon of -Nero's golden house of a few years later, which was constructed like a -theatre, with scenes which changed at every course. But, for a private -individual, of a period just launching fairly into degraded luxury, his -dining-room was, perhaps, the most magnificent in the city. - -Along with the cunning of workers in ivory and precious metals, the hand -of the painter and sculptor had adorned it with the best children of their -genius. In the centre of the apartment was placed the square dinner-table, -which had the repute of costing the owner a fortune in itself. It was made -from the roots of the citron tree, whereby the perfection of beautiful -markings was obtained. It was highly polished, and the massive legs which -supported it were of ivory and gold, elaborately carved at the extremities -into the semblances of lions' feet. On three sides of the table were -ranged three couches of the same costly workmanship. They were spread with -deeply-fringed cloth of gold and cushions to match. The latter were to -assist the diners in their attitude, for the Roman reclined at full length -at his meals; and, while he reached for his food with his right hand to -the table, on a lower level than the couch, his left elbow and hand, aided -by the cushions, supported his head and upper part of his body in a -convenient lounging posture. - -The knotty face of Torquatus involuntarily twisted into a grimace of -delight as he and his companions stretched themselves in their places -around the glittering table. The failing eyes of Pansa emitted a feeble -flash as they fell on the old jars of Falernian wine of the Opimian brand, -the most celebrated vintage of all, and perfectly priceless. - -When all the diners were placed according to the marshalling of the slave -who acted as master of ceremonies, the slippers of each guest were drawn -off by their own domestics, who attended them to table. A company of -musicians struck up a slow measured strain, and the professional carver of -the establishment forthwith commenced to show his dexterity in dividing -the dressed viands to the beat of the music. Then the diners spread their -napkins of fine linen edged with gold fringe, and directing their servants -to set before them whatever delicacy they fancied, they forthwith gave -their utmost energy and attention to the business of the evening with a -zest as critical as keen. - -Torquatus gobbled and ravened like a beast of prey. The hard, protuberant -muscles of his face heaved and fell, and worked, incessantly, under the -skin, which soon began to shine and glisten with perspiration. Charinus, -the exquisite, nibbled at the most curious and highly-seasoned delicacies, -with the pampered appetite of a gourmand. The first deep draught of old -Falernian restored Pansa and restrung his drooping nerves. His eyes -brightened, his face lightened, and, with a smack of his lips, he reached -briskly forward to the golden platter, which his slave had just placed -before him. It was the custom of his countrymen to temper their wine with -water; but, beyond cooling it with the snows of the Apennines, Pansa -approved of no such folly, so that his slave troubled the water pitcher no -more than to give an appearance of decency. As cup rapidly succeeded cup -his vivacity returned and his tongue became witty. It was a marvellous -restoration. The guest who in the greatest measure followed his example, -though still at a considerable distance, was Caius Martialis, who occupied -the place next and above his host, on the left hand, or third couch. -Dissipation had placed its marks on the noble features of this young man, -and he appeared to drink and talk with an increasing recklessness, and -even desperation. - -Whilst in the middle of the first course the last guest entered the room -to make up the number of nine--three to each couch, the number of the -muses. The new-comer was rather short in stature and thick-set, with -squat, dark features, as though descended from negro blood. As he came -into the room he glanced round with a supercilious look. Scarcely bending -to his host, he bowed more markedly to Sejanus, whilst the remainder of -the company he seemed to ignore utterly. The seat reserved for him was the -lowest on the couch next his host--the worst at the table. He took it with -a scowl, amid the ill-concealed smiles of the others. Apicius himself, -after bidding him welcome, sank back on his cushions with a sigh of -triumph and relief. Zoilus the millionaire, the son of a slave, the great -rival of himself in the extravagance of Rome, had on a splendid silk -garment, but it was only edged with gold, whereas his own was most -beautifully figured and wrought with the same all over. - -The enormous acquired wealth of this individual, and his ostentatious use -of it, made him a very noted leader of fashion; but, while people -applauded and truckled to him they scoffed aside at his innate vulgarity -and arrogance. He began his dinner, at once, by asking haughtily and ill- -humouredly for some unusual dish. It was at once supplied. Apicius ate -calmly on, and the rest smiled and winked covertly. It was a trial of -strength between the champions of luxury. The same thing happened more -than once throughout the banquet; but nothing, however rare, in the range -of culinary art was lacking from the plate of Zoilus that his ingenuity -could suggest. The face of Apicius, though calm and stoical, covered a -heart devoured by anxiety. A slight defection of his cook, a slight -oversight in the study of their records, a trifling mistake or -misadventure in the combination of their ingredients, might have opened -the way for his rival's adverse, if courteous criticism. But everything -was perfect. The household, from its officers downwards, had surpassed -itself. The result was the perfection of culinary and decorative art, -combined with the utmost variety and rarity. Praises flew from lip to lip. -Some were fired into ecstasies of admiration and wonder; pleasure sat on -every countenance, except that of Zoilus. He had remained silent for full -a quarter of an hour. His ingenuity was exhausted, and his enemy's armour -unpierced. It was the culminating point of the complete pre-eminence of -Apicius. He gave a sign, and the butler, with much solemnity and ceremony, -set a magnificent dish on the table with his own hands, amid a flourish of -the musicians. - -The guests looked on curiously. - -Apicius announced the name of the delicacy which steamed on the gleaming -gold. He bade them try it. Its style was entirely new and novel to Rome. A -portion was cut and handed to Sejanus; after him the others were served. -Its delicious and novel flavour was proved by the enraptured expressions -of each feaster as he tasted the portion set before him. It had only one -fault, as Pansa said, with a sigh--there was not enough of it. Zoilus was -left to the last, and the only remaining piece on the dish was placed -before him. Livid and trembling with passion he motioned it away, -muttering something about his inability to digest it. Apicius, therefore, -with mock regret, beckoned the slave to transfer it to himself. - -'Good!' said he, when he had finished it, speaking to his steward, whose -glance hung upon him. 'Tell Silo, Hippias, and Macer, that they have -surpassed themselves. Their master is well pleased with them--with you all. -He will not forget.' - -It is to be regretted that history has preserved only the tradition of -this remarkable production of Apicius' kitchen, the fame of which -subsequently filled aristocratic circles. Further than relating that the -foundation of the dish was the carcase of a small unknown animal, captured -in the limits of the empire, and brought home by a recently arrived ship, -all details are wanting. - -Gradually, after this interesting incident, the guests, languidly, fell -more at their ease on their cushions, with laden stomachs and appeased -appetites. Beyond nibbling furtively at sweet dainties and fruits, there -was only inclination left to sip at the precious wine, and to employ their -tongues and laugh at each other's wit. But from this stage Apicius himself -relapsed once more into his former fit of silent, unconscious abstraction. -The minutes gathered into hours, and chatter and jest flew uninterruptedly -around. Only at times the host was roused by the jesting challenges of his -guests, rallying him on the subject of his absorbed reflections. Among the -numerous glorious entertainments of Apicius this, the guests admitted to -each other in many an aside, was the most perfect Rome had yet known. And -yet, instead of being blithe and jocund with success, the hospitable -entertainer reclined with melancholy, fixed eyes--opening his lips only to -sip his wine from time to time. This could not fail to have an effect -eventually, for what ought to have been the inspiration of their -conviviality was cold, fireless, and mute. They struggled on for some -time, but, at length, their cheerfulness sank beneath the chilling -influence of those fixed, sad, downcast eyes and heedless ears. A social -meeting largely takes its tone from its leader, and when the conversation -became slower and more fitful, Afer exchanged glances with Sejanus and -Flaccus with Charinus. Meaning looks went round from each to each to the -seemingly unconscious Apicius, and from Apicius back to each other. Zoilus -had no love or good-feeling to detain him. More or less discomfited and -snubbed, he waited no longer, kicking against the pricks, but seized the -opportunity and began to rise, briefly hinting that his absence was -necessary. - -'Stay!' said Apicius, suddenly starting, as if from a dream, at hearing -these words spoken in his ear. 'Stay yet for a few moments, Zoilus. I--I -implore your pardon, friends, for I see I have fallen a prey to my -reflections and forgotten you. It was behaviour unworthy even of a -barbarian--I pray you give me your indulgence!' - -'Nay, noble Apicius, every one is liable to be overridden by his -thoughts,' said Sejanus. - -'True, and I will forthwith give you the clue to mine,' was the reply. - -'Ha! we will, therefore, begin again,' quoth Pansa, in thick tones, -holding up his empty goblet for his slave to refill. - -They all laughed, and then bent their eyes on the face of Apicius with -renewed interest. - -'Nothing, dear friends, but the most sorrowful thoughts could have led me -to exhibit such conduct toward you,' said their host. 'It has been my -greatest ambition--ever my pride and pleasure to see my friends happy -around my table.' - -'Dear Apicius, you have ever succeeded, and not the least this day,' said -Martialis gently. - -A murmur of approval ran round the couches. - -'You do me honour,' resumed Apicius; 'you have been good friends and -companions hitherto, and I have done, humbly, my best to return your love. -Be patient, I will not detain you long; and especially as you will never -again recline round this table at my request. I am grieved to say it,' -continued he, after allowing the expressions of startled surprise to pass, -'but I am resolved to change my condition, and Rome will know me no more.' - -Ill-concealed joy lighted up the vulgar face of Zoilus, but the visages of -Torquatus, Flaccus, and Pansa were blank and thunderstruck at this -unlooked-for announcement. - -'Say not so, Apicius!' quoth Martialis, turning his prematurely worn, but -noble face toward his host, 'you rend our hearts.' - -Apicius, with a fond look, laid his hand gently on the speaker's shoulder, -but did not speak. - -'This is rank treason that cannot pass,' said Sejanus jestingly. 'Rome -cannot spare thee, noble Apicius--thou shalt not even leave thy house--I -shall send a guard of my Pretorians, who shall block thee in.' - -A faint smile rested on the lips of Apicius at this conceit. - -'We shall see how that plan will act, Prefect,' said he. 'Send thy -Pretorians--a whole cohort--only you must be quick.' - -Torquatus sat dumb and forgot his jibes; the remainder listened for what -was to follow. - -'It is true, my friends, I am about to quit the pleasures, the bustle, the -virtues and vices of our beloved city of the hills. I am eager for perfect -serenity, far from the struggling crowd, and I go shortly to see it.' - -'Whither? We will seek you out--I, at least,' interrupted the voice of -Martialis next to him. - -'Thou shalt learn ere very long, my Caius. Which among you does not, at -certain times, if not constantly, wish for the tranquillity of the rustic, -whose music is the whisper of the groves, the rippling of the stream, and -the notes of the birds? Eating simply, sleeping soundly, rising -cheerfully. Contented with what the gods have given him--the summer sun, -the pure air, the green pastures, sweet water and the vine-clad slope; a -heart unvexed by ambitions, envyings, ingratitudes. When I see him wander, -wonderingly, through the streets, I envy him his brown cheek, his clear -skin, his cheerful simplicity, his vigorous body which cleaves the torrent -of pallid citizens. He seems to breathe the odour of the quiet groves and -dewy grass. I am sick at heart and weary, friends. I loathe the sight of -my once loved city of the hills--the marble, the stone, the thronging -people. Peace! Peace! That song of Horace haunts me. Hear it, although you -know it well--it will help you to divine my spirit in a little degree.' He -then recited the beautiful song of Horace, the sixteenth of his second -book, of which we offer the following translation, inadequate as it is:-- - - 'Whosoever tempest-tossed - Upon the wide Aegean waters, - Prays the gods for peace and rest, - When darkling the moon is hid - Amid the murky clouds, - And guiding stars shine not - To cheer the sailor's breast. - - 'War-torn Thrace cries Peace! - And Peace! the quivered Median bold: - But, Grosphus, it is neither bought - With purple, gems, nor gold. - For neither riches - Nor the lictor of a consul's nod, - Can drive the troubles of a mind aloof, - Nor flout the cares which flit - About a gilded roof. - - 'With him who lives with little - Life goes well; - Whose father's cup - Shines bright upon a simple board: - Whose slumbers light - Are never harmed by fear, nor sudden fright, - Which tells of hidden hoard. - - 'Why strain ourselves to gain so much - In this short life of ours? - Why change our childhood's homes for lands - That glow with other suns? - What banished man whose fate is such - He fain would shun himself? - - 'Grim, cankering care climbs up the brazened ships, - And swifter than the stag, - Or eastern wind which sweeps - The storms and rattling rain, - It leaveth not the bands of horsemen - Trooping o'er the plain. - - 'Be happy for the day, - And hate to think on what may follow! - Tempering all bitterness - With an easy laugh; - For no such happiness there is - As knows no sorrow. - - 'Swift death bore off Achilles, and old age - Hath shrunk Tithonus-- - Time, mayhap, will give to me - That which it denies to thee.' - -This foreign rendering can give only a faint idea of the effect which -Apicius produced upon his hearers, by the beauty of his elocution, in his -native tongue; for it was given in a voice of singular, pathetic -melancholy. The hot burning tears dropped silently from the down-turned -face of Martialis. Then, for a brief moment, he raised his swimming eyes -toward his friend. All that was purest and noblest in his nature struggled -with those welling drops, from beneath the load of a careless, misguided -life, and beautified his weary face. The voices of the others were raised -in entreaties and arguments, and even Torquatus summoned a snarling joke. -But Apicius was firm, and only shook his head. - -'Think not that I go heedlessly,' said he; 'we have passed many delightful -hours together. Although I shall henceforth be absent, I would not have my -memory altogether die amongst you. I have, therefore, to ask each of you -to accept of a slight memorial which may, at various times, as I hope, -recall something of Apicius and his days.' - -'But you tell us not where you go,' murmured Martialis once more. - -'Patience, Caius--you shall know; it is within easy reach, on an easy -road.' - -Martialis made a gesture of pleasure, and Apicius gave a sign to his -butler. On a sideboard stood a row of nine objects of nearly equal height, -entirely draped and hidden by white gold-fringed napkins thrown over them. -They were curious and unusual, and had, many times, already, excited the -inward curiosity of the company. - -The slave advanced to these and carefully took the first. At a nod from -his master he placed it before Martialis, on the table, with the snowy -white napkin still hiding whatever was beneath. The next was placed before -Sejanus. The others before Charinus, Flaccus, Torquatus, Pansa, Afer, and -Zoilus in rotation. One was left. Apicius pointed to his own place. The -slave put it down before him, and the table was ranged round with these -mysterious white-robed objects. - -'Friends,' said Apicius calmly, 'beneath those covers you will find the -presents which I give to you in token of our fellowship. I have striven to -the best of my ability to render them suitable and useful to their owners. -Look at them and accept of them, I pray.' - -They all, with more or less eagerness, lifted the napkins from their -allotted gifts and sat gazing thereat, at Apicius, and each other with -mingled expressions of ill-suppressed anger, mortification, and -disappointment. The napkin before Apicius was still untouched, and he -received the rancorous glances which were shot towards him, with a calm, -scornful expression. - -Before Sejanus was a small representation of a lictor's fasces, a -miniature axe bound up in a bundle of twigs; but in addition to the axe -was the model of an iron hook, such as was used to drag the bodies of -traitors and malefactors down the Gemonian steps into the Tiber. - -The cheek of the conspirator flushed, and from beneath his gathering brows -he flashed a look as dangerous and dark as a thundercloud. - -'Be not offended, Prefect,' said Apicius; 'I act as a true friend who -fears not the truth, and not as a parasite, who bestows nothing but what -may prove pleasant to the ear.' - -His cold, mocking tone belied his words, and, ere he finished, Zoilus, -with a face purple with rage and fury, had jumped from his seat and dashed -the article he had uncovered to the floor. It was a small figure of a -negro, carved in ebony, having its nakedness barely draped in a ludicrous -fashion with a little cloak of figured silk. - -'What!' cried Apicius jibingly; 'displeased with the image of your -grandfather?' - -But Zoilus, speechless and shuddering with his boiling feelings, rushed -from the room with his slaves. He was followed by a titter, which the -biting satire of the proceeding even wrung from the offended natures of -the others. - -Torquatus sat scowling before a small stand, on which was placed a common -wooden platter having a copper coin in the centre. Pansa evinced his -disgust of a similar stand bearing a diminutive cup of silver. The figure -of a very ancient goat on its hind legs, having a garland of roses around -its horns, caused Flaccus to fume and fret immoderately. Afer smiled -scornfully upon a miniature gilded weather-vane; whilst a mirror, upheld -by an Apollo, with an averted face, was regarded by Charinus with -ineffable disdain. - -Thus had Apicius amused his invention. A small bronze casket was deemed -sufficient for Martialis. It was unpretentious in its outward appearance; -but a fast-locked box ever provokes curiosity. - -'Lift it, Martialis!' snapped Torquatus derisively, 'and see whether it be -filled with iron, or chaff, or what is lighter still--emptiness.' - -'There is the key, my Caius,' said Apicius, in answer, drawing the article -from his breast and handing it to his friend. 'Before you leave the house -you shall use it--at present, sad necessity must deprive any one of the -pleasure of seeing what the box contains. Dear friends,' he added, turning -his eyes upon them, 'I grieve that my trifling tributes should not, by -appearances, have pleased you. Had I been less truthful and more liberal, -probably you would have overwhelmed me with gratitude. At least I have -ever found it thus. There is little more to add save farewell--Caius, give -me thy hand.' - -The hand was extended and grasped fervently by Apicius, who then lifted -the napkin before him. A richly chased gold cup, studded with jewels, was -exposed, gorgeous and glowing, to the expectant gaze of all. The eyes of -Torquatus, Flaccus, and Pansa kindled. Sejanus still sat motionless, with -a cloud resting on his pale, immobile face. The sad brooding eyes of -Martialis showed no change. - -'That is my father's cup,' continued Apicius; 'Martialis, thou wilt -preserve it--it is too rich for my future needs of simplicity. I will drink -to the future welfare of you all. May the gods send you plentiful pastures -of liberal purses and groaning tables; and may ye die the death of noble, -virtuous, uncovetous men. Listen, dear friends,' he said, with a bitterly -scornful emphasis of the adjective, 'I have lived to the age of forty -years. With your help and the help of others I have spent of my patrimony -sixty-four thousand sestertia.'(2) - -A movement of sensation passed round the couches at this calm statement of -such enormous extravagance. - -'In the process I have discovered how rarely the immortals make true -friends, and how idle it is to try and gain them with the glitter of gold -alone. I have met with but one in my career who has followed me for -love--Caius, true friend, may the gods repay you, for Apicius cannot.' He -raised the goblet in his hand; it was partly filled with wine. Looking -round the company, while he poised the flashing cup, he said: 'Vultures, I -have done. I have had my pleasure--I have spent my patrimony--what is left I -give to thee, Caius--that casket will vouch for it. I want it not; it is -not worth living on for. _Vale!_' - -He emptied the cup at a draught, threw it from him on to the table, and -then proceeded to sink back to his former position on the cushions. Ere he -reached them, the smile on his lip became suddenly contorted into a -horrible grimace. The pallor of his face changed to a ghastly lividness. -His body and limbs gave a spasmodic twist of agony, and he fell back a -breathless corpse. - -The room was filled with consternation and confusion. Martialis, with a -horrible suspicion, sprang up and encircled his friend. Slaves sped away -for a physician, and the remainder, together with the guests, gathered -round the dead Apicius with startled looks. - -'Come!' said Sejanus to Afer in a low voice, 'we can do nothing here but -waste time. Apicius has given the signal to depart. His only true friend -will attend to him--the slaves will probably see to the house--and -themselves.' - -'The fool,' muttered Afer, following the imperial minister out of the -room, 'he has lost his fortune and dies--I go to get one and live.' - -The company fast melted away. Charinus, with haughty, measured step, and -sublimity of indifference on his unruffled face. Pansa, stupefied with -wine and fright, leaning on the necks of his slaves, who, indeed, nearly -carried him. Torquatus, with a keen eye for any movables and an -opportunity. So they departed to blow this strange business over the city. - -A group of frightened domestics remained huddled in one corner of the -room. Martialis waved them away, and he was left, amid the gold and -glitter of the chamber of death, bending and sobbing alone, over the dead -body of his friend. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - -The entrance of one of the household domestics, bringing a physician, -roused the young man from the first stupor of his shocked feelings. He -rose to his feet and assumed a stoical calmness. - -'I am a physician,' said the new-comer, breathing somewhat heavily, by -reason of the pace at which the slave had hurried him thither. Martialis -made a gesture toward the dead man and sank his chin on his breast. It -needed no more than a moment for the practised eye of the mediciner to see -that life had been suddenly and utterly snatched away. - -'I can do nothing,' said he, letting the hand of Apicius fall. 'Out of -which cup did he drink?' - -Following a slight motion of the young man's head, he went and picked up -the jewelled goblet, which remained on its side, near the edge of the -table, where Apicius had thrown it. He put his nose to it and sniffed the -dregs. There was no odour but that of wine, yet the man of science -shrugged his shoulders significantly. - -'There still remains in the cup enough for the death of two or three, most -noble sir,' said he. - -'I might do worse than try to prove your words,' remarked Martialis -bitterly. - -'The gods forbid! Aesculapius himself could not save you if you did!' - -'To whom and to what place am I to send if I should want you again?' - -'I should be ever grateful for your notice, noble Martialis. I am -Charicles, and may be found without difficulty in the Vicus Tuscus.' - -Martialis nodded, and Charicles, with much humility and expression of -sympathy, withdrew. - -''Twas for himself then,' he muttered, as he passed quickly through the -deserted hall. 'O precious drug, swift and sure as light, when did you -ever fail or disgrace me!' - -The eye of Martialis fell on the casket which Apicius had bequeathed him. -He stood regarding it for a few moments, and then turned to a slave who -remained, and said, with renewed vigour of faculties, 'Let the kinsfolk of -Apicius be brought hither at once, if not already sent for--Plautia, his -sister, Sabellus, his uncle; and go you, yourself, bring with you back, in -all haste, Festus the lawyer, from nigh the forum of Caesar--haste!' - -The slave disappeared and left him once more alone. He stood and gazed on -the face of the dead, and his grief broke beyond his control. Half- -smothered sobs broke from his lips, and his eyes were blind with hot -pouring tears. - -'Oh Apicius,' he groaned, 'if thou wert weary of the world, hadst thou so -little regard for our love and companionship? This is thy retreat from men -so easily found! Easy indeed--thou didst not err. All may reach it when -they list, gods be praised! For in whose ear can I whisper, as I whispered -in thine, all that oppressed me? Gone--gone, Apicius! Thou hast forsaken -thy friend--selfish--selfish! Did you deem the void would be filled by -another of your blood? Oh, miserable thought!' - -He lay stretched on a couch murmuring in broken sentences, but, as the -leaden minutes lagged on, he became more composed. The sound of a voice -without made him leap to his feet. The next instant the heavy curtains -were thrust back, and a young, richly-attired female stepped into the -apartment. Despite the crushing blow the heart of Martialis had received, -it gave a bound at the entrance of the new-comer. Her stature was above -the feminine standard, and her figure large and voluptuous, but perfect in -symmetry and grace. Whilst giving the impression of robustness and vigour, -its stately carriage admirably matched the brilliant and haughty beauty of -her face. The gaze of Martialis was riveted on her. Scarcely deigning to -return the look, she swept up to the suicide and bent over him. Drawing -herself up again she cast her glance over the room,--the disordered table -with its litter of plate and luscious fruits, fallen cups and crumpled -napkins, all glittering in a jumble of confusion under the light of the -huge candelabra. Thence her brilliant black eyes flashed upon him who -stood by, with infatuation and misery written on his face. - -'Speak, Martialis, what led him to do this?' - -'I know no more, Plautia, but what he said before us all here but now,' -answered the young man, sweeping his hand toward the table; 'he was tired -of life--he had spent his patrimony--poverty haunted him--so he drank and -died, ere one could move or speak.' - -'Poverty!' echoed she. She looked round again upon the extravagance which -glowed in every part of the room, and her red lips curled in scornful -incredulity. - -'Even so,' he rejoined. - -The farewell and eccentric gifts of the dead host to his guests were yet -remaining on the table where they had been put. Her eyes rested on them in -curiosity. - -'What are these?' she demanded again. - -Martialis explained their presence, and, being particularly interested, -she was not satisfied until she had learnt to whom each article had been -appropriated. - -'And that he gave to you?' said she, pointing to the bronze casket. - -'He did,' replied Martialis. - -'Know you what it contains?' - -'I can only guess.' - -'Well?' - -'With his last breath he bequeathed to me all that remains of his effects. -The box, doubtless, contains the documents relating thereto,' said the -young man, in a voice trembling with emotion. - -'Doubtless--you were his nearest friend and companion,' remarked the lady; -'of me, his sister, doubtless, he said nothing. What little there was in -common between us was not much tempered with love and good-humour.' - -'Alas, Plautia, take what there is! I want it not--I would give it a -hundred times over to gain one kind look from your eyes. He was your -brother--born of the same mother--to me he was more than a brother. There he -lies before us. Cannot his dead body, bereft of likes and dislikes, soften -your heart to me who loved him most?' - -'Martialis, you knew his intention before this night,' said she, -disregarding his pleading tone as she would the whining of a dog. - -'No, before Heaven--or maybe we had never seen this bitter night.' - -''Tis strange, and you two secretless friends, as I have heard you say.' - -'This, at least, was dark to me, as to every one else, until he drank from -yon fatal cup and fell back where he lies.' - -Plautia took up the cup from the table where Charicles had placed it, and, -with a natural curiosity, smelled at it, as he had done. - -'Take care!' ejaculated Martialis, as the golden rim seemed to graze her -ripe lips. 'There is yet sufficient left to harm more than one--so the -physician has said--beware lest a drop smear thy lip.' - -'Tush, Martialis!--I am not so tired of life,' she replied contemptuously, -setting down the goblet; 'who comes?' - -'Festus, the lawyer, or thy uncle, Sabellus.' - -'Festus?' - -He pointed to the box, and, at the same time, an old man entered, -wrinkled, grave, and thin. He made a profound obeisance, and then looked -inquiringly from one to the other. - -'Martialis summoned thee, he hath need of thee, Festus,' exclaimed Plautia -haughtily; and, passing to the door, she summoned the domestics. - -'It is true I sent for thee,' said Martialis briefly. - -'This is a woeful sight,' said the lawyer, as the slaves crowded in, and, -under the directions of the lady, lifted their dead master and bore him -away to his own room. 'It was only this very morn that I saw him and spoke -with him in the forum of Caesar, as well and content as ever he was, to -all seeming.' - -Martialis took the key of the casket and placed it in the lawyer's hand. - -'Open the box--it was the gift of Apicius to me, his friend.' - -Plautia took up her position on one of the couches, stretching her -magnificent form on the place and cushions which had before been occupied -by Sejanus the Prefect. The long, loose, flowing drapery of the Roman -female clung and moulded itself to the voluptuous curves of her figure. -Gems and trinkets of gold glittered amid the wreathed and plaited masses -of her bluish-black hair, and numberless jewels flashed upon the fingers -of her dainty white hands. Her features were slightly aquiline, but -perfect and delicate in outline, and her ivory-like skin was warm and -glowing with the tints of a ripe peach. With her bold, imperious, black -orbs she looked like a queen as she reclined, the most apt and brilliant -centrepiece of that apartment of gorgeous splendour. - -The grave, elderly Festus, as he opened the casket, cast at her a glance -filled with admiration. Martialis buried his face in his hands, as if -fearful of allowing his hungry eyes to rest upon her, except at intervals, -when the matter in hand called for some remark. - -When the lawyer opened the casket he found therein several papers. After -glancing at each in turn, he took one up and said, 'This is the will of M. -Gabius Apicius, bequeathing his property solely to Caius Julius Martialis, -knight, his friend.' - -'Read!' said that unhappy personage in a hollow tone. - -Festus obeyed. The task was brief and did not occupy many minutes. The -remaining papers were found to be informal inventories of effects. -Martialis bade him read them also. They were long; including, as they did, -everything of value in the house. Plautia signified her impatience long -before it was ended, and, during its progress, a slave entered to announce -that Sabellus of the Aventine was not to be found. - -When the wearisome monotone of the lawyer at length ceased, Martialis -raised his pale face from his hands. - -'Ah!' exclaimed the lawyer suddenly; 'here I find the value of the whole -computed. Deducting the debts due, and a few minor bequests, the balance -amounts to an estimate of ten thousand sestertia.'(3) - -Plautia started on her cushions at the statement. - -'What!' she demanded, contracting her fine black brows; 'ten thousand -sestertia, free?' - -'Absolutely, as the will expressly states,' replied Festus. 'The whole -total reaches a huger sum, but there are debts, as before mentioned. No -money is spoken of--these inventories must be realised.' - -'Was this the poverty he fled from? Why, it is a fortune--a heaven to the -greater part of mankind!' she exclaimed. - -'Ay, but not to the mind of Apicius,' interrupted the voice of Martialis; -'for remember--scarce a coined piece within his coffers. Everything gone -but what the walls of the house compass. Had Apicius lived it was -necessary to live as hitherto. To do that he must needs have despoiled his -home--the noblest in Rome--of its treasures. Rather than strike, to all, the -note of disgrace and ruin, he did as he did. It was pride, not fear--it is -too plain. But small or great as the remnant may seem to thee, Plautia, -thou art his nearest of kin--to thee, therefore, it belongs. I have no -claim but what the love of a friend has given me. I render it up--take it -therefore.' - -'A noble deed!' quoth Festus. - -The glance of Plautia softened a little, and she held out her jewelled, -white hand to the young man. With eyes aflame he seized it, and covered it -with kisses. - -'It is truly high-minded and generous of thee, Martialis,' she said. - -'Take it--I need it not!' he answered eagerly. - -'Foolish!' she rejoined, drawing her hand away and accompanying her words -with a mocking smile. 'Bid Festus teach thee to be wiser than rob -thyself.' - -'It is a question for his own heart to decide,' remarked the lawyer, -replacing the papers in the box. - -'Festus has done his part and I will keep him no longer--say no more!' said -Martialis. - -The lawyer rose at this hint, and at the same moment a voice came from the -doorway. Looking thither they beheld a tall cloaked figure standing in the -doorway, regarding them and their surroundings with keen eyes. - -Martialis started. 'Lucius!' he exclaimed. - -'Even so, brother,' returned the new-comer. - -It was indeed the Centurion, bearing the stains of hard travel on his -garments and a jaded air on his face. - -Plautia rose to her feet. Her cheeks were suffused with a sudden flood of -crimson, and her bosom stirred her tunic with deeper and more rapid -pulsations. A delicious tremor seemed to melt her natural stateliness of -carriage. Her eyes, so full of haughtiness and will, encountering the calm -gaze of the Pretorian, sank like a timid child's, shaded beneath a deep -sweeping fringe of eyelashes. - -A deadly sickness crept about the heart of Caius Martialis, for his -senses, preternaturally sharpened, saw all. - -'Do you seek me?' he demanded, scarcely able, or caring, to conceal the -bitterness of his tones. - -The Centurion dropped his cloak from his shoulder and stepped forward, -whilst, at the same time, Festus, the lawyer, glided from the room. - -The resemblance between the brothers was traceable in the mould of their -features. But, whilst those of the soldier were scarcely so finely carved -as were his elder brother's, they were considerably more manly and -decided. The expression of spirit and determination which was -characteristic of his bronzed face and fearless glance, were less -perceptible on the countenance of the civilian. The vigour and robustness -of the younger eminently fitted him to press forward in the battle and -strife of the world; whilst the characteristics of the elder were of a -more delicate organisation, which seeks the calmer atmosphere and placid -occupations of retirement and study. The personal appearance of the -Centurion, which has already been alluded to, spoke for his habits. His -commanding stature, rude health and strength and perfection of physical -training were all at the service of the readiness and resource of mind -which seemed to lie charactered in the glances of his eyes. On the other -hand, the person of Caius was medium-sized, and the signs of habitual -ease, indulgence, luxury and pleasure, were only too plainly stamped on -his face, to the deep injury of its native nobleness and delicacy. - -'Do you seek me?' said the latter. - -'No--I seek the Prefect. Not at the camp, I was directed to follow him -here. No porter in the lodge to tell me--no slave visible. I found a light -here--if I have intruded I am grieved, but you paid no attention to my -knock.' - -'Sejanus has left some time ago--a long time.' - -'Whither, then, Caius, do you know?' - -'No--nor care--faith not I!' was the careless and somewhat uncourteous -answer. - -'You have travelled far?' broke in Plautia's voice; deeper, softer, and -more melodious than hitherto. - -'I have, Plautia, and I trust the Prefect will not lead me much farther.' - -'Whence have you come? You are fatigued--I see it in your face. You must, -then, have ridden a prodigious distance; for your fame, as a horseman, has -reached even me. You are a very centaur, so rumour tells me.' - -'Rumour tells many idle and foolish things, but, as I have posted fifty -leagues without stopping, save to change horses, since my last brief -resting-place, I may claim to feel somewhat weary. I am thirsty too--with -your leave, I will drink a cup of wine with infinite relish.' - -He turned toward the sideboard where the wine-flagons stood; but, ere he -could take a second step, she glided past him, and selecting one of the -vessels, raised it with her own hands. Caius looked on and gnawed his lip. - -'I will be my own cupbearer,' cried the Centurion; 'you do me too much -honour, lady.' - -As he relieved her of the pitcher, he would have been scarcely human not -to have dwelt with admiration on her brilliant beauty, which was unusually -flushed and animated. She parted with the jar, and, at the same time, -flashed a glowing glance upon him with her lustrous eyes. - -He turned round from those dangerous orbs to fill with the wine the -nearest cup which stood on the table. The eyes of his brother Caius -suddenly gleamed with a hard, steel-like glint, and his face turned, -simultaneously, deathly white. Lucius half turned as he raised to drink -from the cup he had filled. The bumper had barely reached his lips when a -scream burst from the throat of Plautia. With the cry she sprang forward -and dashed the vessel from his hand on to the polished floor. The wine -splashed them both and the goblet fell with such violence as to be dented. -It was that one which had already played such a fatal part that night. - -Transfixed with astonishment the Centurion gazed upon the beautiful girl, -whose face crimsoned and paled, and whose bosom heaved and fell -tumultuously. - -'It was the cup--the poisoned cup!' ejaculated she. - -'The poisoned cup!' cried he, looking with increased surprise from one to -the other. - -A terrible revulsion of feeling swept through, and shook, the frame of the -elder Martialis. At the look of his brother he gave a hysterical gasp and -dropped his head into his hands. - -Plautia pointed to the fallen goblet with an impressive gesture, and said, -'It has already taken the life of one man this night. Had you drunk -therefrom you would have shared his fate. That cup yet reeks of the fatal -drug. Though I saw you not fill it, fortune be praised that my poor eyes -perceived it ere your lips touched its horrid brim.' - -'How, the death of a man?' repeated the bewildered Centurion. - -'Even so! From that very cup at the close of this night's feast,' said -she, waving her hand over the glittering disorder of the table, 'Apicius, -of his own will, drank a poisoned draught.' - -The young soldier was horror-struck. He looked around and shuddered. - -'Apicius--poisoned himself!' he muttered. 'This is a dreadful tale--and for -what reason, in the name of the gods?' - -'Your brother can tell you better than I--he was his bosom friend, and, -moreover, was present,' answered Plautia, turning away, as if to hide a -sudden burst of feeling. - -'Nay!' said Lucius hastily, and with deep sympathy, 'I will trouble you no -more with my presence. I will learn, in sad time enough, the terrible -tale--I would spare you the pain of a fresh recital. Alas, I dreamt not -what had happened, and yet I remarked it strange that Apicius was not -here. You will pardon me, Plautia. 'Tis a sudden and bitter -blow--farewell!' - -He gathered up his cloak, and, as he turned to the door, he spurned the -goblet with his foot, muttering some expressions of abhorrence and -disgust. - -'Stay, Centurion,' said Plautia, 'go not without quenching your thirst. If -I was lucky enough to rob you of your first draught, here is wine enough, -and of the purest.' - -While she spoke, she quickly filled another drinking vessel with wine and -water. - -'See,' she said, coming forward with it, 'I will be answerable for it. -Drink without fear--I will be your taster.' - -She accordingly drank two or three mouthfuls and offered him the ample -remainder. He drank as briefly as herself and merely out of courtesy. - -'You said you were thirsty.' - -'I _was_. It seems to have left me.' - -'Had you drunk before, you would have been, now, far beyond all thirst on -earth.' - -'I am indebted to your keen eye and prompt arm for my life, therefore. I -trust chance may enable me, some day, to repay the debt.' - -'Tush, Centurion, you are jesting. You, the Pretorian Achilles, -acknowledging to the hand of a weak girl!' - -The young man bowed coldly, for the style of the speech was not very -agreeable to his mind. - -'Farewell, Plautia. I trust you may speedily find comfort in your -affliction. Do you come, brother? My way lies with yours for a space.' - -Caius shook his head. - -'Nay!' said Plautia, 'he must remain, where my brother hath left him, in -charge. But I will beg your escort, Centurion, as far as you will give it, -through the streets; for I came hither in haste, with scarce a follower.' - -'That shall be my task, Plautia. It belongs to me rather than to him,' -interposed Caius, starting up fiercely. - -'To whomsoever I choose to give it,' said the lady, with an accent of -supreme haughtiness. - -'It must be as Caius says, nevertheless,' observed the Centurion quickly. -'I have that about me which must be delivered without further delay, and I -have dallied too long already. Forgive me the discourtesy, lady, for my -duty must take me back to the camp, in such direction and haste as would -prove inconvenient to you. It is unavoidable, and I must risk your -displeasure in deference to my business. Farewell!' - -Bowing toward her, the Pretorian abruptly left the apartment and the -house. Plautia bit her lip and clenched her hand; and, when the voice of -Caius uttered some remark, she turned suddenly and fiercely upon him. She -shot a basilisk glance upon him and pointed, without a word, to the -jewelled cup on the floor. His cheek paled and his eyes wavered, and -finally fell before the incisive eloquence of her look and gesture. - -He essayed to speak and move toward her, but an imperious wave of her hand -rooted him to his place in confusion. The next instant she was gone, and -he was left, once more alone, to wrestle with the tortures of remorse, -jealousy, and despair, which writhed together on the cold background of -his grief. - -His brother, on quitting the gloomy house of Apicius, turned his tireless -steps toward the permanent fortified camp, or barracks, which had been -formed by the present emperor to accommodate the household troops, on the -north-east edge of the city, beyond the slope of the Viminal and Esquiline -and the wall of Servius. His road lay tolerably straight across the city, -under the Carinae, partly through the Subura, and finally along the Vicus -Patricius, which followed the valley between the Esquiline and Viminal -hills. Then, directly in front of him, rose the ramparts and walls which -harboured about ten thousand horse and foot. - -The origin of these celebrated troops is said to rest with Scipio -Africanus, who, in the first instance, formed a company of picked men to -guard his person. This cohort was exempted from all other duty and was -granted larger pay. Their number was increased from time to time, until -the Emperor Augustus established them in cohorts of a thousand men each, -horse and foot, to protect his power and person. They were chosen only -from Italy and the old colonies, and we have already hinted at their -superior privileges, pay, and equipment. Careful to avoid any appearance -of despotism, Augustus retained only a small portion of them in Rome, and -scattered the rest among the neighbouring towns. It remained for the fears -or craft of the Emperor, his successor, from whom our young Centurion now -bore a despatch in his breast, to assemble them all into one body within -their strong, fortified camp in Rome, thus fairly starting them on their -future path, in which they rivalled the janissaries of the eastern -emperors in making and unmaking the rulers of the empire. - -Of these troops Sejanus was the commander, and entering the camp, the -Centurion proceeded to his quarters to find, to his satisfaction, that his -search was at an end. - -Sejanus was sitting thoughtfully in a chair, with his brows contracted and -deep lines furrowing his forehead. - -'Ah, Martialis!' he cried eagerly, as his eyes rested on the form of his -officer; 'I heard you had returned.' - -'I followed you, Prefect, to the Palatine,' replied Lucius. - -'To the Palatine! Ah, then you must know what has happened there. It will -be all over Rome to-morrow. You have a despatch?' - -He held out his hand, and the Centurion placed a sealed letter therein. - -Turning his back on the messenger, the Prefect tore open the cover and -read the contents by the soft light of a silver lamp, which barely -illuminated the luxurious apartment. Pleasure and delight straightway -broke over his face like the first light of dawn shooting athwart the dark -earth. He perused the epistle twice, and smoothed his countenance ere he -turned to the waiting Centurion. - -'You have been an expeditious courier, as usual, my Lucius,' he said, in a -brisk, elated tone. 'When did you leave Capreae?' - -Martialis related the time and particulars of his journey. - -'Thou art made of iron, I verily believe,' returned the Prefect smilingly; -'after such fatigue I am loth to use thee again. I work thee too hard; but -there is another service imminent, and I would have none perform it but -whom I could trust.' - -'I am ready. What fatigue I feel will pass with a night's rest,' answered -his officer. - -'What should I do without thee? It is the willing horse gets ever the most -work; but this matter is particular.' - -Then before he told his officer the nature of the service required, he -proceeded to put to him a number of questions in relation to his -experiences during his mission. When he had exhausted his ingenuity -concerning everything he could think of, pertaining to matters in the -imperial household, he relapsed into silent reflection for a few minutes, -during which he paced up and down the room. - -'Centurion!' he said, at length, 'Drusus leaves Capreae and comes to Rome -shortly. To-morrow, after nightfall, take a troop of twenty men and ride -to Ostia. Drusus will arrive there in a galley. You must stop it and -arrest him. Bring him to Rome, under guard, at night, and place him in -charge of the keeper of the palace on the Palatine. All will be in -readiness to receive him. Be careful and secret. Leave and enter the city -by night; and, when you have completed your mission, hasten to report the -same to me without delay. Now to bed!' - -Martialis was not loth to obey, and, seeking his room, was in a few -minutes sleeping the profound slumber of tired limbs, an easy conscience, -and bright hopes. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - -From the house of Apicius and the spectacle of his sudden and awful end -Sejanus had first gone to the modest abode of Domitius Afer. There they -remained closeted by themselves, engaged in earnest conversation, until -shortly before the meeting of the Prefect and his officer, as described. - -Previous to this Afer had quietly sent off a message to Cestus by the -Greek Erotion. That astute youth threaded the inmost haunts and foul -intricacies of the Subura with sure confidence, and succeeded in -discovering the object of his search, deluged with wine, and revelling in -the heat of a brutal orgy, amid ruffians and women of the lowest type. -Assailed by the obscene chorus of this satanic crew, the Greek, with the -readiness and aptness of his race, exchanged witticisms with a fluency and -smartness which equalled, if not exceeded, their own. Seizing an -opportunity, he whispered into the ear of the intoxicated Cestus the -instruction to meet his master in the gardens of Maecenas, on the -following morning, at a particular spot, at a particular hour. The fellow, -with a leer, nodded and agreed, and the young slave departed to report the -result of his errand. - -The gardens of Maecenas were on the north-eastern side of the Esquiline, -nor must the term gardens be accepted in the modern sense; for, to suppose -that they were ornamental grounds, and duly kept in order by a staff of -servants, would be misleading. They seemed to be, and there were many such -in Rome, open places for the common recreation and airings of the -populace. These, to which Afer repaired to keep his appointment with -Cestus, had been formed by the celebrated patron of literature and art, -upon ground which, hitherto, had held bad repute, as the burial-place of -the lowest orders of the people. It seems, even, to have been no uncommon -matter for the bodies to be thrown down and left without any covering of -earth whatever. To clear this charnel ground, and change it from a horrid -repository of mouldering bones and putrefying flesh into a pleasant lounge -for the people, was one of the generous works of Maecenas. It lay outside, -and adjoining, the ring wall of Servius, and we may conclude the place was -not altogether denuded of its sepulchral memories, since it was here that -Canidia, the witch of Horace, came to perform her incantations, and invoke -the shades of the dead amongst the tombs. - -Though this particular part without the wall had the most need of -purifying measures, and bore the most infamous memories, it did not form -the whole extent of the gardens. They extended within the wall, for a -certain distance along the hill, toward the city. Near this extremity was -situated the noble mansion of Maecenas himself, commanding a fine prospect -of the city from its windows. - -Past this dwelling, and at every step treading on ground so often pressed -by the famous Roman poet and his patron, Afer took his way to await the -arrival of Cestus. He passed through the Esquiline Gate of the huge -rampart of Servius, and entered the outer portion of the gardens. It was -the busy time of labour, and the morning itself was somewhat raw and -chilly, so that very few individuals were to be seen scattered here and -there over the open park. The few who did loiter about were of the class -that honest labour could well spare. - -In the portion of this large tract which had been devoted to the burial of -the dead, were still many tombs scattered up and down. They were grass- -grown, neglected, weather-beaten, and still more defaced by the climbings, -scramblings, and mischievous peltings of children and youths. Among them -was one of larger size and more pretentious appearance than any other. It -was circular in shape, and constructed of massive masonry, which defied -all attempts at destruction. It bore no inscription, and was conspicuous -for nothing but its superior bulk. There was a tradition among the people -of the neighbourhood, that it marked the spot where an erring scion of a -noble house had sunk so low as to meet death and burial as a common -malefactor, in days past when the place was reserved for the wretched fate -of the dregs of pauperism and crime. Though disowned by his outraged -family during his depraved life, the death of the reprobate aroused the -inextinguishable feelings of kinship. Family pride could not leave even -this dishonoured member without some mark of attention due to his birth, -if to nothing else; but no chisel was suffered to raise a letter or figure -on the tomb which arose. Darkness and oblivion were the fittest shrouds of -disgrace, and the muteness of the masonry lent a mysterious affirmation of -the legend to the minds of posterity. - -It was to this prominent object the knight bent his way across the park- -like gardens in the raw morning air. With many backward glances in search -of the yet invisible Cestus, he finally reached the mysterious, moss-grown -pile of stones, and after pacing up and down the grass for some time, with -fitful and angry mutterings on the laggard's account, he began to think of -returning. Stray passengers came and went, with a solitary, melancholy -air, across the bleak, empty track, but still no form answering to the -powerful frame of the Suburan made its appearance. - -'The drunken fool has either not slept off his debauch or else not ended -it,' said Afer angrily to himself, turning his eyes for the twentieth time -toward the Esquiline Gate. 'A fine thing if I am to wait in the damp grass -for a vagabond; I'll go back: maybe I shall meet him on the way.' - -The expectation was realised. He had only gone a very short distance when -his eyes were gladdened by the expected figure of the Suburan, who came up -breathing hurriedly. Afer surveyed his bloodshot eyes and disordered -dress, his uncombed locks, and general hang-dog, not to say ferocious, -aspect, with which a night of revelry, succeeded by very brief slumbers, -had endowed him. - -'Good-morrow!' said the knight, in reply to salutations and apologies. 'I -perceive you have succeeded in appeasing your ravenous appetite, my -Cestus--I see it in your face. You have also drunk wine to aid digestion, -which has probably interfered with your sleep.' - -'It is the danger of the ravenous stomach that it overloads itself when it -gets the opportunity,' replied Cestus, with a grin and a hiccough. - -'You are drunk yet, my good fellow!' proceeded the knight calmly. - -'Nay, patron, I am sober enough to walk steadily and keep a secret. -Besides, I found that the aediles, or the gods, have caused the fountain -of Orpheus to play again this morning; so that, when I passed it just now, -I dipped my head into his clear basin, which makes me as fresh as a young -girl meeting sunrise.' - -'You have that appearance. Did you accept the renewed flow of the fountain -this morning as a favourable omen, reversing that of yesterday?' - -'I never thought of it in one way or another, patron. I was in too great -haste and concern lest I should keep your worship waiting.' - -'You are very considerate! Taking the circumstances of your case into -account, I am of the opinion that you have carried out this appointment -with remarkable credit. Do you know why I have brought you here?' - -'Something which needs only two pairs of ears,' said Cestus, with a swift -glance around at the deserted fields. - -'Shrewd as ever, Cestus! I mean to unfold a plan by which we may both make -our fortunes. Am I to rely on your perfect faith, secrecy, and promptness -as before?' - -'Patron, you are the cleverest man in Rome, and I would not quit you to -serve the greatest. Whenever you call upon me to help you I come -instanter, knowing that the business will be something clever and -instructive. The pleasure of serving you, therefore, has as much weight -with me as the pay--it has indeed.' - -'The fluency and readiness of your language will never leave you; it is -the admirable fruit of your residence with a poet. It has already been of -immense service to you; but for the present it will be sufficient for you -to be brief and to the point. I wish to know if you are prepared to carry -out my wishes, even though they may incur some desperate action, which, if -discovered, would end most certainly in the executioner's axe?' - -'I should like to hear more particulars, patron--I would be pleased to do -anything with a fair show of safety; but, at the same time, I have no -desire to be a bull-headed fool.' - -'I think, with ordinary precautions, there will be not much danger. The -streets of the city are, at night-time, as a rule, dark and secret enough -for a thrust or two, and an easy departure before the watch decides to -interfere.' - -'Oh, if that is all, I make no doubt but that we shall soon come to -terms,' said Cestus, with a sinister smile on his bristly lips. 'Is it -desired of me to meet by chance, or to escort some friend of my noble -patron home----?' - -'To Hades!' - -'Exactly,' rejoined the Suburan, grinning. - -'Concerning your reward, I shall require you to name a lump sum, and to -promise, thereafter, to trouble me no more.' - -'That means dismissing me from your worship's employ.' - -'I shall never lose sight of you, believe me,' said the knight, with a -cold smile. - -'I know your goodness has always been most anxious for my welfare,' -returned Cestus ironically. - -'What figure would you consider sufficient to reward you for the pangs of -conscience, and the risks incurred, by ending the life of a respectable -member of society?' - -'The pay would vary according to the possible amount of hue and cry raised -by those belonging to the deceased,' said Cestus cunningly. 'For an -ordinary citizen I would not demand so much as for a person of rank and -importance.' - -Afer smiled. - -'To what degree of boldness would five hundred sestertia inspire you?' he -asked calmly. - -'What!' almost yelled the ruffian. His eyes stared as if to start from his -head, and his breath came in gasps, as though he had been plunged into -ice-cold water. 'Five hu-- five hundred sestertia! Patron--why--for that you -might bid me tap a senator, a consul--Sejanus--Caesar himself.' - -'Enough!' replied Afer. 'I am glad you consider the terms liberal; I -myself am sure of it. You will not have the desperate office of harming -any one of those you have mentioned.' - -'So much the better! Patron, you are the easiest of masters.' - -'It is a bargain then--you will be prompt, faithful, and secret?' - -'Have I ever failed?' - -'I cannot remember that you have; it is to your interest, as to mine, to -remain so trustworthy. I have told you that before, and your common-sense -cannot but perceive it. Five hundred sestertia are not to be picked up -every day for the light labour of a few hours, together with the simple -task of keeping one's mouth shut concerning the matter. You are not such a -fool, I think, as to destroy a profitable business connection, Cestus.' - -'You speak truly indeed, noble Afer--have no fear therefore. I am ready to -receive your commands and instructions for the business.' - -'The first is this,' said the knight emphatically, 'that from the first -moment, until the affair is satisfactorily settled, you abstain from the -wine-pot.' - -'I will swear by the aqueducts, patron.' - -'Good! You will require, say, three stout fellows to help you. You will -select them and pay them a certain sum, and tell them no more than that -they are to help in a highway theft. You can, no doubt, find individuals -who are accustomed to such work.' - -'Leave that to me. But their pay, patron?' - -'It shall be exclusive of your own, and shall be discharged by me, my -careful Cestus. They need not cost much.' - -'Certainly not! I have a job in hand--I want them to help me, and I pay -them so much. I need not say another word, and they will not ask a -question.' - -'Exactly! You comprehend me perfectly. It is a positive pleasure to -arrange details with an intelligent person like yourself, Cestus.' - -'You are flattering, patron. Who is this individual who is so unfortunate -as to stand in your displeasure?' - -'I repeat it is a pleasure to do business with you, Cestus,' resumed Afer -calmly. 'Previous to the actual execution of your task, I shall require -you to act a little part. I shall require you, in fact, to clean and adorn -yourself in order to make a visit.' - -'Oh, oh!' murmured Cestus doubtfully. - -'You are to be a decoy duck of the very best plumage, for a short time. -You will make an excellent one. Your poetical training will stand in -excellent stead. Indeed, there is no telling, but what the part will give -a new turn to your genius. We shall be seeing you treading the stage some -day.' - -'You are pleased to jest, noble patron, instead of allowing me to reflect -whether this part of the business is within my power or not to carry out.' - -'I have no anxiety on that point, Cestus. Listen! You will have to improve -your outward appearance, in order to represent an honest mechanic in his -holiday clothes--that is, as nearly as possible. That done, you will have -to go as far as the Janiculum and ask an audience of a certain patrician -who dwells there. He had once a granddaughter who was lost when a child.' - -'Ah, now I smell a rat! You are going to outdo yourself,' cried Cestus -eagerly. - -'You understand, I perceive. You are merely to go to this gentleman with a -story, told in your best language and style, that you are a messenger from -a repentant man on his deathbed, who confesses that he formerly stole the -child. The dying man is most anxious for an interview with the gentleman -he has wronged, for the purpose of imploring his pardon and revealing the -whereabouts and position of the girl, who, he says, is yet living. When -you have succeeded in arousing the gentleman's interest and eagerness, as -you doubtless will, he will almost surely send you to me. I shall not be -in Rome, and shall be careful to let him know beforehand. He will, -therefore, recollect himself, and, as we may hope, decide to accompany you -to this dying man. All this must be timed to fall tolerably late at night, -which will also give the affair all the more appearance of genuineness. On -the way to that dying man my worthy uncle must be left by the roadside, -for ever oblivious of missing child and present grief.' - -'By Pluto!' cried the Suburan, smiting his thigh in delight and -admiration, 'the very thing I advised you only yesterday. I marvel you -have not done this before; but then your worship is so merciful. However, -better late than never, and it was bound to come at some time. Bacchus, -what a cunning plan! Fate cut you out for a great man, and a thousand -Fabricii could not stay you.' - -'No names--walls have ears!' said the knight sternly. - -'True,' replied Cestus. 'It was my delight which let it slip. _Euge_, -Cestus! Five hundred sestertia for simply helping an old man on the road -to the Elysian fields--why, patron, the pay is so princely, and the task so -light, that I feel somewhat ashamed of accepting the terms.' - -'You are perfectly at liberty to return whatever your conscience considers -to be superfluous,' remarked Afer. - -'Well, we will see how matters turn out,' answered Cestus, with a grin. -'No doubt when the sad news is brought to your wondering ears, you will be -in a dreadful state of mind, and will lay the bloodhounds on the track of -the villains all over the city?' - -'It may, very probably, be necessary to act in some such way,' responded -the knight, with a shadowy smile. 'Let me see,' he murmured, as he passed -his hand over his brow, and remained in deep thought for a few moments; -'come to-night, and we will arrange everything.' - -'To-night!' - -'And, Cestus, be secret; and beware of the wine-pot.' - -'Never fear; it is only when Cestus is idle that he amuses himself in that -way. Give him work, and work to some purpose, like this, and his head -remains clear as water--and when your honour lays the plan there is no more -to be added.' - -'Engage your comrades to-day. To-morrow I shall go to Tibur--the day after -to-morrow meet me at the Sublician Bridge at nightfall.' - -'But I shall see you to-night, as you said?' - -'Yes; and on the evening of the day after to-morrow I will be at the -Sublician Bridge. It will involve much riding, but I can be nigh you and -yet return to Tivoli before morning breaks.' - -Cestus held up his hands in affected admiration. - -'You are inspired, patron! But hold; how if the old man will not come -forth with me? What then comes of all this fine scheme?' - -'Nothing,' replied Afer calmly. 'We shall have to wait and devise again.' - -'I care not for this complicated notion. I prefer to have not so many -cooks to the broth. There is nothing so sure, and so easy, as a little -dust of a certain kind in his wine or meat.' - -The knight shook his head. - -'It is too effective, my Cestus, and too common. It would not fail to be -talked about. No; our rough footpads leave the least suspicion.' - -'Well, you are perhaps right; for when the watchmen find the old man in -the gutter next morning, it will be said that he met his end at the hands -of thieves, who gave him a knock a little too heavy--not the first since -this good city was built.' - -Afer nodded and said, - -'Come to-night, as I bade you.' - -'I will. Am I not to have the honour of following you toward the city?' - -'No,' replied the knight, turning away; 'I go to the camp. Be -discreet--this will make us or mar us.' - -Cestus bowed and loitered away leisurely in the direction of the Esquiline -Gate, whilst Afer walked quickly toward the Viminal Plain, on the border -of which lay the ramparts of the Pretorian camp. - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - -Whilst this conversation, which we have related, was passing between Afer -and his client, a small coasting vessel was ascending the river Tiber, -making slow headway against the current. In the little poop-house, along -with the captain of the craft, was standing Masthlion, an interested -observer of all that passed within view, as they wound up the famous -stream. - -To go back a little. We left the potter retiring to rest full of a -determination to proceed to Rome. He arose next morning with a mind -unchanged, and soon after dawn took his way to the cliffs. As he was about -to set his foot to descend the steps which led down to the Marina, the -head of an ascending individual showed up above the level. He was a short, -thick-set man, with a mahogany complexion, shaggy beard and moustache. -Each made an exclamation and then shook hands. - -'I was coming with no other reason than to seek tidings of you, Silo.' - -'Good!--here I am myself, Masthlion.' - -'I thought it about your time. Are you for the Tiber?' - -'Direct.' - -'When?' - -'At noon, or before. I don't want to lose this wind,' said the sailor, -casting his eye to the eastward. - -'I have business in Rome--give me a passage.' - -'In Rome! You? What has bitten you? Come, and welcome.' - -'I will come about noon then.' - -'An hour before, Masthlion; and if I want thee before that I will send.' - -The potter went home, and after gathering a few articles of clothing and -food together in a wallet, he quietly resumed work until the time came for -departure. During this period Neæra glided into the workshop. A new and -radiant expression beamed on her face and sparkled in her beautiful gray -eyes. The delicate colour of her cheek was deeper. An unconscious smile -seemed to play on her lips, as though responding to the springs of joy and -hope within. The loosely-girded tunic of coarse, poor fabric could not -hide the graceful curves of her lithe figure, which promised a splendid -maturity. Her household work had caused her to tuck up her sleeves, and -her revealed arms and wrists gleamed white and round. Her loveliness -seemed to the potter literally to bloom afresh as he glanced at her. - -'Father,' said she, 'you are going to Rome?' - -'I am, child, and Silo's felucca sails by noon at the latest,' he -answered, without raising his head. - -'You are going because of me, father?' she continued, drawing nearer. - -He did not answer. - -'It is I who am sending you to Rome, father?' - -'You have said it, child. But I shall, at the same time, satisfy a -lifelong desire to see the great city; and I may be able, likewise, to -pick up a hint or two from the Roman shops.' - -'As far as I am concerned, father, you need not give yourself the -trouble.' - -'Wherefore?' asked the potter, in doubt as to her meaning. - -'Because I can save you the journey.' - -Masthlion smiled. - -'You go to seek to know whether Lucius be a true man or false,' she -continued, with animation and a heightened colour; 'you may stay at home, -for I can tell you.' - -'And whence did you gain the knowledge I am truly in want of, child?' he -said. - -'Here!' she answered proudly, as she laid her hand over her heart. - -A smile of admiration, and yet compassionate, rested on her father's lips, -as he gazed into her kindling eyes, and watched the glowing hues spread -over her exquisite face. New graces, fresh nobility and dignity, unknown -before, seemed to blossom forth upon the maiden beneath his wondering -eyes. His acute brain comprehended the change; it was no longer the child, -but the woman. - -'The foolish heart is so often mistaken, Neæra,' he said, touched by her -simple faith; 'it would not be wise to trust entirely thereto.' - -But she only shook her head. - -'Facts are against you,' he continued; 'how many have acted from their -impulse and have lived to use their eyes and minds soberly afterwards? But -no,--no more of that! I had rather try and bale the bed of the sea dry than -attempt to cure a lovesick girl of her folly. Meanwhile, I shall go to -Rome, as I intended, and try to satisfy my own mind, after the fashion of -cold, heartless men.' - -'You expect to come back with bad news of Lucius, and thus forbid me to -think of him again.' - -'That I never said.' - -'No, but you think it. I warn you that you will be disappointed, and that -your journey will go for nothing.' - -As she said this, she wound her arms caressingly round his neck, and then -slipped from the room. - -Masthlion's eyes dulled, as though a reflected gleam had vanished, and, -heaving a sigh, he meditatively pursued his work. It was about an hour -before noon when a young urchin made his appearance with a message from -Silo, to hasten him on board, without delay. He went, accompanied by his -wife and Neæra; and as soon as he set foot on board the coaster, his -impatient friend cast off and hoisted sail. - -The fair wind blew, and Silo, the sturdy skipper, was thoroughly amiable. -A fair wind and a good cargo, homeward bound, would render even a nautical -Caliban gracious. - -Next morning they passed round the long mole, or breakwater, of the port -of Ostia, which lay at the mouth of the Tiber, and, thereon, Masthlion's -eyes noticed a tall soldierly figure, standing and evidently watching them -keenly. Beneath the closely wrapped cloak the surprised potter recognised -the proportions and carriage of his daughter's lover, and was even close -enough to make out, or fancy he did, the young man's features, beneath his -polished crested helmet. Assuring himself on this point, the potter shrank -farther within the cover of the poop-house, until all danger of -recognition had passed. - -Toward evening they arrived at their destination, which was the emporium -of Rome, situated under the shadow of the Aventine Mount. Thus the -Surrentine found himself, at once, in the midst of one of the busiest -localities of the imperial city. Wharves lined the river, and warehouses -extended along the banks. Here were the corn, the timber, the marble, the -stone, the thousand species of merchandise from the ends of the earth -landed and stored. And hither, to the markets, assembled the buyers and -sellers thereof. The air was full of the noise and bustle on shore and -ship. Waggons rumbled and clattered to and fro, and weather-beaten seamen -abounded. Through the maze Silo guided Masthlion, whose provincial senses -were oppressed and weighted by the unaccustomed roar and bustle into which -he had been suddenly plunged, and the shipmaster, with amused glances at -his wondering companion, hurried him along the river-side, nearly as far -as the Trigeminan Gate. Here, not far from the spot where stood the altar -of Evander, the oldest legendary monument of Rome, the sailor entered a -tavern. It was an old building, with the unmistakable evidences of a -substantial reputation; for it was well filled with customers, and was -alive with all the bustle of a flourishing business. To the hard-faced, -keen-eyed proprietor of this establishment, who greeted Silo with -familiarity, the shipmaster presented his friend, in need of comfortable -lodgings for a time, and having seen him comfortably bestowed, returned to -the business of his coaster and cargo. - -After Masthlion was satisfied with a good meal, a young lad, the son of -the landlord, was commissioned to guide him, on a stroll through the -adjacent parts of the city, as far as the decreasing light of day would -allow. On returning, he found his friend Silo released from his -engagements, and together they passed the evening. - -'Know you anything of the Pretorians?' asked Masthlion of the innkeeper, -ere he retired to his bed. - -'I know they are camped on the far side of the city, beyond the Viminal,' -replied the lusty-tongued publican, 'I know that Caesar brought them there -some years ago, and that Sejanus is their Prefect--who is, between -ourselves, you know, a greater man in Rome than Caesar himself. All this I -know, and what is left is, that they are a set of overpaid, underworked, -overdressed, conceited, stuck-up, strutting puppies. That's about as much -as I can tell you of them.' - -'Ah!' said Masthlion, somewhat disheartened by these bluff, energetic -words, which were delivered with a readiness and confidence, as if -expressing a generally received opinion; 'then have you in Rome a poet by -name Balbus?' - -'A poet named Balbus!' repeated the host, with a comical look; 'faith, but -poetry is a trade I never meddled with, and I am on the wrong side of the -Aventine, where sailors and traders swarm, and not poets. I doubt not, -worthy Masthlion, that poets abound in Rome, for Rome is a very large -place, I warrant you. But you must go and seek them elsewhere. What, -gentlemen! does any one know of a poet named Balbus in Rome?' cried he -abruptly, putting his head inside of a room tolerably well filled with -drinkers. - -A laugh arose at the question. 'North, south, east, or west?' cried one. - -'Scarce as gladiators,' shouted another; 'the times have starved them.' - -'Nothing can starve them--the poets, I mean,' answered a thin dry voice, -which seemed to quell the merriment for a space, 'they are as thick as -bees in the porticoes and baths of Agrippa. Your Balbus, not being there, -landlord, enter the bookshops and you will find as many more, reading -their own books, since nobody else will. You will find plenty of Balbi, be -assured, but no poets--Horace was the last----' - -Laughter drowned the remainder of his speech, and the landlord withdrew -his head into the passage, where Masthlion was awaiting. - -'Balbus the poet does not seem to be very well known,' he said to the -potter. 'But what do these rough swinkers know of these things any more -than myself? Nevertheless, he says true, and you might do worse than -inquire at the bookshops, the baths and porticoes, where the men of the -calamus and inkpot love to air the wit they have scraped together by -lamplight in their garrets at home.' - -The potter, thereupon, retired with an uneasy feeling of helplessness and -hopelessness filling his mind, at least as far as regarded Balbus. - -Next morning he sallied forth soon after dawn, determined to make the -utmost use of his time. He made an arrangement, by which he was again to -have the services of his young guide of the previous evening, feeling that -he would thus save himself much time and labour. In about three hours' -time he had walked a long distance. He had passed along the principal -streets in the centre of the city. He had gazed at the shops and -buildings. He had mounted the Palatine and Capitoline Hills; had viewed -many temples, porticoes and mansions, and from a lofty point had surveyed -the city, spread below, with delight and admiration. Then, deeming it time -to be about his business, he gave the order to proceed to the Pretorian -camp. - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - -In a luxuriously fitted room, Aelius Sejanus, the Prefect, was alone, -busily engaged with his thoughts and pen. - -He had inherited his father's command; but, unlike his father, his -absorbing lust of power scorned to be bounded by his office. His were the -persuasions, by which the Emperor had been led to gather the cohorts of -the Guards together into one united body. Scattered about in isolated -garrisons, his subtle, aspiring spirit saw a great power broken and -nerveless. Here he held them under his hand, while he showered largesses, -rewards, promotions, and fair words upon them liberally. Popularity with -these picked troops was the life and strength of his ambition. They were, -at once, the ground-work and leverage of his onward steps, if ever in need -of a bold stroke. - -Far around lay the streets and barracks of his great camp, swarming with -thousands, and, in the midst, this dark-thoughted, plotting mind was -silently hewing its path toward the goal of its hopes. On the table lay a -long sheet of paper, and on the paper a list of names was being -laboriously compiled. His brows were closely knit, and he paced the -apartment incessantly. As his reflections became matured he sat down to -write, and then, springing up again, he resumed the monotony of his walk. -Thus, at slow intervals, name after name was added to the list on the -paper; and, every now and then, he would stop at the end of his walk, and -peer through a chink of the curtain across the entrance to the ante- -chamber, where a Pretorian was on guard, in full panoply of helmet, -cuirass, and buckler. There was that in the person and manner of the -Prefect which had succeeded, at least to all outward appearance, in -winning over such a profound, suspicious mind even as that of Tiberius, -his master. Nature had endowed him with a very formidable combination of -qualities to be fired with a burning ambition. With a handsome and -imposing exterior, energy of mind, activity of body, a plausible tongue, -and insinuating manners, this man was dangerous enough. But when the cold -subtlety of his brain and the devouring fire of his heart were unhampered -by scruple or remorse he became terrible. No tiger more murderous when -stealth and craft had failed; for he hesitated not to strike at the life -of the man in his path through the honour of the wife. He could glide to -the crime of murder through the guilty excitement and pleasure of female -conquest and debauchery, and there he bottomed the depths of infamy and -horror. - -For what dread purpose was the steady lengthening of the list on the -table? What dark scheme was developing behind that white forehead? The -voice of the sentinel in the outer room broke upon his meditations, and he -hastily slipped to the table and thrust the paper into a drawer. He had -scarcely done so, when a voice in the ante-chamber called the name 'Titus -Afer!' - -'Enter, Afer!' replied Sejanus. 'I thought of you as breathing the pure -air of Tibur.' - -The knight accordingly entered the room. A large travelling-cloak -enveloped his form, and a Phrygian cap covered his head. 'I am now on my -way,' he answered; 'yesterday I was lazy, and remained at home. In the -Baths of Faustus yesterday was Sabinus.' - -'Ah!' said the Prefect. - -'He grows no wiser, but indeed more rash and calumnious respecting you. I -think it would be prudent to watch such a reckless fool; for even his -spite and virulence might do mischief amongst some people. He loudly -condemns you as being the bloodhound of the Germanici, and indeed is -equally bold and noisy in accusing you of usurping the place of Caesar, -and of misapplying your authority to your own ends. Such speeches have -been heard before, but there are those whose ears are only too ready and -willing to suck in such ravings.' - -'You are quite right, Afer; Sabinus has about reached the end of his -tether: he must be looked after,' said Sejanus, taking out his tablets and -making a memorandum. 'I am right glad he has, at last, given vent to his -ideas, so plainly in the presence of such an one as yourself, my friend. -So you stayed your journey to tell me this?--it was kind.' - -'Also to learn whether I can congratulate you on favourable news from -Capreae.' - -'Hush! not so loud, Afer!' replied the Prefect, raising his finger -warningly; 'it will be time enough to speak freely of a matter when -success is assured; then there is the better chance of possible failure -being buried in silence. I expect a courier any moment.' - -'Indeed!' - -'I have waited within doors until now for his arrival--what he will bring I -cannot tell.' - -'I could guess,' remarked Afer, with a courtly smile. - -'Humph!' quoth the Prefect, shrugging his shoulders and smiling also. - -At the same moment the sound of voices caught his ears, and he stepped to -the curtain and looked into the ante-chamber. The courier he was so -anxiously awaiting had just arrived, and the sentinel was advancing to -announce the same. - -'Ha!' exclaimed the Prefect, stepping into the ante-chamber, 'I expected -you before this--your despatches!' - -The courier unbuckled a stout leathern girdle which he wore underneath his -tunic, and took out of a pouch, attached thereto, a packet, which he -delivered into the eager hand of Sejanus. - -'Wait!' said the latter briefly; and without returning to his chamber, he -turned aside and broke the seals of the packet. With fingers trembling, -and a heart eaten with excitement, he ran his eyes over the imperial -missive. The next second his eyes flashed. With exultation written on -every line of his handsome face he went back into the presence of Afer. - -'Ah,--I knew it,--I was right!' remarked the latter, at the first glimpse of -the Prefect's glowing visage. 'I give thee joy of thy noble Livia; and I -congratulate myself that I am the first to do so.' - -Sejanus grasped his client's hand, and fairly laughed out in the -exuberance of his feelings. - -'Enough, my Titus! This letter hath proved thee a good prophet. The -daughter of Caesar is mine indeed, for Caesar himself declares it. Nay, -more--I go to Capreae in a few days to claim her. So prepare, my friend, -for thou must go along with me thither.' - -'Willingly, and gladly, if you will tell me when.' - -'Return within the week,' said the Prefect. He clapped his hands loudly, -and a slave appeared. - -'Bid the courier be ready to return to-morrow! Give him wine--and this!' he -said, taking a small purse of money from the table and throwing it at the -domestic's feet. - -The slave picked it up, and said, 'There is a man without demands to see -you, Prefect--a workman, by appearance.' - -'What is his business?' - -'He will not say--only that he has come from Surrentum to see you.' - -'Admit him then, and the sentinel as well.' - -The slave retired, and, in a few moments, the armed Pretorian made his -appearance, ushering in our potter, whom we left on his way to the camp. - -Sejanus gave him a hasty, but keen glance; and the potter, in his turn, -surveyed the famous and dreaded Prefect with a fearless but respectful -gaze. Bowing his square, sturdy frame, he waited to be addressed. - -'Who and what are you, and what do you want with me?' asked Sejanus, -skimming his glance furtively over the welcome letter which he had just -received. - -'My name is Masthlion, and I am a potter of Surrentum,' replied the other; -'and, as I venture to trouble you, noble sir, on a personal matter, -concerning one of your officers, perhaps it would be prudent if this -soldier did not hear it.' - -Sejanus looked up in surprise, and regarded his visitor more curiously. -With an amused look on his face, he nevertheless nodded to the sentinel, -who silently retired from the room. The deep-set, expressive eyes of -Masthlion then rested on Afer, who had picked up a book from the table, -and was idly unrolling it. - -'As your business is not of the State, perhaps my friend can remain?' said -the Prefect sarcastically. - -'No, Prefect, my business is not of the State,' replied the potter, 'but I -have come seeking information respecting one of your Centurions, and you -must judge whether it be right the noble knight hear it or not.' - -'Know then, potter of Surrentum, that I do not enter into nor suffer the -inquiries of any idle person with regard to my officers,' said Sejanus -sternly. - -'I will leave it to your generosity, when I tell you the circumstances -which have brought me to make the request.' - -'Let me hear!' - -'I am only a poor man, earning my bread with the labour of my hands, yet -the peace of my home, and the welfare of those belonging to me, are as -dear to me as to the noblest,' said Masthlion. 'I have a daughter, -Prefect; all the more precious to me because she has no sister or -brother----' - -'Ah, I perceive,' uttered Sejanus, with the shadow of a smile curling his -lips. 'Go on!' - -'Ay--it is easily guessed!' replied Masthlion, 'and it needs few words. -This Centurion of whom I speak, in passing through the town, saw my -daughter. Since that time he has come more than once to visit her at my -house. She has been called beautiful, Prefect, but she is not his equal. I -bade her tell him so, and forbid him. On that he demanded her in marriage; -but though she loves him, yet I will be satisfied that he is not one to -deal lightly or carelessly by her, or I will not consent.' - -'You have forgotten the name of the Centurion, which is indispensable,' -said the Prefect; 'and yet I can only guess one.' - -'His name is Martialis.' - -'Even so! The Centurion may well not object to as many journeys as I can -give him, and also prefer the land route to the sea--here is the -explanation.' - -Sejanus burst into a laugh, whilst Afer, who was seemingly immersed in his -book, stroked his chin. - -'Potter, you are right,' continued the Prefect. 'Men and women, to be -prudent, should not marry out of their station. Your daughter must be a -paragon of loveliness, or cleverness, or goodness, to have ensnared my -Centurion.' - -'She is such as she is, Prefect, and ensnares no one,' returned Masthlion, -with a frown of his shaggy eyebrows. - -'Whichever way it be, if they have fallen in love with each other you may -as well leave them to it, for you will be hard put to rule them,' laughed -the commander. 'When a woman is truly in love she parts with what little -forethought she had, and leaves her senses to find themselves in cooler -days. As for Martialis, I can only tell thee, potter, he is not the man to -change his mind lightly, or take away his hand when he has once set his -grip.' - -'I am sore beset,' said Masthlion sadly; 'in Surrentum I could know -nothing; here in Rome I thought I might learn something.' - -'The performance of the Centurion's duties is what concerns me; beyond -that lies not within my province,' replied Sejanus. - -'And yet it would be hard not to know something more,' sighed the potter. - -'To conclude, you may go back to Surrentum with an easy mind as far as I -know to the contrary,' said the Prefect, with signs of impatience. 'This -seems to be a piece of lovers' folly on the part of the Centurion. If he -is fool enough to marry your daughter, she may think herself lucky in her -elevation. Many a man in his position, of gentle blood, would have -proceeded differently. 'Tis pity none of his family remains to dissuade -him from grafting such a poor scion on to their ancient stem.' - -'I care nothing for that--I seek my daughter's happiness, not her -position,' replied the potter proudly. - -'Good! Then I know nothing more. Is the Centurion an acquaintance of -yours, Titus?' cried Sejanus, turning to the knight. - -'No, I have not the honour,' answered Afer. - -'Then, potter, you may take that as a strong assurance in his favour,' -added the Prefect satirically. - -'You are in the best of spirits,' remarked Afer, showing his white teeth. - -'Now, potter, you can go,' said Sejanus; 'you have all I can give -you--stay, how is your daughter named?' - -'Neæra!' replied Masthlion. - -'Then your girl Neæra will probably have her own way in the end in despite -of you. But deprive me not of my Centurion between ye, or you shall lose -my favour, I promise you. He is worth more to me than all the maids, -wives, widows, and hags in Campania, honest or not--wait!' - -He clapped his hands, and the same slave attended as before--a dark-skinned -Nubian. - -'Lygdus, is there not an old family friend of the Centurion Martialis, -whom he visits on the Aventine?' - -'Mamercus--near the temple of Diana,' replied the slave laconically. - -'Go thither, potter,--Mamercus will serve your turn better than I,' said -the Prefect, waving his hand and turning his back. - -Masthlion followed the Nubian out of the apartment with a brighter -countenance, and was quickly on his way to the Aventine. - -'Your Centurion has caught your own complaint,' said Afer to his patron -jestingly. - -'The gods confound it!' replied the Prefect, 'a wife will not improve his -Centurionship. The fool! to saddle himself with a wife now--a red-faced, -brawny-armed brat of a clay-moulder, most likely. As if there were no -other arrangement; I'll try my persuasion. And so for Capreae, my Titus!' - -'Whenever you are ready, Prefect.' - -'Be back within four days.' - -'No longer; and till then farewell--I leave you happy.' - -'Farewell! Remember our friends at Tibur!' - -'I will.' - -Afer bowed, and left the Pretorian commander to ruminate with delight on -his good fortune, and to indulge his mind with dreams, more intoxicating -and glowing than ever, on the strength of the success of his last, and, -perhaps, most important move. - -At the gate of the camp, a light two-wheeled vehicle for rapid travelling, -and drawn by a couple of handsome, speedy mules, was waiting for the -knight. The two slaves, who formed on this occasion the modest retinue of -the traveller, had been despatched on before. - -After proceeding about nine miles from Rome, the hired vehicle was -dismissed back to the city. A couple of hours before dusk Afer arrived, in -a second carriage, at the outskirts of the ancient town of Fidenae, which -stood on the steep banks of the Tiber, on the Salarian road, which led -nearly due north from Rome. He had thus completed two sides of a triangle, -and, as the first shades of evening began to gather, he began to traverse -the third side in a third conveyance. The road entered the Colline Gate in -the Agger of Servius; when he reached that point the dusk was thick enough -to prevent recognition. Here the knight descended and paid the driver his -fee; then he drew the hood of his cloak over his head, and bent his steps -towards the Sublician Bridge beneath the Aventine. In less than half an -hour's rapid walking he arrived at his destination. The bridge was the -oldest in Rome, and had been built by Ancus Martius, to connect the -fortifications on the Janiculum with the city. It bore a sacred character, -and was under especial care. Being constructed of wood, however, the -increased traffic and burthens of the growing city began to overweight it. -A stone bridge was then built close by, and the old one preserved as a -venerable and sacred relic. In the proximity of these Afer loitered. It -was now dark, and the feeble glimmering of two oil lamps, suspended in the -gloom, denoted to passengers the foot of the modern bridge; its ancient -fellow being buried in darkness. Across the river the lights of the -Transtibertine portion of the city glimmered, extending up towards the -slopes of the Janiculum Hill. Behind the knight the Aventine Mount arose -with its answering gleams. The day's toil was over, but the night was yet -young, and there was sufficient stir in the city to pervade the air with a -dim hum of life, broken by the tread and voices of passers-by, and the -rumble of some belated waggon. Stealing silently along the pitchy stream -glided the light of an occasional vessel, its hull shrouded and invisible. -No one but the importunate beggars, sturdy, halt, and blind, who haunted -the bridge and pestered the passengers, as yet kept the impatient knight -company. Suddenly the figure of a man strode under the feeble glimmer of -the lamps and bestowed a few hearty curses on the tribe of mendicants. -Afer went up to him and laid his hand on his shoulder. - -'Oh, oh!' said the new-comer in the voice of Cestus; 'it is you, patron!' - -'It is yet too early,' replied Afer. - -'There are yet a few arrangements to complete, which will take up a little -time,' replied the Suburan. - -'Come, then, let us about it at once; the old man retires early,' said the -knight, and they disappeared in the darkness toward the Aventine. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - -Pleasantly situated on the commanding height of the Janiculum was the -villa of Fabricius. More delightful in the enjoyment of its cool breezes -during the summer heats, yet in winter or summer, the old ex-senator was -seldom away from it for a whole day together. At times, however, he would -yield to a desire to make the journey to visit his estates; but this was -not often. His suburban villa, and not his birthplace, was the scene of -his happiest days of prosperous domesticity. But that was all changed. A -few select friends of old times he yet preserved and cherished. With -these, and the serene consolations of a well-stocked library, he passed -his uneventful days, in calm resignation, under the haunting sense of his -loneliness. As he sat and brooded in the seclusion of his silent house, he -conjured up the ghosts of former days; he listened to the well-remembered -voices--he stirred, and all was gone again. And then, what painful sighs -arose from his breast. Alas! how many such had those walls listened to! - -On this evening Fabricius sat in his winter room, before a fire which -burned brightly in a brazier on the ample hearth, for the October nights -were chilly. His elbow rested on a small table, whereon were lying books -and writing materials. But the old man's eyes were bent on the blazing -logs, and his mind was far away in the past. The soft light of the silver -lamp beside him flooded over his face, and revealed every line and -wrinkle, as sharply as the level rays of the setting sun display the seams -and furrows on a mountain's breast. The native expression of courage and -determination displayed by the high, bold curves of his features, was -relaxed and overborne by an air of melancholy, so deep, that it seemed -almost on the point of merging into actual tears had not the entrance of -an old grizzled slave roused him from his reverie. - -'What do you say, Natta?' he asked, not catching the domestic's -announcement. - -'There is a man awaiting in the porch, who wishes to see you.' - -'What kind of a man?' - -'A craftsman, I should say. He has something important to tell--so he -says,' replied the old porter, with apparent sarcasm. - -'Ay, ay, I know!' sighed Fabricius. 'No matter, bring him in.' - -The slave retired, and reappeared with Cestus, washed, clean-shaved, and -wearing coarse but clean garments, such as an artisan would reserve as his -holiday attire. It was full two hours since Afer had tapped him on the -shoulder at the bridge below. He entered with a deep obeisance and a well- -feigned nervousness and awkwardness. Natta, the slave, thought proper to -remain within the door, and keep a keen eye on the visitor. - -The ex-senator's scrutiny did not, perhaps, beget the utmost confidence, -to judge by the slight and almost imperceptible contraction of his -eyebrows. There was that, evidently, in the broad Teutonic cast of face -and small eyes of the burly Cestus which soap and water and a razor could -not remove. - -The habitual current of a man's mind cannot, it is true, alter his -features, but it charges them with an essence as readable as a printed -page. - -It was, therefore, the misfortune of the physiognomy of Cestus to leave no -favourable impression, for he had not as yet opened his lips. - -'You wish to see me,' said Fabricius. - -'The noble Fabricius!' answered Cestus, with deep humility--perhaps too -deep. - -'I am he; your business?' - -'So please you, noble sir, I am nothing but a poor labourer down at the -river below there, and I would never have the boldness to trouble your -worship, or to set my foot across the threshold of your palace, but that I -come not of my own accord, but to befriend a mate of mine who is dying.' -Cestus paused, and nervously fingered his belt. - -'Well!' said Fabricius, 'go on! You have not come on your own account, but -on that of a sick friend--what next?' - -'It concerns you also, and I was told to tell it to you alone,' replied -Cestus, with a glance at Natta. The shadow of a smile rested on the face -of Fabricius as he signed to the slave to retire. Natta, however, feigned -not to observe the motion, and did not move. - -'You may go, Natta,' said his master, and the old porter had no -alternative but to obey, which he did, with reluctant steps and sour -suspicious looks at the visitor. - -'Now speak,' said Fabricius; 'I think I could guess at the nature of your -message. Has it aught to do with a domestic matter of mine?' - -'So please,' replied Cestus, 'I will tell you exactly what I was told to -tell, for I know nothing more. Lupus--that is my friend--has been hurt to -death by a block of marble which slipped upon him whilst it was being -slung from the ship on to the quay. He sent for me to-night, and I did but -clean myself and come straight to your palace. He said, "I did a deed some -years ago which has lain heavy on my mind ever since--heavier even than -that cursed block from Luna which fell upon me yesterday. I am going fast; -there is no hope, and I must ease my mind. On the top of Janiculum there -dwells a nobleman named Fabricius. Seek him, and bring him hither back -with thee, that I may tell him what I did, for my mind torments me more -than my crushed body. He had a granddaughter, a little child--a little -goddess; I can tell him of that child--bid him come with haste! Fourteen -years ago I stole her from his door and sold her. She yet lives--a slave!"' - -In spite of himself; in spite of the numberless plausible tales and -previous disappointments, Fabricius felt his heart beat violently, and a -tremor seize his limbs. Cestus's small keen eyes noted the change of -colour on his cheek. - -'Fourteen years!' murmured Fabricius to himself; 'right almost to the very -month; how could he know that if--alas, my little darling--my little -Aurelia! shall I be fooled again?' - -'I pray you, Fabricius, be speedy, out of pity for my poor comrade,' urged -Cestus; 'he will soon be beyond reach. It was a sore sin against you, but -your nobleness will pardon a dying man. And besides, you will forgive me, -noble sir, for offering a suggestion of my own; if Lupus departs without -seeing you, you may thus lose all chance of ever getting your lost -grandchild again. Ah me, that one could do such a deed as rob a house of -its sunshine for the sake of a few paltry sestertia!' - -This was uttered in a sighing kind of _sotto voce_, and the old Senator, -racked with doubt and eagerness, with hope and the fear of oft-repeated -disappointment and disgust, passed his hand over his brow in poignant -doubtfulness. - -'Go to the Esquiline to my nephew--but no! I forgot; his Greek boy came -hither t'other day to say he was going to Tibur for a space. Phoebus aid -me! Where does this comrade of thine dwell?' - -'Not far away, so please you,' answered Cestus; 'on the other side of the -Aventine, nigh to the Ostian road.' - -'It is late,' muttered Fabricius. - -'It is,' observed the friend of Lupus, 'but Death is not particular as to -time. In fact he seems to prefer the night-time. If Lupus live past -midnight I shall wonder. Imagine, noble sir, a block of marble crushing -poor flesh and bone--ugh, 'tis terrible!' - -'You saw it?' - -'I did--worse luck.' - -'You are a labourer like him?' - -'I am--see!' - -The worthy labourer showed his hands. They had been specially rubbed and -engrained with dirt before washing. So cleverly were they prepared, that -they might have belonged to any hard-handed son of toil. - -'Did your comrade never tell you of this theft before?' - -'Never.' - -'And what does he deserve, think you, if he have done as he says?' said -Fabricius, speaking with agitation; 'taking away what to me was more -precious than life itself. What harm had I ever done him? To sell the -sweet child for a slave--oh!' - -''Twas a crime indeed, and no fate too hard for him,' observed Cestus. -'But haste, I beseech you! The poor devil is dying; have pity on him, and -serve yourself as well; for, as like as not, you may get your maid again. -'Tis all plain to me now. When I first knew Lupus, some twenty years ago, -he was as blithe a fellow as ever stepped; and then he began to change. -Ay, ay! It is plain enough to see now what weighed upon him.' - -'Humph; do you say so?' - -'That is easily vouched for by others than myself. Will you not come? or -must I go back and tell him----' - -'Faith, I am distraught. I know not----' - -''Tis scarcely likely he would die with a lie on his lips, noble sir.' - -'I will go with you,' said Fabricius, with a sudden determination. 'Go to -the porch and wait! Natta, haste! Bid Pannicus, Cyrrha, and Crotus take -their staves and go forth with me to the Aventine. Fetch me my cloak and -cap!' - -'What, now--to-night?' demanded the astonished slave, who ran in at his -master's call. - -'Yes, now, this minute--haste!' - -Now that his mind was made up the old man was burning with eagerness, and, -ere long, he and his slaves were ready to depart. - -In the meantime Cestus went to the porch and stood on the outer step. The -moon was rising behind some heavy cloud-banks, and her effulgence shone -dimly through the rifts. The great city lay stretched below, with its -gleams peeping through the hazy gloom. In the uncertain light a form crept -noiselessly up to the pillars of the porch, and whispered to the Suburan -standing there. - -'Well, is he coming?' - -'Yes--take care; he is here!' replied Cestus, and the figure glided back -into obscurity. - -Fabricius, followed by the three slaves bearing lanterns, came forth. - -'It is moonlight, Fabricius--the lanterns will be rather a hindrance than -otherwise,' observed Cestus. - -'It is moonlight truly, but not much as yet,' answered Fabricius; 'so -until it mends we will carry our own light with us. Lead on, good fellow, -with Pannicus, and we three will follow.' - -Cestus did as he was told, cursing the lanterns in his heart. Pannicus -walked by his side. Far enough behind to escape observation, the cloaked -form, which had spoken to Cestus, dogged their steps like a stealthy -tiger. They passed down the hill and through the Transtibertine district -to the river. After crossing the Sublician Bridge they proceeded to the -gate of the Servian rampart called Trigemina, and then ascended the -Aventine Mount by the Publician Road. - -In the earlier times of the city this hill had been regarded as ill- -omened. It had been occupied chiefly by plebeian families, but now was -becoming more fashionable, following, as already said, the inevitable rule -of the wealthy classes seizing upon the most elevated and pleasant -situations, as the city waxed great. At the head of the upward road -Fabricius and his party passed the temple of Juno Regina, which Camillus -had built after his conquest of Veii. The three lanterns of the slaves -were undesirable accompaniments, in the estimation of Cestus, so he -rapidly hit upon a plan which might lead to their extinguishment. Fortune -favoured him as they passed the temple of the famous conqueror. The moon -glanced out with her silver-bright disc from behind the sharp edge of a -black cloud, and bathed the columns of the temple, as well as every object -around, in a flood of splendour. The obnoxious lanterns, with their smoky, -yellow glare, were useless, and a contrast to the pure brightness around. -The moment was opportune. Pannicus the slave, walking on the left of -Cestus, carried his lantern hanging down at the full length of his right -arm. As the moonbeams fell to the earth, Cestus purposely slipped with his -left foot, and falling across his companion's path, dashed the lantern out -of his hand to the ground, where it instantly became dark. - -'My ankle seemed to turn on some cursed stone,' said Cestus, as he -gathered himself up, rubbing his elbows and knees. - -Fabricius inquired if he was hurt. - -'No, not much--nothing that I can feel yet, save a bit of a shake.' - -Pannicus took his lantern to his fellow-slaves to have it relit. - -'Never mind the lantern, man! Who wants candles with such a light as this -Diana gives us?' cried Cestus, with a parting rub at his dusty -clothes,--'come, we can see better without.' - -'I think so,' remarked Fabricius quietly, and the remaining two lanterns -were extinguished. - -The road began to descend again toward the valley. In some places it was -cut through the rock, more or less deeply, and at one particular spot it -passed through a grove of trees. The chiselled rock, which walled the -upper side of the road, was scarcely breast-high, and fringed to the very -edge with ancient trees, as though the process of cutting the path had -been limited by veneration for the spot and the bare requirements of the -work. This was a barrier on one hand which required considerable agility -to surmount. On the opposite side the face of the hill continued to slope -downward from the edge of the path into the dark depths of the grove, -which the moonlight was unable to penetrate. It was one of those silent, -secluded, mysterious spots, rich in tradition, which were fast -disappearing before the relentless march of the spreading city. - -A few paces within it stood a large square altar, dedicated to the deity -of the grove. Its sculptured figures were indistinct, and worn by -centuries of elementary strife. The hoary trees surrounded and spread -their branching arms far above it. The silvery rays of Diana slipped -through upon it, and it stood, barred with light and shadow, in its sylvan -loneliness--ghostly, mysterious, and, as one might fancy, meditating on the -memories of generations. - -It was to this spot the party led by Cestus now approached. The hour was -growing late according to the habits of people then. The road, never very -busy at any time, was deserted, and the dwellings had ceased before they -reached the sacred grove. - -They walked on until they arrived within eighty or ninety yards of the -ancient altar. Fabricius was busy balancing his hopes against the logic of -his experiences, and his slaves were, no doubt, cursing the whim of their -master, in bringing them out on such a nocturnal expedition. Suddenly -Cestus, who had beguiled the way by an intermittent conversation with his -companion Pannicus, picked up a stone, and flung it vigorously, as far as -he could, among the branches of the trees, in the direction of the altar, -which they were approaching. The pebble rattled among the twigs, and fell, -with a thud, on the turfy sod beneath. - -'What now, good fellow?' cried Fabricius from behind, 'has your day's -labour not given you sufficient exercise?' - -'Dost not see it?' said Cestus, pointing to the tops of the trees,--'an -owl! shu!' And he made a loud noise and flung another stone. - -'Hush, man--you will stir the goddess of the grove--leave the owls in -peace!' said Fabricius. - -Cestus accordingly desisted, having done as much as he required. In a few -strides they were opposite the altar. The Suburan stopped, and wheeled -round so suddenly, that the old Senator and his two slaves well-nigh ran -against him. - -'What now, man--what possesses you?' said Fabricius sharply. - -'One minute, so please you, to pray to the goddess for my poor comrade?' -asked Cestus. - -'Go, then!' replied Fabricius in a gentle tone, and the pretended workman -stepped aside to the altar, where he appeared to engage himself in -devotion. He prayed, as follows, in whispered tones: - -'Are you all there, and ready?' - -A murmur and a voice rose from the thick shadow of the stones, 'Ready, ay, -and sick of waiting--are they yonder?' - -'Three dogs of slaves who will run at a shout, and the old man himself. I -have come, on leave, for a minute to pray for a sick comrade to get better -who died five years ago. When we move on I shall whistle, and then come -you on our backs like four thunderbolts.' - -Having said this Cestus turned to go back, when a sibilant 'sh!' detained -him. - -'Wait, Cestus, I think I hear horses' feet, and the game will be -spoiled--hark!' - -But Cestus was either not so keen of hearing, or else was too impatient to -make a speedy end of the business, so that, after listening for a brief -second or two, he snarled in reply, 'What horses, you fool; there are no -horses out this time of the night, on this road--just as likely the goddess -herself--be ready for the whistle!' - -With that he rejoined the party, who were resting unconscious of such a -dangerous trap. They had scarcely taken half a dozen steps onward, when -Cestus gave his signal, shrill and sudden. Four forms leaped like tigers -from the shadow of the altar and fell on the affrighted slaves. Cestus -himself bounded on Fabricius. At the same time the figure, which had -dogged their steps from the Janiculum, leaped down from the rock-wall of -the road and stood apart to watch. Two of the slaves had fallen in the -sudden onslaught, but the third had managed to escape at the top of his -speed. Fabricius, who, in despite of his age, retained yet a large use of -his keen senses and bodily activity, had taken sufficient warning to raise -his staff, and meet the charge of Cestus with a vigorous blow. The ruffian -staggered, and the moonbeams flashed upon the polished blade of a weapon, -which was dashed from his hand by the lucky stroke. - -'Wretch!' the old man shouted, when a blow from behind felled him -senseless. Cestus, furious with rage and pain, belched forth a frightful -imprecation. His right arm was benumbed or broken, and he stooped for his -knife with his other hand. - -Not far away was a sharp turn in the road. The tramp of horses and the -jingle of accoutrements smote on their ears. - -'Bungling fool!' hissed the mysterious figure, springing forward to -complete the work in which, so far, the Suburan had been foiled. But he -was met, and rudely thrust back by the powerful arm of the confederate who -had knocked the Senator down from behind. - -'Take your time, my lad,' bellowed that individual hoarsely, 'he's more -mine than yours.' - -The slash of a poniard was the answer, and they closed in a struggle, when -the others suddenly raised a cry of '_Cave!_' and fled in all directions -into the recesses of the wood. A body of horsemen had rounded the bend in -the road and was almost upon them. They were in military attire, and the -moon glittered on their polished helmets and the trappings of the horses. -The foremost trooper immediately sprang to the ground and rushed forward, -followed by two or three more. The struggling men parted and darted into -the grove after their companions, whilst the foremost of the new-comers, -singling out Cestus, followed him at the top of his speed. He was in a few -moments hard upon the heels of the Suburan, who strained every nerve in -fear of his pursuer, who possessed a far fleeter foot than himself. -Fortune favoured him just at the critical moment, when, in terror, he -seemed to feel a hand upon his collar. The outgrowing, straggling roots of -a tree tripped the foot of the trooper, and he flew, with a dire crash, to -the ground. The fall was so violent that he lay for a few seconds stunned. -When he picked himself up, the whole of the flying vagabonds had -disappeared among the gloomy boles, like water through a sieve, leaving -neither trace nor sound behind. He shook himself with a laugh, and -gathering up his brazen helmet, walked back to the road. Some others of -the troop were here dismounted, using their best efforts to revive the -unconscious Fabricius. Flasks were produced; wine and water were poured -into his mouth and rubbed on his temples. The two inanimate slaves were -laid side by side until a helmet full of water could be brought from a -neighbouring fountain to be dashed upon them. - -The soldier we have particularised knelt down beside the prostrate -Fabricius. 'Is he badly hurt?' he asked. - -'It is hard to say, Centurion; but, dead or not, it is a man of the -Senate,' replied the comrade, who was bathing the old man's forehead. - -'Humph!' said the Centurion, 'is, or was, rather--he wears only the narrow -band. However, he is worth the trouble of a few minutes. Do your best. Do -you object to wait for a brief time, Drusus?' - -This question was addressed to one who sat motionless on his horse close -by. Leading reins were attached to his charger's bridle and held by a -mounted soldier on each side. - -'No!' replied this person, 'I hold this delay as kind and fortunate, for -the pleasant moonlight and the sweet air of heaven will soon know me no -more.' - -Fabricius soon showed symptoms of life, and then his recovery was rapid. -He sat up and glanced around. 'Where am I? What is all this? Ah, I know,' -he ejaculated. 'I remember!--but you?' - -'Why, simply in this way,' responded the officer; 'we saw you on the -ground, and a couple of night-hawks squabbling over you. A few moments -later, and probably you would never have spoken again on earth.' - -'Most surely--robbed of what little money I have about me, and deprived of -my life as well. I have been decoyed into a trap,' said Fabricius, rising -to his feet, with the help of the Centurion's arm. 'Thanks! My name is -Quintus Fabricius, and I dwell on the Janiculum. I owe my life to you this -night, and I will prove my gratitude, if my means and exertions are able -to do so.' - -'There needs no thought, but thankfulness, that we chanced to arrive so -opportunely. The rest was easy--they ran off when they caught sight of -us--we came, saw, and conquered!' said the officer, laughing. - -'Be that for me to determine,' rejoined Fabricius; 'I will ask but two -things of you.' - -'Name them.' - -'The first is the name of one I have cause to remember.' - -'We are a good score of fellows--would you wish for them all?' - -'Thine only. Through you I shall know the rest.' - -'For their sakes, then, we are Pretorians.' - -'So I see,' observed Fabricius, with gentle impatience. - -'Well, then, I am Centurion thereof, and my name Martialis. But what of -that? We all have done, one as much as another, and the whole amounts to -nothing,--come, sir, and I will send two or three to guard you home.' - -The old man, still somewhat confused and trembling, murmured once or twice -the name he had heard, as if it bore some familiar sound. - -'Your name seems to ring in my ears as if I had heard it of old,' he said; -'but that in good time. Having given me your name, you will not, -therefore, refuse me the honour of your friendship. Give me your word, you -will visit me, and speedily. In the Transtibertine I am to be found by the -simple asking.' - -'Willingly! I accept your kindness with pleasure,' answered Martialis, -with growing impatience to go onward. - -'Come with me now! Your men could return without you,' urged the old man. - -'What--entice me from my duty! Nay, you would not,' cried Martialis, -shaking his head and laughing. - -'He would be bold, indeed, who would try to seduce an officer of our -Prefect,' interposed the quietly bitter voice of him who sat on the led -horse, 'especially when that zealous and frank-minded Prefect sends his -officer to lead a son of Germanicus, like a felon, to Rome.' - -'What!--of Germanicus!' exclaimed Fabricius, in astonishment, and ere he -could be stopped he pushed up to the speaker and seized his hand. - -'Drusus--of that same unhappy family. Evil fate spares us not.' - -'Your pardon, Prince, but this is against my orders,' interposed -Martialis, quickly and firmly; 'you will not compel me to enforce them?' - -'Enough! Lead on!' responded the ill-fated prince, in a mournful voice. -'Farewell, friend, whoever thou art.' - -'March!' commanded the Centurion, and the band proceeded. He himself -walked on foot at its head, in order to lend the old Senator the support -of his arm. The slaves Pannicus and Cyrrha, with no worse effects of their -adventures than a confused singing in their heads, brought up the rear. In -this wise they continued, until they had crossed the mount and descended -to the level ground near the Trigeminan Gate. Here Fabricius took leave of -his preserver, with a few warm heartfelt words of thanks, and Martialis -detached two of his men to escort him home. Continuing on his way the -Centurion led his troop in double file. The clang of the horses' hoofs, -with the jingle of accoutrements, awoke the echoes of the silent, empty -streets. Ascending the Palatine they halted before the Imperial palace, -and were received by an official and a few slaves. The prisoner was -desired to dismount, and he was led into the palace. The lights of the -interior showed him to be a young man of not more than one or two-and- -twenty, and he maintained the sullen expression of one who has suddenly -been made the victim of deceit. - -'Is this my journey's end?' he asked of Martialis. - -'Here I must quit you, noble Drusus; I have no further instructions than -to leave you in charge of the keeper of the palace.' - -'Take me to my room then,' said the prince, haughtily, to the keeper, -'where I may eat, and drink, and sleep, and forget what I am.' - -The keeper obeyed and led the way through the halls of Caesar, until they -arrived at a narrow passage, which terminated in a descending flight of -stone steps. - -'Whither are you taking me?' demanded the prisoner sternly, as he came to -a sudden halt. - -'To the vaults of the palace,' answered the official laconically. - -'Know you who I am?' - -'Perfectly well. But I am ordered to place you in the vaults, and I have -no alternative but to obey.' - -The young prince looked fiercely around, but seeing how useless any -resistance would be, he dropped his chin on his breast with a silent -stoical resignation which touched Martialis to the heart. Torches were lit -and the party descended the steps, and went along an underground passage. -The keeper of the palace halted before a narrow, heavily-barred door, and -unlocked it. It needed a strong pressure to cause it to move on its -hinges, and, as it did so, a heavy, damp, noisome atmosphere puffed forth, -which caused the torches to flicker and splutter. They went in. The -interior was hewn out of the rock; spacious enough, but humid, chill, and -horrible--a perfect tomb. The trickling moisture, which bedewed the walls, -glistened icily through the gloom in the light of the torches, and the -floor was damp and sticky, and traced with the slimy tracks of creeping -things. There was a pallet and a stool, and the slaves placed some -eatables thereon. Martialis felt sick at heart and shuddered. - -'You are sure you are right in bringing him to this fearful place--a place -unfit for a beast to rest in?' he whispered to the gaoler. - -'It is the best of all the vaults,' was the brief reply. - -The unhappy prince looked round, in a stupefied way, and shivered. The -change was frightful, from the sunny skies and balmy air of the lovely -sea-girt Capreae. Martialis stepped up to him. 'I must leave you, Drusus,' -he said; 'I am sorely grieved to quit you in such a lodging--it must be by -error, and if so, I will not fail to do my best to have it rectified at -once.' - -'Thanks, friend,' said the unfortunate, looking with fixed eyes; 'bid them -send their murderers speedily!' - -Without another word he went to the pallet and sat down, and buried his -face in his hands in mute despair. - -One of the torches was fixed into an iron socket on the wall, and the -order was given to withdraw. Full of distress, Martialis took a second -light from the hand of its bearer, and extinguishing it, he laid it on the -little stool, so that it might succeed the other when needed. Then taking -his large military cloak from his shoulders, he gently dropped it over the -unhappy prisoner's form and turned away. The dungeon was then vacated and -locked, and the Centurion rushed, as hastily as he was able, with a heart -full of painful feelings, up into the fresh pure air and sweet moonlight -outside. - -When he reached the camp with his troop, he was summoned to the Prefect to -deliver his report, which was received by the commander with every sign of -satisfaction. Proceeding, on his own impulse, to describe the dreadful -circumstances of the prisoner, he was coldly interrupted and dismissed. He -turned to go, inwardly burning with disgust and indignation. - -'Stay, Centurion!' cried Sejanus; 'you have been inquired for here to- -day--it is right I should inform you.' - -'Indeed! In what manner, and by whom, may I ask?' said Martialis coldly. - -'By a workman--a potter from Surrentum! Ha! You change colour!' - -''Tis not from shame at least,' returned the other haughtily. - -'No, no--from conscious folly rather. You would wed a potter's girl. You -are blind to your own interests. Amuse yourself with her, if you wish, but -think twice ere you bind a clog about your neck.' - -'And even such clogs are as easily got rid off as assumed at the present -time,' retorted the Centurion cuttingly. - -Sejanus bit his lip, and his brows met darkly. The retort cut home, for he -had put away his wife Apicata, to further more freely his guilty intrigue -with Livia, the Emperor's daughter-in-law. - -However, he replied sarcastically, 'That is true; but not in the case of -such eminently virtuous men as yourself, Martialis. But just as you think -proper--it is your own matter. As long as it affects not your Centurionship -I care not--not I.' - -'Rather than suffer that to happen, Prefect, I would relinquish my duties -entirely--you need have no fear,' answered Martialis coldly, and, saluting, -he left the room. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - -Cestus, straining every nerve as he fled from the scene of his failure, -expected each moment to feel the fingers of his rapidly gaining pursuer -hooked into his collar. Doubling this way and that through the gloom, in -imminent peril of smashing his skull, and experiencing all the terrors of -a hunted hare, he gave a gasp of joy when he heard the crash of the -trooper's fall at his heels. A few more leaps took him out of sight and -hearing; and then he doubled on his track. When he gained the edge of the -grove, he dropped down at full length in a convenient shelter, with his -heart throbbing well-nigh to bursting, and his eyes swimming. His -slothful, indulgent habits rendered him totally unequal to such a terrible -trial of exertion, and his horrible gasping for breath was so severe as to -render him incapable of perceiving whether there were any signs of further -pursuit. Burying his face in the grass, he smothered, as well as he could, -his grievous pantings, until he recovered breath sufficiently to sit up -and listen with more attention. All was as still as death, however, and, -in another quarter of an hour, he felt emboldened to make the best of his -way to the safe haunts of his native Subura. Going cautiously he quitted -the Aventine and gained the Ostian road which ran to the heart of the -city. As he progressed along the deserted streets he began to curse his -ill-luck and speculate on the consequences. The promised reward, though -further from his grasp than before, yet shed its glamour over his mind, -and whetted it to ponder over renewed plans, on a less delicate and -ingenious style, more peculiarly his own. - -The vast exterior of the Circus Maximus towered on his left. Walking -swiftly along its moonlit, porticoed base, full of caves of ill-repute, -another figure appeared, so as to converge on to the track of Cestus. - -Traversing that mighty circuit of masonry, the Suburan overlooked the -approaching object, as one might have overlooked a small animal specked on -the side of a mountain, until he found himself in close proximity, and -then he quickened his pace. The result of this was that the stranger did -the same, and the mind of Cestus began to wax uneasy. He finally started -off at a smart trot, whereupon he was hailed by an angry voice. - -'Stop, you fool!' - -Cestus recognised the tones of his patron and waited in as much dread as -surprise. - -'I did not recognise you, patron,' he said, as the knight came up. - -'So you have got away clear,' said Afer sharply. - -'More by good luck than anything else--there was a swifter foot than mine -behind me had it not slipped,' replied Cestus, humbled and abashed by his -failure. 'You were too bold to be nigh--had you been caught, it had been -fifty times worse.' - -'Rest yourself easy on that score--I am not such a bungler as yourself.' - -'Well, patron, the plan failed, but you can hardly blame me,' began -Cestus. - -'Whom then? if not you. It is the climax of your bragging -worthlessness--idiot!' said the knight wrathfully. - -'Well, but, patron--the soldiers! Who could be at both ends of the road at -once? Another minute and I had done my work to perfection--I had finished -it even now, but for that meddling fool, who chose to put in his word. Be -reasonable, patron; I carried out your plans to the very letter and -minute, but you made no provision for a troop of legionaries to -interfere.' - -'Silence, blockhead! could I not see?' fumed Afer. 'Why, the old dotard, -if they had left you to it, would have cracked your skull, thick as it -is.' - -'No, never--if he outlived Saturn!' retorted the Suburan, with rising -voice, as well as choler, 'nor fifty dotards from fifty Janiculums. Let me -do the job in my own way, without the useless tomfoolery of a whining tale -and a moonlight walk, and a cohort of asses lurking on one's steps--leave -it to me alone and you shall see.' - -'Yes, I should see you with thy neck in a noose and myself proclaimed,' -sneered Afer. 'Leave it to you, indeed! If you cannot do better than this, -with four stout fellows to back you, what would you do alone? Fool!' - -'I am no fool!' returned Cestus fiercely; for the cutting contempt and -epithets of his patron were more than he could bear. - -'A double fool--a swaggering, bragging, drunken fool, thick of sense and -slow of hand--faugh!' - -'I tell thee, Afer, I am no fool!' bawled Cestus; 'it is thyself!' - -'I was, to trust your workmanship. Fabricius eats his postponed supper, -and you are off to your foxholes, like a cur, with its tail between its -legs. Begone and trouble me no more!' thundered Afer, in uncontrollable -passion. - -'You shall know that--clever as you think yourself, you are under my thumb. -One word from me----' - -'Silence, you dog, when I bid you!' hissed the knight, striding up to him -and clutching his collar. - -'Not I, by Hercules!' cried Cestus, thoroughly roused and reckless as he -shook off the grasp. 'You, a chicken-hearted, double-faced pauper, to be -my master----' - -'_Accipe----!_ Let that silence thee for ever!' - -The knight threw up his arm as he spoke, and the Suburan, giving a sharp -cry, fell heavily, stabbed in the breast. - -Afer hastily wiped his poniard and replaced it in the folds of his cloak. - -'There is no bungling in this,' he muttered; 'dead men tell no tales.' - -Only delaying to drag the fallen man by the heels more into the shadow of -a wall, he hurried swiftly on; and, before morning dawned, he entered the -yet sleeping town of Tibur, disappointed in mind, and yet not altogether -without a feeling of satisfaction and relief at the course circumstances -had taken. - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - -Not far from the shadow of the Capitoline, and nigh the Forum of Caesar, -Plautia dwelt in a small, but handsome mansion. Her wealth, although not -as great as that squandered by her spendthrift brother, was yet ample, and -in her hands better controlled. Her entertainments were not very frequent, -but, nevertheless, were famous amongst a certain set for their -enjoyableness, which was due, not alone to the exquisite fare provided, -but more to the tact of the hostess in selecting her guests. We have -already attempted to describe the attractions of her brilliant, though -voluptuous, style of beauty. Of lovers she had no lack. Her manners with -all of them were perfectly free and familiar. So misleading, that more -than one, ere now, encouraged and inflamed thereby to presumption, became -sorrowfully aware of the claws which lay sheathed in velvet. - -She was a mystery, therefore, and a tantalising one. Whispers and rumours -were perennial; but yet absolute proof was wanting to substantiate the -fame which people awarded her. She, herself, was indifferent, and could -return as haughty and unembarrassed a stare as any which the proudest -patrician matron bent upon her. Even those individuals, proverbial for the -possession of the most secret information--namely, her handmaids and -domestics--were at fault; so secret, variable, and contrary were her -actions and humours. - -One morning, two or three days later in our story, she was going forth to -take the air, and she came to the porch of her house, where her litter, -borne by four powerful slaves, stood awaiting her. This litter was roofed -in, and of sufficient size to admit of the occupant lying at full length -if necessary. It was also furnished with curtains, which could be drawn so -as to secure perfect immunity from observation. This contrivance for -conveyance, so common in ancient Rome, was standing on the ground, and -Plautia stepped therein, before the admiring gaze of the pedestrians who -thronged the causeway. Lydia, a young female, who was half lady's-maid, -half companion, was about to follow, but her mistress waved her hand and -said she wished to be alone that day. With that she drew the curtains -partially to hide her face and yet not to interrupt her view. The maid -withdrew into the house abashed; it was the third consecutive morning she -had been so treated; such behaviour was unwonted, and being filled with -fears and doubts of all kinds, she forthwith began to weep heartily. - -The four slaves, not at all grieved to lose the weight of the discomfited -girl, bore off their mistress toward the Esquiline Gardens. The human -beasts of burden dared no more than exchange a fleeting look. It was, -likewise, the third consecutive morning they had been given the same -direction. - -To the north of the gardens lay that portion of the plain which was called -the field of the Viminal. This extended to the Pretorian camp, and was, -therefore, the natural drill and exercising ground of the troops. Thither -the litter of Plautia was carried by her direction; skirting the outside -of the rampart of Servius, after it had passed through the Esquiline Gate. - -There were a number of the guards in the plain, busily engaged in -exercising. Approaching within convenient distance for witnessing their -movements, the slaves were ordered to set down the litter and rest -themselves. Plautia, reclining with the curtains withdrawn, scanned the -cohorts eagerly and keenly. After a lengthened survey a look of -disappointment gathered gradually on her face. She ordered her litter to -be raised, and from her elevated position once again scrutinised the -moving ranks. She seemed to get no more satisfaction than before, and gave -the word to return homeward. - -The morning was bright and bracing, and the streets were full of citizens. -As her litter passed through the crowded Subura it was rudely jostled in a -narrow way, and in danger of being overturned by a crowd of slaves, who -preceded the litter of some presumably great personage. Amid the struggle, -clamour, and curses of angry voices, the litter of Plautia was rocked and -tilted, so violently, that she gave vent to a cry, more in anger than -fear. She thrust her face outside the curtains to look on the turbulent -scene, and grasped the side of her litter with her hand, in imminent dread -of being thrown out. Such struggles were very common in the narrow -streets, and called for no particular interference; but the sight of her -handsome face, perhaps, inspired the friendly interference of a tall young -man, who, along with a crowd of people, had been dammed up by the -contention. He hastily thrust himself forward, and Plautia's face became -suffused with a deep flush when she perceived it was Lucius Martialis. -With one hand he grasped one of the foremost poles of her litter, and -raised it, so as to allow the burly slave, who held it, to recover his -overweighted grasp and position, whilst, with the other arm, he thrust -back the foremost of the opposing menials. There was something in the -stern resistless strength of the action which bade them think better of -their uncompromising manner of proceeding, and they edged away more to one -side, though not without much abuse. In another moment both parties were -free and disentangled, and the great personage, who had never thought fit -to show himself and notice the squabble, was carried on. - -Plautia's countenance was brilliant in colour, and her proud eyes soft and -lustrous as they dwelt on the Centurion, who was clothed as a private -citizen. She thanked him for his service, and her voice was tremulous and -rich. He merely bowed, and muttered some commonplace words in return, and, -ere she could say more, he turned away and disappeared amid the throng of -passers-by. - -Plautia gazed after him for a few moments, and then sank back on her -cushions in a deep reverie, which, judging by the smile resting on her -lips, seemed pleasant enough to entertain her agreeably for a much longer -time than sufficed to bring her to her own door. - -The lady entered her favourite apartment, which was pervaded by the -perfume of the costly wood burning in a brazier on the hearth. The -appointments of the room were as rich and brilliant in colour as herself, -and on a small carved citron-wood table stood a delicate basket, -tastefully packed with the most beautiful flowers. - -Lydia took them up and presented them to her mistress, saying, 'Martialis -sent these with best greetings.' - -'Which Martialis--there are two?' asked Plautia, receiving them with a -smile. - -'Why, Caius Martialis!' replied the handmaiden in surprise. - -'Humph!' ejaculated the lady, dropping the basket carelessly, almost -flinging it on the table again. 'They are not such as please me; take them -yourself. Who is that without?' - -'Glaucus, your freedman,' answered a voice at the door, 'with news!' - -'Enter, Glaucus, with your news!' cried the lady, relinquishing her outer -cloaks and wraps to the care of Lydia, who retired. The freedman entered--a -low thick-set man, having a rough, but yet intelligent look about him. - -'Well,' said the lady, warming herself at the fire, 'what sort of -news--private or public?' - -'I have reason to think that, at present, it is pretty well private,' -replied the freedman, with an air of self-satisfaction and importance, -'but ere long it will be public enough, that is very certain. I have -learned that the Prefect Sejanus has obtained Caesar's consent to his -marriage with Livia.' - -Glaucus paused, as if to allow the lady to take breath and recover from -the effects of his communication. - -'Well,' said she, as unmoved as marble, 'is that all?' - -'All!' echoed Glaucus, staggering back in astonishment and disgust. 'Why, -not half a score of people have yet heard a breath of it!' - -Plautia burst into a fit of hearty laughter as she watched the fall of his -countenance. 'Psa, you fool!' she said, 'every one knew that the mighty -Prefect was angling in the Imperial waters long ago. What reliance can I -place on your information? Where did you get it?' - -'In the camp itself, and from the lips of the Prefect's own eunuch--Lygdus -himself.' - -'Truly he might be expected to know; but he is a cunning rogue.' - -'He does know,' said Glaucus, with increasing emphasis; 'and what is more -the Prefect has been summoned, or has been granted permission, to visit -his bride at Capreae, and he is going accordingly in a few days.' - -'Ah, that is something more to the purpose; that is twenty times worth the -other, my Glaucus, for it looks like business.' - -'The Prefect,' continued the freedman, 'so Lygdus told me, was only ill- -pleased that Caesar would not allow more than two or three friends to -accompany him, in addition to his usual guard of Pretorians. Tiberius -seems mightily afraid of strangers in his enchanted island.' - -'Perhaps the worthy Lygdus also informed you who the favoured few friends -of the Prefect were to be? It might be interesting to know.' - -'No, noble Plautia, he did not say who was going, except, of course, the -guard of Pretorians, with the first Centurion--the tall young brother of -Caius Martialis.' - -'Ah! thus much you know for certain, Glaucus?' said Plautia carelessly. - -'Yea, for Lygdus heard the order given.' - -'Well, there cannot be any better authority than that, unless the Prefect -change his mind.' - -'Truly he might.' - -'And so you cannot give me the names of the chosen companions of -Sejanus?--they would be worth hearing,' said Plautia. - -'Indeed I cannot, at present, for the eunuch knew not himself; but I might -hear before long.' - -'In that case you will let me know.' - -'I shall fly, like a swallow, to acquaint you,' was the answer of the -devoted freedman. - -'You are rather thick and heavy with flesh and years to do that,' observed -the young lady satirically; 'nevertheless, I am assured you will hasten on -your legs as fast as you can. I am indebted to you for several favours -lately, Glaucus----' - -'The noble Plautia deigns to be gracious to her humble freedman,' said he, -smirking and bowing to the ground. - -'See you that small drawer in the citron-wood table? Open it--there is a -purse within it!' - -The freedman did as he was desired with alacrity, and took out the purse. - -'Transfer the contents to your own pocket and replace the purse,' said -Plautia. - -Glaucus did so with admirable celerity, and gushed into profuse -expressions of gratitude. - -'Enough--you are a good man,' said his patroness, nodding toward the door. -He took the hint and withdrew, and after a few moments' reflection, -Plautia went to a writing-table, and indited the following laconic -epistle:-- - - - 'Come and see me at your earliest.' - - -Sealing it up, she gave it into the hands of a slave, with instructions to -deliver it to the Prefect himself, wheresoever he might find him. When the -slave had gone she wrote another letter, which she destroyed as soon as -she had read it over. She composed an amended one, which shared the fate -of the former, and not until four or five had been ruthlessly sacrificed -to her fastidious taste, did she succeed in completing one sufficiently -satisfactory to her mind to fold up. It was put into a secret drawer, and -its fair author proceeded to pass the hours with her usual occupations, -which were mainly the reception of visitors, and the lengthy and elaborate -business of the bath. - -The time had long passed since her slave had returned from his errand, and -his embassy had, so far, been followed by no result. Her impatient temper -suffered considerably, and she was about to send off a more peremptory -mandate, when the appearance of the tall form of the Prefect himself -concluded the matter. - -'You sent for me, Empress--here I am!' said he, smiling gaily, and pinching -her beautiful cheek. She pushed his hand away. Had she been really the -exalted personage he jokingly termed her, her gesture could not have been -haughtier in manner. He laughed. - -'Forgive me, beautiful Plautia! I ought to have known that my salutation -should have been warmer. Be not offended! I will hallow with my lips what -my fingers have profaned.' - -He bent down his lips, as if to kiss her rich-hued cheek, but she pushed -him away, and reared her head with an angry flash of her black eyes. - -'Alas! wherefore did you send for me to be so cruel?' sighed he, with -burlesque sorrow and pain. - -'Psa!' she said scornfully. - -'It was not so always,' observed the Prefect, with an affected sigh. - -'And should be less so now,' was the rejoinder; 'the noble Livia should be -granted some measure of faithfulness--at the first at least.' - -'Ho! ho! jealous?' - -She gave him a momentary glance of surprise, and then exploded into -uncontrollable laughter. Peal after peal rolled full and musically through -the apartment, and yet so freely and spontaneously, as to forbid any idea -of its mirth being forced. - -'Well--you seem amused at something,' said the Prefect presently, with a -frown. - -'Jealous, mighty Prefect, on your account!' quoth Plautia, sinking on a -couch with a sigh, and the fitful mutterings of her laughter. 'I can -freely pay tribute to your invincible fascinations, but I am not jealous. -Never allow your conceit to grow at such a rate, Prefect, or it will do -you serious harm.' - -'There is no fear,' he replied, biting his lip; 'but whence did you know -concerning Livia?' - -'A bird of the air brought it this morning.' - -'If I could net that same bird I would, perhaps, clip its wings.' - -'To what purpose, but the pleasure of playing the tyrant? All Rome must -know, and speedily too, of the Prefect's last move.' - -'That is true; but simply to teach him or her caution. Another time it -might happen to be a more secret matter, premature exposure of which might -lead to serious results. Bid your newsbearers be more wary, sweet lady. -But you have not yet told me why you sent for me.' - -'Partly for one more look at you, ere you depart on your matrimonial -expedition,' she said satirically. - -'Do you also know that?' - -'It is part and parcel with the other.' - -She rested her hand gently on his arm, and smiled in his face. 'You are -going to Capreae--to your Livia,' continued she. 'I congratulate you on the -success of the whole affair. What follows then, Sejanus?'--she dropped her -voice in a low tone--'Tiberius is an old man.' - -'What do you mean?' said he, bending on her a cold, stony glance. - -'I spoke without thinking,' she replied, with a careless shrug; 'I mean -nothing--what could I?' - -'A careless and dangerous habit, and one to be guarded against.' - -'Psa! it is excusable in a woman.' - -'In some--in most perhaps; but there are many--and I include yourself -amongst them, beautiful Plautia--whose brains move busily before their -tongues wag.' - -'Ah me!' sighed the lady impatiently, 'why did I allow the one for once to -get before the other? And though you should turn inquisitor, and bring -hither your judicial chair, you will make no more of the matter.' - -She stamped her foot with a charming affectation of wrath, and he smiled -grimly. - -'I shall not make the attempt,' he answered; 'I am content to think that -Plautia is wise and prudent. Come! what lies beneath all this?' - -'Why, see how you are at fault--something I do mean truly!' she cried, -clapping her hands with glee. - -'Do you suppose I ever thought otherwise?' he rejoined, rather puzzled. - -'No, most subtle of men; but your suspicions lie in a different groove. -What care I for your Livia, or Caesar himself, or the windings of your -politics, or the bubblings of your ambition--for you have ambition, -Prefect, and a goodly share thereof----' - -'Let him herd with oxen who has not.' - -'I care nothing for these; I am too content with, and intent upon, the -affairs of my own small world----' - -'Which is the rosy realm of Venus--go on!' quoth he drily; 'we shall, -probably, now hear what this has to do with Tiberius. He is an old -pensioner of the bright goddess.' - -'Fool--nothing whatever! I want to know who is going with you to Capreae.' - -'You have taken a strange method of proceeding in your quest. I shall not -tell you, sweet lady; you may await the tidings of that same trusty bird -again.' - -'I know already.' - -'Wonders upon wonders! The gods preserve you to the earth! Wherefore did -you ask, then?' - -'To catch you tripping, if possible.' - -'I should grieve to disappoint you, beauteous Plautia, astute as you are -lovely; but I cannot avoid it, for I know not myself who are to be my -companions.' - -'Miserable deceiver--I expose you at once! A Centurion and a troop of -guards go with you.' - -'This is folly; you have spent the day with children,' he said, bursting -into a laugh. 'I give you full credit for your penetration. Martialis and -his myrmidons certainly go along with me. Could a Prefect depart on a -mission without his trusty Pretorians? Who next?' - -'Pray tell me, Prefect!' she wheedled. - -'I have already told you I know not myself, and, therefore, cannot tell.' - -'Then I will--_I am going with you!_' - -The wily Prefect started back, and fairly opened his mouth in dumb -astonishment. - -'What! You! Go to Capreae--with me!' - -Plautia set her lips firmly and bowed gravely. - -'Pooh! pooh! you are losing your wits!' he said, with scornful -incredulity, and then he burst into laughter. - -She watched him calmly until he had finished. - -'I am not going thither because I am unable to exist without you,' she -remarked quietly. - -'Certainly not; I should be the last to entertain such a mad idea,' he -replied, with a satisfied laugh which belied his words. - -'No, I am going because I wish to go, and because I will go: and you, -Aelius Sejanus, must contrive to convey me thither, openly or in secret.' - -'Oh, openly would be, of course, the most sensible and politic plan for -me, as I am situated,' he said ironically; and then he added sternly, -'What silly whim is this? It is impossible.' - -'It is possible and shall be.' - -'You mean to enslave Caesar with your charms. Ambition inspires others, it -seems, than myself.' - -'I care nothing for Caesar. As little for a foul old man in purple as a -foul old man in rags. I seek him not.' - -'It would come to the same thing, sweet Plautia, were you to set foot in -the island, supposing you were able to do so; for you would, most surely, -arrive before the ruler of the world in the end, willingly or -unwillingly.' - -'That would be my business. I would take care of myself.' - -'Humph! You have done so hitherto, it is true; but then you have had no -difficulties to overcome. The pretty, autocratic ways of Plautia have -always been carefully humoured. If you will take my advice, you will -remain where you are, the queen of your own domain, in Rome. If you step -outside into the world,--into Capreae, for instance, you may probably taste -of a different experience.' - -'I am determined, in spite of all you say.' - -'Be rational!' said the Prefect, bending his brows impatiently. 'Should I -be in my senses to appear before Livia and the Imperial court with you at -my heels?' - -'You are infatuated with the idea that I am chained and bound to you,' -scoffed Plautia. 'I have no more affection for your heels than for any -other individual's. Give me only the assurance that I shall not be -hindered in my desire, and I shall not trouble you at all.' - -'Tiberius is never deaf to the voice of a lovely woman. Let me tell him -you want him, and there will be no more difficulty.' - -'No!' returned Plautia doggedly, 'I mean to land by myself, quietly and -unobserved, on the island.' - -'The guards will prevent you,' said Sejanus, with a scornful smile, 'or, -rather, seize you, and hurry you before Caesar, and there will be an end -of your frolic. You will inevitably arrive at this conclusion if you -persist in your folly.' - -'I intend to persist.' - -'Good! Then you may take your own way and the consequences thereof. But, -bear in mind, if you give cause for awakening any suspicion to my -detriment, you will rue the day you allowed yourself to be possessed of -this absurd fancy.' - -'You may rest easy, if that comprises all your apprehensions,' answered -Plautia composedly. 'Disenchant yourself, as speedily as possible, on the -point of your supposed importance to me. Your vanity is your weakest -point. I will not meddle with you; for I have no desire.' - -'I cannot dissuade you, then?' - -'No.' - -'Then tell me how you mean to proceed.' - -'Whichever way you think best.' - -The Prefect took a turn or two up and down the room, biting his thumb-nail -in deep cogitation. He scarcely knew whether to carry matters with a high -hand and flatly forbid the importunate lady. He knew her determined nature -and her energy, and was well aware that she possessed sufficient knowledge -to make herself extremely troublesome, if she thought proper. At the same -time, her presence, along with himself, in the island of Capreae, where -his intended bride awaited him, was highly fraught with danger, on account -of the jealousy naturally to be expected on the part of that princess, -were the matter to come to her ears, as it was only too possible it might, -in that circumscribed domain. Perplexed as he was, therefore, a sudden -idea like an inspiration struck him and filled him with satisfaction. - -'Well, carissime?' quoth the watchful Plautia, as the rays of his relief -flooded his countenance. - -'Hush--hush, girl! That no longer!' - -'What, then?' she asked jeeringly. - -'Nothing whatever. No more folly!' - -'Agreed! You have thought of a plan. Tell it!' - -'When I choose my companions I can smuggle you under the wing of one of -them. It can easily be explained. You may perhaps be obliged to set out at -a different time; but that will matter little.' - -'Nothing! When am I to be assured of this arrangement?' - -'To-morrow you shall know all particulars. What more do you want of me, -for I am full of business? Nevertheless, you see how a simple word from -you brought me to your side.' - -'I want nothing more. You are now free for your royal Livia.' - -'Free, but not forgotten--at least on my part.' - -'Farewell, Prefect!' said Plautia, waving her white hand. - -'For the last time, then,' he said, laughingly catching it and kissing it. - -'To-morrow I shall hear from you without fail?' - -'To-morrow most surely!' he replied; and, wafting another kiss with his -hand, Sejanus left the room and hastened away. Entering the neighbouring -Subura, he sought a by-court out of the stream of the bustling, main -thoroughfares. It was narrow, tortuous, dirty, and unsavoury. But little -of the sky could be seen above; and the denizens of the place were -slovenly, dirty, half-dressed men and women, slouching along, or lounging -in knots. Any intruder of respectable appearance into their haunt, -encountered such a cross-fire of baleful glances from these evil-eyed -individuals, whose lowering visages were plainly stamped with night and -enormity, that, being of timid nature, the visitor might well breathe more -freely, and be thankful when he reached a public place once more. The -Prefect, however, was of different mould, and gave no heed to the scrutiny -of the night-vultures whom he passed. He paused before a door, at which he -knocked. There was a considerable delay, and only, when he had thundered -two or three times more, was a shuffling step heard within. The bolts were -drawn and the door opened slowly a couple of inches, just sufficient to -afford a glimpse of elf-locks, a withered skin, and a pair of watery, -glistening eyes. - -'What want ye?' asked a harsh, but yet a woman's voice. - -'Thy master, Tigellinus. Open quickly!' said Sejanus roughly. - -'Nay, you must wait a little!' answered the hideous doorkeeper, proceeding -to shut him out. - -But the Prefect's reply was a vigorous push, which nearly overturned her, -and brought him inside the passage, which was strongly pervaded by the -fumes of cooking. - -The old hag, staggering nearly to the ground, recovered herself and rushed -at him, giving vent to an angry scream, and showing a formidable extension -of her bony claws. - -'Away, you filthy harpy. Hideous crow!' shouted Sejanus, repulsing her -with another vigorous shove,--'away and tell Tigellinus that Lars Porsena -awaits him from Etruria.' - -His imperious, as well as vigorous, manner cowed the old woman, and she -shuffled away into the gloom of the interior, grumbling and muttering her -suspicions. For the few moments which intervened Sejanus paced the obscure -passage, inhaling the odours of the kitchen, to the disgust of his refined -senses, and listening to the distant bursts of chatter and laughter, of -what seemed to be female voices. A man made his appearance at length, and -greeted him with deference. He was young, and had swarthy and handsome -features. - -'I have had the misfortune to disturb you at your dinner, worthy -Tigellinus,' quoth the Prefect; 'deny it not, for I can smell it palpably. -I also hear the merry voices of your happy family, from which I have -dragged you. I apologise!' - -'Do not, P--I mean Porsena,' replied Tigellinus, 'fifty dinners and -families are not to be compared to the privilege of your visit. What can I -do for you, noble sir?' - -'In here and I will tell you,' said Sejanus, and they entered a small -room. 'When were you in Capreae last?' inquired the Prefect, with a -lurking smile. - -'Three months ago,' was the reply. - -'Would it be wise and politic for you to go again within a few days?' - -'I am at present anxiously on the look-out for merchandise; the Imperial -connection is a business I would not readily lose.' - -'A lady wishes to visit the island. I want you to escort her. You -understand?' - -'Perfectly; if it is to serve you, Prefect.' - -'You will serve me and yourself at the same time. To you also, who are so -fond of female society, she will be a most exquisite companion, since she -is one of the most beautiful women in Rome.' - -'That will be delightful. I await your instructions.' - -'You will come to me to-morrow at the fourth hour.' - -'I will obey.' - -Sejanus took him by the arm and whispered in his ear. The eyes of -Tigellinus sparkled. - -'Well, what think you?' said the Prefect. - -'I am astonished, bewildered, enraptured. It is mysterious and glorious! -Your lordship must tell me more.' - -'To-morrow, Tigellinus, to-morrow! Farewell! I need not warn you to be -secret.' - -Sejanus, thereupon, went swiftly away from the reeking abode, and left the -man Tigellinus in the doorway bowing to the ground. - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - - -When the Centurion Martialis came to the rescue of the endangered -palanquin of Plautia, he was leisurely pursuing his way toward the -Janiculum, to redeem his promise given to Fabricius. The little incident -which befell him, as described, soon ceased to occupy his mind. He reached -the villa of Fabricius, and admired the far-reaching prospect which it -commanded--from the city, at its foot, to the distant, circling Apennines. -At the bare mention of his name, Natta, the ancient porter, ushered him -direct to the presence of his master, with unmistakable signs of pleasure. -The visitor's fame had evidently preceded him. - -Fabricius was in his winter room, whose windows overlooked a pleasant -garden, sheltered and shaded from the cold winds. The old man scanned his -visitor's manly face and form with a swift eager look; then he stepped -forward and opened his arms. - -'Welcome to my house!' said he, embracing the Centurion. 'It augurs well -that you should have remembered an old man and redeemed your promise. I -have longed for your coming.' - -''Tis my first leisure morning, Fabricius--you may see,' answered -Martialis, touching his toga. - -'Tell me, Centurion,' said Fabricius earnestly, 'for your name, on that -unlucky night, seemed to awake old memories. I am a Latian born, and my -patrimony lies near to Casinum. There, in the old days, when I was a lad, -dwelt neighbours and old family friends of thy name--tell me, then----' - -'I was born in Etruria, at Veii,' said Martialis, with a smile. - -'Ah!' said the old man disappointedly, 'what led me to make up my mind?' - -'But my father, Caius Julius Martialis,' continued the young man, 'first -saw the light near to Casinum, as his forefathers did before him for -generations.' - -'Caius Martialis thy father!' cried Fabricius, seizing the young man's -hand with intense joy, 'Caius thy father--he was my playfellow, boy, in -those happy, sunny days long ago! Together we made the summer-day trips -and climbed the hills; and then, while yet a lad, I was sent to Rome and I -saw him no more. And thou art his son--thou, that didst save his old -playfellow's life--how my heart warms to thee! I warrant thou art the -living image of him, though I never saw him in his manhood. But his boyish -frame shaped like thine--tall, spare, sinewy, and as strong as a young -lion: and what of him, Centurion; is he alive yet--tell me?' - -'Dead these ten years,' replied Martialis. - -'Then I was not fated to see him again on this earth. We loved each other -as playfellows; but I shall not be long after him. I am a lonely old man, -who has outlived his time; thou wilt not forget me for the little time -that is left me to breathe and live? Ah, if the gods had preserved me a -son like thee!' - -The young man's heart softened to see the mingled emotions which swelled -the stately Senator's breast, and he heartily returned the vigorous clasp -of his hands. - -'You are yet hale and strong, and such a friend as I can be, I hope to be, -for many a year to come,' he answered. - -'The end cannot be far away now,' said Fabricius, shaking his head. 'I -stand in no fear of it, for in truth I have nothing left to live for. The -gods preserve thee from a solitary old age such as mine. This gloomy house -was once bright and happy enough; death has reaped a rich harvest in its -walls. One boy, Titus, came home to die from wounds received from the -barbarian in Pannonia; an ill-fated galley, bearing another, foundered on -its way to Hispania; a third was yet a child when he left us. One girl -reached the most winsome years, when a malignant disease carried her -suddenly off and left us heartbroken; the last daughter lived and was -married, and died in giving birth to her first babe--my only grandchild. -That little maid, Centurion, was beauty and sweetness itself; it was all -that was left me--wife and children all gone. She frisked about these -halls, lightening them like a sunbeam; she had begun to lisp our names and -prattle like the sweetest woodland music--ah me!' - -'Died she too, Fabricius?' asked Martialis, after a short pause. - -'I know not whether she lives or is dead,' muttered the old man; 'to me -she is dead--fourteen years ago she vanished on one accursed day, and no -tidings of her have ever reached us since.' - -'Alas, that was too cruel!' murmured the other. - -'Crueller perhaps than all, for I am harassed by the thought that if she -lives she may be groaning under cruel slavery or bondage, which is worse -than death. Time has dulled somewhat the smart of this grievous thrust, -but tongue cannot speak the anguish I have known in my heart. As for the -wretch who dealt me this last fell, heartless stroke, let the gods deal -with him and his. Treasure and time I have lavished in vain search; and, -doubtless, I have been robbed through it all. Cunning people, knowing the -old man's ever-green hopes, have worked upon his credulity. The other -night on the Aventine was an instance which would have probably cost me my -life but for your timely appearance. One of those very villains, whom you -scattered, came to me in this very room, with a request from a supposed -dying man, purporting to be the fiend who had stolen away my little -Aurelia. It was nothing but a cunning tale to lead me into a trap--silly -fools, they might have taken my life, but little besides!' - -'Had not my foot tripped, one of those same rascals would now have been -safe under lock and key awaiting his deserts,' observed Martialis. - -'I warrant it if your fingers had once closed upon him,' replied -Fabricius, with an approving smile; 'but it matters not much. It is only -another and more flagrant case of my infatuation, as my nephew calls it. I -shall fall under the lash of his tongue bravely for it. But what, -Centurion, if I give up hope, what need is there of living?' - -'None.' - -'And you, a young man, live vigorously, having copious hope. Ah, I see!' -continued Fabricius, smiling, as he noted the ready colour tinging the -sunburnt cheek of the Pretorian, 'as well as if your shaven cheek had been -the delicate red and white of a young girl. First and foremost, at your -age, is the hope which is rooted in love--well, I shall know more when our -friendship enlarges.' - -'How old was your granddaughter when you lost her?' inquired Martialis -hastily, coming back to the former subject of conversation. - -'How old! About three years,' answered Fabricius, the smile fading from -his face. - -'You would hardly recognise her, then, if fate brought you face to face -with her?' - -'Not know her! She is as fairly pictured in my mind, with her bright silky -locks and fawnlike eyes, as if I had only kissed her last night ere she -went to her little bed.' - -'But then fourteen years make a vast change. The woman of seventeen -obliterates the child of three--by what token could you assure yourself -beyond doubt?' - -'Token--woman of seventeen!' repeated Fabricius wonderingly, as though a -new light had struck upon his brain; 'my little Aurelia a woman of -seventeen!' - -'Ay, truly, she must be, if alive,' responded Martialis, regarding him -curiously. - -The old man rose from his seat and walked across the room and back. Here -was a problem as startling as it was simple, since, strange to say, it had -never by any chance been suggested to his thoughts. His mind, up to this -moment, had been thoroughly filled, and absorbed to the exclusion of every -other reflection, by the picture of the ill-fated child as he had last -seen her, say, dancing about his room, or sporting with her ball in the -garden, as he passed out on a visit or a walk. - -'My little maid a woman of seventeen!' he repeated again in a bewildered -manner. - -'Not so strange as that you should expect to find her as she was,' -observed Martialis; 'stature increases, and form changes and develops; -eyes alter, and hair changes in hue with years.' - -'That is true,' said Fabricius absently. - -'Well then, how would you prove her identity?' - -'My heart would tell me!' replied the other fervently. - -Martialis shook his head gently. - -'You cannot believe it--is not instinct unerring?' cried Fabricius. 'It can -lead a mother to choose her child after a woful gap of years.' - -'A mother maybe,' said Martialis, doubtingly. - -'And, if I brought not the girl into the world, I tended her; I was father -and mother in one to her--she was my sole care and I lived in her--yes, I -should know her.' - -'Heaven grant you may have the opportunity.' - -The subject then dropped, and Martialis was not sorry, for he saw how -painful it was to his host. To entertain his visitor Fabricius then -proceeded to show his house and his treasures of art, his gardens and the -noble prospect therefrom. His interest in his young acquaintance and -preserver seemed to quicken his vivacity and cheerfulness in a wonderful -degree, and he drew upon his stores of knowledge and anecdote in a manner -which delighted his listener. The young soldier was easily led on, in this -way, toward the old man's dinner-hour, and found himself duly partaking of -a meal more varied and splendidly served than was usual with his host's -simple and solitary habits. - -They had reclined at table but a few minutes when Afer was ushered in, -bearing on his face the signs of extreme solicitude. - -'Praise be to the gods, uncle!' said he, stooping over the couch and -taking the old man in his arms; 'praise be to the gods,--I find you eating -and cheerful, and so I know you have suffered little. The murderous -thieves! I have but just returned, and have come straight from my house, -when I was told of the treachery which had befallen you. A fine thing, in -truth, to happen to a citizen. Nay, I will neither bite nor sup until you -assure me you are no worse.' - -'No worse, nephew; thanks to the Centurion there. I was only stunned, and -find I am tougher than I thought. Nephew, this is the Centurion Martialis -who befriended me--I have discovered also that he is of Latian stock, and -son of an old playfellow of Casinum. Martialis, this is my nephew, Titus -Afer.' - -'We are not totally unacquainted,' said Afer, bowing coldly, whilst the -other returned the salutation in silence; 'I have the honour of knowing -his brother more intimately.' - -'Brother! I never asked thee, Lucius, of any brothers or sisters--tell me, -then!' interposed Fabricius. - -'I have one brother only.' - -'The nearest friend and heir of Apicius, whom you have heard of, uncle,' -said Afer; 'he who spent his patrimony, and after dinner, t'other day, -poisoned himself because his treasure-chest was empty.' - -'I heard something of a tale--Natta told me, I think. If I mistake not, -nephew, it was there you dined only a few days ago?' - -'I witnessed the whole affair; the Centurion's brother was left as chief -mourner, and, I understand, what remains of the wealth of Apicius goes -entirely to compensate him for his long devotion. But the Centurion knows -better than I how the matter lies--perhaps brotherly affection has divided -the generosity of Apicius.' - -'For that information I must refer you to the same source whence you -derived the other,' replied Martialis coldly. - -'It is what neither belongs to me nor to thee, nephew,' said Fabricius. -'You will make me know your brother at the first opportunity, Centurion.' - -'Ask him to dine with you, uncle; but you will have to provide him with a -more artistic banquet, in order to give him an opportunity of proving his -critical powers. Caius Martialis, the Centurion's brother, is well known -for his perfect knowledge of the elegant arts and pleasures of life. No -one disputes his dictum as to the beauty of a woman, or the flavour of a -dish, or the fold of a garment--especially feminine,--or the business of the -bath, the action of a player, the knowledge of the midnight city--the whole -delicate art, in fact, of sustaining a continuous and uniform course of -pleasure, without rushing into undue excess, or relapsing into ennui. His -acquaintance is a privilege, uncle, and you will find it so.' - -'I prefer that my host should judge for himself of the character of my -brother, rather than accept it from your lips,' said Martialis, with the -hot blood tingling in his veins at the sneering tones and curling lip of -the speaker. - -'That has ever been my custom, Centurion, and there is no reason why I -should alter it in this case,' interposed Fabricius. 'Take your place, -nephew--eat and drink, and tell me how the time has gone with you since you -went away.' - -'No, uncle, your turn before mine--I am burning to hear an account of this -adventure. How came you, in Heaven's name, to be on the Aventine at that -time of night?' - -The knight, as he spoke, took his place on the couch opposite Martialis. -The sinister glance of his eyes met the gaze of the latter, and declared -inevitable war. The slaves hastened to serve him, and, whilst he proceeded -to eat, Fabricius related the circumstances of his night's adventure, not -forgetting, most particularly, to allude to the services of his deliverer, -who, straightway, began to wish that all recollection of the affair might -be buried in the sea. - -'It is very well, good uncle, you got out of the trap as you did,' -observed Afer at the conclusion; 'this, I trust, is the last phase of your -credulity and infatuation--this, I humbly think, will act as a salutary -corrective, and effect what no reason or words of mine could do. As for -the Centurion, had he been a school-lad appearing on the scene, he would -have been sufficient, at that critical point, to have startled and routed -the ruffians from their task, like so many rabbits. I trust, Centurion, -you received no hurt in your encounter with the vagabonds, when, like a -Patroclus, you bestrode the prostrate body of my uncle?' - -'I neither bestrode my host, nor drew a sword, nor even clenched my fist,' -answered Martialis calmly, though inwardly fuming with anger. 'I did -nothing whereby I can claim the credit or praise which my host persists in -awarding to me against my will.' - -'Nor even with your troopers to lay hands on one or more of the -vagabonds?' - -'Nor even with my troopers lay hands on a single one of them.' - -'I crave pardon, Centurion, for the thoughtless question,' said Afer -mockingly; 'I ought to have known better than to suppose that Imperial -Pretorians would stoop to act as common city police.' - -'You labour under a wrong impression of the cohorts to which I have the -honour to belong,' returned Martialis, with less command over the tone of -his voice. 'If I know anything about them, I should say they are as ready -as any to frustrate rascality and bring it to account, whenever it lies in -their power.' - -'Hark ye! nephew,' interposed Fabricius sternly, 'whether you rose this -morning in an ill-humour or not, I cannot tell, but I must have no -snapping tongue to break good-fellowship here--let us finish our meal as it -was begun, in peace and pleasantness, I pray. There is little I would not -part with, rather than Martialis should associate anything disagreeable -with his first visit here. He has done me a service, which it may please -him to disparage and you to decry--enough! My old playmate has suddenly and -unexpectedly returned in the person of his son; for that, if for nothing -else, I seek his good opinion of all about me.' - -'I apologise for having been so foolish as to offend you, uncle,' said -Afer, with a barely perceptible shrug of his shoulders; 'I was, in truth, -only jesting. Centurion, I have the honour of drinking to your health!' he -added, with an accompanying look which mocked the courteousness of his -voice. The Pretorian coldly returned the compliment, scarcely trusting his -tongue to speak, for fear of the scorn and dislike which filled him. -Fabricius nodded approvingly, and Afer continued, 'And now, uncle, to the -news of our great Prefect--or, perhaps, your friend, the Centurion, has -already told, you? No--I am glad, then, to be the first to inform you. -Sejanus is the accepted son-in-law of Caesar, and goes forthwith to -Capreae to claim his bride.' - -'Ah!' quoth Fabricius quietly, 'he creeps up the ladder apace; but these -matters interest me not. Time was when I would have paid it more heed, but -now I live apart, and allow consuls and pretors and the like to pass on, -almost unheeded--with all respect to your commander, Lucius.' - -'I understand you accompany him on his pleasant expedition, Centurion?' -said Afer. - -'As a most intimate friend of the Prefect, you have, no doubt, been -already acquainted with most, or all, of his arrangements,' answered the -other. - -'What--you going?' observed Fabricius, with a disappointed air; 'when then -will you return?' - -'I cannot tell you, Fabricius. Your nephew will, most probably, know more -than myself.' - -'Indeed, uncle, my knowledge is overrated,' responded Afer; 'but, if you -will take the opportunity, you will commission your preserver to bring -you, when he does return, some pottery ware from the adjacent Surrentum--it -is a town famed for its excellence in this manufacture, is it not, -Centurion?' - -The glance and the sneer of the speaker were malicious enough, whilst the -cheeks of the young soldier flushed deeply at the allusion. The swift eyes -of his host drank all in; he had already gathered sufficient to see that -his guests were not altogether so ignorant of each other and each other's -affairs as he had at first supposed. The mounting colour on the -Pretorian's face, as well as the flash of his dark eyes, denoted that his -nephew's last words, from some reason, had proved as disagreeable as his -former remarks. It became evident, also, that they were designedly so; -and, therefore, without waiting for any reply, he proceeded quietly to -discourse upon the artistic merits of pottery in general, with the fluency -of a critic familiar with his subject. Afer, as a man of elegant taste in -matters of art, was led into the discussion, which lasted for some time, -during which the Centurion sat silent, lending only fitful attention to -the conversation. - -The subject had no charm for him, and his mind rankled with the irritating -bearing of the man opposite. His last allusion astonished him not a -little, inasmuch as the pointed manner of its delivery revealed to him the -knight's knowledge of his connection with Surrentum; but, after the -potter's communication to the Prefect, the matter would easily and -naturally filter to the ear of the confidant, Domitius Afer. Nevertheless, -the blood burned in his veins and flamed in his cheeks when his mind, so -sensitive on this question, tortured itself by imagining how the loose and -irreverent tongues of his commander and the sneering individual across the -table, had, doubtless, amused themselves with the purest and most delicate -feeling his heart could know. This thought added to the disgust and fierce -hostility which bubbled in his breast, on account of the nephew of -Fabricius, for whose disagreeable manner he was able to ascribe no reason, -except a paltry feeling of spite and envy. But even these distempered -reflections gave way to the soothing and delightful contemplation of his -speedy removal to the immediate neighbourhood of his beloved; and, in an -interval of these self-communings, he became aware that the dialogue upon -the merits of artistic ware was flagging and moribund. The pleasure of his -visit had long departed, and he seized the opportunity of taking his -leave. Rising, therefore, he pleaded the exigency of some camp regulation, -and Fabricius left his seat also, to escort his guest to the porch. - -'My nephew has not made himself altogether agreeable to you,' said the -latter, as they stood hand in hand ere they parted; 'something has -probably tried his humour ere he came; but you will not allow that to -militate between us twain. You can afford to pass over his whims, for they -are not worth your serious thought.' - -'Easily!' - -'You are going to Capreae--I have one thing to say to you. Formerly I -busied myself in matters of state, though I have long retired therefrom. -But I still live here above the city; and I have yet a few friends of high -influence and large information in that busy hive of toil, ambition, and -passion down there; therefore, it is impossible that I can exist without -knowing something of what is passing. I have watched the course of your -Prefect Sejanus. He goes to become the Emperor's son-in-law; such honour -and elevation would satisfy an ordinary man's ambition, but not his. I -know him not personally, though the general whisper of public opinion -seldom errs; but Tiberius Caesar I have known thoroughly of old. Strange -and noisome tales of his island dwelling are, even now, wandering through -Rome like fitful, noxious night-airs. You may possibly be better -acquainted with this than I, and I trust they may never infect you. But -apart from this, I would bid a man beware of Tiberius Caesar. His -intellect is strong and clear, and his energy unfailing. A tiger is not -more ruthless--the deep ocean is not more dark, mysterious, and subtle than -his nature; and his suspicions are clothed with the eyes of an Argus and -the tentacles of a polypus. I pity a man, from a Prefect to a slave, who -jars upon them. Take the advice of an old man, not inexperienced, and have -the greatest care to let your action be bounded scrupulously by the duties -of your military office. Do not be tempted beyond them by any one. -Remember that while you obey the Prefect there is yet one above all to -whom you owe allegiance--Caesar himself. If there be those who choose to -underrate his power, leave them alone to their folly. If events follow the -course I anticipate for them, you will, perhaps, at some time, be -thankful, that you allowed nothing to tempt you beyond the limits of your -Centurionship. Obey your legitimate orders and seek to know nothing more. -You are a soldier; remain one, and beware of adding the trade of -politician--at the present time. A volcano may burst beneath our feet -before long. You will ponder on my advice, boy?' - -'Fear not,' replied Martialis; 'I am in no hurry to change my occupation. -I prefer a sword to a pen. I have plenty to do without loading myself with -politics.' - -'Yes; Mars was in the habit of relieving his gory business with softer -pursuits,' said the old man, smiling gently. 'Success in both. Farewell. I -shall await your return with impatience, for I yearn to make a son of -you.' - -When the Centurion arrived at his quarters in the camp he found two -strange slaves awaiting him with weary looks. One of them bore something -in his hands covered with a cloth of gold; the other presented him with -dainty small tablets, which he opened and read as follows:-- - - - 'Plautia sends the Centurion Martialis a very trifling - acknowledgment of the ready service which his strong arm rendered - her in the Subura this morning, and begs him to accept it. She - also prays him to honour her by supping in her poor house on the - morrow. Let not the unhappy slaves bring back an unfavourable - answer.' - - -The great and ready service had almost passed from the young soldier's -mind and his lip curled. As he hesitated, the slave who bore the gift held -it forward and lifted the covering. A small, carved, myrrhine drinking-cup -was disclosed; it was a gem of exquisite workmanship, as even he was able -to see, though he had but small critical knowledge of such matters. Had -the offering been ostentatious, he would have refused it at once. As it -was the affair was sufficiently ridiculous in his eyes, and he doubted for -a few moments. Then he bade the slave go and set it down somewhere, whilst -he sat to write a reply. - -His literary style was plain, blunt, and unstudied, and took the following -laconic form:-- - - - 'Centurion Martialis keeps Plautia's gift, lest he should offend - her by sending it back. She overrates the affair in the Subura; - but if she can remember the house of her brother and the gold cup, - she may consider that the writer has discharged a part of his - debt.' - - -As to the invitation to supper, he did not trouble to mention it, but -despatched a negative message by the slaves. - -To say that he did not feel flattered by the evident interest of a -beautiful woman, would be to say that he was beyond human feelings; but -the impression, although gratifying, was fleeting, and the brilliant -loveliness of the Roman damsel soon fled before a more familiar picture -which arose, ever ready, to his thoughts. - - - - - - PART II - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - -Whatsoever change may have been wrought in the rugged isle of Capreae by -the neglect, or the hand, of man, during the long ages since the days of -Imperial fame and favour, we can be sure, as we survey the sea-girt spot -from one of its rocky eminences, that we look upon the same outlines and -formation of nature as met the eyes of humble fisherman and jaded -patrician of antiquity. A low-lying sandy shore appears and disappears in -the lapse of centuries. What was once a sandy strand, worn by the waves, -grated by the keels of ships, and pressed by the busy feet of citizens a -thousand years ago, is now, perhaps, an inland region of cultivated fields -lying around a sleepy town. What was once a green plain, ages ago, is now -the sandy bottom of a waste of waters. But the rocky face of Capreae is -unchanged and changeless. Its flinty cliffs rise sheer from the blue sea; -beaten by the waves, but imperishable. At their feet are the natural caves -and grottoes which have been discovered from time to time in modern days, -and pointed out as marvels, when lo! on inspection, they are found to have -been better known and more frequented in the olden time. - -There, starting out of the sea, lie, in a row, three huge detached crags, -as if they had been torn from the cliffs and hurled beneath--abrupt, -impregnable, immutable, as in the day when they saw the ships of the -fabled Aeneas sail by on their way to found a mighty empire. - -What an ephemeral existence to theirs was that of the Pharos which once -stood adjacent, and, nightly, cast a gleam from its lofty lantern upon -their jagged tops, maybe for a long space of generations! - -And, see, on the summit of one of them rest the remains of a Roman tomb, -which arouse strange wonderings as to the being of antiquity whose spirit -desired such an isolated, inviolable spot for a last resting-place! - -On the summits of the hills, in the valleys, even under the pellucid water -of the marge, are yet remaining the traces of the magnificence which -sprang at the Imperial nod to adorn this lovely island, in the period when -the Caesars sought it as a secluded residence. The traces are but small of -the much that is known to have once been; but, as the eye roves from one -elevation to another, over the luxuriant gardens, vineyards, and orange -plantations which carpet the valleys and clothe the terraced slopes, we -can picture to our imaginations the palaces and groves of Imperial luxury, -and, if tradition speak truth, of Imperial vice. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - -A few weeks subsequent to the last related circumstances of our story, -Domitius Afer, with nothing better to occupy his time, on a certain -afternoon, indulged an inclination for gentle exercise and solitary -reflection, and took his meditative way up the gradual ascent which led to -the eastern cliffs of the island of Capreae. The highest elevation at this -end of the island is the extreme north-eastern promontory. Thereon stood -an extensive villa of the Emperor, which formed, for the most part, his -favourite residence. The suspicious nature of Tiberius had not deemed its -erection complete and satisfactory until it had been surrounded by what an -ordinary observer might have deemed the superfluity of a strong -fortification. It stood there in all the glory of its new, gleaming, white -masonry--a pile wellnigh impregnable to anything but starvation, surveying -island and sea and mainland for leagues, with the waves roaring a thousand -feet below around the base of the perpendicular cliffs. This residence -bore the name of the villa of Jove, and, although it claimed preference, -on account of the magnificent prospect which it enjoyed, together with the -natural strength of its position, it was only one of some dozen which had -arisen at the Emperor's bidding, or were building, in various parts of the -island, each of them named after a deity. Thus the ruler of the world was -enabled to change his abode according to his whim, or oftener, perhaps, to -the workings of his subtle, mistrustful spirit. - -Leaving this favoured retreat of the Emperor on his left hand, the knight -went some distance further along the brow of the cliffs, and wrapping his -cloak closer around him, he sat down in a nook of the limestone cliffs in -order to indulge more fully in a fit of abstraction. The scene, which was -displayed before him, has excited the raptures of gazers of all ages. But -it was the better fortune of those of antiquity to be able to see it at -its brightest, when its natural loveliness was embellished by the citizens -of an empire in the fulness of its power and wealth, and ere a most -melancholy-famous eruption of nature had cruelly defaced it for ever. - -So precipitous were the cliffs upon which the feet of the Roman knight -rested, that a stone, flung from beside him, would have dropped plumb into -the waters below. Thence, from this point of vantage, the delighted eye -drank in the matchless panorama which circled before it under the clearest -of skies. - -Far on the extreme left, out of the blue waters, glimmered the green isle -of Aenaria, some sixteen miles away, together with the low-lying islet of -Prochyta. Scarcely severed from the latter, rose the famous promontory of -Misenum, harbouring an Imperial fleet, and crowned by a Lucullan villa, -ere long the death-scene of its Imperial owner. Baiae nestled close by, on -the lovely inlet which dented the palace-covered shore. After which -Puteoli, the queen of commerce, the focus of the foreign-going galleys--one -of the most frequented doors of Rome, with its mole, and its docks, and -busy quays. Then Neapolis, in the centre of the semicircle, and, still -nigher round the curving shore, the vine-clad slopes of high Vesuvius, -with ill-fated Herculaneum and Pompeii resting at its foot, on the brim of -the sparkling waters. Surrentum, in the green nook of its sheltering -hills, lay hid, but its cape, reaching out to within three miles of our -island, forms the southern horn of the crescent. The peaceful mountain in -the midst, so luxuriant with verdure, as yet gave no sign of the blot of -awful desolation with which it was about to mar for posterity the -loveliest prospect in nature. Not as now, but from end to end, a -continuous belt of buildings circumscribed the bay; for this enchanting -strand was the favoured region for the retirement and residence of the -wealthy. Villa upon villa, in thick profusion, sustained the line between -village and town, until it seemed as if it were an unbroken city which -gleamed so white along the circuit of the lustrous Campanian shore. -Turning again to the right hand was expanded the less lovely Gulf of -Paestum, with the city of the roses itself lying on its edge, far away on -the opposite side. Behind the knight lay the valley of Capreae, rich and -green, and shut in by a mountain barrier from the other half of the -island, which was a high table-land sloping towards the north-west. -Conical hills, _taurubulae_, as they were called, rose from this valley on -either hand, crowned with buildings and clothed with foliage; whilst in -the midst, which was the neck of the island, nestled a little town. Yet -even this part, the lowest point, and saddle-seat, as it were, was high -above the sea; and steep descents, to the north and south, led down on -either coast to the only two practicable landings the precipitous shores -possessed. Thus it may be seen how secluded and safe from intrusion this -isolated spot of only eleven miles in circumference could be maintained. -Scarcely could a man, had he the choice of the world, pitch upon such -another place, where he could revel so peacefully in the beauties which -nature had so lavishly clustered around, under a climate so equable and -genial, as to render mere existence delicious. - -But the sensations caused by such a prospect are rather for the breast of -the stranger of a northern clime than for our Roman Afer, for whom life- -long familiarity with the scenes described had blunted his appreciation of -their beauty. Although his glance appeared to be earnestly fixed upon the -opposing shore across the strait, his eyes retained that far-away -expression which is produced by absorbing thought. There was sufficient -within the narrow limits of the island at his back to occupy his thoughts, -as it did those of the whole political world. For, in the palaces which -gleamed on the summits of the hills or amid the groves of that insular -retreat, were the persons of the despot himself, whose touch ruled the -world; of the all-powerful, ambitious Prefect, who, as it was darkly -hinted, ruled his master--as well as others of blood royal, whose youth and -close affinity with Caesar rendered them the objects of a too jealous -care. - -But to these the mind of the knight did not at present pay any heed. His -thoughts were running back to the villa on the Janiculum overlooking Rome, -and were recalling the circumstances recorded in a previous chapter. The -strong interest displayed by his uncle in the young Centurion gave him -many a moment of uneasy mistrust. Not willing to allow the smallest -communication to pass unobserved, if his jealous watchfulness could avoid -it, he had stolen after the new-made friends towards the porch, and had -there overheard the parting words of the aged host to his guest: 'I shall -await your return in impatience, for I long to make a son of you.' They -rang in his ears with discomforting freshness, and his face grew darker -the more he pondered on them. They had been made in a generous impulse of -courtesy and gratitude, he argued. It was absurd to take them literally, -even though the meddlesome Pretorian had proved to be the son of an old -playmate. Thus the knight proceeded, as he had often done before, in -trying to soothe himself; but the logic of his arguments failed to -entirely satisfy his apprehensive nature. - -'Old men take strange whims,' he communed with himself, though without -unclosing his thin lips even on that lonesome crag. 'But then I have -nothing to fear, being the only living kinsman of my worthy uncle, whose -conscientious rectitude would never allow him to play false with his -lawful heir, especially when that heir has been so dutiful!'--this was a -favourite joke, and his lips curved slightly. 'But for that cursed bungler -Cestus, I might have been at this present hour in the serene enjoyment of -my rights, instead of biting my nails in a daily worry. Well, at least, it -afforded one happy stroke of genius, which rid me, at a single thrust, of -a cunning beast, whose knowledge has robbed me of at least five years of -my life on the score of anxiety. _Euge_, it was well done! and it was a -deed which had to be faced, sooner or later, for it was impossible that -both could live without something of the kind happening. Let me be -thankful; for if the ill performance of the business of that night led to -confusion in one way, it led to an unpremeditated conclusion in another, -equally as good. I am rid of the past--it concerns me no more; but of the -future--pah, it worries! I am too scrupulous, too patient, too long- -suffering! There are more obvious affairs bungled through and winked at in -Rome every day. Meanwhile, I must watch my gay young Centurion, and do him -a good turn at the first chance I have.' - -These and a hundred other thoughts floated through the brain of the -knight; when, as he sat, a coasting vessel, which had been approaching -from the northward, attracted his attention. It came on, running before -the wind, with its large square sail set full; but, from the great -elevation at which the knight sat, it looked like a small insect -struggling through the waves. He regarded it in a listless kind of way as -it went by through the straits between the island and the mainland, but, -when he saw it heave up in the wind, as if to bring to under the lee of -the southern side of the island, he increased his attention to its -movements at the expense of his meditations. The well-braced up sail of -the galley began to shake and flap as it lost the wind under the cliffs, -and it was then hauled down and the sweeps run out. The vessel, whatever -its business, was, therefore, bent on making a port on the south side of -the island. This was calculated to increase curiosity, inasmuch as it had -passed the northern and customary landing-place, to, apparently, make use -of the other, which was comparatively unused, and, in the present case, -more undesirable in every way. At this moment, as he was trying to account -for the cause, he heard the sound of voices approaching. Glancing round -the corner of the large boulder which formed his shelter, he perceived two -men hurrying from the direction of the villa, previously described, toward -the south. One he intuitively recognised as Martialis, our Centurion, of -whom his thoughts were so unpleasantly full. From the rapid pace and the -attention which the pair seemed to bestow upon the approaching galley -below, Afer concluded that they were proceeding down to the southern -landing-place, to watch the movements of the vessel, in accordance with -the severe and rigorous guard which was kept over the Emperor's island -home. A few words, overheard as they passed, at a very short distance from -him, confirmed this conjecture. The natural bent of his inclination to -know as much as possible of what was going on around him was in the -greatest measure stimulated by the monotony of island life. The growing -sharpness of the evening air, moreover, prompted action, so he rose and -followed in the same direction, as soon as he could do so without being -observed. - -The night shades were falling, and objects were beginning to wear an -indistinct and uncertain shape. The Campanian shores were already dim, but -the mountains behind heaved in dark purple masses against the clear -heavens. The valley of Capreae lay in the dusk of its groves, backed by -the clear-cut, towering peak of the island mountain, over which hung the -slender crescent of a young silver moon in the luminous flush of the -western sky. The faint, wan rays of the satellite rendered the light only -more ghostly and uncertain, save on the uplifted summit of the cliffs, -where the white masonry of the villa Jovis gleamed with a pale -illumination. Following the footsteps of Martialis and his companion, -Afer, with scarcely less rapid step, soon quitted the cliffs, and, after -crossing a small valley, arrived at the foot of one of those conical hills -before mentioned. Skirting the base of this, he came out upon an -elevation, wherefrom he could see to which point the vessel was tending. -Having satisfied himself on this point, that she was undoubtedly making -for the landing-place below, he once more made his devious and steep, not -to say difficult, way down to the rocky strand. He debouched at last, by a -zigzag flight of steps cut out of the rock, upon a little strip of stony -beach, encumbered by large boulders, of which one or two were fragments of -huge dimensions. To the westward loomed the large forms of the three -detached rocks lying in the sea, one beyond the other, like gigantic -stepping-stones, and passing now by these the knight observed the slowly -approaching galley. It was as much as he was able to do, for the gloom was -fast merging into darkness. Several fishing-boats were drawn up on the -pebbly beach, and, at the foot of the steps, a portion of rock had been -excavated and turned into a shelter-house, or coastguard station. In the -dark shadow of this Afer noticed, as he expected, the forms of some -watchers, and as he was already sufficiently near to hear and see all that -occurred, he quietly arrested his steps, and refrained from subjecting -himself to an inquisitive scrutiny. The watchers awaited in silence, -broken only by whispers, and listened to the slow measured clank of the -sweeps which sounded across the calm water from the approaching galley. -She came tolerably close in shore, and forged ahead past their lurking- -place for some distance. Then the strokes of the cumbersome oars ceased, -and the tones of a voice in command came over the water. The hollow plunge -of an anchor immediately followed, and all dropped into silence for a -time. - -The watchers now left their shelter, and went forward along the beach. -Arriving at a small creek, at the base of one of the large boulders before -described, they halted, and once again clustered in the shade. - -A rattling on board the galley, followed by a splash, struck their ears, -and in a few minutes more, the proof of the justness of their dispositions -appeared, in the shape of a small boat, directed with vigorous strokes -toward their station. - -'Gently! just to the left of that biggest rock, and you can run us -ashore,' said a voice in the boat. Under this guidance the oarsman sent -the keel of the little bark grating on the pebbles. 'So,' uttered the -voice again, 'that is perfection; and now we will go on shore, and you -will not be sorry, I warrant, lady.' - -A man leaped on land, and then helped two female forms to follow. - -When they were quite clear of the boat they found themselves surrounded by -the party which had been awaiting them. The masked lanterns which the -latter carried were uncovered, and cast a stream of light upon the -features of the new arrivals. The two females, closely hooded, shrank -away, with sudden fear to still further hide their faces; but the man was -heard to laugh behind his cloak, which he had raised before his features. - -'You are amused,' said Martialis, who was the foremost of the guard. 'Who -are you, and why are you here?' - -At the sound of his voice, one of the muffled females started and swerved, -so as to obtain a glance at the speaker, whilst, at the same time, her -male companion dropped his cloak, and disclosed the handsome, swarthy, and -smiling features of Tigellinus. - -An expression of disgust crossed the face of his questioner. A murmur and -a slight laugh broke from his comrades. - -'A fair night to you, Centurion,' answered Tigellinus; 'I thought the -shadow of that rock would hold some of you--it usually does. But you are -not so well acquainted with me as some of the regular folk of the island.' - -'A misfortune for me, doubtless,' responded Martialis. 'You have -authority, I believe, to come and go at will?' - -'Quite right, Centurion, I have,--as well as for whatever merchandise I can -bring along with me. I go at once to my royal patron to offer what I have -for his approval. I am afraid I must rob you of one of your men, -Centurion, to go on an errand to the villa Jovis; I am sorry, but it is -for Caesar's sake, whom we must all obey. Had I been going thither myself -direct, I might have spared the legs of some one else, but, you see, I -have to look after the wellbeing of my two friends here.' - -'The men are there at your service. You need not be at so much pains to -excuse the trouble you feel called upon to give,' said Martialis, with a -frown at the man's impertinence and vulgar assumption of importance. - -'Thanks, Centurion, much,' responded Tigellinus; 'then, with your kind -permission, I will ask my good friend Rufus, whom I see there, to go on my -errand.' - -Singling out a certain man from amongst the guard, he took him aside and -imparted his injunctions. The man departed, and Tigellinus turned round -and said: 'In which palace does Caesar rest at present, Centurion?' - -'In the villa of Neptune,' returned Martialis briefly, turning to leave -the shore. - -'The villa of Neptune!' echoed the other, with a grimace. 'Just my luck! -Of course, when I come on shore, I must needs find my patron in the -furthest corner of the island, at the far end of the most toilsome -path--humph! And the Prefect, the mighty Sejanus, your commander, -Centurion?--Proud-stomached puppy!' - -The last expression was not applied to the dreaded Prefect, but, in an -undertone, to the contemptuous back which the young officer had abruptly -turned upon him. - -''Tis the pampered creature of the pampered master,' he muttered -sneeringly to himself, 'but there is a day in store for them, or I am -mistaken. Tell me then quickly, where is the Prefect lodging in this -island of palaces? with which of the gods does he at present reside, if -the Caesar lives with Neptune?' - -This last question, loudly asked, was answered by one of the coastguard -men, to the effect that the Prefect was housed, with his retinue, in the -villa dedicated to Mercury, which stood on the hill, on the north side, -overlooking the town and the Marina. - -'Take us not to the Mercury of the Prefect, nor yet the Neptune of -Caesar,' said the guarded voice of one of the heavily-shrouded females, in -his ear; 'but to the lares and penates of some humble and obscure -islander, where we may rest unnoticed and secure.' - -'If that be your wish, noble lady, you had better retire at once into one -of the grottoes of the cliffs,' replied Tigellinus, 'for on this mite of -an island everything is known; and one cannot hope to live on its face and -remain secret. This is not Rome, but a tiny spot, where want of occupation -renders everybody and their business the concern of everybody else. It is -a strange place, and one not lightly to be meddled with, as no doubt you -will discover before you are quit of it, my lady.' - -The merchant, or whatever he was, gave a laugh. - -'Spare your remarks, and do as I bid you,' said Plautia, for it was no -other than she, who, together with a slave, had thus carried out her -intention of visiting Capreae; 'you know to whom you are answerable for my -safe and secret conveyance to this spot.' - -'Perfectly well, noble Plau----' - -'Silence; you have already said sufficient, and it is unnecessary for your -lips to speak my name at any time--still less in this spot. Come, let us -dally here no longer.' - -'I will but give a few directions to these fellows concerning the landing -of my merchandise to-night, and then I will proceed with you speedily.' - -Stepping up to one of the coastguards, he spent a minute in conversation. -Then he intimated he was ready, and proceeded up the steps before -described, followed by the adventurous lady and her maid. - -No item of all this scene escaped the keen senses of Afer, who had varied -his position in accordance with the circumstances. Every outspoken word he -had heard, and whatever the furtive flash of the lanterns had revealed, he -had duly observed. - -Surprised with what he had witnessed, and still more puzzled to account -for such an unexpected visitor, he lost no time in following up the path -taken by the females and their escort. - -'I might have known that yon galley bore something strange about her,' he -murmured to himself as he went along, 'but for the fair Plautia to skip -ashore on the sly in Capreae, was a thing undreamt of. What brings her -here? She comes in brave company, however, and she seems to know it; but -whether she is here on Caesar's account, or the Prefect's, or her own, -remains to be seen. The presence of the worthy Tigellinus seems to smack -of Tiberius. Sejanus would hardly risk his billing and cooing with his -royal sweetheart by such a presence. But, whatever be the reason, she -seems to agree wonderfully with the arrangement. Time will soon show -everything.' - -Having climbed up to the level road above, a very few minutes brought them -upon the verge of the little town of Capreae, when Tigellinus swerved to -the left, which caused them to avoid the houses. This turn led them once -more back to the south shore, or rather to the steep cliffs which formed -the coast-line. Tigellinus proceeded to the extreme edge, where they came -suddenly upon a low, flat-roofed house, flanked by fruit-trees and -gardens, and nestling behind a face of the hill which rose up behind it. - -After a sharp knock, the self-designated merchant entered the house, -followed by the two females. The knight, who dogged their steps, waited, -and when, after a lapse of a few minutes, Tigellinus came out alone, and -went rapidly past him in the gloom, he also wended his way toward the -town, where he had his lodging. 'A very snug retreat, and now I suppose -the jackal is off to the lion,' he said. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - -Afer's idea with regard to the movements of the jackal, as he termed him, -was shrewdly correct, for Tigellinus bent his steps without further delay -towards the villa of Neptune. The path was far from being an easy one. -There was the high mountain barrier towering above him and separating him -from the table-land, which sloped towards the north-west, upon the -furthest verge of which the villa of the Emperor rested. He, therefore, -decided to shift part of the burden of his toil upon some other shoulders. -For that purpose he passed through the town and descended to the Marina -proper on the north side, where he commanded a boatman to row him to his -destination. His word seemed to carry as much authority with the fisherman -as with the coastguard, since he was obeyed, although with some amount of -grumbling on account of the unseasonable darkness. - -Within an hour's row the boatman pulled into land and deposited his -passenger on a small ledge chiselled out of the rock. Therefrom Tigellinus -ascended a flight of steps to the level ground above, where, nigh at hand, -loomed the walls of the villa Neptune. - -In the rear of the palace were its gardens surrounded by a wall. -Tigellinus, evidently familiar with the premises, went straight to a small -side door therein, where he received a sharp summons to halt, from a -sentinel who paced in front fully armed. - -'What, Siccius, not know an old friend?' quoth Tigellinus, with a laugh; -'or must I show my signet?' - -'Ho! ho!' replied the soldier, peering close; 'here again! Where have you -dropped from? You come on one, all of a sudden, out of the darkness, like -a ghost. Have you flown or swum?' - -'Neither, Siccius. How are things with you all in the island?' - -'Pretty well; a trifle more bustle and stir since the Prefect came. He is -going to be the son-in-law of Tiberius.' - -'Ay, ay! that grows stale, but do you happen to know how Caesar's humour -runs this evening?' - -'I have heard no complaint, and if the weather is foul it spreads, as a -rule, pretty fast.' - -'Good, then I will go in. Good-night, Siccius!' - -'We shall see you later on,' pleaded the sentinel, 'to tell us the talk -and the news of Rome--sweet Rome?' - -'It depends; if I can I will,' returned Tigellinus, going inside the door. -Passing through the gardens he reached a long and lofty portico of two -stories, from which two or three doors opened. Two more sentinels were on -guard here, underneath the portico, but perceiving who the visitor was, -they merely exchanged a few whispered words with him. Tigellinus chose one -of the entrances which led him into a narrow passage, thence into a court, -open to the sky, and surrounded by offices. The kitchen, in one corner, -with its blazing fires, the adjacent servants' hall, as well as other open -doors, threw their stream of light into the central space, in aid of the -various torches which were stuck around the walls. To and fro across this -court busy slaves passed and repassed in the execution of their duties. -Others, free for the time from responsibility, were assembled in the -servants' hall, full of laugh and chatter. The cooks were resting from -their labours beside their fires, amid the yet uncleared disorder of their -apparatus, and, together with a company of equally idle scullions and -waiting slaves, were busily and pleasantly engaged in nibbling at the -fragments of dainties returned from the Imperial table. These signs did -not escape the keen-witted Tigellinus, who concluded, therefrom, that the -business of Caesar's evening repast had come to an end. After scanning the -faces inside the various offices he quitted the court by a short passage -on the left, meeting one or two more domestics on the way, each bearing a -load of table furnishments. By these he was satisfied, on inquiry, that -the Emperor was at ease after his meal, and he went on into a peristyle or -open hall, of magnificent proportions, surrounded by a pillared portico. -With the exception of the portico it was open to the sky, and the -reflection of the glittering stars danced in the waters of the fountain, -which splashed in the basin in the centre of the marble floor. Around the -basin was arranged a miniature flower garden, and throughout the whole of -the space a soft clear light was diffused from silver lamps, which burned -perfumed oils at frequent intervals around the circuit of the portico. - -Of the numerous doors which opened therefrom, one at the south side was -guarded by the inevitable armed Pretorian. From the frequent passing in -and out of stealthy-footed slaves this would seem to be the Imperial -supper-room, but, instead of proceeding thither, Tigellinus pushed open a -door within a yard of the passage by which he had entered. It was a kind -of office containing only a bench and table, at which was seated a man -engaged in reading, what seemed to be, a paper of accounts. Disturbed by -the sound of the incomer he looked up and gave an ejaculation of surprise, -'What, Tigellinus! At last! I have been looking for you long.' - -His accent was distinctly Greek. His figure was slender and supple, and -his complexion fair. His features were perfectly handsome, but a cold -penetrating expression of eye overbore their beauty with an air of -repellence. - -'Yes, Zeno; it is no other than myself,' replied Tigellinus, closing the -door behind him; 'and, old comrade, how go things with yourself?' - -'Just in the humour for fellowship such as yours,' answered Zeno. - -'Delighted at the compliment,' rejoined the new-comer; 'but Caesar first -and you next, worthy steward. Are the omens favourable that I see my royal -patron this evening?' - -'Without fear,' said the steward. - -Drawing their heads together they conversed in whispers for a quarter of -an hour, at the end of which time Tigellinus drew a signet ring from his -finger and gave it to his friend. Zeno departed and Tigellinus awaited his -return, which did not occur until fully twenty minutes had elapsed. -'Come!' said the steward, thrusting in his head at the door. In the -meantime the sentinel had changed his post to another door in the -peristyle. Through this Tigellinus was ushered by the warrior, and the -steward returned to his accounts. - -Within the apartment, which was simply enough appointed, the ruler of the -world sat awaiting his agent, with his cheek resting on his hand. At his -feet a newly-kindled fire of wood burned brightly, and close to his elbow -was a small table, upon which stood a gold cup filled with wine. -Tigellinus stepped forward into the Imperial presence and knelt down, but -not without giving a swift and anxious glance to read, if possible, his -master's mood. - -To a stranger, the countenance which met his gaze would surely have caused -apprehension by reason of its stern lowering appearance, but, in reality, -it was nothing more than its native, unruffled expression, which -Tigellinus was well accustomed to, and consequently relieved to see. - -The Emperor had now almost completed the allotted age of man. The weight -of threescore years and ten had been aided by the undermining of continued -excesses, of which we have such dark and doubtless exaggerated tales. Yet -both had failed to break the iron constitution of the man. It was -certainly the result most naturally to be expected; but here was prodigy -of physical organisation, which still remained unimpaired under the strain -of age and a ruler's cares, as well as the self-imposed waste of vicious -indulgence. - -But not without the deep indelible traces of the long conflict appearing -externally. His tall form had contracted a stoop, and was shrunk almost to -emaciation. His head was bald, except some thin locks which grew low down -upon his neck. Thus far might honest age be accountable; but to see the -offensive ulcerous eruptions stuck over with plaster, which blotched his -pale face, was to awaken suspicion of polluted habits. Yet from the midst -of this unattractive physiognomy there shone the undimmed brilliance of -his large eyes. Their beauty had outlived the once acknowledged comeliness -of his face, as well as the athletic proportions of his large frame. -Somewhat heavy lidded and slow moving, their glance, nevertheless, when it -became fixed, seemed to pierce the inward thoughts of him they rested -upon. Their depths were as fathomless as the ocean, save when lit with a -sudden magnetic flash of wrath, which his minions ever watched for in -trembling. Nothing, throughout the wide empire, received such unwearying -catlike watch and ward as these basilisk orbs which gathered more than -they emitted. - -In his manner, the Emperor was, by nature, silent and reserved, which -increased for him a reputation for intractable pride and malignance. He -was of the Claudian family, and were they not ever proud and insufferable? -He spoke as little as possible, and his words were delivered slowly and -deliberately, with an accompanying motion of his forefinger. - -Such were the most particular personal characteristics of the tyrant who, -for some occult reason, had foresworn the seat of his empire, and had -secluded himself in a rocky islet. His energy and watchfulness were -unabated in affairs private and public. His continued absence, taken in -conjunction with the busy ambition of the Prefect, was fruitful of rumours -in no way favourable to the supremacy of Caesar. But who could penetrate -the matchless craft, the profound dissimulation which enshrouded the -despot's mind? Without some miracle of light, which might illumine, for -one brief moment, the secret solitude of his brooding thoughts, it were -idle to conjecture and speculate upon their tenor. - -The Emperor held out the signet ring which Tigellinus had sent in as an -intimation of his arrival. The owner rose and took it with humble -obeisance. At a sign from the eloquent forefinger of Caesar, he went and -unloosed the folds of a large curtain which he drew across the door, -thereby effectually guarding against any chance of their voices travelling -outside. This little task completed, he returned, and stood awaiting -Caesar's pleasure. - -'So, you have come--Priscus never bade me expect you,' said Tiberius, -speaking as if it needed an effort to find his voice. - -'I know not that, Caesar, but I sent him word as usual,' replied -Tigellinus, whose obsequious, not to say cringing, manner in the Imperial -presence, bore a very striking contrast to his cool authoritative -deportment elsewhere. - -'Well, it is no matter whether you did, or whether he forgot to tell -me--when did you come?' asked Tiberius. - -'Only this very night, illustrious, since sundown.' - -'Where did you land, and what have you come with? Use your tongue and -spare mine, good Tigellinus,' continued the Emperor, with the faintest -wrinkle of his eyebrows. - -'Yes, I was about to!' rejoined Tigellinus, brisking up at his master's -tone. 'I have those with me that I have chosen with my best endeavours to -be worthy of Caesar's household. I landed at the same place as usual, not -far from the Scopuli, and left my companions of the voyage on board the -galley, while I came on hither to wait upon you, Caesar, without delay. -Meanwhile I sent up to the villa Jovis, and, no doubt, the noble Priscus -will see them removed and safely bestowed at once.' - -'Humph! I shall be able to judge of your efforts when I go to the villa. -Meanwhile what have you to tell me of--come nearer!' - -Tigellinus approached a step or two as desired, and replied, 'There is -little or nothing that I have been able to gather since I was last here. -The people seem to be full at present with the Prefect's visit here--it is -whispered everywhere that he is to be honoured with the hand of the noble -Livia, for which reason he has come hither.' - -'Well!' - -'Does Caesar wish me to say exactly what is commonly said in Rome?' - -'Exactly!' - -'I will speak then without fear. It seems still to pass as a joke, -presumptuous and incredible as it may appear, that the Prefect Sejanus is -called the autocrat, and you, Caesar, the governor of an island.' - -Tigellinus seemed not altogether at ease in imparting this scandal, but -Caesar gazed into the fire with a face as unmoved as granite. Not a -sparkle rose to his eyes, not a curl to his lip. - -'Is that all?' he said dreamily. - -'Yes; except that the Romans seem to believe in it.' - -'Any more?' - -'Nothing, I grieve to say, illustrious; for you only instructed me to -collect what floats from citizen's mouth to citizen's mouth.' - -'If you did more I would have you flung from the walls of the villa into -the sea,' observed Tiberius, with the same placidity of manner. - -'I never seek to exceed the bounds of your commands,' replied Tigellinus -hastily, giving an involuntary shudder at the same time. - -'Meanwhile I am glad to know that the Prefect is so zealous in the duties -which fall to his share,' said Tiberius, calmly spreading his fingers over -the warmth of the fire. - -'What!--your highness is glad!' exclaimed Tigellinus, betrayed into sudden -surprise. - -But the piercing glance of the Emperor transfixed him, and his tongue -clove to the roof of his mouth. He clenched his fist in suspense and -cursed his heedlessness in his heart. - -'Glad!' repeated Tiberius, without removing his gaze--'rejoiced, worthy -Tigellinus, as every master should be at the diligence of his servant. -Should it not be so?' - -'I--it should--certainly! The Prefect is most diligent. And he is happy like -my humble self in having a master beyond compare.' - -Tigellinus stammered in the former part of his reply, but he rolled out -the latter with recovered self-possession and glib readiness. - -'May I be hurled to Hades if I permit my voice in future to show that I -have an idea how the wind blows,' he thought to himself, as he breathed -freer. 'Ugh! I seemed already to fancy myself standing on yonder cliff -ready for a dive. He is a sublime hypocrite, or I am an equally sublime -fool--I'll stick to my own trade--at least as far as speaking goes!' - -'You are a poor newsmonger on this occasion, Tigellinus,' quoth the -Emperor. - -'I am grieved to acknowledge the fact, Caesar,' answered the other -mournfully, 'but what can your humble servant do in the lack of news? You -would be displeased if I were to manufacture any to entertain you.' - -'Do not try!' said Tiberius drily; 'since nothing stirs the air of the -city I may infer then that the people are well satisfied with the conduct -of those in authority over them?' - -Fairly warned by his slip, Tigellinus resolutely stifled his curiosity -with regard to the Imperial policy, and was watchful not to be tempted -from the secure path of plain matter-of-fact answers. He, therefore, -replied to the artful question of the Emperor in a simple affirmative, -'That it was as Caesar had said, as far as his perception was able to -ascertain.' - -'Happy people! happy city!' murmured Tiberius softly, as if to himself, or -to the fire, into which he was gazing. - -'Truly happy!' was the refrain of Tigellinus. - -'Ah--what?' said Tiberius, looking up hastily, as though roused from a -reverie. - -'I was merely agreeing with you, Caesar, when you remarked what is true -beyond doubt, that Rome and its people were happy,' said Tigellinus. - -'Did I then speak?' said the Emperor carelessly; 'I knew it not--I must -have thought aloud--a style I am not given to.' - -His glance fell on the goblet of wine, which stood untasted, and he -stretched out his hand to take it. - -'I had forgotten my drink--no doubt because of your stirring news,' -continued Tiberius, with a delicate sarcasm, which the other instinctively -likened to the toying of a tiger's claws sheathed in velvet; 'I drink to -the happiness of my Romans, and to that of my Prefect in particular.' - -A deep draught gurgled down the Imperial throat, and the cup was set down -again more than half emptied. Tigellinus eyed his master with covert, -doubting glances. - -'One little matter, illustrious, I had forgotten for the moment,' he said, -not daring to withhold it, and yet doubting how it might be received. - -'A little matter,' observed Tiberius ironically, 'I daresay with more in -it than the other.' - -'It is in a measure connected with the Prefect, who so well deserves your -gracious esteem,' continued the other, deeming it safe to add the -compliment from what had passed, although it had upset all his previous -theories. - -The Emperor nodded for him to proceed. - -'Shortly before the Prefect left Rome for Capreae, he told me that a -certain lady wished to visit this island, and, in order that she might -come without arousing any notice, I was to send her word when I was to -start, that she might accompany me. She and a waiting slave, therefore, -took passage with us, and, as I was instructed to do exactly as she -desired, I took her, at her request; to the most secluded and out-of-the- -way lodging I could think of, where she might pass the time without the -fear of her presence becoming generally known.' - -'Is she young or old?' asked Tiberius, raising his eyebrows in the -faintest degree. - -'Young, most decidedly.' - -'Beautiful or hideous, good Tigellinus?' - -'One of the most beautiful in Rome.' - -Caesar's pallid lips, for the first time, curved into a satirical smile. - -'You have made a mistake,' he said; 'the Prefect's betrothed bride, the -Lady Livia, would have been more grateful for your information than I am!' - -'I do beseech you, Caesar, remember, that solely in my zeal and duty to -you I have revealed what I swore to keep entirely secret,' uttered -Tigellinus, perturbed in spirit by the Emperor's answer. 'The worshipful -Sejanus may discover and visit his vengeance upon me!' - -'Be easy,' said Tiberius, 'as long as anything proves of use to me I -suffer nothing to harm it. Who is this woman?' - -'Plautia, the sister of Apicius.' - -'Apicius the spendthrift fool of the Palatine who poisoned himself at -supper?' - -'The same--all Rome talked of it.' - -'And this Plautia?--I know her not.' - -'She dwells nigh the Forum of Caesar--alone.' - -'Has she anything to recommend her but her beauty?' - -'Her suppers are celebrated among a certain set.' - -'Of which the Prefect makes one?' - -'They have been most intimate for some time.' - -'Who else of any note?' - -'The Prefect's friend, Domitius Afer; one called Martialis is infatuated -with the love of her, follows her like a dog, and report says she treats -him like one.' - -'She is fonder of the Prefect, and, now that she has followed after him, -this Martialis will forthwith hang himself, as a dog in despair should. -The Prefect has a centurion whom I know by that name. Without doubt it is -the same luckless dog.' - -'No, the centurion is a younger brother.' - -'You are invaluable, Tigellinus,' said Tiberius, nodding his head -approvingly. 'I should deem myself clever with only half of your industry -and power of memory. Do you happen to know if this other Martialis, the -officer of the Prefect, is also accounted one of the set blessed with the -cookery of this lady's kitchen?' - -'No, I should say not. He is seldom seen, even with his brother, I am -told. He and the guard were waiting for me to-night, when I rowed ashore -at dusk--bears himself somewhat proudly.' - -'It is a prerogative of the legion to which he belongs, Tigellinus, and we -poor mortals of the simple coat must put up with it. But he is a good -officer, and highly prized by Sejanus, which is a sufficient guarantee for -his trustworthiness. But enough of that--tell me who else is familiar with -this lady's table.' - -'Charinus, Pomponius, Blaesus, Vitellius--these are some I know, but I -never set myself to inquire particularly concerning the matter. Had I -known that you would have taken so much interest I would have made it my -business to have got more information.' - -'It matters little--I seem scarce to know those you have already named. The -lady, herself, no doubt, is the chief attraction--what else is there of -interest about her in addition to her comeliness and her savoury suppers? -Are her manners free and captivating--is she wise or witty?' - -'H'm, in truth, Caesar,' said Tigellinus, with a hesitating air, 'some say -one thing and some another, but I am told that she is a woman whom no one -can properly fathom, so that no one can prove whether she be too free or -not. I have only been in her company from Rome hither, but I would -confidently say that she is a woman of ability, and with a haughty temper -such as I should not care to get foul of. Of her loveliness there is no -doubt.' - -'You are a judge, my Tigellinus.' - -'It is my profession, or part of it, so please you, illustrious,' replied -the other, with a smirk. - -The lips of Caesar deigned a faint smile, and he betrayed further -curiosity as to the reason of Plautia's visit. But his informant was -obliged to admit his complete ignorance. - -'I should recommend you to tell me, nevertheless,' quoth Caesar coldly and -mercilessly. - -'I swear to the gods, illustrious, that I do not know,' protested -Tigellinus with vehemence and trepidation; 'had I any knowledge I would -not, nor dare I, hide it from you--I would have no cause for doing so. What -cause there is for her coming is, perhaps, only known to her and to the -Prefect. I have observed nothing which could give me any suspicion. But I -will endeavour to get some information if Caesar thinks proper to bid me.' - -'I will consider,' returned Tiberius, musing; 'it seems, however, to be -easily explained, and no doubt may be left to herself and the Prefect. In -what part of the island have you put her, in order that she may be -undisturbed?' - -'Noble Caesar?' ejaculated the Suburan faintly. - -Tiberius frowned. - -'I say where have you left this woman?' - -'In the house of one named Tucca, at the edge of the cliffs under the hill -of the villa of Mars. It is almost hid from sight; there are no dwellings -at hand, so that it seemed to me to be as serviceable for the purpose as -any.' - -'No doubt,' observed the Emperor; 'but had it been under the villa of -Mercury it would have been more convenient for those concerned.' - -There was a knock at the door, and on receiving permission to enter, the -sentinel made his appearance, and announced the arrival of a courier with -despatches. - -Caesar's demeanour and voice betrayed evident interest. 'I will summon him -directly--let him be at hand,' he said. 'And now, Tigellinus, best and most -discreet of servants, we will let these matters of ours rest until to- -morrow.' - -Tigellinus made a low obeisance and withdrew. He went across the spacious -peristyle, and disappeared down the passage, by which he had arrived, -toward the quarters of the household staff, where he held a largely -attended levee, as the newest arrival from Rome. - -The Emperor stepped to the door, and, slightly opening it, peered through -to assure himself of his vassal's complete departure. When the sound of -steps had completely died away, he clapped his hands and then returned to -his seat. In a few seconds the slender figure and handsome face of the -Greek steward Zeno entered. - -'Know you the house of one named Tucca, standing on the cliffs at the foot -of the hill of Mars?' demanded Tiberius. - -The steward replied in the affirmative. - -'There is a young female arrived there in secret, together with a slave. I -wish to have her described to me; I wish to know, if possible, why she is -here--I wish to know all her movements. Neither she nor any one else must -know that she is watched, and the matter must be confined to three -persons--myself, yourself, and the spy, whoever he may be. And, especially, -must it be kept from Tigellinus, your good friend, as I know.' - -'I understand perfectly,' answered Zeno. - -'If she desires to be secret you will find darkness more prolific than -daylight. Go, and call the courier!' - -The Greek vanished, and the Emperor took some small tablets from his bosom -and proceeded to make a few notes. By the time he had finished the courier -entered, bearing a packet of despatches, to which he immediately turned -his serious attention. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - -Suspicion was a weed which clothed the face of the island of Capreae. It -penetrated every nook of hill, cavern, or grove. The very air was charged -with its essence, as it is loaded with electricity at the time of a -thunderstorm. Every tiny leaf that nestled to the ground was the peering -eye of an Argus. Little or nothing could hope to pass unnoticed within the -narrow circuit of those sea-girt rocks. There was an ear for each saying -worth repeating, an eye for each movement worth noting, and all finally -flowed into the channel which led to the dark, deep mind of Caesar. To the -ready ear of the ambitious, plotting Prefect also, in his villa of -Mercury, perched on the conical hill overlooking the Marina, the -mysterious whisperings and rumours of the isle did not fail to float. What -hope then was there of Plautia remaining secret? - -The cottage of Tucca became the most curiously regarded spot in Capreae, -before the dawn of the morning following the circumstances related in the -last chapter. Invisible eyes watched it, so that not even a movement of -the ancient cur, which lay before the door, was missed, nor the flight of -a pigeon from the flock which perched on the roof. - -The house was a small one almost facing the south, and, consequently, -looking nearly full upon the sea. With its left eye, as it were, it looked -across to the town of Capreae and the face of the island sloping up to the -eastern cliffs. To the right hand there was no path, nor yet foothold, for -anything but a bird of the air, and a few yards further on, the crags -descended sheer into the sea. These crags rose up above the house, forming -the side of the hill, upon which gleamed, above, the walls of the villa of -Mars. Thus, it may be seen that the dwelling of Tucca had, for some -reason, been perched as far round the outside, seaward face of the hill as -possible. - -Tucca, the owner and occupier of this abode, was an old man, who lived -alone with his wife. He was a small man, with a head nearly bald, and had -sharp features, withered and prodigiously wrinkled. He was evidently very -aged, but of that spare, wiry toughness of body which best defies time. He -did not seem to be scrupulously clean in person. His garments might have -been worn night and day for months, by their greasy surfaces and obstinate -creases, whilst the leather-like folds of his face had the appearance of -being engrained with dirt. He derived his livelihood from wine-growing and -otherwise tilling the ground, and his arduous and lifelong toil had had -the effect of imparting a stoop to his slight dried-up frame. His tenement -stretched from the left of his house along the path which led to the town, -and his vines, likewise, reached upward, draping the hillside, as far as -sufficient soil could be gathered together to give them sustenance. - -Tigellinus had made, no doubt, the best choice possible for the purpose -required, when he led the beautiful young Roman lady hither to this spot, -hidden away half round a hill, on the brink of the cliffs, as far as a -human foot could venture; but, as no previous notice had been made to its -resident, of the unexpected honour about to be conferred upon him, the -ancient husbandman was, as might be expected, considerably startled. A few -whispered words from Tigellinus in his ear, however, charmed away the -astonished and ill-tempered expression of his restless, mistrustful eyes, -and he became readiness, compliance, and amiability itself. The haughty -and even scornful bearing of his visitor, as she glanced around her -lodging, and scanned him from head to foot, might seem to have warmed his -old heart with gratefulness, so deep was his obeisance, and so great was -the grimace of joy with which he contorted his face. His wife, as lean and -withered as himself, had a hard time of it for a space; but, finally, all -arrangements were made for the comfortable bestowment of the visitors, and -the household sank into sleep and oblivion. - -The following morning, as day was breaking, Tucca came out of his house -into the raw air. Water was an element he did not favour at any time, but -more particularly thus early. Hence he proceeded to his work in a state of -semi-wakefulness. A little grove of fruit trees covered the left flank of -the house, and through this he directed his steps, more by instinct than -due perception of where he was going. In the midst there was an arbour, or -summer-house, in a state of bad repair, being a structure designed for -ornament and ease, with which Tucca had no sympathy whatever. Its frame, -in fact, was mainly held together by the twining creepers, which thickly -enwrapped it, and almost hid the doorway from view. As the old husbandman -passed close by this, an arm was thrust forth from amid the creepers, and -the hand thereof grasped him by the shoulder. Tucca, startled out of his -comatose state, gave vent to a yelp of surprise, very largely mixed with -fear, but it was lost within the gloom of the arbour whither he was -dragged. - -'Good morrow, Tucca; you are out betimes; you deserve to be as rich as -people say you are.' - -Tucca gazed at his captor; but the gloom, combined with his confused -faculties, prevented him from making anything out save a figure clothed in -a long cloak and peaked hood, or burnoose, which well-nigh enveloped the -face as well as the head. - -'Who are you and what do you want?' was the natural response of the wine- -grower. - -'I am one you know, and I am here to see you on particular business.' - -'You may be some one I know, but this is a strange time and a strange -place to lie in wait; I don't like the look of it myself,' was the short, -crusty answer. 'Come into the daylight, such as it is, so far!' - -'No,' replied the figure, holding him back; 'I prefer staying here until -we have finished.' - -'I ought to know your voice.' - -'I told you that I am known to you.' - -'Then why in the name of the furies do you not show me your face?' - -'I will, gossip; but, first of all, a few words. You received two visitors -last night?' - -'Eh!' said the old man, giving a start. - -'I say you received two visitors last night--two women.' - -Tucca kept his hand upon the handle of a knife stuck in his girdle, and he -eyed his questioner keenly in silence for a moment, as if to think twice -before he spoke. - -'Well?' said the other sharply. - -'It's none of your business whether I did or whether I did not--I'll not -tell you.' - -'You will have to tell me more than that--look, old man!' - -Tucca's visitor stepped towards the doorway, where his face might meet the -fast-increasing light, and he threw back the ample burnoose from his head. -The ancient legs of the wine-grower shook beneath him. He became fully -awake; for the classic face of Zeno, the Emperor's steward, looked down -upon him, as perfect and beautiful as if sculptured in tinted marble, but -with the cold, metallic eyes which were fatal to all accompanying grace. - -'It is my worshipful Zeno!' exclaimed Tucca, with gestures of abject -humility and apology. 'Pardon, noble Zeno; but how could your servant know -you in this light and with that hood over your face--and with my eyes -too--seventy-five years old? But why come here so early in the cold? Come -into--no, I mean--a--a--what can old Tucca do to serve your worship?' - -'Thank you, Tucca. Had I thought fit to go into your house I would have -done so without an invitation, knowing your esteem and love for me. But,' -continued Zeno, with a meaning smile, 'I knew it would not be convenient -for you, since you harbour guests beneath your roof. I thought it best to -speak with you out of doors first before I ran the chance of making myself -an intruder, unwelcome as it might be. Shall we go in now?' - -'Well--ah--it is hardly fit to receive you--at this time of day--nothing in -order or----' - -'No matter for that,' said Zeno, interrupting the stammering and confused -old man; 'I only want a seat and a draught of wine.' - -'Then wait only one minute until I tell my wife, and she will straighten -up and make tidy for your worship,' returned Tucca, turning to trot out of -the arbour. - -Zeno caught him by the arm. - -'Not so fast,' said he; 'I have changed my mind. Old fool, did I not know -for a surety that you had those I speak of within your house, your very -manner would have revealed it to me, as plainly as written parchment -telling the same. Do you deny it?' - -'Most worshipful----' began Tucca imploringly. - -'Do you deny, I say?' - -'Why do you ask me? What can it be to you?' said the wine-grower, with a -show of resistance. - -'To me--nothing!' responded the steward, with a grim smile; 'I am only one -of the tiger's paws to be stretched out at the tiger's will. It rests upon -you at present, Tucca, so be wise. I have come from the villa of Neptune -this morning straight.' - -'Good Zeno, be easy with me, for you have dealt well with me so far,' -whined the perplexed and terrified old man. - -'You are not proceeding in the way most calculated to incline me to do so. -Tell me!' said Zeno, pointing meaningly towards the house. - -'I cannot--there is one as great in Capreae as Caesar--I dare not.' - -'You will repent of that delusion when you find yourself, very shortly, -about to be cast from one of the cliffs of Capreae. What's he that you -compare with Caesar? There is but one you can mean--is it the Prefect?' - -Tucca hung his head and did not answer. Zeno thereby gained a little -information, which had the effect of giving him, at once, some more -personal concern in the matter. To spy upon a probable arrangement of the -formidable Prefect was a task unlooked for and likely to prove of some -interest. - -'You are obstinate, Tucca, and you are simple and foolish to put the -servant before his master. I might be disposed to leave you in a huff and -allow you to take the consequences of your idiocy, but I will take more -pains with you, and try and reason you out of your ideas. You live so much -out of the way here in this corner that you are ignorant of how things -run. Listen: last night a certain merchant, named Tigellinus, brought two -females to your house, and there they are at this moment. It is folly for -you to deny it. You grow excellent wine, Tucca--I have bought it from you -for the Emperor's table, and the Emperor likes it. Caesar is a resident, -and if you wish to continue his custom you had better do as I advise you; -if not, you will assuredly have every drop of blood drawn out of your old -veins, as well as every quart of wine out of your cellars. The same finger -that can do this can, equally as well, do the same to the most noble -Prefect if sad necessity compelled. Do your duty to your ruler and patron, -therefore, and rest easy.' - -'You know what I know--I cannot tell you more,' said the husbandman -despairingly. - -'Their names?' - -'Before Jupiter, I know not.' - -'I have also orders to dispense certain coins to those who make themselves -particularly useful in this matter--it is surely best to please the -strongest party and be paid for it--at least my notions run that way.' - -Zeno made a dull jingling of some money under his cloak, and marked, with -a smile, the flash of the old man's eyes and the pricking up of his ears. - -'Noble Zeno, you were ever liberal with me, but if I could serve you -without----' - -'It will be easily earned, Tucca; good pay, and never fear for your old -bones.' - -'What, then, do you require?' - -'To use your memory and duly relate to me anything that your visitors may -say loud enough for your ears to catch. If it be anything about the -weather, or matters of equal importance, you need not trouble to store it -up; but if there may be a chance remark or inquiry concerning any person -or persons of any note in the island, you must truly bring the same to me, -as I should like to hear it. You must, likewise, take notice of their -movements, and everything which may be likely to throw a light upon the -reason of their presence here. You see, therefore, Tucca, that your task -is of the easiest and lightest, and beyond suspicion--merely to keep your -eyes and ears open.' - -'And will you be at hand, or must I go to seek you at the palaces?' - -'Inquire for Alexander at the little tavern of the Widow Paula, and you -will be told where to find me--you will remember to inquire for Alexander, -old man?' - -'For Alexander, noble Zeno.' - -'Good; it is important. Now, by way of commencement, tell me the names of -these women.' - -'I swear by all the gods in heaven, Zeno, I do not know. They came and ate -a slight supper, such as we were able to put before them,--for we knew no -more than the dead that we were to have any visitors,--and then they -retired, and we have not seen them since. It is the truth, as I stand -here!' - -'Well, and what of their appearance? are they young?' - -'Young, Zeno, and the mistress as beautiful as the sun.' - -'Ah!' said Zeno, nodding, whilst a smile spread over his handsome face; 'I -think there will nothing very serious spring out of this matter, although -a ten years' war did once arise on account of a woman. But, nevertheless, -be vigilant.' - -'I will be all ears and eyes.' - -'And secret--do not ask impertinent questions, or you will spoil all.' - -'Not one, noble Zeno.' - -'Consider your next amphorae of wine as sold and delivered, at a point -above the best price in Capreae.' - -'Generous Zeno!' said Tucca, bending low. - -'And for this,' rejoined the steward, artfully chinking the coins beneath -his cloak, 'we will settle when this business is over.' - -'May it be soon; why they should pitch upon my house, and mix a harmless -man up with their women and their works, I know not--but I would they were -away.' - -'And so do I, Tucca, for this early morning watch does not agree with your -humble servant.' - -'But what safeguard can you offer me if he, for whom these people are in -charge, should know that I play the spy on them?' - -'He cannot know if you do only as I tell you; and if he does, leave the -rest to me.' - -'Hermes guard me--I should be but the earthen pipkin between two brazen -pots.' - -The steward was looking cautiously through the leafy screen of the doorway -towards the house. He started and said, 'Hasten, Tucca, look upon your -housetop! There are these same mysterious beings gazing therefrom upon the -landmarks of the island and tasting the morning air--hasten to the -house--they may want thee to ask thee this or that, it may be--there is a -chance--so go!' - -'I will.' - -'And hearken, Tucca, it is best to reckon up both sides of our bargain,' -added Zeno, catching him by the arm for a moment; 'I rely upon your faith -and have no reason to doubt it, being, as you are, in your right mind; but -if you play me false from fear, or hope, or promise of what you would -expect to be greater in pay, as sure as you stand by me at this very -moment you shall suffer!' - -'Dear Zeno and friend, I could never----' - -'I think not, but if you do--in yonder villa of Jove, within the walls -there, is more than one catapult--you shall be shot from the cliffs a -league into the sea, like a pebble from a sling. Go, and forget not -Alexander at the tavern of Paula!' - -The husbandman went back to his house, on the flat roof of which Plautia -and her maid were standing, taking the keen morning air and viewing the -landscape, as Zeno had said. - -The old man shuffled about in view down below, and presently the voice of -Plautia hailed him and desired, or rather commanded, him to go up to her. - -He did so, and the stoop in his small, withered body was doubled in -humility as he remained before her awaiting her pleasure. She looked -haughtily down upon him, and the light of day did not improve his -appearance. The grease and the dirt-engrained wrinkles, somewhat softened -and mellowed by the lamplight of the night before, were as perceptible as -only daylight could make them. The finely-curved nose of Plautia was -elevated at its tip, as much as it was capable of doing, as she surveyed -her host in all his glory. She formed the most complete contrast possible. -Her noble figure, large and erect, fronting his small, bent, insignificant -frame; her dark piercing eyes and her glowing skin, fresh from the early -morning toilet, and tinted with a yet richer bloom by the keen sea-breeze. -It seemed to the ancient husbandman as if the glorious Juno herself had -descended on to the roof of his dwelling to survey the isle and sea -sleeping and silent in the gray light of dawn. - -'I wish to tell you, old man,' she began abruptly, 'that you shall be well -paid for our lodging here.' - -'That I feel sure of, gracious lady,' replied the reverent Tucca. - -'Your house is retired and not overlooked, and for that reason I come -here. We wish to be entirely unobserved. It is necessary that our presence -here be not known. Therefore you and your wife must refrain from prating a -single word thereof. You understand?' - -'Perfectly, lady, you may rest easy--we shall give neither word nor sign.' - -'Good! if you do I would not stand in your shoes for all the island is -worth. Now show me all that can be seen from where we stand--what is yon -house on yon hill?--I have been in Capreae ere this, but I forget.' - -She pointed across to the villa of Mercury, crowning the conical hill -above the Marina, on the other side of the valley. Tucca told her. - -'And who dwells therein?' she inquired. - -'The Prefect, who is betrothed to Livia, the Emperor's daughter-in-law--he -is the greatest man in the Empire they say--he lives there at present. But -the villa belongs to Caesar--like that one, and that, and that.' He pointed -to the elevated summits around. - -'The greatest man in the Empire,' she murmured, with a smile; 'and what of -Caesar?' - -'He is even now over there,' explained Tucca, sweeping his grimy hand up -toward the towering heights behind them; 'he moves about from one place to -another. To-morrow may find him over there--as likely as not.' - -She followed his pointing finger to the eastern cliff in the distance, -where the white walls of the fortress peeped up against the sky. - -'And that?' she inquired. - -'Is the villa of Jove, of which he is the fondest. It is built in with -huge walls; it is full of guards and stores of provisions they say, and -the sea roars a thousand feet below.' - -Tucca shuddered as he recalled the threat of Zeno. - -'Full of guards, say you--do you know any of those same guards?' - -'No, good lady; I have seen them, but I know none of them. They keep watch -and ward over Caesar wherever he goes.' - -'Are they Pretorians, think you?' - -'Surely.' - -'And they are lodged in yonder villa?' - -'The bulk of them, yes.' - -'What, up there?' said Plautia, looking thither earnestly. - -Tucca nodded. - -'And the Prefect--does his guard lodge with him?' - -'I know not, lady; it is little I know of these great people.' - -Plautia remained in thought for a minute, then she said, 'You must find me -a messenger who will be trusty and secret--but no! You had better do my -errands--it would be safer.' - -'As you wish, noble lady.' - -'Come then, we will go down--we may be seen.' - -'It would be safer--there may be curious eyes prying,' rejoined Tucca. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - -Shortly before noon on the same morning Domitius Afer climbed the steep -path which led to the Prefect's house. On arriving at the villa he found -that Sejanus had gone to the Emperor's stronghold on the eastern cliffs, -where the Pretorians on duty in the island were barracked. Thither he -thought it worth while to follow. Coming out of the gates of the villa -Jovis he met Martialis, arrayed in simple civilian costume. With the -barest recognition possible they went on their way, but Afer was -sufficiently interested to tell his Greek attendant to loiter behind, and -watch which way the young Centurion aimed for. - -Three sides of the Emperor's favourite villa were surrounded by strong -defences. The fourth side, since it rested on the edge of the cliffs, was -impregnable to everything save the birds of the air. Between the villa -with its private grounds, and the outside girdle of defence, was an ample -space, partly planted with trees. It was occupied, in one part, by a range -of buildings, which were the quarters of the Pretorian detachment -garrisoning the island during its tenure as an Imperial residence. The -entrances of the villa itself were each guarded by the customary -legionary, but, elsewhere, Afer met with no challenge to impede his steps. -In the middle of the wide parade ground fronting the barrack houses, he -perceived the Prefect speaking with an officer, who was a man approaching -the gigantic in stature. - -Afer loitered apart until the huge Pretorian officer went off, and then -Sejanus turned towards him. 'Good morrow, my Titus! Did you climb to the -villa this morning?' - -'As usual, Prefect.' - -'I rested ill last night, and was astir earlier in consequence,' said -Sejanus. 'There is nothing new from Rome.' - -'Alas, I would I were there!' sighed Afer; 'the heaviness of this listless -isle is insupportable. The mountains, the rocks, and the sea--the sea, the -rocks, and the mountains; there is nothing else. The senses rust, the -brain is numb, and one walks as if steeped to the lips in a heavy dream or -phantasmagoria. Would I were standing in my porch on the Esquiline!' - -'What, exchange this pure air, this fair isle, its peace and repose, for -the smells, and smoke, and roars of that seething cauldron Rome! Tush, you -have twice as much colour in your cheeks, and twice as much sparkle in -your eye, as when we left it. You are hard to please. Turn philosopher or -poet--anything to pass the time. You never hear me repine.' - -'Ah no, but I am not in the lucky position in which you are, Prefect; I -have no betrothed bride to bid time fly like the wind,' answered Afer -sarcastically. - -'Go and get you one, then,' said the smiling Prefect. - -'And in what eagle's nest nigh the clouds, or in what secret den below -ground should I keep her in this sea prison, that I might have her and -call her still my own?' - -'Get an ill-favoured one and live in peace.' - -'I would rather take beauty and run all risks, if I could land beauty, on -some dark night, and find a snug corner to bestow it safely and unseen,' -observed the knight carelessly. - -Knowing his man, he did not expect his speech to have any effect, and he -was, therefore, surprised to see a sudden light flash into his patron's -face. - -'By Hercules!' exclaimed the Prefect sharply, as he struck his forehead at -the same time with his hand, 'was ever an idle speech such an apt -reminder!' - -He fumbled in the breast of his tunic. - -'What is it? what lucky word have I said?' said Afer curiously. - -'How came it to slip my mind, and I only received it this morning as I -left my chamber,' said Sejanus, drawing forth a crumpled paper and -offering it to his friend. 'Read!' - -Afer took the paper, which contained a few crabbed words, as follows:-- - - - 'I arrived last night, and the two females you know of are safely - lodged in the house of one Tucca, under the Hill of Mars, a very - safe place.' - - -There was no signature, but Afer needed none to tell him from whom the -missive came. - -'It is very suggestive,' said he, with an inscrutable countenance; 'but, -for the rest, I am still too much in the dark to say more.' - -'What then if I tell you that these damsels came from Rome--who would you -say they were, or rather she--for one, as I apprehend, is only a slave?' - -'Rome is large and its females many,' said Afer; 'I would as lieve begin -to count the stones on the Marina.' - -'Who but our lovely entertainer on many a pleasant afternoon--who but the -queenly Plautia.' - -'What! Plautia here, and why?' cried the knight, with a start of surprise -which Roscius might have envied. 'Ah, Prefect, what does this mean?' - -Afer smiled and looked at the handsome Prefect with a sly askant look. - -'Faith, I know not--not I,' answered Sejanus. - -'Um!' said his follower. - -There was something in the manner of this ejaculation which proved too -much for the other's attempted gravity, and he burst out into a laugh. - -'You would seem to insinuate something, my dear Titus,' he remarked; 'and -yet it is quite true, incredible as it may appear, that our lovely and -wilful dame has thought fit to visit Capreae entirely in obedience to her -own whim.' - -'Most strange!' rejoined Afer pithily. - -'Most true!' - -'There must be a strong reason for such a dainty, exquisite, proud, city- -bred lady to come hither--do you not think so?' - -'Whether there be a strong inducement, or merely a woman's curiosity I am -equally unaware.' - -'Such privations, such hardships, such fatigues, such inconveniences for a -female to undergo, who has never known even the hardness of a wrinkle in -her bed of down. There is never a man in Rome who would not give five -years of his life to be able to boast of this feat.' - -'Pooh, pooh, man! you are fantastical this morning.' - -'If I am as near the truth, as it seems to me I am, it matters not what -name you put upon it.' - -'Tush!' - -'Your approaching marriage makes her desperate. It is as clear as the -daylight.' - -'Pooh, pooh, this is nonsense!' - -'The lady is proud; but we ever thought we could detect the signs of -feeling for you, in spite of her haughty bearing.' - -'Have done, man--you grow silly.' - -'What must be the power which can so reduce such pride and disdain to such -lapdog humility!' - -'Are you so mad as to imagine that she has ventured hither on my account?' - -'I have said.' - -'Psaw!' - -The ablest minds have their weaknesses, and it was beyond the power of the -formidable Prefect's affected scorn to hide the gratification which this -flattery of the influence of his personal advantages caused to lurk in his -very handsome face. - -His client well knew that he need have little fear of giving offence by -straining too grossly on the point, so he proceeded-- - -'Until you are able, therefore, to render another reason for the divine -Plautia's presence, it will be vain to dislodge my opinion.' - -'I really cannot say, except that it is merely a woman's whim,' returned -the other, shrugging his shoulders pityingly. ''Tis strange I forgot she -was coming.' - -'What? did you then know?' said Afer in surprise. - -'Had the least thought of it troubled my brain I must have told you before -now. Ere we left Rome she vowed, for some reason which I could not -discover, that she would pay a sly visit to Capreae. She would not be -dissuaded, and for the sake of peace I consented. I arranged her -conveyance hither; for the rest she must take her chance.' - -'How did she come?' - -'In the vessel of one Tigellinus, who has periodical business in the -island.' - -Both men burst into a laugh. - -'It would be curious to know how the fair Plautia is pleased,' said Afer. - -'I do not know; and whatever her experiences may be, and whatever befall -her, she must abide by it, for she would take her own headstrong way.' - -'She will be seen and whispered of through the island, as sure as yon sun -shines upon us. Inquiries will be made. Are you not afraid of -contingencies arising, which it would be unwise and unnecessary to -provoke--with your pardon, Prefect, for speaking thus.' - -The confidential follower nodded significantly toward the west, as if to -indicate some particular part of the island. Sejanus regarded him -earnestly for a space, and then replied slowly-- - -'You are right, Afer. I understand what you mean. I thought of that -possibility when I granted beauty's request, but I was too hasty and -hurried at the time. I am more impressed with it now. This state of things -is too dangerous; it must be altered, my Titus.' - -'It would be wise to bring the lady's visit to a sudden and hasty close,' -rejoined Afer. - -'By Hercules! it must be done,' muttered Sejanus, knitting his brows. -'Only think, if my lady Livia were to hear! Come, let us go back to my -house. I was intending to depart straight to the villa of Neptune; but not -now. One thing is sure; I must see this bold damsel, as soon as there is -sufficient darkness to cover one's movements. Come, let us march! May all -the powers in heaven give her prudence and keep her in-doors till night. -Given that, then the morn may break upon her at a safer distance.' - -At a certain time previous to this conversation, the old man Tucca emerged -from his dwelling and made toward the town. On the outskirts thereof was a -wine tavern--a small, unpretending house, standing in a very narrow lane. -It was the tavern of Paula. He went in and inquired of the widow herself -for Alexander. She was a native of the island, like himself, and, of -course, known to him, as long as she had lived, some five-and-forty years. -A quiet smile rested on her yet comely face when, after a few commonplace -remarks, Tucca made his inquiry. She brought him upstairs into a cell-like -room, just large enough to hold a pallet-bed, whereon Zeno lay asleep. - -'Well, friend Tucca!' said the steward, starting up and stretching -himself; 'what news? I am revenging myself, as you see, for my early -business this morning.' - -'She has sent me to get tablets, wax, and thread,' said the old man. - -'Oh, indeed!' answered Zeno, nodding and yawning; 'this looks as if she -intended to write a letter. If she does, it may tell us a secret, perhaps. -Wait here, and I will be back directly.' - -He left the room, and very soon returned with what the husbandman -required. - -'There you have them, Tucca; go and say you got them anywhere but here.' - -'I am well pleased enough,' returned Tucca, 'for it saves me a walk.' - -'And only right, Tucca; you grow old. Fail not to call here on your way -with the missive, or if you are not to carry it, I must know how and when -it flies.' - -Tucca departed, and, in due course, once more emerged from his dwelling -townward--this time with a stout stick, as if bound on a longer journey. He -was barely out of sight of his own house, when he was startled by the -steward stepping in front of him, from behind a corner of a wall. - -'Well, Tucca,' said that individual, 'have you anything to show me?' - -'Yes, truly, noble Zeno. Faith, you startled me coming out on me in that -fashion,' answered the old man, bringing out the tablets, which were -securely fastened with some of the thread and wax which Zeno had supplied. - -'Thanks!' said the steward, thrusting them in his tunic. 'Now loiter on -for some hundred yards past the tavern, and I will join you and return -this.' - -He disappeared, and by and by rejoined Tucca at the place appointed, and -gave him the tablets, to all appearance untouched. In the meantime, it had -been an easy matter for his nimble and expert fingers to open the missive, -note its contents, and fasten it up as before, with thread and wax from -the same stock. The wine-grower perceived, to his inward satisfaction, -that the epistle bore no sign of being meddled with, and went on his way -to deliver it. He left the town on his left hand, and walked on until he -arrived at the outer gate of the villa of Jove, just as Afer and his -patron and their servants were turning their steps thither, as described. -The quick eye of the knight caught sight of the old man as soon as he -appeared on the inside of the enclosure trudging toward the barrack- -houses. - -'Look!' he exclaimed in a low voice, nudging the Prefect to enforce -attention, 'look at yon old man. That is no other than Tucca, at whose -house the fair Plautia is lodged. What does he up here? It would be worth -while knowing, I'll warrant! A thousand pounds, but if we could get to -know we should need little more.' - -'But how?' - -'Quick! There is time, and he does not notice us. Send and bid yon -Pretorian stop him and ask his business inside the villa. Let your slave -linger by and listen.' - -Sejanus turned hastily and spoke to his slave Lygdus, who hastened to -carry the order to the sentinel, whose post was one of mere discipline, -since the townspeople came and went, and did their trafficking without the -least ceremony, except at the entrances of the Imperial residence itself, -which were closely watched. - -The party then turned their steps and appeared to stroll gently back, as -if in earnest talk. They saw the sentinel stop the wine-grower by placing -his spear across his body. Lygdus stood by, and, after a brief parley, the -old man was suffered to proceed. He finally disappeared into the door of -the building which led to the officers' quarters. - -'Pooh, 'tis only some concern of his own,' remarked Sejanus,--'buying or -selling. Well, what did yonder fellow want?' he said to Lygdus, who came -up. 'He seems a dirty, disreputable knave to wander about here without -question.' - -'He is charged with a letter to deliver to the Centurion Martialis, so -please your highness,' replied the Nubian slave. - -'From whom?' demanded his master. - -'I do not know. I did not think it right to inquire into anything of the -Centurion's affairs without authority, so I did not ask.' - -'Humph! Quite right, Lygdus; but did you see the tablets? He might have -been lying.' - -'I saw them when the guard demanded to see them. The man is Tucca, one of -the oldest islanders and wine-growers. He is well known.' - -'Is he, indeed? I crave his pardon, but he looked most villainously to my -eyes. He should get himself a better tunic. But what seemed the letter -like--the writing?' - -'It was quite strange to me.' - -'It is necessary that I see it. The Centurion has left the island till -evening--you understand. We will go in again for a space. Come!' - -Lygdus bent his head and retired to the rear, until Sejanus and his -confidant had re-entered the officers' quarters. Then in a minute he -appeared before the Prefect and the knight with the ill-fated epistle in -his hands. - -'No one saw you, Lygdus?' said Sejanus. - -'No one. The Centurion's room is empty, and this was lying on his couch.' - -'Warm water and open it.' - -The slave brought a cup of hot water, and, by its aid, he softened the wax -and removed the thread in a most dexterous manner, which bore strong -evidence that it was not the first time such a task had been required of -him. - -The handwriting was large and bold, but palpably disguised. The keen eyes -who perused it were easily assured of that. - -'I fancy we have seen something like the turn of these characters before,' -said Afer drily; 'the varnish is very thinly laid on.' - -The epistle was addressed to L. Martialis, Centurion, Villa Jovis. They -opened it and read:-- - - - 'One who has braved discomfort and peril desires to see you, - Centurion. Close by the path which leads down to the southern - landing there is a white rock. I shall await you there at - nightfall. As you have a heart do not fail me!' - - -They looked at each other, and the Prefect broke into a laugh, which was, -however, forced and disgusted. The knight smiled inwardly. - -'There!' uttered Sejanus, 'I told you I knew not. I am right and you are -wrong. It is only thus one can have the chance, sometimes, to fathom what -is lowermost in the mind of a woman. She is in love with Martialis! Who -would have dreamt of it? A mere Centurion to ensnare the proud goddess!' - -'It is, at the least, very extraordinary; but it does not follow that she -is bitten with this soldier.' - -'It is so likely that I accept the construction very easily.' - -'There is one comfort; it may lead to fratricide,' muttered Afer. - -'What do you say, Afer?' asked the Prefect. - -'I say it is a bitter pill for the other brother.' - -'Humph!' said his patron, too sulky in his wounded self-conceit to care -about anybody else. - -He clapped his hands for Lygdus, and ordered him to restore the tablets to -their former state, in readiness for their owner. - -'Come, we can go now. There is one thing certain, that we must be -somewhere in the close vicinity of that same white rock this night.' - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - -We noticed Martialis in the last chapter issuing from the villa Jovis. The -sparkle in his eye and the half smile on his lips, as he hummed an air -during his rapid walk down to the little southern landing-place, betokened -an errand of an agreeable nature. He rowed himself across to the mainland -in a fisherman's skiff, and, thence, taking the road to Surrentum, was not -long ere he stood in the shop of Masthlion, with the joyful and surprised -Neæra in his arms. - -'You grow more beautiful each time I see you, Neæra,' he said, pressing a -kiss on her lips. - -'Foolish!' she murmured, smiling, and sinking her eyes before his fervent -gaze. 'And you, Lucius,' she added, laying the point of her finger on his -toga, 'you are no Centurion to-day--you are in plain woollen--you are not -for the road?' - -'I have reached the end of my journey,' he replied, drawing her nearer. - -'Your breastplate and cloak become you the best, but they mean haste away. -This is the most welcome to me, for it is your own dress and----' - -'And says that, for a time at least, its wearer is his own master, to -spend his leisure as he lists,' said Martialis, finishing her speech and -fondling the hand which rested on the bosom of his garment. 'I have come -here, foolish or not, to pass the few hours at my command. Will you offer -me no more hospitality than this shop can give?' - -'Come,' she said, giving him a divine smile, and holding out her hand to -lead him inside; 'but ah, Lucius, we are so poor and simple!' - -The little dwelling-room, under the industrious and fastidious hands of -herself and her mother, was seldom far removed from a state of scrupulous -cleanliness and genial comfort. The articles of furniture which it -contained were well worn, but speckless; and a bright wood fire, burning -in a brazier, cheered and warmed the senses of an in-comer. At the door -Neæra ran abruptly off, and her lover was left to the company of the -patient, mild-eyed Tibia, her mother. The latter was engaged in scrubbing -a brazen pot into a sunlike lustre, and although there were grounds for -reasonable familiarity of bearing toward her visitor, yet the attempt came -awkwardly and uncomfortably enough. This wore off, however, in a measure -with the free, easy bearing of the young man, who sat and warmed himself -at the fireside. When Neæra subsequently reappeared, she shone upon him in -the best robes her slender wardrobe could furnish. They were modest and -simple indeed. A few coins were all their worth, but poor as they were, -her beauty made them seem handsome. Fresh and neat from her toilet, with -her clear delicately-tinted skin and glossy hair, her person seemed to -diffuse a delicious sense of purity and sweetness. She smiled upon the -Centurion in the proud consciousness of her charms, and the dame Tibia, -also, could not help paying her an especial look of approval. - -'How the child is growing into a woman,' she murmured beneath her breath. - -Neæra reached forth her hand to her lover, and the drapery of her tunic, -falling back a little, displayed a rounded arm and wrist of the whiteness -of the snowdrift, to which the tinge of toil-accustomed fingers bore a -slight contrast. - -'Come,' she said; 'we will go and see my father.' - -Taking his hand she led him to the workshop in the rear of the house, -abutting on the patch of garden. On trying to open the door they found it -fast, but they could hear the movements of the potter within. Neæra -knocked and called upon her father loudly. - -The bolt was drawn within, and they stood face to face with Masthlion, who -was surprised at seeing his daughter's companion. - -'Welcome, Centurion,' he said. 'Though Neæra had little need to bring you -in here amid the clay of a potter's shop.' - -The room was of good size, and the floor consisted of hard-trodden earth. -A window, or rather an opening which could be closed by a shutter, was on -one side, and against it stood a bench, on which was a litter of tools, as -well as one or two unfinished clay models of figures, with which Masthlion -was fond of varying his time. In the centre of the floor was the potter's -wheel, which gave him his legitimate occupation. A large oven stood on the -other side, and close by was also a small furnace. As there were to be -seen lumps of unshaped glass lying scattered about in various parts of the -workshop, as well as relics of glass bottles and other vessels, together -with the tools by which they were produced, it was obvious, that the art -of glass-making formed also a pursuit of the potter, either as a hobby, or -as a regular avocation. Masthlion himself was attired in his working -clothes, and was smeared with clay and grime of the furnace from head to -foot. From a habit of frequently drawing his hand across his forehead, his -ample brow was of the colour of one of the little images on the bench; -and, as this action was sometimes varied by a similar attention to other -parts of his features, his face, in complexion, was little removed from -the hue of his clothes. Neæra clasped her hands across his shoulder and -leant her face toward his, for she was as tall, if not a little above his -stature. The contrast between her lovely pure countenance and his oddly -clay-daubed visage was so comical that Martialis smiled. - -'Come, father,' said Neæra in his ear; 'you have wrought enough for to- -day. It is not often we have a visitor.' - -'Such a visitor--no!' replied Masthlion, smiling. 'Away! Leave me in my -den--you want my room, not my company. Send your mother in here also, and -keep the house yourselves.' - -'No, no!' - -'Stand off, girl, or farewell to your finery--think you that the soil on me -is cleaner than that on the floor?' - -He pushed her gently away from him and looked her over with a fond gaze of -admiration. 'Go, and trouble me not--you have troubled me enough already.' - -'I have come this day to relieve you of her,' interposed Martialis. - -'Eh?' cried Masthlion, with a mighty start at this apt and sudden speech. -His face flushed and paled under its coating of clay, and a momentary -tremor passed through him, whilst the fair skin of Neæra flooded crimson, -and her eyes fell. - -'Or, at least, to determine when your burden shall be lightened,' added -the young soldier. - -'Come, come; no more of this, Centurion,' returned the potter, with a -slight laugh, which had no shadow of gaiety in it, but only nervousness -and pain. But the young man shook his head. - -'Be not so hasty to bereave us of what little consolation we have of our -lives,' added the potter. - -'The bereavement need not be so complete as you seem to think,' said -Martialis. - -'She and you in Rome, and we in Surrentum,' sighed Masthlion; 'the -severance will be thoroughly done. But it must be, and must be faced.' - -'What binds you to Surrentum? Come to Rome--there will be greater scope for -your talents, and fortune will flow in upon you.' - -'Ah, yes, father!' cried Neæra eagerly, with delight in her eyes; 'and -then we shall be nigh--everything persuades you--you cannot say anything -against it--you know you cannot!' - -She caressed him, once more, in her soft, loving manner, which never -failed to fill the heart of her lover with secret pleasure, but Masthlion -put her off as gently as before. - -'The aging tree is not removed as easily as the young sapling,' he said. -'No! this is not a fate which befalls thy mother and myself alone: it -follows all those who live long enough to see their bantlings grow out of -childhood--others have to bear it, so must we. Go whither your duty calls -you; your lives have to be moulded, ours are not so lightly altered. And -when your husband weds you, child, you become of his station--we know -better than to follow you, to your disparagement.' - -'You do us little honour by that speech, Masthlion,' said Martialis; 'had -I been of such a mean mind I would never have suggested what I have done.' - -'You are both young, and cannot see as far as we older people,' replied -Masthlion. - -'I am glad of it, then, if it were to see such ignoble conduct. What say -you, Neæra?' - -The girl's head was hanging on her breast in painful thought. 'Could I be -ashamed of my own parents?' she said. - -The potter's face clouded deep and he went away to the window, where he -turned his back on the lovers, and looked into the garden in silent -reflection. - -Martialis stepped to Neæra's side, and so they remained without a word for -some time. A struggle was proceeding in Masthlion's breast, and his lips -were moving as he communed with himself. 'Shall she be told?' he thought; -'would she lose me, or still cling to me? We have reared and tended -her--new ways beget new ideas--it is idle to say we will be thus and thus -until the time try us. To go, and find ourselves despised hereafter, -perchance, would be a crueller thing than to remain here forgotten and -forsaken. Must she be told? She knows nothing, or is ever like to know--how -then can it matter to her if she be left in ignorance? But am I not -selfish? Would it be just? I am afraid--it is fear; for the knowledge would -sign her relief at once. Even if she still clung to me, how would he, a -noble-born knight, take it? Yet, if she could disown me, after all our -life of love and companionship, what is there honest or good in the -world?' - -A half-smothered groan broke from his lips in the tension of his feelings. -He drowned it with a forced cough, and turned round. He looked upon the -lovers standing in their fond attitude. They were a handsome pair, and the -one not a whit unworthy of the other in any degree. - -'Well, Masthlion, have you decided?' said Martialis. 'Have you dismissed -your suspicion from your mind? You have hurt me by it, believe me!' - -'Father!' began Neæra, leaving her lover's arms and going to him. The -potter held up his hand before her and said, in a broken voice, scarcely -more than a hoarse whisper-- - -'No--not father!' - -'What!' cried the astonished girl. - -A strange feeling rose through the mind of the Pretorian. He checked it, -and despised himself for it, but he could not help it; he would have been -other than human to have done so. He looked inquiringly for more to follow -from the lips of the potter, but the latter merely murmured-- - -'Go, and leave me for a space!' and then dropped his head, and covered his -face with his hands. - -The sight of his evident agitation was too much for Neæra. She cast a look -of perplexity and concern at her lover, and then sprang to her father's -side. As she did so there was a loud knock at the door, which opened, -simultaneously, to admit a brown broad-faced man with a short stiff beard -and moustache, bearing a light wallet over one shoulder, and carrying a -stout walking-stick in his hand. - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - -The blow, with which Domitius Afer sought to rid himself of his -troublesome client, nigh the huge moonlit pile of the Circus Maximus, on -the night of the attempted assassination of Fabricius, was not lacking in -force, but was a trifle out of direction to prove fatal. Had the stricken -man lain without attention, much longer than he did, it would have been -sufficient to answer the end that Afer had in view. But it was fated that -a house door hard by should open, not long after the knight had -disappeared, to allow a man to pass out into the silent street. The -luckless Cestus was, as described, lying in the shadow of the wall, -whither his patron had dragged him. He was, therefore, directly across the -very narrow sidewalk; and, the gloom of the shadow of the wall being -intensified by reason of the bright moonlight adjacent, the individual we -have mentioned did not perceive the body in his hurry, until he was made -aware of its presence by falling over it. He straightway drew the Suburan -into the light to make a more minute examination, not having succeeded in -awakening any sign of consciousness. In passing his hand over the breast, -his fingers met a damp, clammy matter which caused him to shiver. He held -his hand in the light, and saw it was blood. The stricken man was still -warm and breathing, as he thought; so he, at once, ran back to the house -whence he had issued, and knocked loudly. The help of the inmates was -readily obtained, and the sorely wounded man was borne inside, and laid on -a bed, pending the arrival of a physician. That person came, and practised -so well that Cestus recovered consciousness ere he left him. - -'Here is no matter of killing for theft,' observed the leech to the -household, gathered in concern to hear his dictum, 'unless, indeed, as may -be easily believed, that he was the thief. More likely a street scuffle -with some night-hawks of his own feather. 'Tis a deep gash, but ill-aimed. -He is a tough rogue, and will recover most likely. Had he been a good, -honest citizen of worth to be deplored, he most likely would have died. -But being what I take him to be, a rascal, he will come round no doubt. I -am afraid, neighbour, you will never be requited for your benevolence.' - -'No matter,' responded the master of the house, who was an elderly man, -with sparse, gray hair, and a sad expression of face; 'do your best to -effect a cure, if possible; if he lives, it may perhaps prove a lesson.' - -'More likely to walk off with your valuables,' said the physician, as he -went out of the door. - -'Never could be such ingratitude,' murmured the other; 'even my wicked, -wayward boy would scarce be so inhuman; and he has descended as low, -perhaps, as this poor wretch.' - -Cestus had every care paid to him, and for some days he remained in a -critical state. Then he took a favourable turn for the better, and, aided -by his robust constitution, very shortly became convalescent. - -His ingenuity was very lightly taxed to explain his disaster to his -benefactor. He had refused, he said, to join a society of his fellow- -workmen, who, no doubt, had attempted to be rid of him as being a thorn in -their sides. He, likewise, hinted that he would be in danger of his life -if he remained in Rome, and that he would take the earliest opportunity to -be quit of it. As he was accustomed to lounge away his time in idleness, -the period of his confinement did not prove so irksome as it might -otherwise have done. His benefactor learnt to come and converse at -tolerable length, when he became aware of the patient's plausible and -fluent tongue. It was, therefore, impossible, that, speaking thus -familiarly and often, Cestus should not obtain a certain insight into the -family affairs of his host. Amongst other things, he discovered that he -owned a scapegrace son, whose misdoings were the sorrow of his life. The -great and varied knowledge which the Suburan possessed of the outlawry of -the city, enabled him to pitch upon the erring youth as a denizen of the -same notorious locality as himself. This much he did not think prudent to -reveal, and so, at the same time, saved the grieving parent a far darker -evidence of crime than that which he already lamented. Hardened as he was, -the old man's sorrow and sense of shame touched him. His narrow escape -from death and his enfeebled state, no doubt, had softened the crust about -his heart. Had he been a member of the family he could not have been -tended with more care and kindness, and this tugged at his heartstrings -likewise. He acknowledged his gratefulness, and, for the time at least, it -is certain he felt it. But, in the silent and lonely hours of his -reveries, his mind was constantly engaged in weaving a web around his -treacherous patron. It was, literally, war to the knife. - -'He thinks I am dead,' he muttered to himself, with a smile of -satisfaction. 'Good! his awakening will be all the more sudden and -startling.' - -When once safely delivered out of the jaws of death, the march of Cestus -toward complete recovery was wonderfully rapid. Day by day he made a huge -stride, and, day by day, his appetite grew more and more surprising. When -at length the physician ceased from paying his visits, the patient hinted -at his own speedy departure. - -'Had it been safe for me to have been removed to my own home I would not -have troubled you so far,' he said to his generous host; 'but I am strong -enough now to bear a journey, and I will betake myself from the city -altogether.' - -But his friend in need bade him beware of a relapse, and advised him not -to mar a wonderful restoration of strength by premature exertion, for the -sake of a few days' earlier liberty. Cestus listened and took the advice, -which protracted his sojourn for a week. - -His plan of action had already been resolved on from the first, and he now -made the few arrangements to carry it out. To gather strength and harden -his frame by gentle exercise he made short excursions out of doors. The -first time he did so his entertainer tried to dissuade him, on account of -the danger he ran of being seen by his supposed enemies. - -'Why, master,' returned Cestus, 'there is less danger than you think; for, -in the first place, it is the time of day when those fine fellows, who -left me for dead, with a curse on them, are all at their daily labour. -Then again, I would remind you, that my looks are altered for the time. I -am as thin and shrunken in body as an eel-skin; my beard is two inches -long; and I further purpose to alter myself with a certain juice of a -berry which I can buy for a sesterce; so have no fear, my kind -benefactor.' - -Now, in safe keeping in the Subura, Cestus had an amount of money which -remained of the last instalment he had demanded of his patron, as we have -related previously. A tolerable portion had been already squandered, but -the residue was enough to enable any Roman artisan, such as he represented -himself to be, to live comfortably for a year without labouring. But, not -knowing to what exigencies the execution of his plans might bring him, he -resolved to incur no suspicion by its immediate use. He, therefore, -applied to his host, to provide him with a small loan to cover the cost of -a few clothes and the expenses of his journey. - -'Your honour,' he said, 'has been so good already that I shame to ask more -from you. To take in a poor wretch--to snatch him from death's door--to -nurse him, feed him like a brother, and with small hope of return, is a -thing that the gods will bless you for and prosper you.' - -'Say no more,' replied the other; 'here is what will help you.' - -He placed in the Suburan's hand a sum equal to about five pounds sterling. - -'Heaven reward your worship!' said Cestus, kissing the robe of his -generous friend. 'If I have health and strength I will repay you this -loan, as well as the cost you have been put to on my account; but, if I -could discharge the debt of gratitude as easily as the money, I would be -thankful indeed.' - -'Think no more of it,' rejoined the other. - -It is not too much to say that Cestus was really touched and grateful for -his treatment. He even swore to himself that he would prove it -practically, at some future time, if possible. - -The first thing that he did, on getting out of doors, was to obtain a -supply of a certain kind of berry, yielding a juice which he diluted to -bring to a requisite tinge. This he applied to his skin, and it, at once, -gave him the appearance of a man bronzed by exposure to the weather, -whilst his thinned drawn features easily suggested, at the same time, the -effects of fatigues and privations. Presenting himself suddenly before his -host, he was gratified to learn that the change was so great as to mystify -that worthy man for a moment. - -This excursion proved to Cestus how very far his limbs were from their -pristine state of sturdiness. His next expedition, with his embrowned -face, was a ramble into the Subura. He took the most unfrequented streets, -and, when he arrived at his destination, he avoided all chance of contact -with acquaintances. Sending for the individual whom he had constituted his -banker, he remained closeted with that worthy in a retreat secure from -intrusion. This man was a tavern-keeper in the lowest part of the Subura. -His business was large, and Cestus one of his prodigal customers. Not a -coin of the money he amassed in the practice of his trade but had been -obtained by its spenders in the vocations of crime and vice. Learned as -Cestus was in the secret history of his native locality, his knowledge was -superficial compared with this man's. Without actually engaging in any -unlawful pursuit himself he was the confidant of all others who did. He -was receptive and silent as the grave. Without incriminating himself he -aided his hideous customers, and they, in return, bestowed on him their -patronage. His trustworthiness was his power, and Cestus had perfect -confidence in applying to him for the little help he required. The -publican was truly surprised to see his friend, for all clue to his -whereabouts had been completely lost. Cestus speedily made him acquainted -with the history of his disappearance, and wound up with a tremendous oath -for revenge. The other tried to get at the relations of his friend with -his patron, the knight, but the Suburan only smiled and put his finger -along his nose. - -'Some day, brother,' he said, 'but not now.' - -'Well, well, as you please--I care little.' - -'All I want you to do now is to send and get to know, while I wait here, -if my patron is in Rome and likely to be,' proceeded Cestus. 'I like to -know where I have him, for I am going to take a holiday with a kinsman in -Puteoli until I get strong again. The sea air will bring me round, and -then I will return to pay attention to my worthy patron on the Esquiline.' - -'Do you intend to knife him straight off?' inquired the publican. - -'Humph! you are not very flattering,' returned Cestus; 'but haste, and let -me have what I want to know, and along with it all the cash I left with -you. I shall want all I can scrape together.' - -The publican departed, and, in an hour, was back with what Cestus wanted. -The latter stowed away his treasure safely in the breast of his tunic, and -learned that his patron was in the island of Capreae, in the train of the -Prefect. - -'And when returns?' he demanded. - -'That is more than any one can tell,' answered his banker. - -'Capreae is where Caesar dwells?' - -'It is, brave Cestus--hast ever been there?' - -'No; but it can be seen at times, like a speck, from Puteoli. He can't -stay there for ever.' - -'Who--Caesar?' - -'No, you fool--Afer.' - -'Ah!' - -'Well, I can bide my time,' said Cestus, rising to go. 'No one was ever -worth much that could not. He may rest where he will until I am strong--and -then!' - -The Suburan shook his fist, and, bidding farewell to his friend, took his -slow way homeward. - -With this daily increase of exercise his body began to gather something of -its wonted firmness. His last excursion was down to the river bank, where -he took passage in a regular trader to Puteoli. The vessel was to sail the -following day, and Cestus took his farewell of his host with many -expressions of gratitude. - -The voyage to Puteoli is not long, and in that most important centre of -commerce Cestus remained two days. He stayed at a public inn, and, on the -evening of the second day, he left the town after dark, and took his way -toward Neapolis. - -'Good!' he muttered to himself, as he quitted the gates; 'if any curious -eyes have been watching me now they will be mystified. They may search -Puteoli from end to end, and they will as soon find my kinspeople as -myself;' the said kinsfolk being, in fact, a mere fabrication as far as -Puteoli was concerned. - -He did not think it prudent to strain his budding strength by traversing -the whole distance to Neapolis on that night, so he put up at the first -tavern he met with, at a convenient distance from Puteoli. The next -morning he was astir early and entered Neapolis. Here he loitered for a -day, and then proceeded on a leisurely walking tour of the bay. He ambled -along through the towns and past the villas which lined that matchless -shore, drinking in the pure air, and enjoying the scenery as far as he was -capable of doing. He had a well-filled purse, and he took his ease at his -inn, where he fed and drank of the best. He did not overtask his strength, -and every day increased it, for, indeed, he could not have hit upon a -better plan for that end. - -In this way he proceeded through Herculaneum, Pompeii, Stabiae, the most -considerable towns on his route, till at length, on one afternoon, he sat -to rest himself upon the worn basin of the self-same ancient fountain, of -which we have already spoken, on the verge of the town of Surrentum. - -'Houf!' he sighed, as he seated himself; 'and here is the place at last! -And now to find my potter!' He sank into a reverie, and then lifted his -head and looked around him. 'The place looks the same as far as I can -remember--it must be fourteen years since I was here. Fourteen years! How -in the name of the furies do I know what has happened since then! Tibia, -my sister, may be dead and dust by this time--her husband too, and--and the -whole lot, and then what better shall I be? It is strange I never seemed -to think seriously of this till now, at the very gates of the place--what -if they are gone, flitted to no one knows where--Greece, Egypt, Africa, -Gaul,--why, then I shall have only the small satisfaction of treating my -patron to a taste of his own play--humph! No matter, I shall soon know.' - -He arose from his seat and walked a few paces onward, when he called to a -lad who was nigh. - -'Boy, do you know a potter hereabouts, by name Masthlion--if he be dead or -alive? or----' - -The boy simply turned and pointed to the end of a narrow lane which -debouched close to. Cestus, thereupon, looked more inquiringly about him, -as if striving to recall some remembrance of the spot. - -'I seem to have a sort of recollection of this place--up there is it?' The -lad nodded. - -'Alive?' - -The taciturn youth nodded once more, and Cestus walked on with his mind -considerably relieved. Once in the little street his memory served him -better. 'Just the same,' he said, striding into the shop. No one being -there he proceeded into the house, where he was equally unsuccessful in -discovering any sign of life. He then tried the workshop, and, at last, -stood in the presence of those within, as we have described. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - -The short sea-trip from Rome, and the few days' subsequent sauntering -excursion, from the opposite side of the bay, had served to restore the -face and frame of Cestus to a nearer approach to their native fulness of -outline. Nevertheless, his broad physiognomy was yet pinched and shrunken, -and his garments of rough woollen material hung sharply and loosely about -his diminished bulk. The artificial colouring of his skin was yet -continued, for the nature of the Suburan was cunning and suspicious, and -did not deem the distance from Rome a sufficient reason to discard even -this disguise. - -On perceiving the occupants of the workshop he stopped short on the -threshold for a moment, and surveyed them with as much surprise as they -regarded him. Masthlion raised his face from his hands, and, taking one -step forward, gazed at the new-comer intently. Cestus fixed his small keen -eyes on the lovely face and form of Neæra, who, instinctively, inclined -toward her lover. Then he withdrew his glance, and, marching up to -Masthlion, clapped the potter on the shoulder with all his old swagger and -assurance. 'How now, kinsman? How fare you after all these years? Do you -not remember me?' cried he. - -Masthlion's heavy brows were knitted: his eyes gazed, nay, almost glared -intensely into his visitor's face. It would be almost impossible to -describe the mixture of feelings which agitated his whole frame. Wonder -and relief were dominant, and anguish lay numb beneath. Suddenly his -visage cleared, and he clutched the arm of Cestus convulsively, with such -a grasp of iron that the Suburan winced. - -'Marvel of marvels!' he gasped; 'what, Cestus, is it thou? From where? -Thou art not dead, then--the gods be praised.' - -'I'm glad on't, kinsman, if it hath pleased thee,' said Cestus. - -'I have had you in my mind every day for months past--nay, as you entered, -you were present in my mind.' - -'That was love indeed, and means a warm welcome--thanks, brother!' - -'Welcome--ay, welcome!' exclaimed the potter, seizing both hands of the -Suburan and shaking them fervently, 'the very man of all I wished to see, -and the least expected. It is the doing of the gods--praised be the gods!' - -'Humph!' ejaculated Cestus, just a little doubtful whether his kinsman's -joy was altogether attributable to personal regard; 'and, if you will let -me have my say, I am just as light-hearted as you to find you on earth, -and not departed to the land of spirits. Luck is with you, Cestus! But how -of Tibia, my sister?' - -'Did you not see her in the house?' - -'She is breathing like yourself, then! No, I saw her not, nor any live -being, though I looked in every room. More fortune, Cestus; for they are -all just as you would wish them, even to--and this bonny wench, kinsman. -This is the little lass I saw last, as a bit of a chit, with her doll of -rags?' - -'The same, Cestus--Neæra; she has grown,' said Masthlion. - -'Grown! You say true. Neæra--I had forgotten your name--come, kiss your -uncle, after how many years away, he dare not say, lest it make him feel -so old.' - -But the fair girl shrank back from the proffered salute, and offered her -hand instead, saying she was glad to see her uncle. - -'Well--well!' cried Cestus, with his loud rough laugh, 'I will dispense -with the kiss--I will not press it. I would not rob that young gentleman of -even one; and, truth to tell, I have not a kissing look about my -figurehead. You are, at the same time, the finest lass I have seen for -many a day--I give thee joy, Masthlion, of thy lovely daughter. And this -noble gentleman, kinsman, has no doubt come to the same conclusion long -ago--you do not make us known--he is no apprentice to thy pottery trade I -can see.' - -'A friend, kinsman--and--and Neæra's betrothed,' explained the potter, with -an askant look at the countenance of Cestus. - -'Ho! ho!' cried that worthy, 'then 'tis all settled. Give thee joy--you -have won a fair jewel, sir--but you give me no name, kinsman.' - -Martialis had drawn himself to his full height, and his face was fixed in -its haughtiest aspect, on the voluble, unretiring Suburan. - -'My name is Martialis; and if you are indeed the uncle of Neæra I will -take your hand,' he said, stretching out his fingers accordingly. - -'I am proud to do so with such a free-minded noble,' answered Cestus, -suiting the action to the word, 'for you are of knightly rank, I see, and -as much above me as the eagle above a barn-door fowl. Nevertheless I can -wish you happiness; fortune, without doubt, you already possess, so there -is no need to wish you that.' - -'I thank you!' said Martialis coldly. - -'And you! I remember you being stouter in body and whiter in face. Whence -have you come?' inquired Masthlion. - -'It is a long story, kinsman, and I will tell you at leisure,' replied -Cestus; 'enough for the present to tell you I have been at death's door, -and have come to gain back my strength in the pure air of Surrentum. I -have come to tarry a season in your house, Masthlion, if you are -willing--it shall cost you nothing, save the infliction of my company.' - -'Stop, and welcome, till you are hale and strong; but, for the rest, I can -yet afford to house my kinsman, as a guest, without turning tavern -keeper--no man who tastes my bread and salt under my roof must pay for the -same.' - -'Well, as you like. I am delighted to see you, by Jupiter.' - -'And I thee--I have needed thee, and have much to say.' - -'And I also; most especially to have my eyes gladdened with Neæra, my fair -niece--but come, there yet remains sister Tibia.' - -'Ay, true,' said Masthlion, going to the door. 'Into the house! Haste -thee, girl--take thy uncle's wallet! Prepare his room! Get water! The -Centurion will excuse thee for a little time. I will go and get rid of my -clay coating and be with you soon--come!' - -They all, therefore, left the workshop, and proceeded into the house. The -potter's wife, in the meantime, had re-entered, and met them. She looked -curiously at the strange figure of Cestus for a moment, and then rushed -forward and embraced him, giving vent to as many signs and expressions of -astonishment and delight as her quiet mild nature was capable of. There -was, indeed, a faint similarity between the character of their faces, but -very little between their dispositions. - -'Hark'ee, brother-in-law!' said Cestus to Masthlion, as the latter was -withdrawing out of the little guest chamber, whither Neæra had conveyed -the appliances wherewith the traveller was to refresh himself after his -journey, 'tell me something more of that tall young fellow downstairs. -'Tis a gay young cock to be haunting a potter's house.' - -''Tis a matter which has already given much trouble--nor am I yet -satisfied,' returned Masthlion, knitting his heavy brows. - -'Just so; the girl is handsome, and people tattle. One of his breed is a -dangerous visitor to your pigeon-cote,' said Cestus. - -'He has acted fairly and honestly, and is in haste to wed her.' - -'Bid him wait, and be patient for a while.' - -'What was I to do? I bade her tell him to come no more--to give her up as -unfitting. He refused, and I went to Rome to find thee.' - -'Aha! Hast been to the great city, Masthlion, a-seeking me--well?' - -'I could not find you, nor yet Balbus, with whom you dwelt.' - -Cestus grinned. - -'No, it is not likely, for Balbus is not there.' - -'I did my best; I was in despair, and could not but let things go as they -were fated. You never came nigh all these years--it was reasonable to -suppose that you were dead.' - -'And nearly dead I have been.' - -'Even as you were entering, he was pressing me for her marriage.' - -'I came just pat, did I not?' - -'Thank the kind gods you have thereby relieved me of a heavy load, and I -fear have--but that is for me alone.' - -'But know you nothing more than the young fellow's name?' demanded Cestus. - -'I inquired in Rome. He bears a high character.' - -'He is a citizen then. What brought him here?' - -'He is a Pretorian Centurion with the Prefect at present in Capreae.' - -'Ho! ho!' murmured Cestus, 'this may be useful. I am sorry you had your -journey to Rome for nothing, kinsman; but I am not too late, as it -happens, to ease your mind. I can, as you know, help you in this matter, -and I really came with much the same business in my head. It is a long -story, and had best be entered upon when we have a flagon of wine between -us, and the women asleep in bed upstairs.' - -'Good; that will be to-night, if you are not too tired,' replied -Masthlion, with a sigh of deep satisfaction. - -'Meanwhile, fob the Pretorian off; it may, perhaps, be worth his while--who -knows?' - -Masthlion retired to make himself presentable, and when both men appeared -below, they found a simple meal ready awaiting them. - -They did not recline on couches to their food, after the luxurious manner -of the higher classes, but sat round the table in the simple old-fashioned -way. Cestus ate and drank vigorously. Nor did his tongue remain idle. -Among many things, he informed them that he had met with a severe -accident, in which he had broken some ribs, and in consequence of which -his master had granted him leave of absence to visit his kinsfolk, as soon -as he was able to move. - -He had nearly all the conversation to himself. His sister was naturally -silent, and her husband was too busy with his thoughts to speak much. As -far as the lovers were concerned, Neæra's mind was divided between disgust -at having her blissful day spoiled by the unexpected visitor, and the -disagreeable feeling of knowing that his stay was to be more or less -prolonged. Her nature shrank from this unknown relative--his appearance, -his loud, over-confident, self-sufficient style of talk, not unmixed with -coarse wit or impertinence. He was an unwelcome addition to her family -circle, especially in the presence of her lover. Many a time did the warm -blood flame in her cheeks, and the fire flash in her eyes, as the -Suburan's tongue wagged on with its accustomed fluency; and, not the -least, on account of the free and easy bearing of the talker towards her -Centurion. Thus, when at length the Pretorian grew wearied of the -pertinacity and familiarity of these attentions, and seized the earliest -opportunity of taking his leave, the fair, indignant girl was relieved, -even though the movement was to cost her the company of her lover. Angry, -vexed, and ashamed, she laid her head on his shoulder as they stood alone -before parting. He noted the red cheeks and the clouded brow, and he -smiled. - -'What think you of your new-found uncle?' he said. - -'Would he had never been better known to me than hitherto,' she answered. - -'You do not like him?' - -'How could I?' - -'And you never before heard of him?' - -'Never; would it were the same now!' - -'It is strange,' he muttered. These last words were not audible to Neæra, -and after a moment's consideration he bade her bring her father for a few -words. - -'You are angered--you are vexed at this man?' she said anxiously. - -'He can be of no consequence to me, nor need I ever see him again.' - -'You will never come while he is here, and he may stay--oh, so long.' - -'We will see,' he replied, smiling, as he took her in his arms again. 'But -go,' he said, rousing himself; 'time begins to press upon me; it will be -sunset ere I reach the island. Go, bring your father.' - -'Lucius, what meant he when he said, "Not father!" in the workshop?' asked -Neæra earnestly, looking up into the soldier's face ere she loosed herself -from his embrace. - -They gazed into each other's eyes. The black piercing orbs met the -lustrous gray ones, shining with their lovelight, as if to read each -other's souls, and then he shook his head. - -'I know not,' he said; 'it may be nothing--it may be something; you will -discover in time, my beloved. Think no more of it.' - -Neæra departed, and brought Masthlion. Martialis proceeded to impress upon -him the desirability of fixing a time for his marriage with Neæra. He used -all his arguments, but to no purpose, for the potter refused all -negotiation. - -'In a reasonable time you shall know, but not thus soon.' - -'Good. The next time I come I will demand it,' answered the lover, in some -heat. 'Farewell!' - -Masthlion left the room, and the Centurion, as he embraced his betrothed, -said, 'Your father is unreasonable,--of what use is it to delay?' - -She murmured something to appease him, and he finally tore himself away. - -In order that she might come into contact as little as possible with -Cestus, she began to engage herself in household work elsewhere than where -he was. This she managed to protract until near the time for retiring, -which she made earlier than usual; and, thus, was almost altogether quit -of the object of her dislike. By and by the dame Tibia thought fit to -follow her example, so the potter and his brother-in-law were left -together. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - -The fitful movements on the floor of the room overhead ceased in the -course of a few minutes, and Masthlion knew that his wife was in bed. -During the last hour his nervous agitation had increased, and had been -hard to hide; he now, therefore, hastened to put an end to this painful -state of suspense. - -'Are you too weary to talk now, Cestus; or will you that we should wait?' -he said to his companion. - -'I'd as lieve have a chat with thee now; in fact, I feel in the humour. I -am in rare spirits at finding everybody well and happy,' replied Cestus -gaily. 'Bring out the drink, kinsman, and shut the door; what better could -one wish when we are alone together?' - -Masthlion quickly made the required dispositions and sat opposite his -brother-in-law before the bright fire alluded to. He stretched his arm out -at length upon the table, with his fingers nervously moving and tapping -thereon, whilst he watched the Suburan pour out some wine into two cups. -Cestus's keen perceptions had already observed the signs of his kinsman's -inquietude of mind, and he, therefore, became just as deliberate and -phlegmatic in his movements, following a natural bent in his humour, -which, with equal satisfaction, would have watched the torture of a -Sisyphus, or the wriggling of a maimed and terrified insect. The blaze of -the logs threw their countenances into relief--the newly-grown shaggy beard -of the Roman, and his swarthy stained skin, together with his blunt -features, contrasted with the high, domelike, intellectual forehead, -overhanging the deep-set, bright eyes of the potter, so anxiously, -thirstily bent on the calm, lazy motions of his companion. No other light -being present, their distorted shadows flickered and moved athwart the -opposite wall in varied and grotesque forms. - -'Kinsman, you are anxious,' observed Cestus, as he slowly dribbled the -wine into his cup until the liquid bubbled on the very brim. - -'I own it,' replied Masthlion. - -The Suburan raised the brimming cup carefully to his mouth and took a deep -draught, whilst the potter hastily took a sip which barely wet his lips. - -'Yes,' continued Cestus, 'you are anxious because you have a very strong -notion that the time has come when that rare girl, who is warming her -pretty limbs in bed upstairs, is beginning to trim her feathers to fly -from the old bird's nest.' - -'I cannot deny it,' replied Masthlion briefly. - -'Why, it is the way of the world. You could never hope for such as she to -escape matrimony and go on, as a maiden, all her days?' - -'It would not be likely; she is as good a child as she is fair. The point -is already settled.' - -'Well then, if she is fated to leave you with her husband, why should it -trouble you the more to see me drop in? Did you think I was coming to -carry her off? It would amount to the same thing if I did.' - -'You are trifling, Cestus,' said the potter somewhat sternly. 'It is a -sore trial to be bereft of an only child at any time, but that does not -now constitute the whole matter. While she was a child all was well, but -when she found a lover it behoved me to think that she and I were not all -concerned in the matter. Had she been my own flesh and blood she could not -have been more to me. Yet she is only a charge; and, although I thought -you dead, I made the attempt to find you. When that attempt was vain, and -you appeared so strangely and opportunely, I was agitated. I am anxious -now, but in a different way--my load of responsibility has left me. The -child is the dearest thing on earth to me, and what touches her touches me -to the inmost fibre of my heart.' - -'And with a perfect right, Masthlion. You have reared her and tended her, -and she is yours more than anybody else's,' replied Cestus, nodding -approvingly; 'up to a few weeks ago I knew not whether she lived or -not--whether you lived or not. You had her as your own, and you might have -disposed of her according to your own ideas, but for circumstances, which, -unexpectedly, occurring a few weeks ago, as I say, revived in me the -greatest interest in the girl. I want no account of your stewardship, -kinsman, for I cannot claim it--it is not needed; the girl bears it in her -looks. I can neither claim any duty or affection--I want no sentiment--my -concern is of a different nature. Nevertheless it is of sufficient -importance to me to ask you to go into particulars about this gallant who -has found the way to her heart.' - -Cestus imbibed another good draught of wine, and after refilling his cup -in readiness for the next, he settled himself to listen to the potter's -account of Neæra's lover. When he had heard everything that Masthlion -could tell him he ejaculated 'Ha!' and relapsed into deep thought as he -gazed into the fire. - -'Well! what is your opinion?' inquired Masthlion. - -'Opinion!' echoed Cestus, 'my opinion is that they have already settled -the matter beyond your interference, or mine. If they have taken such a -strong fancy for each other that is enough for sensible people.' - -'But the youth--the Pretorian--do you approve of him?' said Masthlion -impatiently. - -'That is a question more of sentiment,' replied Cestus, 'and, as the girl -belongs more to yourself than to me, I will leave it with you--if you are -satisfied I am.' - -'One thing troubles me,' said the potter, knitting his brows and passing -his hand across his forehead, 'I could wish he had been more on a level -with her station--she has been humbly bred in this house--do you not think, -Cestus, there is great fear of his fancy cooling as time goes on? He will -for ever be contrasting her simple, plain ways with those proud dames of -the city, and he will repent. Ah, Cestus, I fear he will!' - -'Humph!' said the Suburan, shrugging his shoulders, whilst a grin broke -forth on his face, 'she must run the chance of that accident. Perhaps -there may not turn out to be such a difference between them after all. To -my eyes she seems as good as he is, and practice will alter her. You have -a fancy that your daughter may some day tire of her elevation and return -to her old ways under the same old roof.' - -'Heaven forbid! I trust she may be happy with husband and children.' - -'Just so. _I_ have no objection whatever,' observed Cestus calmly, 'but -there remains _one_ who might, and, until that opinion is obtained, my -tall young Pretorian must practise patience and restrain himself, even -though he burst.' - -'How! What do you mean?' cried Masthlion. 'Another--you never told me.' - -'No, I did not; it was not necessary or wise at the time, which I think is -some fourteen or fifteen years ago.' - -Masthlion nodded, and his face betrayed the most intense eagerness. Cestus -continued coolly, 'I brought that child to you as a yellow-haired brat, -and told you she was an orphan of a poor workman, an old friend of mine. -The story was a lie and I deceived you.' - -The blood crimsoned the potter's face, and he drew up his form. -Indignation glowed in his eyes, but curbing himself, he said with lofty -reproach, 'A lie, Cestus--that was well indeed.' - -'Nay, don't fluster yourself, kinsman,' continued the Suburan, with the -utmost _sang froid_, 'it was as good a tale to tell you at the time as -any. It did you no harm, for you knew no better; nor did I dream that the -necessity would ever come that you should. You were without a brat, so I -thought you would be glad of this one. I handed it over to you as a stray -helpless fledgeling belonging to nobody, and your mind has consequently -never been uneasy.' - -'Well, and the truth?' - -'Did your mind never suspect as you looked upon the girl shooting up? Did -you never wonder and say to yourself, what kind of poor swinkers were they -from whom sprang such a brave slip? Why, it is the first thought which -would have struck me, had I never known anything about her--a tall clean- -made lass, like one of their goddesses in their temples. I have watched -her, kinsman, these few hours--she has ripened just to what might have been -expected. I have seen the turn and flash of her eyes, the working of her -thoughts written plainly on her face--her whole bearing. Did they ever -spring out of the den of work-a-day folks? No, her breed will show itself. -Common homespun and ignorance cannot hide it from those that know it--but -what can you know, Masthlion, of these proud aristocrats?' - -'Aristocrats!' exclaimed the potter, springing from his seat. 'This is -another deception--another of your tales!' - -'That you will discover before very long, I hope,' replied Cestus drily. - -'And her people yet live, say you?' - -'One at least--that will be quite sufficient.' - -Masthlion dropped back into his seat with a suppressed groan. 'Then if -this be true I have indeed lost her!' he said, and he buried his face in -his hands. - -''Tis nought to grieve over,' remarked Cestus, shrugging his shoulders in -contempt at his companion's want of shrewdness; 'on the contrary, you -should be in a dancing mood with joy. You have reared up the youngster to -as fine a filly as one could wish to see, and you may well expect to have -your strong chest well lined--better than ever it was before.' - -'Tell me not of money--who thinks of money!' cried Masthlion. 'All the gold -in the proud city of Rome itself would never comfort me one jot for the -taking away of the child. Why did you ever bring her to me, Cestus, and -then I had been spared this?--but then, if you had not, I had missed the -happiness of the child's presence these fourteen years.' - -'Exactly,' replied Cestus, seconding that with alacrity, 'and then, -kinsman, as we have already agreed that you must lose her whichever way it -goes, it is, therefore, best to be rid of her on the best terms. Strike -the balance and you have a great deal to thank me for. Cheer up, man; -things are seldom so black as they are painted at first. You will not be -left out altogether in the cold, maybe.' - -'The Centurion and she have already pressed me to follow them to Rome,' -said Masthlion dejectedly. - -'Good! it is the only place fit for a sensible man to dwell in. You may be -as secret as you wish, or as public as you think proper to make yourself.' - -'I should be nearer to her of a truth,' muttered the potter to himself, -'and could get a glimpse of her from time to time.' - -'True again,' cried Cestus, overhearing; 'that is to be done quietly at -any corner of a street; but it would be well to avoid possible -disappointment and not build upon any nearer familiarity--knights and -potters don't match very well.' - -'I know it, Cestus, I know it! But yet it would be strange if she could -forget,' murmured Masthlion. - -Cestus took another pull at his wine, and looking across at his -companion's troubled face, said briskly, 'Come, Masthlion, this is only -speculation; let us get to the facts! Have you anything belonging to the -girl which might serve as a token of her early years?' - -Masthlion rose up without a word and left the room. - -'That looks well,' muttered Cestus to himself, and he was once more -addressing his attentions to the wine jar when he stopped himself. 'No! -no! be careful, Cestus,' he said; 'you are only an invalid yet, and only -need what will do you good. You must get strong again as fast as -possible.' - -Masthlion re-entered bearing a small bundle neatly and tightly bound. He -untied and unrolled the package on the table. - -'There, Cestus!' he said,--'there are the self-same things which she had -about her when you left her here. They have been carefully kept.' - -The small eyes of the Suburan flashed with joy as they rested on the -contents. He lifted them up one by one and examined them. They consisted, -as the potter said, of the tiny garments of a child two or three years -old; and, in addition, there was a small bag of soft leather, not larger -than the girth of a small-sized walnut, to which was attached a fine steel -chain to encircle the neck. Pouncing on the bag Cestus extracted a carved -amulet of polished stone. His face fairly beamed with delight as he gazed. -'Good!' he said, as he replaced the stone, and put the bag carefully away -in his breast, 'this is of the highest importance; taken together with -yourself and Tibia they are enough for what I want. And now to let you -into the secret. In the first place, Masthlion, that rare piece of -womankind who is dreaming of her lover upstairs, owes her life directly to -me, the rough bear, whose face she declined to profane her pretty lips -with.' - -'Her life!' exclaimed the potter. - -'Nothing less, kinsman,' continued Cestus. 'The same Balbus whom you knew -as my master, was a man of great estates and wealth. I acted as a kind of -bailiff for him in Rome, and feathered my nest very fairly indeed. There -was a kinsman of this Balbus, a young man, and not very well off as -regards worldly goods. In the course of events this person and myself had -grown to be very intimate and confidential over various little matters in -which I had served him on the sly. He was well born, well spoken, and well -dressed--a gentleman born and bred; but, at heart, as great a scamp as any -footpad and cut-throat that haunts the roadside. Being only very -moderately supplied with money, in his own right, his mind very naturally -dwelt upon the enormous amount which flowed annually into the coffers of -his kinsman, old Balbus, my master. It is a weakness of human nature, -Masthlion, for a poor man to speculate concerning a rich kinsman. But this -youngster had a subtle brain beyond his years, and was not content to -speculate. To wait on chance, in his case, was, in all probability, to -wait and be no better; for, had he even been the next heir, his kinsman, -Balbus, although got into years, was hale and hearty, and as tough as -leather. That was bad enough; but what made it worse for his hopes, he was -not the direct heir. There was one life between him and what he schemed -for. That one was all the more closely and tenderly watched because it was -all that my old master Balbus had left him. Of all his family nothing -remained to him but this one life--a daughter's daughter; the mother, the -last of his children, had died in giving it birth, and he was left, like -an old oak, with this young slip budding beside him. That young slip, as I -sit here before you, Masthlion, is the girl who calls you father.' - -The potter sat still. His gaze was concentrated with painful intensity on -the speaker. His fingers clenched the table like a vice, and his breast -heaved and fell in a tumult of emotion. - -'You can easily supply the rest,' continued Cestus. - -Masthlion nodded without speaking, and his head fell on his breast. His -heart swelled to bursting. He dare not trust himself to open his mouth to -utter a sound. If this was true, and he felt it was, the figure of his -Neæra's grandparent rose in his mind's eye--a haughty, stern, and -aristocratical old man, extending a proffered reward and polite thanks -with a lofty condescension which could not be mistaken for anything but a -final dismissal; and there, beside him, the child herself, in her rich -robes, seeming too full of delight at the novelty and pleasure of her new -position to think very seriously of her separation from the old. He -pictured himself refusing the proffered gold, and turning away to go back -to his desolate and darkened hearth, far away and forgotten for ever. - -His fancy was warm, and his sensibilities as keen as a sensitive woman's. -The probability of such a scene as this, which leaped so swiftly and -vividly across his brain, was almost too much for his nature to bear. His -throat pained him, and the water seemed to burn its way into his eyes; so -he sank his head gradually lower until his brow rested on the table. - -'Well, the rest comes naturally enough after what I have said,' continued -Cestus, seemingly taking no heed of his companion. 'The young man I speak -of could act the hypocrite to a nicety. He was clever-tongued, sociable, -and took great pains to make himself agreeable to his kinsman, old Balbus, -who was, in many things, as simple as a child, so that they were always -very great friends and companions, which was a great help to the plan -which had to be carried out. It was very simple, and the first step was, -as I need hardly tell you, the making away of the child which stood in his -path. I know I cannot set myself up as a model of a man, but what follows -will show that my heart was considerably softer in the grain than this -young serpent's, which, if it exists at all--which I doubt--is like granite. -It was bad enough to rob the old man of the only brat remaining, for he -was so wrapped up in it--used to sport with it and tend it like a woman, -and was scarcely able to allow it out of his sight. You remember the child -then, potter--a yellow-haired big-eyed youngster, and enough to make a fool -of any man who cared for such toys. Well, kinsman, I take no credit to -myself for the part I acted. No doubt it was rascally enough, but I have -no doubt in my mind whatever, that what I did, although unconsciously, was -the means of saving the girl's life and position. Had I refused the -temptation of his bribe, some other tool would have taken my place, and -would have carried out his instructions to the letter, which were to -strangle the youngster, drown it, cut its throat, smother it, or anything -to silence it for ever.' - -'The monster!' exclaimed Masthlion, raising his head and shuddering with -horror; 'and but a youth too?' - -'Only a youth,' replied Cestus, 'but with a serpent's head. As I said, we -had grown to be very confidential on account of some commissions I had -quietly done for him, and he gradually began to sound me with a view to -getting my help in his operations. He found me willing, and we soon came -to terms. I was to kill the child, and he was to give me a very handsome -sum. Where he raised it I don't know, but that did not matter. It required -no small amount of patience and skill to get the child away without -notice, and weeks passed ere I was able to do it to my satisfaction. There -was no use in doing the thing desperately so as to leave the least -suspicion. A favourable time came at last, and I managed to take the child -away without attracting the least attention; but I could never make up my -mind to kill it, so I left it in secret and safe hands for a few weeks, -and then begged leave of absence to make a visit. That visit was to you, -and it was to bring the child here, where I never thought to see or hear -of her again. I told a tale to my young master--how I drowned the child out -of sight in a marsh, and he was satisfied; and remains so, as far as she -is concerned, to this day. So far all was well. There was not the -slightest suspicion attaching to us. Balbus went nearly out of his mind, -and money, without end, was spent in searching after the lost brat. My -young master was foremost in the hunt, of course, and I have heard the old -man bless him many a time. Not a little of the wasted money went, as I -know, into his purse at last; for it grew to be a common practice for -cunning rogues to say they had found the whereabouts of the child, and -then demand a price. It was freely given, and of course ended in nothing -but disappointment. After some time my young master got this business -transferred entirely into his own hands, and all such discoveries were -left to him to deal with. I have reason to believe he invented a good many -of them himself, and always took the best part of the money into his own -fingers. And so he waited until the old man should die; and has waited -until now, because he has not the pluck to finish the business promptly, -and get the old man out of the way as well as the child. Had he had as -much courage as cunning, he might have been rolling in the wealth of -Balbus these ten years; but he cannot screw up his pluck, so he dallies -on, and hopes for old Saturn and his scythe to help him--the fool! His -prudent farming of the funds spent in searching for the lost one has -considerably improved his stock of money; but the matter of late years has -almost died out. Balbus went to dwell on his country estates, and took me -with him. About six months ago I received a letter from my young master, -begging me to repair to Rome to see him. I readily got leave and went to -his house. He gave me a commission to execute, which he professed to be -very secret. Whilst on my way one night late, in a lonely part of the -city, whither I had gone on his account, I was beset by a gang of -ruffians, and left for dead. There was life, however, left in me when they -had done, and, as luck would have it, I was picked up and taken charge of. -I since have discovered that the whole was only a cunning plot to remove -me and my knowledge out of the world. I have been all this time -recovering, and here I am. Balbus is a saddened old man, but hale. My -young master walks about, relieved in the thought that he has cleverly got -rid of me, who knew enough to utterly confound him. He shall be -disagreeably surprised. You, kinsman, will befriend me, as well as my -sister Tibia. These few traps will confirm the matter. The girl will get -her own again, and I shall be revenged on a paltry, white-livered knave as -ever stepped the earth.' - -Cestus ceased, and a long pause ensued. - -'Is all this truth, kinsman?' said Masthlion at length. - -'That you shall presently know beyond all doubt,' replied the Suburan. - -'It seems all so strange to think that my Neæra should prove to be nobly -born.' - -'The grandchild of a senator, no less!' - -'Ah me!' sighed the potter dejectedly; 'then are we parted indeed.' - -'That question of difference, between the Centurion and her, will trouble -you no longer, kinsman,' said Cestus. - -'Nothing will trouble me now concerning her, except that I shall never see -her more; she has passed beyond my care, alas!' said Masthlion, with deep -emotion. - -'Take a draught of wine, kinsman,' observed Cestus; 'it is a wonderful -balm for scratched feelings.' - -Masthlion, with a sad smile, filled up his cup--'I drink to the child's -happy restoration and her future welfare;' and he added, after a pause, -'May she be tended as lovingly and tenderly as she has been under this -humble roof.' - -'I will drink to that with pleasure,' cried the other; 'restored she shall -be, without doubt, but, for the rest, I cannot say.' - -They both drank and set down their cups, and Cestus remarked that it was -time he was in bed. - -'Enough for to-night; it has given you something to ponder over, and we -can have some more to say presently. But, until the time is ripe to act, -potter, you must keep all this secret. Not a word to the child, or to your -wife, until fit time.' - -'I will not,' answered Masthlion. - -'Swear it, kinsman, for we may have to wait long yet.' - -'I never broke my word,' said Masthlion proudly. - -'Enough; then I will trust to you,' said Cestus. 'Roll up those traps and -keep them safe; and, on your life, breathe not a word to a living soul. -Good-night!' - -Cestus departed to his pallet bed upstairs, but Masthlion remained sitting -before the fire for a long time in deep reflection. The small hours -arrived, and his wife awoke to find her husband still missing from her -side. She stole downstairs to find him musing and sighing, deeply and -heavily, from time to time. The fire had smouldered down to a few red -embers, and the room was chilly; but the heartsore man did not know. His -wondering wife's hand on his shoulder roused him, and he followed quietly -to bed, but not to sleep. Tibia saw instinctively that something was -wrong, and she, just as swiftly, ascribed that something to her brother; -but, failing to gain anything satisfactory by her inquiries, she wisely -allowed the matter to slumber the while. - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - -Dusk had already fallen on island and sea, when Martialis returned to his -quarters at the villa Jovis. He had departed in brilliant spirits, and -with the brightest anticipations; but the latter had not been realised, -and his mood had suffered. The untimely and unexpected advent of the -Suburan had been by no means welcome; added to which, the failure of his -purpose to exact a settled arrangement for his union with Neæra had -further irritated and annoyed him. The parting caress of the laughing, -lovely girl had hardly relieved his chafing spirit, and the journey home -was performed at a prodigious speed both by land and sea. The violent -exertion allayed the sting of his feelings, but his mood was far from -smooth when he saw and lifted the ill-fated missive of Plautia from the -table, where the slave Lygdus had finally left it. - -His first exclamation, as he read its brief lines, was contemptuous and -irritable, and he threw the paper impatiently back on to the table. In -another moment curiosity had its turn, and he lifted it again for a -further examination. The handwriting furnished him with no clue to the -writer, and he was equally at a loss to imagine who could have occasion -for summoning him in such a mysterious manner. He remained in doubt -whether he should give the anonymous epistle any further attention or not; -but his little chamber seemed oppressive to him, and his ruffled thoughts -inclined towards any occupation which might relieve and turn their -current. - -He scarcely thought it necessary to arm himself; but, being in utter -ignorance of what kind of entertainment he was invited to, a moment's -reflection told him he had best be on the safe side. He, therefore, put on -a light, flexible cuirass under his tunic, and took a sword, of the usual -short, straight Roman pattern, under his cloak. Thus prepared he once more -took the way down to the south landing, glad to be quit of his dark, -cheerless rooms. - -The white rock, which Plautia had specified, was one she had particularly -noticed on her way from the boat. It was of chalky formation, and was -embedded in the side of a craggy eminence, around which the rough path -wound on its way down to the narrow little beach below. This eminence, -which was an irregular spur of a hill, was very rough, and thickly covered -with trees and underwood of all kinds, thus affording an excellent -shelter, which, in accordance with our story, had already been taken -advantage of. On the other side of the footway was only a narrow strip of -green turf, fringing a precipitous descent to the sea below. - -Night had now quite fallen, and the young moon shed a hazy light from its -narrow crescent. The Centurion paced leisurely onward, keeping -instinctively on the outer edge of the path, and from under the shadow of -the rocks and brushwood which walled in the land side. He was well muffled -up in his large cloak, and, whilst his hand kept a ready grasp of his -sword beneath, his eyes maintained the keenest scrutiny of every object -and shadow as he paced along. Not a sound nor a movement, except the light -fall of his own feet on the short mossy turf, broke the perfect repose of -the spot, and he had now arrived opposite the mass of white chalk or -limestone in question. Concluding that this was the appointed place, he -stopped and waited, whilst he cast a curious glance around. He looked and -listened in vain for a few moments; there was the faint murmur of the sea -below, and the fitful breath of the night breeze ever and anon, and that -was all. 'Um!' he muttered doubtfully. - -As he spoke, something moved out of the black shadow of a thicket, and -stood partly athwart the ghostly white face of the chalk rock. He -perceived, by the flow of drapery on the form, that it was a woman, and -surprise and wonder took more possession of him than ever. He remained -motionless for a space, and finding that the strange figure did not move, -he stepped forward two or three steps; upon which the mysterious shape -drew back into the dark shadow of the thicket whence it had appeared. - -'This is the white rock,' said the Pretorian; 'who wants me?' - -As his voice fell quietly on the calm air the female figure came forth and -confronted him. - -'Martialis!' said the voice of Plautia, with a faint tremor in its rich -tones. - -He started and scanned her keenly. 'That is my name,' he replied 'Was it -you who bade me come? I seem to know your voice. What can you want with -me, and who may you be?' - -'Accept the grateful thanks of Plautia for your kind and ready obedience -to her wish.' - -'Plautia--you--here! And yet I was sure of the voice!' he muttered. - -She put back the hood of her cloak, and turned her face to him full in the -light. He surveyed, indeed, to his intense astonishment, the beautiful -face of the adventurous damsel; and, although the feeble rays of the thin -moon overlaid with their own wan paleness the tell-tale tints of her rich -flooding cheeks, they rather, on the other hand, lit up the liquid -brilliance of her dark eyes. Her white hand stole from the folds of her -cloak, and rested gently on his arm. Young, high-spirited, warm and -impressionable, the look and soft touch of this lovely woman thrilled him -through in despite of himself; but his lips closed a trifle closer, and -his form stretched aloft almost imperceptibly. - -'Yes, 'tis I, Plautia!' she murmured, with her haughty head drooping -downward, and her hand falling from his arm at the same time. - -'I am wonderstruck!' he said in a colder tone; 'in the name of heaven, -Plautia, how came you to be in such a spot as this--such a place as this -island?' - -'No matter how, Centurion; I am here--that is enough.' - -'But yet it is incomprehensible--have you been here long?' - -'No.' - -'Did you come alone?' - -'I have said it is enough that I am here, Centurion; you will not oblige -me to ask you not to be so uncourteous as to question further?' - -'I am, to a certain extent, responsible for the careful guard of this -island retreat of Caesar,' he replied rather grimly, 'and the unexpected -presence of a stranger on its Argus-eyed shores renders me naturally -curious. Scarce the flight of a bird to or from these rocks passes -unnoticed--much less the arrival or departure of an individual without -authority.' - -'How know you that I am here without authority?' - -'Because were it otherwise, it is more than likely that I should have -become acquainted with the fact; and because no honourable woman would -openly seek the polluted air of this island. You cannot have known this--or -you have been misled, most likely. If it be so, quit the spot without -delay, for it is fraught with danger to such as you. Did you send for me -to help you? It must be so.' - -'No. I know all you tell me. I am here in secret.' - -'If you are sure of that, it mocks our watch and ward. But rest content -that you cannot hope to remain long without discovery, in whatever nook -you have found; at least you will tell me one thing--whether you have been -decoyed here, or whether you came of your own free will.' - -'Of my own free will.' - -'It is extraordinary--some matter of huge importance must have impelled -you.' - -'Of the most vital importance--to me.' - -'Why then have you summoned me, a comparative stranger to you and your -affairs?' - -'Do you begrudge me the time and trouble?' - -'Thus far surely not.' - -'Have no fear that I will interfere with your duty.' - -'Good! Then I am at your disposal.' - -The breast of the lady heaved and fluttered unwontedly; her native -characteristics of haughty self-possession had given way to an unusual -tremor and discomposure; and this in the presence of a Centurion only--a -simple soldier. She whom the crowd of the highest and mightiest in Rome -had dangled around, without causing her cheek to change its hue or her -heart to throb a whit the faster. Then, as if a sudden shame for her -weakness flashed across her mind, she drew up her ample form, and braced -her quivering limbs, at the same time raising her countenance to his with -an effort at her accustomed imperious nonchalance. But it proved an empty -piece of bravado which she was unable to sustain. The young man, despite -his expectant curiosity, remained motionless, cold, and unsympathetic, and -she shrank again before him, with trembling joints and down-dropped head, -like a leaping wave from the hard stern face of a rock. - -The uncertain light was friendly to these signs of perturbation, and -shrouded them so far from his observation, as to merely impress his mind -with the idea that they were nothing save the symptoms of a little -hesitation. A slight noise among the rocks of the hillside struck their -ears, and they both turned to listen. - -'What was that?' she whispered. - -But all was as quiet as the grave; it might have been nothing but an -animal displacing a stone as it prowled in search of prey, and thus -Martialis replied. - -'Come more into the shade,' she said hurriedly, laying her hand once more -upon his arm; 'some chance passer-by may see us here.' - -He followed her a few paces into the shadow of the brushwood which lined -the path, and, at the same time, carelessly threw his cloak from his right -shoulder, so as to leave his right arm free and unhampered. It was a -significant action to the initiated, and seemed to say, that his -explanation of the probable cause of the slight noise in the bushes was -not exactly in accordance with his inmost conviction. - -The quick eye and wit of Plautia perceived it, and she said reproachfully, -'Are you afraid, Centurion? You are armed!' - -She had, in passing her hand over the folds of his cloak, felt the hilt of -the sword which he held in his grasp underneath. - -'I have a weapon with me, truly,' he answered; 'but as to being afraid, I -think I may say I am nothing more than cautious, as we soldiers are -trained to be. You must surely admit, Plautia, that I am neither blamable -nor foolish in preparing myself somewhat; for, when a man receives a -request to meet an unknown person, in a mysterious manner, after dark, in -an unfrequented spot, he is only acting prudently when he does as I have -done. It might have been a throat-cutting assignation for all that I could -tell. There are even some persons who would not, probably, have cared to -attend at all.' - -'But you know now who has brought you--do you think that I would lead you -premeditatedly into harm?' - -'No! I know of no earthly reason why you should do such a thing. I have -certainly never done anything to merit your wrath or revenge, and such a -thing could never enter your mind.' - -'There is not a soul here but you and I, and it was to be thus that I -asked your presence. The toil--the danger is on my side, believe me, -Centurion.' - -Whether it was the shade in which they stood gave her increased confidence -it would be hard to say, but her low rich tones grew steadier and more -fervent, and both her white hands sought and clasped themselves upon his -brown sinewy fingers. - -'Yes, Centurion, the toil and the danger,' she repeated, speaking rapidly -and fervently; 'you saw me land last night, and in what company.' - -'Last night!' said Martialis, starting. 'What--was it you who came with -that----?' - -'No other--I and my slave dared and endured even the contact of the wretch, -and thus obtained a landing, in secret, on this haunt of Caesar.' - -Martialis withdrew his hand from her enclosing fingers, and placed it in -his bosom with a haughty gesture. She reared herself up at this eloquent -movement with a flash of her imperious fierceness. - -'What! Do you think that I came as one of the train of that vile slave of -Tiberius? I, Plautia!--do you think it? Speak, Martialis!' - -'It would be the easier and more probable thing to believe that Plautia -had embarked in ignorance of her fellow-voyagers,' returned the Centurion -calmly. - -'Yet why did you draw from me?' she said fawningly; 'it was even as you -say. It was an expedient arranged by another for landing on the island, -and I simply followed my instructions, knowing nothing further. It has -achieved my purpose--here I am!' - -'You are in the tiger's lair, and the man who conducted you hither is a -creature of Caesar, and a vile reptile who fattens on his patronage.' - -'He dare not break his trust, knowing who gave him his charge.' - -'I can guess who that same person is; nevertheless it does not abate my -opinion one jot. I dare swear your secrecy will be hardly worth the name -in a few hours--perhaps even now. There is no trust to be put in such a -wretch. Lose no time in putting the straits between you and the island, -let me commend you. Whatever business has brought you hither, despatch it -at once--this night should see you away if possible.' - -'I have no fear.' - -'Because you are ignorant of the danger you stand in. To such as you, of -all people in the world, the pestilential air of this island is fraught -with dire peril.' - -'I care not, for I am with _you_.' - -'Your position admits of little jesting, believe me,' said Martialis, in a -voice which exhibited an amount of stern impatience; 'you are wasting -precious moments--I am here at your request: let me know in what I am to -serve you, and I will at once answer whether I can be of help. Were the -hand of Caesar to drop upon us now you would find your safeguard in as -sorry a plight as yourself. That you know right well, Plautia, and you -delivered the raillery with effective gravity. I neither ask nor desire to -know the cause of your extraordinary presence in this spot, but my -apprehension certainly is that you wish me to assist you to leave.' - -'Your apprehension is wrong,' replied the Roman beauty, in low, nervous -tones, barely to be heard; 'I came hither impelled by a feeling against -which it was impossible to strive. It urged me through the hideous fatigue -and disgust of the voyage hither, and it upholds me, undismayed, at the -presence of danger. You impress upon me that I am beset with dire peril. -It may be so--I can well believe it; but I am careless of it. Fear I never -knew, and in this hour of all it can find less room than ever in my -heart.' - -Her head sank down, and her murmured words seemed to struggle with her -hurried breathing, begot by a state of extreme tremor. - -The Centurion knitted his brows, and, for a few moments, he remained in -silent embarrassment. The deep shade of the thicket was friendly to his -companion, and shrouded the outward symptoms of her feelings from his -glance, but what his ears drank in was sufficient to make his mind uneasy -and suspicious. He had really been under the impression that his -companion's presence in the island was probably due to some affair of -intrigue, and, indeed, if her explanation had not seemed to so fully -confirm the protection or connivance of Sejanus, he would at once have -arrived at that conclusion, from the well-known fact of her intimacy with -him. In expectation, therefore, of some political plan or plot in which -she required him to join, he had been anxious to bring the interview to an -end, being utterly averse to entangle himself in anything of the kind, or -even to run the chance of being discovered in her company. But now he was -as little disposed to force the matter to a conclusion, as before he had -been anxious, and, in uncomfortable doubt, he began, very naturally, to -chafe for having allowed himself to be so carelessly led into such a -position. Had he only been prudent enough to consider, he might have at -once concluded that nothing but mischief lay planted between the lines of -an anonymous letter. - -But the lady vouchsafed no other speech, and, anxious to appear quite -unconscious of any particular purport in her words, he hastened to break -the silence, in an assumed manner of artlessness and lightness, which is -often used, alike to stave off an unpleasant subject and to play with one -as delightful. - -'Fear, I am well assured, is a weakness unaccustomed to your breast,' he -said, 'and, if I gather rightly from your words, you confess to be in -subjection, no less than the rest of your sex, to the passion which they -say rules feminine nature. Nevertheless I wish, on this occasion, for your -own sake, fear had tempered curiosity a little.' - -'Curiosity!' she returned with passionate scorn; then her voice sank to -its former nervous intonation. 'And yet I said false, Martialis, when I -boasted of my fearlessness. I thought I was proof,--thus far without it, -and now, lo, it has found me out.' - -'No! no!' she continued rapidly, as he uttered some halting commonplace, -'not business of Prefect, nor of Caesar, nor yet whim, nor curiosity, but -only my heart and thee, Martialis,--Lucius! Have you not seen? Do you not -see?' - -'Plautia----' - -'It might have been months ere Rome could see you again. The city seemed -void. I loathed it. My house seemed turned to a dungeon. My occupations -palled upon me. I was weary, and everything was distasteful. I was no -longer mistress of myself, and where my mind dwelt, thither I was fated to -follow. What could stay me? Not toil and fatigue, nor yet the risk of the -lynx-eyed warders of this rocky hermitage of Caesar. Where the will is -there is the way, and what were a thousand times the obstacles in the way -of mine? I am near thee, Martialis--I have accomplished my purpose. I have -come and I confess to thee the reason, and I a woman. To you the world -would apportion the voice, and to me the silence; but I own no law, no -guide, but you and the promptings of my own heart. I have broken the cold -forms and rules which bind a woman's unsought secret within her breast, -even at the risk of her life. I make no excuse--I crave no pardon. -Wherefore should I hide the truth? Could my lips alter it, or you blame -it? You cannot chide me. Am I less a woman now than before? I have bared -my heart to thee, Martialis, but it is still a woman's, and it has never -bent to any sway but yours.' - -Could the young soldier's senses have been more subtly stirred had he been -a mariner of old, rousing himself in his idly-floating boat to listen to -the fatal, sweet ditties of a siren song stealing into his ears through -the tranquil, yellow mist of evening? - -He felt his hand imprisoned tightly within the warm grasp of her soft, -white palms. Her breath played upon his cheek, and the gloom of their -leafy shelter could not hide the shadowy, star-like lustre of her eyes -close upturned to his. His ears drank in the rich, thrilling tones of her -voice, quivering, like her glorious form, with excess of passion. The -delicate perfumes of her attire welled around him, and invaded his -faculties like the very essences of her overpowering loveliness. The -touch, the eloquent motions, the soft abandon of this creature of superb -womanhood: the strange, bewitching phenomenon of her haughty imperiousness -sinking into the overwhelming flood of passionate love and tender -submission beglamoured his mind. His senses seemed overcharged. As one -might seek relief from a choking sensation, he reared his head backwards, -with a deep, noiseless breath, and swept his eyes athwart his shoulder -round the sea and star-lit heavens. Extraordinary and dream-like as his -whole experience of that night was, it was no illusion, such as he began -to think it might be. There was the horned moon, bright and tranquil in -the dark sky; and there was the track of its silvery radiance dancing on -the softly-rippling waters below. The night-air, too, palpably rustled the -leaves around his head, and a soft, velvety touch at that moment quivered -through him. It was the delicate pressure of her ripe, warm lips on his -hand. It awoke the Pretorian to himself and brushed away the brief mist of -sensuous sweetness which had enthralled him. To have remained wholly -indifferent to such a passionate revelation of the loveliest lips--to have -rested unmoved by the soft contact and surrender of the richest wealth of -female beauty Rome could show, would have been to renounce all in common -with human nature, even on the part of one bred with the phlegmatic -coldness and self-possession of a northern clime. But Plautia had cast -herself before one born to the same native characteristics of ardent and -impulsive blood as herself, though not perhaps in an equal degree of -intensity. With his pulses yet tingling he recalled, by a flash of -thought, all the evident signs of pleasure and satisfaction with which she -had hitherto greeted his presence when chance had thrown them together for -a brief period. Her relaxed haughtiness, her glances and smiles were now, -it seemed, only too well fraught with real meaning. Her excuses and -pretexts for companionship, and a hundred little arts, which had never -caused him more thought than an amused gratification, down to the latest -evidence of all, in the gift she had sent to the camp, were now -supplemented and concluded with a startling explanation. In common with -the rest of Rome he had admired her magnificent beauty of face and form, -and, by a most natural process of a man in love, he had as often -criticised her by the standard of the maiden enthroned in his heart of -hearts. He ever found the contrast, morally and physically, to be wellnigh -complete. As before, but now with tenfold more vividness, his mind spanned -the intervening distance and dwelt upon the fair girl he had left but a -short time before. It acted like the sudden transition from the oppressive -glow of a tropic dream steeped in narcotic odours, to the waking freshness -and cool relief of a breezy dawn. Neæra's image, ever ready to his -invocation, rose before him in its changeless purity and sweetness, its -noble dignity and calmness, and purged his spirit of the grosser -intoxication which burdened it. - -While yet his mind was agitated by such fleeting emotions and reflections, -it was vaguely burdened with pain and dread, on account of the vehement -nature of the self-willed woman before him. He was simple and chivalrous; -and as he thought how she, who could command so much, had dared everything -to follow him to this spot for the sake of an unfortunate attachment, his -heart ached with pain and pity--all the more as she was doomed to -disappointment. The only return she could accept he was unable to make, -and the fact of his entire innocence brought him no comfort. - -Such was the main current of his thoughts in the short pause which -followed on the passionate words of Plautia. In his simple, soldier way, -he would rather have been summoned to face a legion single-handed than be -under the necessity of administering the _coup-de-grace_ to the dearest -hopes and wishes of a woman. Her posture was at the moment half-reclining -against his breast. - -'You are cruelly silent,' she murmured in his ear. 'Shame! Would you have -me say more?' - -'You have done me great honour--great and unexpected,' he answered, -stammering with embarrassment; 'but I was not prepared to meet such a -surprise. If I am confused there is an excuse for it. I thought--and yet, -no--I do not know. That I should have held such place in your regard is -almost beyond my belief, and I should be little surprised to discover that -Plautia is beguiling a tedious evening with a frolic. If so, I shall laugh -with as much zest as herself.' - -'O brave frolic for a shallow wit!' she cried vehemently; 'and how am I to -go about to convince thee, if thou hast not already been convinced? Do I -merit no worthier words than those, Martialis?' - -'I made no assertion,' said the Centurion. 'If I am answerable for my -utterances just for the time, I probably meant no more than to point out -more effectively my feelings of astonishment and incredulity as to what -has befallen me this night.' - -'But that has passed,' she said, in a low voice, and inclining herself -again closely to him. 'Though surprised, Lucius, why unbelieving? Can it -be so beyond belief? Had you been hideous, deformed, and as vile in mind -as person,--a base negro, or Numidian slave, it had been then time to -wonder! But thank the gods for being what you are--then why do you so -undervalue yourself? Have women the eyes of bats and hearts impenetrable -as granite? Have I not said enough? Would you have me plead? No--you -cannot!' - -'What of my brother Caius?' said he, with a sterner accent in his voice. - -'What of him--why, what of him?' - -'He loves you--nay, more, he is infatuated with you. It is public -knowledge.' - -'And am I to blame? Can you reproach me? I have never wished it nor -desired it. I have scorned him. I would have driven him away from me, but -he would not be driven. Can I help his misfortune? It is impossible. It -must be a task for himself. I can never love him, nor can he demand it, -nor any force compel me.' - -'You say true. If it be his own misfortune to love without return there is -no law or force to help him. The same law, Plautia, stands good between -all. Poor Caius! there are more than himself in the same unhappy plight.' - -The Centurion gently withdrew his hand from beneath hers, and, turning -half aside toward the sea, folded his arms across his breast. Her hands -fell down before her, and her eyes contracted on his profile. The deep -gravity of his manner alarmed her and grated ominously on her mind. - -'But you are in no such wretchedness?' she said, with painful earnestness. - -'I--no! the gods be thanked, far from it,' he replied quickly, almost -lightly and gladly. - -'Then why speak so meaningly? Such a common truth hardly needed it.' - -He did not respond, but remained stolidly gazing over the cliffs upon the -sea. - -'Will you not speak?' she said, after a pause. - -He turned upon her and took her hand. - -'Plautia, I would you had never come to this spot. It had been better if -you had never left home. Return at once. Let me see you safely away, this -night if possible.' - -Her face grew as ghastly white as the limestone rock bathed in the -moonlight, and a deadly sickness seized upon her heart and numbed her -faculties for a moment. - -'You wish to be quit of me--you spurn me!' she cried, catching her breath. - -'I wish to seek your safety and--and, Plautia, it is impossible that I can -love you,' returned he, wringing the tardy words out of his heart. - -She caught her hand away and struck it against her breast, and reared her -form aloft in a moment's ominous silence. - -'I have demeaned myself, then,' she gasped, 'to a man without a heart. I -have stooped myself, most likely, to be the butt of a guard-room, and -thence of the city--O miserable, weak, blinded fool!' - -No tornado ever broke more fiercely and suddenly on a peaceful landscape -than the fit of fury on the dull torpor of her disenchanted mind. Shame -and the keen anguish of disappointment resolved themselves into a -whirlwind of rage. It choked her voice. - -'Fool--fool!' she reiterated hoarsely. Her jewelled hand caught at the -drapery about her throat, and rent it away from the gleaming beauty of her -neck and wildly heaving breast, as if to relieve a horror of suffocation. - -'Not so--not so, Plautia!' cried the startled Centurion, 'you wrong -yourself and me--you have demeaned yourself in no way--you have honoured me -with an affection it is out of my power to return. Your secret shall be -ever sacred with me. As to my heart, Plautia, it pains me too sharply for -the unhappiness it would have avoided, but cannot. All the love it can -hold is given to another.' - -'To another--another woman! Who is she?--Where is she?--What is her name?' -was demanded, with something of the manner of a tigress. - -'You have never known her, seen her, or heard of her, and to speak of her -will do no good.' - -'I will know!' - -'You may know some time hence, but it is to no purpose now.' - -She gazed at him for a moment with a furious glance, her head thrown back, -and her figure drawn up to its utmost height. Then, strange to tell, in -the next brief second every strained fibre of her body seemed to relax, -and, with a kind of hysterical gasp or sob, she fell on his breast and -gave way to an uncontrollable burst of weeping. Her brief madness, burnt -out by its own fierceness, and departing as rapidly as it had come, had -left her at the mercy of the reaction, drained of strength and weak in -spirit. Nor was the expression of her changed mood of helpless -wretchedness in any degree less accordant with the vehemence of her -nature. Her frame was shaken with convulsive violence, and the Pretorian -was enabled to contemplate another phase of the volcanic passions which -had hitherto lain hid, to him at least, beneath the crust of her calm -unruffled haughtiness. The frenzied storm gust had startled him, but the -sudden drop into the depth of hysterical woe and feminine weakness quite -unmanned him. He had witnessed the anger of men and the weeping of women -ere now, but here was a revelation. His heart turned chill at suggesting -the hate of the lava-blooded creature on his breast. - -It was useless to attempt to stop or soothe the tempest of her feelings; -like her wrath it was too fierce to last very long. It began to abate in a -few minutes, to the intense relief of his agitated mind. - -'Come, Plautia, courage! This is too terrible--courage!' - -His voice restored her, and she lifted herself at once from his bosom with -the same proud mien the world knew, as if the teeming moments had -thoroughly purged her veins clear and cool of the riotous fires of -passion. - -'You say well,' she said, with stoical coldness. 'My miserable part being -played--I will return.' - -'To the opposite shore? It must be--I will try to aid you,' he began, with -alacrity at the welcome change to action, however hazardous. - -'No!' interrupted she; 'to my lodging at the old wine-grower's hovel. I -have brought you here to-night from, perhaps, a more pleasing occupation. -Accept my thanks for your patient indulgence of a foolish woman's folly. -More I cannot suffer you to undergo; much less the loss of your night's -repose, in the dangerous operation of smuggling me away from here, in -direct opposition of your duty.' - -'That is nothing,' he returned. 'It would be more to the point if I could -impress upon you the danger of your sojourn here. I have been the -unfortunate, although unwitting cause, of your presence here. That gives -me grief enough without the fear of further evil. As soon as the moon -sets, which will not be long, I----' - -'No, Centurion, I will do as I have said. Be the consequences on my own -devoted head--I care not. I absolve you from all blame on my account, -therefore be at rest.' - -'It is sorely against my will,' he said sadly, for he could not but feel a -new and softened regard for her as one result of the night's experience. - -'It is in full accordance with mine,' she replied; 'nay, leave me to go -alone, for it is but a few hundred yards. I wish it. Good-night!' - -She gathered her drapery around her, and, stepping out into the path, -proceeded in the direction of Tucca's dwelling with all her accustomed -stateliness of gait. - -After her disappearance, the Pretorian yet lingered on in deep reflection. -The soft seductive spell of her beauty, and the delicate perfumes of her -person still lingered in his senses, and his mind was full to its -uttermost with speculations on the fate of such passions as he had seen -displayed that night. He pondered on the transformation of the haughty, -unemotional lady of indolence, luxury, and refinement, into the daring, -undissembling woman of a secret assignation; and tried to realise her -despair by endeavouring to picture his own, had his love for Neæra been as -misplaced. So, with a mind saddened and agitated, as to bode ill for his -night's slumber, he turned slowly away, at last, in the direction of the -villa Jovis. - -When the sound of his footsteps had died away, there was some rustling in -the thicket above the spot so lately occupied. Creeping cautiously -downward over the rocky surface, a man reached the edge of the road, and, -peeping out, satisfied himself that the coast was clear ere he stepped -boldly forth. - -''Tis all right, Prefect, the road is open--the play is over, and the -actors have clean departed,' he said aloud. - -'Then let us begone likewise, Afer, in the name of the furies,' returned -Sejanus ill-temperedly enough, as he reached his companion and stretched -his cramped limbs. - -'Yes, it is quite certain that the Centurion has been more highly -entertained than ourselves,' responded Afer drily; 'but unbidden guests -must take their chance. In the meantime, let us fix such scraps of speech, -as did reach our ears, firmly in our memories, and exercise our ingenious -fancies in supplying matter to fill the vast gaps in the scene. It will be -just as amusing as the original, and the lovely Plautia will correct it if -necessary.' - -'I'm agreeable, if you will undertake to obtain the correction yourself -from the damsel,' snarled the Prefect, brushing his cloak with his hand. -'I think the result would repay any such trouble.' - -'At least you have proof of the sublime virtue of your Pretorian,' -continued Afer; 'that must be gratifying. Such a marvel of resolute -integrity could fearlessly brave a host of Sirens, without stuffing his -ears with wax as did Ulysses. Ill-starred Venus dashing herself against -this incorruptible Adonis!' - -'Now the better time, therefore, for you to persuade her to turn to warmer -sympathies for consolation,' remarked Sejanus sarcastically. 'The -Centurion has followed his own idea in a matter which will never offer -itself to your choice, and it is of no further consequence to you or to me -either. But as to the lady herself, she must go to-morrow night, and you -must contrive to acquaint her with that fact early in the morning. I will -arrange about the means of departure. If she fails to obey and keep -within-doors till she is bidden to come forth, she does it to her grievous -peril. Give my cloak a brush with your hand, Afer, and let us be off.' - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - - -Plautia walked homeward with a sweeping haughty step, leaving her head and -face exposed to the dim rays of the moon as if contemptuously careless of -risk. When she reached the middle of the dusky orchard which flanked the -dwelling of Tucca, she stopped short, with her head cast down, as if -struck by a sudden thought. It may have been a cruelly acute flash of -reflection piercing her pain-drowsied mind with spasmodic rigour, for, the -next moment she sank on her knees with a smothered groan, and thence on to -her face, with her arms outstretched and her hand clutching the turf. -Here, in the solitude and silence of the night, the most dread hour for -unhappy thoughts, she lay prone and helpless in the very lap of mental -torture. Every external condition was absent which, in the light of day, -might have lent distraction and relief. Her face, buried in the mossy -turf, was dry-eyed; nor could the stinging pangs of wounded pride arouse a -momentary diversion from the horrible oppression and stupor of despair by -a fit of frenzied rage, to which her inflammable nature was at all times -prone. - -The time flew on. The moon sank nearer and nearer to the horizon, and was -suddenly swallowed up in a craggy mass of cloud, rising and spreading -upward from the western sea. It moved on swiftly and massively. Myriad -after myriad of bright stars disappeared behind the hurrying edge of its -pitchy mantle rolling onward, in a serrated line, from north to south. -Before was the fast narrowing expanse of glittering radiance; behind the -unfathomable blackness of Erebus. - -Fitful, but louder murmurs swept up from the sea in place of the gentle -uniform breathing of the early night, and the darkling waters shook with a -brisker frolic of dancing frothy combs, and dull shimmering streaks and -flashes of phosphorescent light, as if exultingly waking to the dim -watchword of a twinkling storm spirit. - -Still Plautia remained motionless, as if bereft of life. The gathering -gloom of the outer air had thickened, amid the grove, into inky blackness -impenetrable to the eye. The tree stems and boles were entirely -obliterated, as well as the shape of the woman lying prostrate amid them, -steeped in oblivious anguish. A sharp short gust of wind swayed the -invisible branches above, and dashed noisily amongst their leaves; after -which a lull, and a dreamy rustling, as in the calm depth of a summer -night. Then came the fierce rush of a blast roaring amongst the branches -and bending them over as with the flattening pressure of the hand of a -Titan, whilst a whizzing tempest of rain and hail swept along in company, -and made its shrill rattling on the leaves heard amidst the bluster. It -made its way freely through, and fell, with its icy coldness, on to the -bare head of her beneath. It roused her. She lifted her head; and raising -herself slowly, so as to lean upon her hands, she gazed stupidly into the -Stygian blackness which enveloped her. The roar of the storm filled her -ears, whereas her last remembrance was of the calm stars and moonlight. -Her mind re-asserted itself, and recovered from the bonds of its torture- -bed for the present, as from a dread nightmare. - -Shivering, she raised her chilled limbs from the ground, and, pulling her -cloak around her head, she stood, amid the roar and dashing of the -elements, striving to pierce the darkness and determine in which direction -to grope her way from the grove. Failing in this she stooped to feel for -the narrow footpath worn in the short grass. She was successful, and, -assuming that the storm proceeded from the open sea, and consequently more -or less from the direction of Tucca's cottage, she commenced the tardy, -troublesome, but necessitous process of following up the path, in the face -of the wind, by the assiduous touch of her fingers, in a stooping and -sometimes creeping posture. - -When she had gone a few yards in this toilsome manner she caught sight of -a glimmering light. It disappeared, and she called at the top of her -voice, but the furious roaring of the wind amid the trees rendered her -tones inaudible to herself. The light reappeared much closer, and as she -saw it coming to meet her she stopped. It proved to be carried by the -ancient husbandman himself, attended by her faithful slave, a woman of -middle age. Tucca held the lantern as much under the shelter of his -sackcloth storm-cloak as was possible, in order to save its feeble flame -from the wind; and as it barely gave light to their feet, and their senses -were pre-occupied with the bluster of the elements, they failed to -perceive the form of Plautia standing motionless in the path awaiting -them. Speaking being useless, the latter stayed their steps by laying her -hand on Tucca's shoulder, so much to that individual's sudden -consternation that he very nearly dropped the lantern. Turning the -struggling candle-rays up to her pale, stern face, he heaved a sigh of -gratification, and, scarcely waiting for her sign to return homeward, he -doubled on his track with alacrity, being too well satisfied already with -his experience of the night. To cover the short distance to the house was -a labour of no small difficulty in the teeth of the tempest. The light was -extinguished at once, but that was of no consequence to the old man, who -knew as well by night as day every inch of the homestead, where he had -passed the whole of his lengthy days. Plautia held to his shoulder, and -her cloak was gripped by her slave, and, in this manner, they gained the -cottage, with their garments dripping and their faces smarting with the -wind, rain, and hail. As soon as her voice could be heard, Plautia's -attendant began volubly to testify to her delight at the success of her -expedition, in which she had almost compelled the grumbling Tucca to join; -but Plautia curtly checked her and called for some wine, which she drank -copiously. Tasting a mouthful of food she then retired to her room, -followed by her faithful retainer, who would have given her chance of -freedom to have had her burning curiosity satisfied as to the errand of -her mistress that night. But the pale, pre-occupied, stern face of the -lady, together with an ominous, fretful impatience of manner, daunted her, -so she proceeded in silence with her duties of disrobing and preparing for -rest. - -Plautia lay and tossed the night through, till nearly dawn, in sleepless -wretchedness. The shrieking of the storm around the creaking, shuddering -cottage seemed a fitting accompaniment to the incessant gnawing of her -bitter disappointment, and it was long ere sheer exhaustion brought an -uneasy slumber to her relief. - -A loud knocking at the outer door of the house awoke her. She could -scarcely realise that her eyes had closed at all, and sat up to listen. -The narrow little window, near the ceiling, was faintly luminous with the -struggling light of very early day, and, though the wind was still high, -it had palpably moderated. She could hear the loud, regular snore of Tucca -within, as yet undisturbed by the early caller, whoever it might be; and -it was not until the pounding of the door had been repeated thrice, that -the slumberer's voice was heard demanding the name and business of the -visitor. Plautia's suspicions were keenly excited, and she rose from her -pallet and placed her ear to the crevice of the door. - -'Who is it, and what do you want at this time?' asked Tucca. - -'Open the confounded door and see!' was shouted in reply. - -'Is it you, noble Zeno?' - -'It is, noble Tucca.' - -The bar of the door was undone, and Tucca said, 'I thought it was your -voice, good Zeno--come in, but don't speak so loud lest you waken----' - -Plautia could hear no more, but she easily supplied the remainder of the -speech. - -'It is just what I came to do,' returned the other; 'I am grieved to do it -at such an unseasonable hour, on such an unseasonable morning, as well for -my own sake as hers, but I have no option. Go, knock her up, and tell her -who waits to speak with her. While you are doing that I will keep the cold -out with a drink of your best, Tucca.' - -Plautia heard the old man remove the trap-door, which covered the steps -descending to his cellar, and upon his return he came and tapped at her -door. - -'Well!' she asked. - -'So please you, noble lady, I am loth to disturb you, but I am bidden to -it by Zeno, Caesar's steward, who has come to have speech with you, and -waits even now.' - -These words caused her an involuntary thrill. Martialis was right, and she -felt that she had been betrayed. Her suspicions were confined to a very -narrow range, and the angry flash of her eyes, and clenching of her hand -upon her bosom, were eloquent indications which boded ill for Tigellinus. -Her native dauntlessness impelled her instinctively to adopt a bold, -unshrinking policy. A woman of weaker nature would probably have been -tossed and whirled hither and thither amid the eddies of shuffling -timidity, and finally stranded on the doomed reef of hysterical -stubbornness; but Plautia's high spirit rose with danger. The recklessness -of unhappiness and despairing thoughts, moreover, is a stimulant which is -apt to outrun calm fearlessness into temerity and bravado. - -'Tell Zeno, Caesar's steward, to come again at a more fitting time of -day,' she said loudly and peremptorily. - -The Greek heard, and, approaching the door of her apartment, answered for -himself in the softest and most persuasive of his tones. - -'I have to crave your pardon, most gracious lady, for the untimely -interruption to your sweet slumbers. But, alas! I have no option but to -obey my instructions, which were to have a few words with you on behalf of -Caesar.' - -'I will come.' - -She quickly enveloped herself in a loose mantle and stepped forth into the -main apartment, where Tucca had lighted an oil lamp to assist the gray, -uncertain light of dawn. The old man himself was down on his knees, -vigorously blowing at a fire he had placed in a brazier on the hearth, -whilst his wife was invisible in the depths of the sleeping box or crib, -opening from the other end of the room. - -Zeno had withdrawn more into the centre, and saluted the appearance of -Plautia with an obeisance of extreme deference. It partook of the profound -humility offered to an oriental potentate, and had the dexterous Greek -searched the world through he could not have found a more perfect -incarnation of haughtiness than in the youthful beauty before him, who -trod the earthen floor of the hovel in her deshabille, as if she were a -Semiramis clad in splendour and stepping to her throne of state. - -She regarded him for a few moments with a gaze such as a sovereign might -have fastened upon a trembling wretch waiting for judgment. Zeno, having -recovered from his deep inclination, stood with his head slightly bent and -his eyes cast down to the floor with an expression of respectful -attention. He was of that race so notorious in the Imperial city for its -matchless facility and address in framing its face for all occasions; and -it cost him no more effort to play the lowly vassal to the imperiousness -confronting him, than it did to assume the petty tyrant among the -frightened scullions of his household. His dissimulation, at the same -time, did not interfere with the indulgence of an amount of personal -vanity before the eyes of a lovely woman. He posed his slender figure in -its most graceful attitude, and turned his face in the best light for the -display of its symmetrical beauty and soft complexion. - -'You are sent by Caesar to me?' began Plautia. - -'I am, gracious lady; I am the steward of his household,' replied Zeno, in -his softest voice. - -'And a Greek?' - -Zeno bowed. - -'Of Athens,' said he. - -'You must be mistaken in coming here to me.' - -'I was bidden to come to Tucca's cottage and address myself to the noble -Plautia, newly come from Rome,' was the bland response. - -'Most strange! How could Caesar know my name and my presence here?' - -'I know not, lady, nor seek to know.' - -'I am a stranger to Tiberius in every way. There is no more about me and -my business now, than there has ever been to concern him. What can he want -with me?' - -'What is in Caesar's heart Caesar's servants dare not seek to know. To -hear is to obey. But the ruler of the world has a heart for every one of -his subjects; why then should Plautia, one of the most beautiful, be -surprised at receiving the Imperial notice?' - -Plautia smiled in lofty scorn, but the gravity of Zeno's face was unmoved. - -'Say, then, what you have to say without further question,' said she. - -'My master's own lips bade me say that, having heard of your arrival, it -was neither to his credit nor to his own satisfaction that so lovely and -accomplished a visitor to the island of Capreae should be allowed to -remain lodged in the hut of a husbandman,' said Zeno, sweeping his hand -and eyes round with an expression of disgust and contempt; 'he therefore -despatched me, at the earliest, with his greeting, and instructions to -convey you to the villa Jovis, where you may command such attention as -befits your position, until you think fit to bring your visit to Capreae -to a close. May it please you, therefore, to attire yourself, that -Caesar's bidding may be fulfilled as quickly as possible, and that your -gracious self may be rid of this vile place. The morning is stormy, but -the rain has ceased, and a covered litter waits outside, in which the -slaves will bear you under the shelter of the palace roof in but a few -minutes.' - -'You may return at once to the palace, and tell Tiberius that I thank him -for the proffer of his hospitality,' said Plautia, in the same calm, lofty -manner; 'but my stay in Capreae is so short that this cottage will amply -suffice for my accommodation for the remainder of the time. I am no less -grateful to him, however.' - -The steward's face assumed an expression of deeper gravity than ever--of -palpable sorrow indeed. His fingers restlessly played with the hem of his -cloak during a few moments of silent hesitation, and his eyes moved -uneasily from one object to another, until at last they rested, with an -appealing look, upon the face of Plautia herself. - -'To do as you tell me,' he said,--'to return to the palace, leaving you -here, would prove my instant disgrace and ruin.' - -'What have I to do with that? I sought not to have anything to do with you -or your master.' - -'I crave your pardon for speaking of my unworthy self,' said Zeno humbly, -in a lower tone. 'It is indeed of little consequence what happens to me; -but if Plautia will understand me, what I sought to impress upon her was, -what she probably fully comprehends already, that Caesar's word must be -fulfilled at the cost of anything and everything if need be. I dare not -return without you.' - -'Which means that my desires were never meant to be consulted--that your -orders were to take me, willingly or unwillingly,' said Plautia -disdainfully. 'Why did you not deliver your mandate at once, without all -this false mockery of deference?' - -'Alas, no, by your leave, gracious Plautia, neither mandate nor mockery!' -cried the Greek, who seemed struck with horror at the idea. 'I should -deserve to die like a dog if my clumsy tongue had caused you to harbour -such a thing in your mind. I should be flung from the cliffs had I dared. -Ah no, therefore, I beseech you in mercy to your servant, dismiss those -fatal words. Deference and homage are the natural prerogatives of Plautia; -and is it possible, that a nameless slave could make a mockery of what -will flow sincerely from Caesar himself? No, it cannot be!' - -'Psaw!' uttered Plautia, impatiently turning from the histrionic -abjuration of the steward. 'Whom have you with you?' - -She swept to the door, and, unlatching it, looked out upon the dismal -landscape. A raw, cold wind dashed in her face; the trees tossed and -waved, and the foam-streaked sea and sky seemed to mingle in a cheerless, -dismal hue of gray. Under the lee of the cottage was a covered litter set -down, whilst a dozen or more slaves were huddled close by, making the most -of their rough woollen cloaks and the shelter of the friendly wall. - -The half-closed eyes of the Greek followed her, and his lips curved in -silent laughter. As she stepped back he sprang to close the door for her. - -'A few slaves only,' he said apologetically. - -'I expected to see a gang of Pretorians with swords and chains,' she -replied, with as much sarcasm as her hauteur would admit. - -Zeno suffered his humility to make bold with a smile, which disclosed his -white teeth. - -'Ah no!' he softly said, ignoring the biting allusion to swords and -chains; 'I and my slaves had the better fortune. Centurion Martialis and -his Pretorians would have been as rejoiced as I am to have had the honour -of escorting you, but they have privileges enough, without robbing your -humble slave of a grateful task; they are even now hard at work with their -exercises, as is their custom, within the walls of the villa Jovis.' - -'It is enough that I am to go with you, most worthy steward,' returned she -coldly. 'You have more than sufficient force with you to compel me, as -well as to guard me, if need be.' - -Her mention of the Pretorians suggested to the Greek the artful -introduction of the name of Martialis, and he raised his eyes to her face -with an unconcerned glance to try and discover some effect of his words. -But he was totally disappointed, and she retired at once into her own -apartment. - -During the colloquy the ancient Tucca had contrived to allow the fire to -retain his attention, blowing a few puffs now and then to excite the -sluggish flames, and piling here and there an ember, being to all -appearances absorbed in the task. As the door closed upon the Roman beauty -he turned up his shrivelled, leathery countenance toward the Greek with a -leer, which seemed to extinguish his eyes in the dirt-engrained wrinkles -of his face. - -'Worshipful Zeno!' he chuckled, rising from his knees and lifting his -filthy hands in exceeding admiration; 'worshipful Zeno!' - -'It is all fair and smooth now, old wine-presser,' returned Zeno in a -guarded voice, giving him a playful buffet on the shoulder in high good -humour. 'What a high and mighty goddess it is! Why, the granddaughter of -old Tiberius up yonder is a mere cottage girl to this! But the villa is a -rare mill for such! She leaves Capreae soon--ha, ha!' - -'And you know how I helped you?' rejoined Tucca. - -'Truly!' replied the other, and he went to the door and signed to his -slaves. - -Returning, he finished his wine, and then paced thoughtfully up and down -the floor till the object of his care should make her appearance. In a few -minutes she entered, attired for her short journey and followed by her -female slave. - -'I am ready,' she said briefly, and Zeno opened the door. - -The litter was set down opposite, and his hand drew back one curtain, -whilst a slave, on bended knee, drew back the other. - -As she set her foot inside a whining voice bade her 'A fair journey.' - -'Ah, I forgot!' said Plautia, turning back to the cringing Tucca in the -doorway; 'here is payment for my lodging.' - -'By your leave, gracious Plautia, not a sesterce!' interposed the vigilant -Zeno; 'he shall receive his due.' - -'Yes, from me--Caesar may add what he please!' rejoined she haughtily. -'Stand back--I would speak with him!' - -They retired a few steps at her bidding, and she held out a gold coin -toward the old man. - -'Here--this for your trouble!' - -He clutched the shining piece in his filthy, horned fingers with a grasp -of surprise and delight, and thereupon she added in a lower tone, - -'You have betrayed me, wretch!' - -'I--most bounteous lady?' he exclaimed, starting. 'Not a word--not a -whisper, or may the gods strike me dead at your feet!' - -His wavering glance wandered from her stern, penetrating eyes to the form -of Zeno, who stood apart with folded arms and frowning gaze fixed upon -him. - -'No--no! May the gods strike me dead at your feet!' he repeated. - -'Enough--I shall know--and beware!' - -She turned away from him feebly iterating, and without more delay entered -the litter and reclined therein. The slaves lifted her up and proceeded on -their way, at a pace, which was somewhat retarded by the company of her -faithful attendant, who walked by her side, and without whom she refused -to move one yard, in spite of all Zeno's efforts to the contrary. - -The bleak morning wore on, but was as yet young when Afer, cloaked and -hooded against the raw, blustering weather, knocked at the door of Tucca's -dwelling, and demanded to see Plautia. When the grimy, greasy wine-grower -explained her departure to him, with much obsequious cringing, the knight -was so incredulous that he stalked into the hovel to examine for himself. -Finding the state of the case to be as related, he desired to be informed -whither the lady had gone. - -'I did not inquire--not I,' said Tucca cautiously. - -'Went she alone?' - -'Well--no!' - -'With whom, then?' - -'Her slave was with her.' - -'And no one besides?' - -'Well----' drawled Tucca. - -'Come, be speedy!' cried the knight impatiently. - -'There were others, most illustrious, for certain, but----' - -'Do you dare to play at words with me? What others?' - -'Slaves!' - -'What slaves, and whose? Must I beat it out of you, wretch?' angrily quoth -Afer, taking a step toward the reluctant husbandman. - -'Caesar's, most worshipful!' cried Tucca, hastily retreating a -corresponding step; and then he continued, in a whining tone, to bemoan -the hard fate which delivered him and his house over to the anxieties and -responsibilities attached to the visits of nobilities and highnesses. - -As he whimpered and hoped he had not said as much as might bring him harm, -Afer swept past him, with a contemptuous exclamation, and left the house. -He pursued his way through the town, toward the villa of Mercury, which -crowned the hill overlooking the north Marina. Climbing the ascent, he -entered the gates of the palace, and sought the Prefect in an inner -apartment, with the freedom of a favoured confidant and friend. Sejanus -was alone and busily engaged in writing. He nodded to a couch, and bent -his attention again to his writing. His stylus continued to move busily -along for about a quarter of an hour, during which period Afer's attention -was divided between his own thoughts and schemes and the absorbed -countenance of the minister bent over his work. Then the latter laid down -his stylus, and, reading over his epistle, closed it up and sealed it. -Then he put it in the bosom of his dress, and left his seat. - -'Well,' said he, stretching himself and yawning, 'now I am at liberty; so -let me hear of your business. You are late, so I presume you have already -followed up last night's folly. In what sort of a humour did you find the -fair Plautia this morning after her repulse, and in what sort of humour -did your tact and eloquence leave her?' - -'I have not seen her,' replied Afer. - -'Wherefore! You are remiss, Afer,' rejoined Sejanus, with a slight wrinkle -of his brows; 'it was somewhat important, as I hinted. You ought to have -gone at your earliest.' - -'I have been. I have come straight away.' - -'How then--is she sick and bedfast?' - -'No; the matter has been taken out of our hands, and all trouble spared to -us--she has already taken flight.' - -'Ah!' said the Prefect, with great gusto, 'that's well--nothing could be -better! Sensible woman!' - -'But she has not gone alone, I find.' - -'How then--has my Centurion changed his mind?' demanded the commander, with -a tone of disgust. - -'No; but some of Caesar's household visited her and escorted her hence -before my arrival.' - -'Phew?' whistled the Prefect softly. He rubbed his chin slowly, and they -gazed at each other for a few moments in silence. - -'Ha!' ejaculated Sejanus, regarding the bare wall opposite and still -smoothing the lower part of his face, 'this is taking the load off our -backs most effectually.' - -''Tis as good a way as any for you, Prefect, though not perhaps for the -sweet lady herself. She is in excellent keeping.' - -'Well, let us hope so--it must stand as our Imperial master has arranged -it, at all events. She has only her headstrong folly to thank for her -fate. She cannot say but that she had ample warning.' - -'The fact, nevertheless, remains, that with her subtlety and good looks, -she may worm her way into the Imperial favour, and be pleased to make -mischief if she be so inclined.' - -'Hm!' said Sejanus, 'we will see. Come! Tiberius has arrived at the villa -above and I go to him at once. If he should open his lips to tell us -anything of this it would be as well to be truly astonished to hear it.' - -'You would not be very prudent to play a part, Prefect,' said Afer drily. -'If Tiberius has had such prompt information of the lady's presence, -depend upon it there will be not much more that you or I could impart to -him. The best course will be a candid one, without any disguise.' - -'Disguise, Afer!' ejaculated the Prefect scornfully; 'am I a truant -schoolboy fearing the rod of the pedagogue? What atom of concern is it to -me? Had she been mine, and of interest to me, I would have demanded -restitution from Caesar himself, and he would not dare to retain her. I -will tell him all, or little, or nothing at all, just as I am inclined. -Go, bid the people prepare and we will start.' - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - - -Things were changed in the small household of Masthlion. The same daily -routine proceeded, but it was carried on under the depressing shadow of a -cloud which darkened the brow of the potter. He was no more than human, -and transient shadows had been there before; but, in the memory of the two -females who shared his home, never such an unwelcome symptom of abiding -care as that which now haunted their eyes. - -He was their self-imposed autocrat, and it was natural that the gloom of -his mind should be reflected on their own, just as the landscape takes its -hue from the skies. Their sleepless solicitude, rooted in tender love, -outweighed even the fear-quickened service of the trembling slaves of -Caesar; and never was man less exacting in his demands upon such a -boundless store of devotion to his needs, or yet more innocent of direct -effort or intention to deserve it. It was the simple tribute to his -nature, which bore not a ripple of vanity or self-sufficiency to break the -unruffled flow of his cheerful serenity. - -Living in the full gratification and contentment of mutual affection, he -yet never suspected the depth of reverence which lay rooted in the minds -of the two women and sanctified their love. He was incapable, by nature, -of arriving at such a pitch of self-consciousness. His was the disposition -which would have been the touchstone of a termagant's foul humours, and a -standing invitation to her persecutions. Fate had blessed him in averting -such misery by giving him the companionship of two gentle natures the -reflex of his own. The current of existence in his own nest had, -therefore, been uniformly calm and quietly happy, even through his early -struggles. Bitter reproach, the frequent adjunct of poverty and privation, -had no existence in his poor house, for Tibia, his wife, was too devoted -and worshipping to harbour an adverse thought. Nor was there any ground, -had she been so minded, for he had toiled like a Titan, and ever -maintained his native cheerfulness. The trial of those days had long -passed, and, with a surer footing and a better competence, the child Neæra -had come to fill the void in their childless home. She needed little of -the example and training of her supposed mother to follow in the same path -of devotion to the potter. His nature asserted its sway over her mind and -heart, and they were inseparable companions from the first. Indeed she -cared for no other when he was by, and even in her childish ailments would -suffer no other nurse than the rough-handed, toil-worn man. Often he had -been brought out of his workshop to the side of the child's pallet, after -his wife had exhausted all arts and contrivances to soothe her -fretfulness; and it was strange to see the sudden composure steal over her -as, begrimed with clay and the furnace, he took up his place beside her -and clasped her tiny hand in his. And yet, perhaps, not so much to wonder -at, when one perceived the tenderness which welled in his dark, deep-set -eyes, and crooned in the soft, soothing tones of his voice, as it poured -into her eager ears some tale of wonderland. Of such superlative divinity -is the gentleness of strength. - -The trouble of Masthlion's mind was borne, in obedience to his nature, -silently and patiently, but was none the less evident to the keen anxious -eyes of the women. Always devoted to his workshop, he now passed more time -than ever in its smoky walls, rarely appearing save for meals. He spoke -little and his look was absorbed; but, many times, Neæra caught his glance -resting upon her with a haggard expression which smote her with poignant -pain. - -All this upon the simplest reasoning was ascribed to the influence of -Cestus--because the change was simultaneous with his appearance in their -midst. It was hardly possible to make a mistake in the matter. Tibia, at -least, was certain. We have seen her stealing downstairs, to find her -husband sitting, steeped in grief, before the cold ashes in the brazier, -after his first interview with his brother-in-law. She had subsequently -endeavoured to obtain an explanation from him, but, though his heart ached -as well as feared to tell her, he was obliged to preserve his promise to -Cestus, and undergo the additional pain of bearing his trouble in secret. -Nor was she any more successful when she applied to Cestus himself, who, -with his usual readiness, disclaimed all knowledge, and in fact looked -rather surprised. Thus she was constrained to remain with a disagreeable -shadow of a mystery hanging between her and her husband--the first -experience of the kind since their companionship; and, perforce, in such a -position as rendered her painfully helpless to give him any sympathy and -help whatever. Neæra's concern for her father, on the other hand, was -mixed with a guilty feeling which pricked her sorely and would not be -argued away. Those glances, which she caught at times fixed upon her, -seemed full of reproach, and were well-nigh insupportable. To her -exaggerated fancy they seemed to say, 'Look what you have done! Thus have -you repaid my love and care by your wilfulness.' In this way she connected -his trouble with her relation to Martialis, and no more bitter conclusion -could be arrived at, since it placed in direct antagonism the two beings -she most loved on earth. She reflected how gradually and reluctantly the -potter had given way to her betrothal. How, at first, he had almost -absolutely refused to listen at all; his journey to Rome, and final, tardy -assent--given, as she felt sure, not because he approved, but because he -had not been able to discover any tangible ground or excuse for objection. -But, she further reflected, even then, at the worst, his anxiety took no -such dark shape as at present. He never avoided her, as he appeared to do -now, to her unspeakable sorrow. Then he conversed freely and without -restraint on the matter, and, if more anxious and earnest at times, he -never entirely lost his customary cheerfulness. It was with the arrival of -her uncle from Rome the change had at once become manifest, and one day, -when alone with the Suburan, she taxed him with it, and desired him to -explain the coincidence, if possible. - -Now it happened that Cestus, in the course of his sojourn in the house, -had yielded to a feeling of admiration for the beautiful girl, which was -really sincere; and the feeling of respect which accompanied it was not -only derived from consideration for the future, but actually due to her -qualities themselves. He had very early changed his customary, bold, -impudent manner of address in her presence, and relieved it of as much -vulgarity as possible, with the effect of gradually lessening the aversion -with which she at first had regarded him. He took pains to still improve -the position, and with success. His fluency of tongue and natural ability -for description stood him in good stead; and Neæra began to incline very -readily to hear him talk to her about the great city and its people--a -subject of which he was a profound master. One day he made her a gift, -and, as he had the tact to make it unostentatious as well as seasonable, -it was very well received. Thus, artfully, and by degrees, her early -repugnance to the Roman was conquered, to the latter's genuine -satisfaction. He secretly took a profound interest in her, and was never -tired of observing her ways. It gave him pride to reflect what an -important factor he was in her career, and to think that, save for him, -such a beautiful creature had been entirely lost to the world. These -feelings were inspired and lifted beyond mere mercenary and selfish -considerations by the same native superiority, which seemed to command his -deference, and assign her to a higher sphere. Nor did the effect of his -intercourse with her end here. Her beauty and purity were unconsciously -leavening the dark depths of his mind, and quickening unaccustomed -thoughts with a new spirit of nobility and refinement. - -With these influences silently at work, the time which the Suburan was -spending, in his sojourn under the roof of his relatives, was productive -of more good, even morally than physically; whilst Neæra's presence easily -reconciled him to the lapse of time which, as day after day passed on, -seemed to bring him no nearer to the proper accomplishment of his great -end. Whatever kindly metamorphosis was taking place in his thoughts and -disposition, that one resolution which had brought him hither suffered no -change or modification. It rose superior to the rest--the gloomy, immovable -mountain of his mind, to the dark bosom of which all meditations tended -and circled, and beyond which speculation never ventured a step, as if -existence had there an end. One of his favourite excursions was to the -nearest headland on the western coast, whence the island of Capreae could -be seen afar resting in the waters. There he would sit and gaze upon its -rugged outline; amusing himself by imagining the movements of his patron, -hugging himself with delight, and chuckling audibly, as he conjured before -his mind's eye the fancy picture, oft-repeated, of the confusion, the rage -and despair of the knight, on that joyous day of revenge, which was -hurrying on. At such moments, which were very frequent, the Suburan's -blood would tingle in his veins, and his spirit chafe in vehement -impatience at the tardy approach of his wished-for opportunity. He would -stretch forth his fist and shake it, in helpless wrath, at the rocky isle -which afforded his enemy an asylum, and where he himself was unable to -enter,--nor dared, had he the opportunity. So often as he felt impelled, -though against his reason, to the same fruitless survey, so often the -island seemed to mock him with its changeless form, its very sloth amid -the waters, its silence, its impenetrable rocks and impervious mystery. It -emitted nothing from which he might glean a reliable idea of the -disposition of affairs within its jealous bosom. He could do nothing but -gaze at the irritating sight with a kind of fascination, and anathematise -it, with all it contained, from Caesar downward. His cunning and vigilance -were helpless, and he was compelled to realise that nothing was left to -him but patience and watchfulness. As long as Afer remained in Capreae he -could not work out his plan. He was, therefore, eager and anxious for -every appearance of Martialis from the island, in the hope of learning of -the early departure of the Prefect and his friends for Rome. - -He was revolving the possibilities of such an appearance one afternoon, -whilst lending Neæra some assistance in carrying a basket of new -earthenware into the front shop, and arranging them on the shelves. When -he had finished, he leisurely swung his cloak around him before he set -forth on his usual stroll to the Marina, and admiringly watched the -graceful movements of the maiden's tall figure, as she put the finishing -touches of arrangement to the wares on the shelf above her head. With a -final, critical glance, she turned round and met his gaze. - -'Well,' she said smilingly, 'are you not gone?' - -'I was doubtful which way to take,' he replied; 'but if you have anything -more for me to help you with I would as lieve stay.' - -'No, nothing at all; but wait one moment, uncle,' she added quickly and -softly, whilst her face at the same time assumed an earnest look as if -struck by a sudden thought. 'Tell me what ails my father?' - -As she stood upright, with her head poised a little backward, her stature -equalled his, and her calm, gray eyes looked full into his own. With -another questioner, those small orbs of his would have twinkled keenly, as -his tongue rapped out a ready evasion or bantering retort. But now they -wandered to the pots on the shelves, during a moment of unwonted -embarrassment and silent indecision. It was only for a brief moment, -however, and his glance met hers again. - -'What ails your father, Neæra?' he said quietly; 'I don't see that he ails -anything. He seems as sound in health as ever, to my eyes. Why, what is -the matter with him?' - -'That I am asking you--not as regards his bodily health; that is sound -enough, as you say, thank the gods. But there is some trouble--something -preying on his mind: have you not noticed it?' - -'I am sorry to hear you say it,' replied Cestus, slowly shaking his head; -'but I am not so well acquainted with his ways and humours as you are.' - -'He has no ways and humours,' she retorted swiftly, with a slight but -significant rearing of her form--'at least no strange ways or humours. He -is ever open, cheerful, and light-hearted, without a shadow of ill-humour. -Now he is silent and gloomy, and hides away from us--what is it?' - -There was a tremor in her voice, and in the eyes, which still were -steadfastly fixed on his face, he saw the trembling gleam of tears. - -'Nay, how should I know better than his daughter?' he said, looking -uncomfortably at the pots once more. - -'His daughter knows nothing save this, that this trouble, whatever it may -be, which weighs upon him, began at the time you came here from Rome.' - -'Ah, then,' said Cestus, shrugging his shoulders and drawing a deep breath -as if relieved, 'if that is but the measure of the evil, it is easily -mended by my shouldering my wallet and tramping back to Rome. You should -have told me this before. I wouldn't be a burden to the house, and be the -cause of bringing a shadow on your pretty brow for all Surrentum.' - -'Ah! I meant not that,' she said hastily, with a delicate colour flushing -her cheeks. - -He shook his head, and his broad face expanded still more with a grin. - -'I've noticed that you usually say what you mean, Neæra; so tell me now -plainly to go, nor shall I be offended at your plain speaking.' - -'If you put that meaning on my words you are wrong, and I ought not to -have spoken them. What I thought was, that you might have brought him ill -news, or something which weighs on his mind.' - -'I! why I have not seen or heard from him for fourteen long years! We -might as well have been dead all that time. What could I have brought with -me to trouble him? Like enough, it is as you say. He's bothered to have a -ne'er-do-well about him and his. I'll try and find out; and, if 'tis so, -I'll march straight away.' - -'I remember that he was strangely overjoyed to see you,' replied Neæra, -gazing steadily at him. - -'And without doubt he was, for he is too good-hearted to be sorry to see -even a vagabond like myself turn up again. But I will do my best to try -and find out the trouble and move it, and, failing that, move myself.' - -'If you are so determined to find yourself in fault I cannot help it, -since you will not believe what I say.' - -'The best of guests can outstay his welcome; what then must it be with -me?' - -'As you will,' ejaculated Neæra curtly, and she turned again to the pots -on the shelves with great dignity. - -Cestus grinned and his eyes twinkled. - -'At least you couldn't deny that if I went to-day you would feel as if a -load was off your shoulders, and you would sit down to your supper with a -better appetite.' - -'You know that is not a fair way of speaking, and I shall not answer,' she -said, turning round with reproof in her eyes. - -'Well! well! I am not so foolish as to expect that I can be like one of -yourselves in the house,' he replied, not caring to push the matter any -further. 'It is your good treatment which has made me selfish. However, I -may be able to do you all a good turn some day, and show you that I can -remember a kindness.' - -'There is no need, and you have no right to persist in talking like this; -we have given you no cause--our house was never so shamed as to turn a -guest from its doors.' - -'Nay, that I will swear,' said Cestus humbly; 'I am a good deal in jest, -but my conscience is not altogether easy. The fresh air of this place has -pulled me round, and I am as strong as ever. I will go back to Rome like a -giant--why should I cumber you any longer? It would be bad manners. -Moreover I am city bred, and the peace and quiet of this place, beautiful -as it is, begins to make me fret after crowded streets. Such is nature. -The roar and bustle of Rome would weary you just as soon, and you would be -thankful to return to your fresh air and sleepy town. Would you like to go -to Rome, Neæra?' - -'Ah!' she said. - -Cunning Cestus to put such a question to a young provincial girl. It was -for nothing but the mischievous curiosity of watching the sparkle in her -eye, and the deep heave of her bosom at the very mention of such a thing. - -'Will you go back with me for a time?' said the voice of the tempter. 'No -one would take better care of you than I: no one knows the city and its -ways better than I--every day for weeks could I show you new sights.' - -But Neæra could only say no, and shake her head in a despairing way. - -'I would not be happy to leave my father.' - -'Let him come too.' - -'It would be useless to ask him.' - -'For your sake he would come.' - -'For the sake of a pleasure trip?--No! Besides he has been there, and not -long since returned.' - -'And was not that on your account? What he has done once can he not do -again? You know right well that he is never so happy as when you are -pleased. His own enjoyment would be as great as yours.' - -'It is out of the question,' said Neæra firmly, though her cheeks flushed; -and Cestus, who had seated himself on a stool, regarded her with evident, -though restrained enjoyment. - -'Yes, it is quite true he has been to Rome on your account and no other,' -he continued, 'and it is just as true, in my mind, that he will go there -again on your account.' - -Neæra raised her eyes to his and the wondering expression was sufficient -demand for explanation without speech. - -'There is no need for me to take you. You will go there by and by in -better company, and your father and mother, mark my words, will follow to -be near you.' - -Her cheek gathered a faint colour again, but an expression of deep sadness -stole over her face, and she turned her head aside. The Suburan pored -keenly upon the perfect loveliness of her profile, which showed in -singular relief under the white light streaming upon it from the open- -fronted shop. He studied it intently, and, to judge from the expression of -his countenance, with great satisfaction. Not altogether with the ordinary -gratification which naturally arises from the contemplation of beauty, -but, in this case, a particular satisfaction proceeding from the powerful -recollections which her face inspired. A similar sweetness, a similar pure -symmetry and nobility, was recalled to his mind, and he admired, -therefore, with a double pleasure. - -'Have no fear, your father will follow,' said Cestus assuringly. 'One need -not be an augur to foretell that.' - -'Alas, I think it is only I myself that give him this trouble,' replied -Neæra, with a heavy sigh. - -'Not at all!' responded Cestus, never telling a lie with more pleasure. 'I -don't know what's the matter, but it isn't that. It will all come right--it -isn't sunshine every day. Wait till I'm gone--I only want to see one person -before I go, and perhaps you will tell me how long I shall have to wait.' - -'Who do you mean?' said Neæra absently. - -'Why, the man who will, before long, take you to Rome--the Centurion.' - -'I know not that he will take me thither, and what can you want with him?' -said Neæra. - -'Merely a question or two--you see he has but a poor opinion of me, I am -afraid, and I would like to part better friends. I may be able to do him a -service some day--who knows?' - -'He comes when he can,' said Neæra. - -'Humph!' replied Cestus, 'that's as sure as death; but can you give me -nothing nearer?' - -'Nothing--he might be here to-day, or he might be a month. But what do you -want to ask him?' - -'Nothing, except for a little information connected with some business of -my own; and to tell him to get you away from here as soon as possible, so -that I may be able to get a glimpse of you again before long in the city.' - -He laughed and rose from his seat about to go forth into the town. - -'The proud dames of the Centurion's order will perhaps pretend to sneer at -you,' he went on, 'but you need not mind--you will have the laugh of them, -for you will be the handsomest wife in the city. 'Twill be a great change -from Surrentum to Rome--from a potter's daughter to a noble name. But never -fear; you will be as pat in the place as you are here. Proud dames and -damsels! the handsomest wife in Rome--you will have the laugh of them.' - -'I seek to interfere with none of them,' said Neæra; 'you talk idly, -uncle; I am still the potter's daughter.' - -'That is so!' said Cestus; 'now I'm off!' - -He stepped to the door of the shop, and, after the manner of many people, -and more especially those whose time is not too fully occupied, he -hesitated when he stood on the step, as if to collect his thoughts into a -single steady current of deliberation before he finally advanced. This -momentary halt for reflection was accompanied by an abstracted glance -round the familiar objects out-of-doors. To the left was to be seen -nothing but the moss and creeper-grown wall of the road, which crossed at -right angles, some fifty yards away; to the right, the sparsely built and -quiet lane trended away toward the town. The only signs of life therein, -at that moment, were two or three groups of children playing, a couple of -dames standing in the roadway to gossip, as they met carrying their water -pitchers, and, at a distance of a hundred yards or so, two men leisurely -advancing. Turning from the blank prospect on the left to the sight of -these two individuals on the right, the lack-lustre, pre-occupied gaze of -the Suburan snapped electrically into acute attention. Instinctively he -shrank back behind the shelter of the broad doorpost, and, for the few -brief moments, he assumed the functions of a savage animal, or its -imitator, the savage hunter. His ears seemed to prick up; his body took an -attitude bent slightly forward, with muscles braced and corded, and head -thrust prominently out. His heavy thick brows were knitted down so low as -almost to obscure his intense gaze, and his stiff stubbly-bearded lips -were clenched and protruding. Altogether the change was so rapid, and his -present appearance so menacing and absorbed, that Neæra, about to resume -her occupation, was struck with surprise. - -Her eyes naturally followed in the direction of his concentrated gaze, but -owing to her backward position inside the shop, nothing met her view. - -'What is it?' she said, stepping to his side to look. - -Her voice recalled the Suburan to himself, and straightening himself up, -he cast a parting glance at the new-comers, now close at hand, and turned -away into the house, saying hurriedly he had forgotten something. - -The strange behaviour of Cestus stuck in the mind of Neæra, and she stood -in the doorway puzzling her brains for a reason. Suddenly she became aware -that the two men had drawn within twenty or thirty yards, and were -regarding her with a direct gaze. Recovering herself abruptly, she turned -away inside, and remained with her back to the road, until they should -pass on. But in this she was disappointed, for a foot sounded on the step, -and a voice said, 'You can wait, Erotion!' - -In the meantime, Cestus left the shop, and rushed into the little room, -previously described as a kind of state apartment, which lay between the -shop on one side, and the kitchen on the other. Into the wall dividing -this room from the shop was let a small square window, unglazed, which -admitted air and light at second hand. It was rather high up, and a couple -of small statuettes stood in the opening. Cestus bounded on to the couch -which stood underneath, and, stepping unto the topmost pinnacle of its -framework, he was enabled to bring his eyes sufficiently high to overlook -what passed in the shop. He furthermore arranged the little statuettes -closer together, in order to still more shield the small portion of -himself from any possible chance of observation. All this was inspired by -instinct, which never admitted of any doubt, and he had only just taken up -his post, when Afer, and his Greek, Erotion, stopped before the door of -the shop. - -'I knew it when I caught sight of them,' muttered the Suburan, with -burning eyes and tumultuous breathing. 'What brings him here, of all -places in the world? What is in his brain now? What does it mean? Does he -know anything?' - -He was quivering with intense excitement, and, but for the dark stain -which he still used for his skin, his face would have been ashy white. A -thousand fears and forebodings tore his mind, whilst nervous dread and -hate shook him till his frame quivered like a leaf. With his faculties at -their utmost stretch he watched and listened for what should follow. - -After a close scrutiny, as if to assure himself, Afer entered the shop, -and Cestus observed, with satisfaction, that the lynx-eyed Erotion -remained in the roadway. The further the Greek was away the freer he -breathed, for he knew his profound subtlety of old. - -Neæra heard the leisurely step of the knight behind her, but did not turn -until he spoke and called her attention to his presence. Then her gaze -rested on the visitor, whose person was clothed in its accustomed -perfection of style and taste, even to a fold, and whose white and -carefully-kept hands glittered with gems. Customers of rank and position -were not altogether new to her, since Masthlion had a certain reputation -for the character of his work, so that she was in no wise disconcerted on -account of the superior grade of the comer; but there was that in the -expression of his closely-set, glistening, black eyes and supercilious -lips, which affected her uncomfortably. He, moreover, treated her to a -leisurely survey, which might have passed without remark, had its object -been the merits of a horse or dog, but which the beautiful girl resented -inwardly for its impertinent freedom and boldness. The half nodding, -condescending approval which plainly showed on his face, roused her -indignation even more, and, with a flush on her cheeks, she drew up her -tall frame, and returned him a glance of high displeasure. Afer faintly -smiled, evidently amused thereat. He curled his thin lips, and spoke again -with a faint drawl in his tone, whilst Cestus, above at his post, ground -his teeth in suppressed rage. - -'This is the shop of Masthlion the potter?' - -'It is!' replied Neæra, briefly and coldly. - -Afer scanned her over and smiled again--the girl was certainly favoured -with good looks, but, at the same time, it was amusing to observe to what -great extent the knowledge of the fact had increased her importance in her -own eyes. - -'I have heard that he is skilful in his work, and I came to see for -myself; these are his handiwork, I presume?' - -He nodded to the ware with which the shelves were filled, and his query -was answered in the affirmative. - -'I will look at them. You are his daughter; is it not so?' - -'I am,' replied Neæra, and resolving to be rid of the company of this -individual, whose impertinence and patronising air were so irritating, she -added that her father should attend to his wants himself, and she -accordingly turned to go to the workshop and fetch him. - -'No! no!' exclaimed Afer, detaining her with his hand, and giving a slight -laugh, 'I have no consuming desire to make your worthy father's -acquaintance; and, besides, there is no occasion to take him from his -work. He is industrious, and would not like it, and, moreover, knows very -well that the care of his customers is in better hands as it is. I -prefer--and who would not--to have your own fair hands submit these -specimens for my approval, and your own fair lips to sound their praises.' - -'Will you please to look for yourself, noble sir, and see whether there be -anything suitable?' answered Neæra, curtly and loftily. - -'Naturally,' he replied, with a cold smile, 'but am I not to have your aid -in my selection?' - -'I cannot perceive how I can be of help; you know your own taste better -than I.' - -'It is true I have been thought to have some small share of taste in such -matters, and to comprehend thoroughly what little I possess; but in the -midst of such a bewildering collection of treasures as I see here around -me, my perception is at fault, and requires strengthening. I require one -specimen, and I leave the selection to your superior judgment.' - -The knight allowed his eyes to sweep round at the 'treasures' with -infinite scorn. Surrentine ware was well known, but it was only of a lower -order, and held no place in the eyes of the art critic, or on the shelves -of the wealthy. - -Whether Neæra comprehended her customer's tone or not, her face gave no -sign; but, without the least hesitation, she stepped before him and -reached down a vase, about twelve inches high, and held it to his hands. -It was more elaborate in design, and more highly finished than any in the -shop, and a fellow to it remained on the shelf. - -'This pair, then, is the best and the handsomest I can offer.' - -'I am content,' he replied, with the faintest little sneer, as he touched -the vase with the extreme tip of one of his white jewelled fingers, and -turned it slightly to one side and then to the other; 'they shall have a -niche in my atrium on the Esquiline, and the rest of my wretched little -Roman pots and pipkins shall bow down before them. And the price thereof, -the paltry equivalent to such masterpieces?' - -We have no record of the market price of Surrentine industry, but with the -utmost readiness and _sang froid_, Neæra calmly named a price that caused -the knight to start and frown portentously, being an undoubted authority -on such matters, and a keen bargainer by nature as well as necessity. - -Cestus, in his observatory, opened his mouth and eyes in blank -astonishment for a moment; for, having passed no small portion of his idle -time in the shop, he had learned tolerably well the prices of the simple -goods, and of these articles now offered in particular. They had remained -unsold since his arrival, whilst ranks of others of simple utility had -found owners, in the meantime; so that Cestus, well acquainted with them, -was amazed to hear the girl ask a price at least ten times greater than -that which he knew to be their fixed value. He stared down from his -loophole upon her, but she stood calmly waiting before her customer, and -when the glance of the Suburan wandered to the expression on the face of -the knight, his former patron, his delight was such as nearly caused him -to laugh outright. 'Now stand to your bargain, you cur,' he muttered, amid -many chuckles. 'By Hercles, she's touched him; she couldn't have thrust -deeper; she might have known him as I do--clever wench!' - -'You approve, then?' said Neæra. 'Shall I call your slave to take them?' -She made a move as if to take down the vase remaining on the shelf, but he -raised his flashing fingers deprecatingly. - -'Stay,' he replied, as his look of disgust relapsed once more into its -former superciliousness; 'I don't question your taste for one moment, but -I take leave to challenge your memory--you must surely be mistaken as to -the price you put on these wonderful specimens. In my humble opinion it is -quite prohibitive, and out of all proportion to the intrinsic value of the -things.' - -'I have done as you desired me to do.' - -'Yes, yes; but the cost?' - -'Is what I have already told you, and I cannot alter it one penny.' - -'It is out of reason, and on that account, much as I would wish to profit -by your judgment, I shall be compelled to forego it.' - -'Ah!' snarled Cestus. - -'And truly,' continued Afer, 'the sum required is so large, that I doubt -whether my slave's purse contains sufficient to discharge the debt, even -supposing I think right to incur it.' - -'Pah!' was the muttered commentary of the Suburan, given with fathomless -contempt, 'the liar! He knows to a farthing what the fellow's pouch has in -it--nothing beyond a few copper coins, I'll warrant; and woe betide him if -he can't square his reckoning when he gets home.' - -'In that case, I suppose, I should be right in saying that such a poor -wretch as myself could never hope for credit,' continued Afer, with a -sneer. - -'You are a perfect stranger, sir,' replied Neæra. - -'Exactly--with no recommendation. I shall, therefore, be compelled to -select something more in keeping with my humble resources of ready coin, -which, I am afraid, will be an impossible task, if prices are all levied -at the same modest computation.' - -'This, then, perhaps you may approve of,' said Neæra promptly; and going -to the opposite end of the shop, she took and handed to him a small brown -vessel, two or three inches high, without any more pretension to beauty -than any ordinary glass bottle. - -'Ah, now you have hit my taste exactly,' exclaimed Afer, receiving the -plainest of plain articles in his hand with the blandest smile of -exquisite irony; 'you have indeed gauged my ideas to a nicety. The other -articles were really as much beyond my artistic appreciation as their cost -was above my poor purse; but this is delightful in its beautiful -simplicity--I wait to hear you name its price.' - -Neæra informed him. 'Good! I accept,' said he; 'it is modest indeed. It -is, I think, within my means, and I am relieved in mind. Hither, Erotion! -Take this, and pay what is asked of you.' - -While the young Greek was producing the two or three copper coins which -were needed, his master arranged his cloak and took his leave. Neæra took -the money from the slave, who bestowed upon her an admiring gaze, with -something of the same license as his master. - -'I am glad to find your father's fame has not been belied,' observed Afer; -'it is only too evident. The next time I come I shall come better -provided; yet, even with this little treasure which I have been fortunate -enough to secure, I shall no doubt be able to induce many others to follow -my example.' - -So saying, and showing his white teeth with a smile, he left the shop -followed by Erotion, who, on his own account, turned as he passed through -the door, and smirked behind him, leaving Neæra standing with the deepest -indignation in her face. - -They had scarcely passed from view when Cestus hurriedly re-entered the -shop, and going to the door peered after them. - -'Did you see them--do you know them?' exclaimed Neæra. - -'Yes, yes, I saw them come along--I have seen him somewhere before--I will -try and think before I come back,' answered Cestus hastily. 'I will go -through the fields, I think, for a stroll.' - -He retreated through the house, and crossing the small patch of garden in -the rear, emerged into a cart-track. This ran more or less parallel with -the street, and skirted the gardens and little fields belonging to the -houses. Here and there was a path for convenience of communication between -the main and back thoroughfares, and Cestus ran ahead until he reached -such an one which commanded a ready view from end to end. At the bottom of -this he waited a few moments, until he saw the forms of Afer and his slave -cross the upper end, and then, being sure he was in their rear, he walked -up into the street. He either forgot his altered appearance, or had such -small faith in its ability to mislead those whom he was now dogging, that -he followed with the extreme care of a hunter tracking a wild animal -through its native woods. He kept them in view at the furthest possible -distance; stopped when they stopped, and cowered behind walls or anything -which came handiest, to avoid the slightest chance of being noticed. One -of the first actions he observed was that of Erotion, who, in answer to -something which his master said, threw away to one side an article he -carried. Cestus instinctively guessed what it was, and following on, -passed the fragments of the small, recently-purchased pot lying at the -foot of a wall. This act confirmed his suspicions, that his former -patron's object in visiting Masthlion's shop was distinctly not that of -buying of the wares it contained. The Suburan, in consequence, plunged -still deeper into an agony of suspicion, and as often as he soothed -himself with the fact that it was impossible that Neæra's identity could -be known, so often he plagued himself afresh with the question of its -probability. - -Step by step he pursued the leisurely track of the knight until they -reached the centre of the town, where Afer visited one or two shops. After -this they entered the baths, and Cestus was left to cool his heels for a -considerable time outside. He was a sleuth-hound of undaunted mettle, -however, when once on a scent, and there being a wine-shop at no great -distance, whence he could watch the door of the building his quarry had -entered, he proceeded thither, and sat patiently over a bowl of thin wine. -He was determined to see the last of them, since he could neither live nor -move in peace, if haunted by the possibility of encountering them at any -chance time face to face. After a long delay his patience was rewarded by -the sight of the knight issuing refreshed from the bath, and taking his -way, followed by his retainer, toward the Marina. Here they perhaps meant -to take boat to the island, thought Cestus, with a sigh of relief. But no, -he was disappointed; for they entered an inn of considerable pretensions, -and the Suburan was doomed to another lengthy delay, whilst the knight was -most probably dining. The afternoon was wearing on. The dusk was beginning -to thicken when the watcher's eyes were once more gladdened by the -appearance of master and slave. He rejoiced to see them saunter across to -the steps which led down to the Marina. Thence he had no more need to -follow, but, leaning over the cliff, observed their movements without -difficulty and danger, and ere long watched them speeding over the -darkening sea before a fair breeze. Cestus gave a deep sigh of relief. -When they were nearly out of sight he turned homeward, and, for a season -at least, was at liberty to devote his attention entirely to his own -deliberations. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - -Away from his haunts in the Imperial city, where his wits were kept ever -bright and sharp by the friction of crowded humanity, the Suburan had -fallen under the lethargic influence of utter inoccupation in a -comparatively lifeless provincial town. His mind, latterly, may be said to -have only smouldered. - -It has been seen how instantaneously and unexpectedly it was roused into -high excitement and activity from a state of mere passive existence. Just -as the blast of a forge-bellows kindles, in an instant, a dull smoking -heap of black ashes into a glowing fiery mass, so the sight of Domitius -Afer inflamed the listless spirit of Cestus. - -Fearing lest he should betray some symptoms of his perturbed mind to the -keen eyes around the supper-table at home, he wandered along aimlessly -until the time for that meal should pass, and his thoughts become more -serene. To assist the latter process he visited one or two wine-shops -which crossed his random path, and fortified himself with some hearty -draughts of liquor. Thence he passed on to the outskirts of the town and -sought the silent roads and darkness. Here were solitude and the brooding -stars, circumstances most apt for philosophising. - -His ignorance of the actual position of affairs left him a prey to the -most distracting surmises. It was in vain he argued and proved to himself -continually, that his secret lay, for the present, safe with himself and -the potter only; and that Afer could no more have any knowledge or -suspicion of the girl's identity than a bird of the air. This was assured, -he said; and yet what was it that brought his quondam patron to the -potter's shop? Was it to buy? No; that was a mere pretence. What did he -want with such wares? What he had bought he had thrown away. Even in his -harassment the Suburan's face twisted with a grin, as he recalled the -scene in the shop, and the expression of the knight's face when acquainted -with the price of the vases. - -The conclusion, therefore, forced itself on the mind of Cestus, and would -not be dislodged, that Neæra was the object of the ominous visit. And, -again, how was it, and from whom had he learnt of the existence of the -girl in such an out-of-the-way corner of the town, where his foot was -never likely to tread of its own accord? It was true that Masthlion had a -certain reputation for his work, and that the beauty of Neæra being known, -it might have reached the knight's ears amidst other tattle. This might -have prompted his curiosity; but the coincidence was too strong for the -reasoner's peace of mind, and no argument was potent to comfort him. His -thoughts, restricted to such a narrow field of inquiry, writhed and -twisted in torment. Then at length, exhausted and chagrined with the -fruitlessness of his efforts, he gave way to a paroxysm of rage. He shook -his clenched fists, and his mouth vomited the most frightful curses on the -head of his treacherous patron and all appertaining to him, including the -impenetrable island, whose sealed silence held him at bay. The first -glimpse of his would-be murderer had aroused and added fuel to his mingled -fear and detestation. This, combined with the sense of his insecurity and -comparative powerlessness in his present situation, put him almost beside -himself for a few delirious moments. No one passed him at this point, or -they might have been superstitiously affrighted at the fierce gestures and -the shrill, hissing notes of this shadowy form in the dark road. - -The short frenzy, however, sufficed to purge his veins somewhat, and when -its fury had fled it left him comparatively calm and collected. He became -aware of an appetite which needed appeasing, and he turned his steps -homeward. When he entered the house, he found that the time had flown -considerably beyond his reckoning, and that the family were all in bed. He -was not sorry, however, at this, and, after eating the supper which had -been left standing for him, he went to bed, where his excited thoughts -kept him from sleep till nigh the time when early risers were beginning to -stir between the bedclothes, and collect their thoughts for a new day's -labour. Then indeed he slept heavily, and came down late, to find every -one busy in their daily occupations--Masthlion, as usual, locked in his -workshop. - -Whilst eating his breakfast Neæra came in, fresh and fair as the morning -itself, but with anxious thought in her lustrous, gray eyes. - -'You did not return yesterday until we had all gone to bed,' she said. 'It -was because you are persisting in what you said about your presence being -the cause of my father's trouble of mind.' - -'Not at all,' replied Cestus, whose mind was too fully weighted with other -matter to trifle with this question, 'I met with an old friend, and we sat -talking about old times till late--that's all.' - -'You vexed me by saying what you did.' - -'I was rude,' replied Cestus, as he rose from the table, 'and I am sorry. -Your father cannot do without me for a time yet, and I do not intend to -quit you. I was joking--I am too comfortable and you are too kind.' - -'Ah, then you know what ails him?' - -'I have been thinking, and I have an idea; but I will find out and tell -you. It is a fine day--I must be off out into the sunshine. What a pleasant -morning for a trip from Capreae.' - -He looked sidelong at her, and marked the faint tinge which rose to her -cheek. - -'You remember that man who came into the shop yesterday,' she remarked. - -'Yesterday!' murmured Cestus, with lack-lustre eyes. - -'Yes! you looked at him and his slave as if you took an interest in them; -then you hurried away and came back when they had gone.' - -'Oh--ah!' - -'You said you knew them.' - -'I know that I have seen him in Rome, and that he lives on the Esquiline; -but what he does here I don't know. Very likely on the same errand as my -poor self--change of air and a holiday.' - -'Is he a great man?' - -'In his own estimation, doubtless--he is of knightly rank, I believe.' - -'His behaviour did not keep pace with his rank then--I hope he may not pay -us another visit.' - -''Tis very likely he may if he has come to sojourn here for a time. If he -does don't fail to tell me of it, and of all he says. He is one of your -well-dressed scamps, and thinks that every good-looking poor girl is fair -prey--the city swarms with such. But let me know, and don't be afraid. I am -city-bred like himself, and know a thing or two, and will soon put an end -to his little game if he means anything.' - -Cestus squared his shoulders as he uttered this brave speech, and went, -with something of a swagger in his gait, to reach down his cloak. - -'Oh, I'm not afraid,' replied Neæra calmly, 'and I have my father at -hand.' - -'Ay, that's true!' said Cestus slily, 'and another still better, who could -tear the cur limb from limb--nevertheless, don't fail to let me know. I -have some previous knowledge of the fellow, which makes me curious, and I -may easily be useful.' - -Thus delivering himself he went forth into the bright sunlight and the -crisp keen air. Instinctively his feet turned in the direction of the road -which led to the southern promontory of Minerva. It was a customary route -of his, but it was also on a main line of communication with the island, -and the desperate chance of meeting with somebody, or something, which -might afford a glimmer even of news, burned stronger than ever in his -breast. This something was, however, painfully vague, and the somebody -really limited itself to only one person. The sight of Martialis would -have been as joyful to him as rain to the thirsty in the desert, taking -even into consideration, that what the Centurion could impart, even if he -should prove to have the inclination, would hardly be likely to throw any -light upon his peculiar needs. Added to this was the fact of the young -soldier's aversion. But Cestus was not easily abashed or discouraged, and -had no fear of being able finally to command attention. - -He reached his observatory and sat down to rest and deliberate. Capreae -lay before him amid the blue sea, with the white gleam of its palaces -tipping its rugged peaks and peeping amid its terraced groves. With this -lovely picture filling his vision, he sat for full an hour absorbed in -thought, and then noting the position of the sun, he rose and walked away -homeward. He had reconciled himself to his position, and had come to the -conclusion that his only policy was to wait and be watchful. He also -determined, on the least suspicion of danger, to carry off the potter and -his family to Rome--Neæra at least; if, however, he could persuade them to -go at once so much the better. He could do nothing at Surrentum; he was -tired of it, and he would feel safer in the city, whither he would -eventually be obliged to go to carry out his scheme. Why not, therefore, -go at once and wait there? The thought also tormented him, that something -might occur which might rob him of his revenge. He burned and itched to -set the wheels of his machinery in motion, however slightly, and he -resolved that day to take the first step for that end. If it was no more -than a mysterious hint to certain people, that something was in the wind, -it would be sufficient for a commencement. His spirits rose and his steps -quickened as this determination was arrived at, and, re-entering -Surrentum, he proceeded to the dwelling of a professional scribe near the -Marina. He entered and found that individual busy at his table, inditing -an epistle to the dictation of a young and good-looking woman, who -instantly became silent and turned away her head at the Suburan's -entrance. The writer, who was a bald, shrivelled, and short-sighted old -man, did not immediately perceive the cause of the sudden stoppage of his -customer's eloquence, and casting a longing look at a large open book at -his elbow, cried out testily, 'Well, well, what next?--oh it's you, is it? -you'll have to wait outside till I've finished!' - -'A love letter, eh! All right, I'm sorry to interrupt,' replied Cestus, -giving a leer at the young female who tossed her head. - -He went outside and waited till she came forth, and then returned to take -her place at the scribe's table. - -'Well!' snapped the old man, tearing his eyes from his book with a vicious -wrench, as if the patronage which brought him his livelihood were a -nuisance instead of a thing to be thankful for. - -'Tablets, wax and thread of your best, old man; bring them out and let me -see them,' answered Cestus. 'I and a comrade have a good joke in hand, and -I want you to write a line or two of mystery. You must put your best -finger foremost, and shape your letters so as to make them look as if they -came from some aristocrat.' - -He drew a piece of silver from his pouch and threw it across the table to -the scribe, whose watery, old eyes glinted as his grimy fingers caused the -coin to vanish with an astounding celerity. Cestus laughed, and the same -grimy talons selected the articles required, which the Suburan took into -his hands. He examined them carefully, not with a view of satisfying -himself of their quality, about which he knew nothing whatever, but for -the purpose of assuring himself that they bore no mark or impress which -might afford a clue to their origin. This proving to his satisfaction, he -told the old man to go on with his reading, whilst he considered upon the -style the document was to take. After a few minutes' deliberation he bade -the scribe take his pen and write the following with every care:-- - - - 'You may praise the gods and rejoice, Fabricius. When thieves fall - out then may honest men look to get their own. The treasure you - lost shall return to you. Prepare to receive it and deal - vengeance. These tablets ere you receive them shall touch her very - hand. You have often been deceived, but now wait the truth. Do you - recognise this ribbon? Keep it carefully till the remainder is - forthcoming. Patience and, above all, silence! I am beset; and to - breathe a word would be destruction to me and to her. Beware, - therefore!' - - -'That's all--now read it out!' said Cestus; and the old scribe did so -accordingly. - -The Suburan laughed in his most boisterous style, and rubbed the palms of -his thick, strong hands together vigorously with every appearance of -satisfied delight at his composition. - -'Bravo!' he exclaimed; 'that's just it, to the very letter--tolerably plain -and tolerably mystified. If this don't turn out the best frolic of my life -call me a chuckle-headed fool. Get you the thread and wax ready, father!' - -He stepped aside meanwhile, and took from his bosom a small package. Out -of this he drew a faded piece of ribbon and cut off a small portion, -putting it between his teeth, whilst he tied up and replaced the package -again. - -He laid the piece he had severed on the table, and said, 'Put that inside -and seal up carefully.' - -'There--that's all right!' said Cestus, thrusting the tablets into his -breast. 'Farewell, father!' - -The scribe, who was already poring over his book, with his long peaked -nose nearly touching the leaves, gave merely a rusty grunt as his customer -stepped out into the passage. - -'Stay!' cried Cestus, coming back, 'Hark'ee, father!--would you not like to -hear this pretty joke of mine?' - -'Pish!' snapped the scholar, with savage contempt; and with an -indescribable series of shrugs of his lean body, he huddled himself -irritably over his book. The Suburan's guffaw shook the small dwelling as -he turned away and proceeded to the nearest wine-shop. Small as was the -commencement, he had, nevertheless, entered on his campaign. So he drank -his wine and water with unusual satisfaction and elation. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - -The Suburan had the letter written and completed to his mind, and the next -step was, of course, to have it delivered. For safety's sake this was an -arrangement to be carried out with due circumspection; and, as he already -had an idea in his mind, he determined to put the missive away safely for -a time, to see if the opportunity he hoped for would present itself. He -came out of the wine-shop, took a turn on the Marina, the favourite lounge -of the townsfolk, and then turned homeward. The direct thoroughfare suited -him no longer. Avoiding the street he made his way to the rear of the -potter's premises. He resolved there should be no awkward meeting of -unwelcome faces if he could help it. As he drew near, passing through the -irregular patches of garden and pasture, he heard the sound of horses' -feet. He looked toward the main road, already described as running nigh to -Masthlion's house, and saw a horseman garbed in military dress galloping -at a swift pace northward. He was already at some distance, and a few -yards further on his course the road dipped out of sight. At this point -the rider suddenly reined up, waved something white, and then was gone. -Cestus, with something like an oath of disappointment between his lips, -hastened on a few steps, till the little workshop of Masthlion, with its -smoking chimney, came into view. Then the struggling anathema rolled forth -in full and hearty distinctness, for there, on the little low wall -surrounding the garden-patch of the potter, was Neæra, standing -motionless, with her white answering signal in her down-dropped hand, and -her eyes yet fixed on the distant road. He had arrived just in time to -witness the disappearance of Martialis, the Centurion. He whom he had -expected and watched for with such restless anxiety, and to whom he had -mentally arranged to consign his letter for the safest delivery to its -destination. His extreme disgust and disappointment found its customary -relief in a furious spasm of frightful language, all the fiercer in that -he was obliged to suppress it, because of neighbours sprinkled here and -there nigh at hand in their little plots of garden ground. When he looked -again for Neæra she had disappeared. He followed into the house with a -visage dark and sullen as a thundercloud. The first to meet him was Neæra -herself; a strange contrast, inasmuch as joy sparkled in her eyes and -bloomed on her cheeks. It was testimony enough to the glance of Cestus. - -'Hath not the Centurion been here but now?' he asked, gloomily enough. - -'Yes!' replied Neæra, with yet more colour in her cheeks. 'What is the -matter?' - -'Matter enough,' was the sulky answer; 'I have been dying to see him and -to have speech with him. I was even on the road this morning, thinking -that he might pass by chance, and if I had not gone into the town I should -have caught him. He must have followed me almost on my heels. Curse my -luck, why did I not come straight home?' - -'You were unlucky indeed, uncle; but he will not be away more than a few -days.' - -'Even that may prove too long,' growled Cestus. 'Said he anything about -affairs in the island that you can remember, Neæra? That the Prefect was -intending to return to the city before long?' - -'No, nothing. But had it been so, Lucius would scarce have been returning -to Capreae again.' - -'Humph!' grunted Cestus, as Neæra glided away about her business, well -satisfied with the existing arrangements of the Centurion's commander. - -Cestus sought the little upstairs chamber, where he slept, and, having -hidden the letter to Fabricius in a safe place till required, he cast -himself on his pallet, wearied in body and intensely irritated in mind. -Here he fell asleep and found the day far gone when he awoke. His precious -missive occupied his first thoughts, and he went down into the town to try -and discover some chance of sending the same--a public post system being -unknown. In this he was lucky. A trading vessel had touched on her voyage -to the Tiber, and he found the master thereof perfectly willing to do as -he required. Cestus went and brought the letter and delivered it into the -seaman's hands, with full instructions and a liberal subsidy. A visit to a -wine-shop, where the liquor flowed plentifully, completed the transaction, -and then Cestus took leave of his new friend with many parting -injunctions. A couple of days passed, during which Cestus never left the -immediate vicinity of the house for any great length of time. He felt -constrained to the exercise of vigilance, but the restraint upon his -accustomed habits of liberty and self-indulgence soon began to prove very -irksome. Nor did anything happen during that time to hinge the least -interest upon. - -'If I had chanced to leave the place for two or three hours, something -would have been sure to have turned up,' he grumbled. - -But what little had occurred had permanently unsettled the equilibrium of -his mind. He was beset with a certain kind of vague uneasiness, dull, -intangible, but sleepless; of the disagreeable nature of an ill -presentiment, which set the profoundest intellectual subtlety at defiance. -His restlessness increased, and the current of his thoughts set, with -increasing constancy and eagerness, toward his native Rome, till the -longing resembled that of a sick man or exile. The feeling rose so -strongly, that the early removal of himself to the great city took its -place as the first and most absorbing care of his mind. The family of the -potter, of course, he, of necessity, included with himself. - -On the third day after the departure of Martialis, he was sitting alone -over the fire in the house, with his elbow on his knee and his hairy chin -on his hand, deeply occupied in arranging his method of procedure, or -rather in deciding on the manner of approaching Masthlion on the subject, -since the potter's assent was the only real difficulty to be met. His -meditations were interrupted by the touch of a hand on his shoulder. He -looked up and saw Neæra standing beside him. He made as if to rise, with -the deference he had acquired in her presence, but, without removing her -hand from his bulky shoulder, she pressed him gently down in his place. - -'You were very deep in your thoughts, uncle; you never heard me come.' - -'That's true enough,' he replied, with a smile; 'but your footstep lacks -weight to rouse a sleeper or day-dreamer.' - -'You were not asleep, unless you sleep with your eyes open,' said Neæra. -'You were deep enough in a day-dream, therefore. I can guess--was it not of -Rome?' - -'Well, that among other things, I am bound to say,' replied Cestus. - -'I have come to ask you about my father. Have you ever thought of him -since we last spoke?' - -'I--I have not had a convenient opportunity,' said Cestus, with hesitation. - -'What, not in all this time? Ah, that is a poor excuse!' - -'To speak truth, I was thinking of him when you came in,' said Cestus, -guiltily dropping his eyes to the fire; 'I was making up my mind to talk -to him before night.' - -'It is dusk already,' said Neæra, shaking her head gently as if scarce -believing him. - -'That is so,' replied Cestus, sweeping his glance round the little room, -where the shadows were gathering thick, and the flickering flames of the -fire in the brazier were beginning to define themselves on the walls; 'but -there yet remains plenty of time. I am going to open a weighty subject -with him, so I am taking time to consider.' - -'And what may that be?' asked Neæra, seating herself on a stool beside him -and looking into his face. - -Cestus kept his glance on the fire as he replied: - -'It is not indeed so grave a matter after all, but he is sure to make it -so. I want him to cut loose from this tomb of a town and take up his abode -in Rome. It is the only place for a man of skill. Here he is buried.' - -'Here we have been very happy and content, until lately,' responded the -fair girl, with a sigh. 'I don't think you will succeed.' - -'Yes, if you would help me,' observed Cestus. - -'My father is the best judge, and I will abide by what he says.' - -'He must go eventually,' said the Suburan, emphasising the word _must_, -'so that you might as well persuade him to move with me at once.' - -'Must go! And what is there then to compel him?' said Neæra quickly, in -surprise. - -The Suburan's eyes twinkled as he shot a sidelong glance at her beautiful -face. - -'Nothing but yourself,' he said quietly; 'that is why I asked you to -persuade him now rather than leave it later.' - -Neæra wrinkled her pretty brows and perused her companion's dark-hued -shaggy face with an anxious, inquiring look. Then she shook her head. - -'I cannot understand,' she said; 'to say that of me seems to be nonsense.' - -'Don't you see?' exclaimed Cestus, reaching out his arm, and laying his -thick forefinger on her hand, as it rested on her knee, 'don't you see? -When you become the wife of Martialis he will take you to Rome, and by and -by your--Masthlion will be unable to live without the sight of you, so he -will assuredly follow. It is as plain and sure as the sun in heaven.' - -The faintest shadow of a smile rested on her lips, and she dropped her -gaze from his face to the burning logs. The delicate lids drooped over the -lustre of her eyes, and a warmer tint suffused her skin. - -'It will be time when I go to Rome,' she murmured; 'wait till that comes -to pass.' - -'Therefore you will not help to persuade him to go now, as I recommend?' - -'I will not say a word.' - -'Think of the blessed change--the sights and shows, such as you never dream -of. When you are there you will say, "How did I live in such a dog's hole -as that?"--meaning Surrentum.' - -'I think I have passed too many pleasant days here to think that ever,' -replied Neæra; 'but my own inclinations have nothing to do with it, nor -shall they.' - -'Then again,' continued Cestus, more artfully, 'the Prefect has been a -long time in Capreae, and cannot be expected to remain there much longer. -He will return to Rome, and with him Martialis.' - -This was a subtle stroke, but he got no reply, save only a low rippling -laugh and a shake of her head, which was turned persistently towards the -fire. Whereupon he shrugged his shoulders, and silence fell between them -for a considerable space, which he employed in fixedly watching her as she -sat with her hands clasped across her knee, apparently lost in a reverie. - -The bright glow of the fire bathed her face and figure, and threw them -into striking relief in the now dark room. The Suburan, with his elbow on -his knee and his head dropped sideways on his hand, feasted his eyes with -the lovely picture she made, which drew no small portion of its charm from -the grace of her unconsciousness. It awoke his mind to a strange activity. -Out of the dim past he conjured up scenes which remained engrained in his -mind as sharp and distinct as events of yesterday. Amongst these was a -bright and vivid morning on the Janiculum Hill in Rome; the glorious city -spread beneath glittering in the morning beams.... A beautiful child -dancing and skipping in pure delight; a hasty dash under a high garden -wall, and down a narrow obscure lane.... Then again the depth of a dark, -rainy, hot, summer night, when he entered that self-same room, weary with -travel and prolonged toil of search for his destination.... The deposit of -his tiny sleeping burden, and the astonished faces of the two inmates of -the room. - -Fortune had favoured him; it was the reward of his humanity. As he looked -on the heedless maiden, his heart warmed with satisfaction; and for some -brief moments, he felt at peace with all and everything. How exquisite she -would look clothed as a white-handed patrician and set in the marble halls -of a palace. Her beauty had utterly conquered him. It was a new and novel -experience to have lived in daily contact and companionship with a being -so delicate. Her sprightliness and spirit charmed him, whilst her purity -and gentleness softened and quelled him. It was no ordinary degree of -pride which tingled in his breast at the fact, that she was more indebted -to and more dependent upon him than any one, although she knew it not. -Should she learn now from his lips? The heart of this rough, vice-sodden, -crime-laden man beat like a girl's as he contemplated the action, and -gazed on the exquisite profile before him. How those deep-fringed orbs -would glow and flash in wonder, and the delicious curves of her lips -tremble with emotion! His cool reason was fast departing, and his tremor -increasing, as the fascination before his eyes hurried him on to the -consummation of his sudden desire. In two or three minutes more he could -not have resisted the temptation to hold the heart and soul of the fair -girl breathless at his disposal. All question of policy had fled, and he -was preparing for his task, when the grate and thud of a bolt being drawn, -sounded on their ears through the open door. - -'That is father!' exclaimed Neæra, rousing herself suddenly and turning -round in expectation. - -A deep sigh, either of relief or disappointment, escaped the lips of -Cestus, and he straightened up his body. - -The creak of the potter's workshop door was followed by his step, and the -next moment he entered the room and advanced toward them. They looked at -him in astonishment, for a wonderful change was in his aspect. He was -clearly in a state of great mental excitement, not to speak of evident -delight. The soot of the furnace on this occasion rather overspread and -subdued the reddish incrustation of clay on his person, and in his hand he -carried a globular vessel of dull, coarse-looking glass. He held it up -before him as he entered, in such an eager manner, as to draw their -attention to it at once, without a word from his lips. His deep-set eyes -sparkled in the firelight with infinite vivacity, as they flung their -flashing glances first from one to the other, and then to the cup in his -hand, and back again. His eager hurried step brought him up to the Suburan -and the maiden almost at a run, and then he stopped short, with the vessel -uplifted in one hand, and the forefinger of the other pointing to it. A -strange laugh, or chuckle of supreme joy or exultation, escaped him, and -he moved the article, with its accompanying index finger, first before the -face of Neæra and then of Cestus. They arose silently from their seats and -stared at the potter with strange wonder, and something of alarm, at this -unusual proceeding on the part of a man of habitual reserve and serenity. -It was a spectacle almost as little to be expected, as for a statue of the -grave goddess and her owl to step down from its plinth and cut a caper on -a temple floor. They saw that his features and his frame were trembling -with extreme agitation; and failing to comprehend its cause in a glass cup -of not the slightest pretensions to use or ornament, they remained, with -anxious gaze, to await some further development of such unwonted symptoms. - -'Look--it is done--it is found--I have found it--I, Masthlion!' gasped the -potter, with another laugh. 'At last--at last!' he cried, rolling and -smoothing the vessel in his grimy hands, with the ecstasy of a miser -fondling his treasure heaps. - -Grave doubts arose in the mind of Cestus as to the actual state of his -kinsman's mind; and giving him a glance of suspicion, and another of -contempt on the paltry object of his delight, he growled as follows--'As -far as I can see, potter, it is a thing that ought to be well lost beyond -redemption, and a thing of regret, if found again in any dusthole.' - -Masthlion vented another chuckling laugh, and turned his eyes on the face -of Neæra, who rested her hand on his shoulder, and touched the glass with -the slender fingers of her other hand. Timidity and doubt were in her -actions and on her countenance. She returned his gaze with affectionate -concern and said soothingly, 'You seemed pleased to have found it, father. -Had you lost it long? Why do you prize it? Tell me!' - -'It has never been lost; nevertheless I have but now found it. Ha, ha! -Child, do you think I have taken leave of my wits? And, indeed, I think I -have, for joy,' laughed Masthlion, straining the girl to his breast and -giving her a fervent kiss. 'Go, bring your mother!' - -Neæra glided away into the upper regions of the house on her mission; and, -at the request of Masthlion, Cestus took a brand from the fire and lighted -an iron lamp which hung from the ceiling. By the time the feeble flame -threw its cheerless light upon the scene, Neæra returned with Tibia. The -latter, with probably a hint of her husband's unusual humour, came forward -in a peculiar roundabout fashion, as though she were describing the -segment of a circle with the potter as a centre. Her face, wreathed in -wonder and some fear, was riveted on his, throughout her course, as if her -head were magnetised. When she arrived finally on the opposite side of -him, she stopped. Masthlion regarded her with an amused smile, and Cestus -grinned, almost audibly. Neæra, standing at one side, glanced from one to -the other, with a slight wrinkling of her brows, and drew a step nearer -Tibia; but the dame remained absorbed in her husband, and indifferent to -the amusement her odd manner had caused. - -'Husband!' she ejaculated at last. 'What is the matter?' - -''Tis what I sent to tell you,' he said, laughing. 'Look!' He seized her -hand, and held up the vessel before her eyes in the same way he had done -to the others. 'Here is the result of twenty-five years' toil and -patience. Here, at last, is success, after disappointments and bitterness -beyond my tongue to tell. Do you remember the old times, wife? Ay, can you -ever forget them? They were too well ground into you--starvation and rags -are not easily forgotten. I was the cause; and though you often blamed me -and reproached me in your heart, you never murmured.' - -Tibia shook her head gently. - -'Well, well, I deserved it, at least. I was a man possessed with an idea -and no money--an unlucky combination for mortals who are obliged to eat to -live. I learnt my trade as a youth, and one day in my master's shop I -chanced upon a piece of refuse glass of peculiar quality. I showed it to -my master, but he scarcely looked at it. He was a man of no ideas beyond -his daily work. There was that about this piece of glass, however, which -set me thinking, and filled me with an idea of such strength as to be -called infatuation. It has been like a stone of Sisyphus to me till this -day, and now I have conquered it. For twenty-five years I have worked to -discover the secret of that stray piece of glass, more or less -madly--eagerly--according to circumstances, but always constantly. My -father, when he died, left me a little hoard of money. Then I left my -master and built a workshop of my own. It was then, too, I married my -sweetheart; and like a young, eager, hot-blooded, thoughtless lad, would -have laughed to scorn the notion of a space of twenty-five years being -necessary to the working out of my problem, had it been told to me at that -time. "Come," I said to myself, "my money will keep us a couple of years, -and by that time, I shall have found out my secret, and fortune will lie -before me." In two years I was as far off the end as ever--do you remember, -Tibia? In three years I was further still, for we had struggled on, in -vain hope that each day would solve the mystery, and my patrimony had come -to an end in the process. Every experiment was as futile as the one before -it, and I had become numb even to bitter disgust and despair. Ah, and how -I worked! Night and day--it was like a fever dream. And you, Tibia, would -come to help--it was your presence that helped more than your hands, wife. -Then came the day when the last coin had been spent in fuel for the -furnace, and the experiment had failed as miserably as all the others -before it. It was dusk as I tested my work and found it wanting, and I sat -down stupid and sick. I began to dream horribly, or else a fever had -reached my brain. I sat there like a helpless log, as if bound hand and -foot, whilst the walls seemed to dance around me in a giddy whirl, and the -roof to rear up and swoop down upon me with a frightful sensation that -will live in my memory till I die. Then in that dread hour it was you who -crept in beside me. Yet you did nothing but lay your hand silently on -mine, and that saved me. You remember it, Tibia?--I cried like a girl. I -was overwrought in mind and body. I was like the steel blade which is -strained in a curve beyond its strength, and then snaps, to spring and -quiver no more. That night we begged our supper, and next morning I rose -another being. I was a dreaming youth no longer, and I set to work to make -pots like my dull master, and allow my phantasy to find its opportunities -for indulgence, when time and means allowed. I did not do this from change -of inclination, for my ambition burned as strongly as ever; but to live -was a necessity. The gods gave me patience, and I toiled for livelihood, -and for means to give me leisure to resume my search. The gods have -blessed me in both: we are beyond fear of want, and I have, at last, -discovered the secret which led me on, like a will-o'-the-wisp, for all -these years. Here it is to bless us--me, for my toil, and you, wife, for -your patience and long-suffering! I was cruel in those early years. Many a -time since then have I acknowledged it. But I was possessed--eaten up too -much with my own mad hopes and visions to be able to see a wife pinched -and starved. Heaven knows, wife, what your thoughts were in those days! -You never spoke, and I dare not ask. Now I may be able to repay--who knows? -At least the secret is found, whatever it may lead to. If it was ever -known to the world before I know not; but I have heard the scholars say, -that the most ancient people, the Egyptians, in their days of power, were -skilled in works beyond the comprehension of these days. Yet their -knowledge is all buried, forgotten, lost, like their temples and cities. -What they knew and discovered will have to be sought for again. Thus this -matter of mine may once have been known well enough, when the world was -ages younger, in the days of the giants. Let that be or not; it is of no -consequence to me or any one. It is enough for me to think, that no one -lives and breathes who saw, or ever heard, of such a glass cup as this -which now I hold. What would you say, now, if it were impossible to break -this vessel? What would the wealthy patrician think, if his costly glass -treasure, goblet, or heirloom should be of such composition that his -careless slaves should be powerless to harm it?--that the delicate fabric, -exquisitely cut and designed, brilliantly pictured and tinted, instead of -being dashed to fragments on his floor by the clumsy fingers of a slave, -should be so durable as to survive the mishap, and be lifted again, with -nothing worse than a dent, which a skilful artist could restore? And of -the priceless gem of the artist, so of the humble vessels of the kitchen. -That stray fragment of glass which set my brain on fire, and gave me five- -and-twenty years of toil and unceasing thought, by some strange trick of -chance, had been fused with certain properties in certain proportions. -Chance had accomplished what it has taken me all these years to find out, -and there, at last, its composition is developed. Watch now and you shall -see how this piece of glass is matched by none in existence!' - -Masthlion's face was flushed with tumultuous speech. His trembling hand -pulled his wife aside to give himself more room. Then he lifted the glass -bowl as high as possible above his head, and threw it down on the floor, -with all the force he could command. There followed no crash and flying of -countless splinters, but only a dull thud, and the hardly tried glass -rolled over lazily two or three times with a flattened side; otherwise it -had suffered no damage. The potter drew himself up and looked round with -pride and triumph in his eyes. - -Neæra clapped her hands and kissed him. Her face reflected his supreme joy -and satisfaction. Tibia stood silently, with her hand still grasped in her -husband's, as it might be in the manner of those bygone days of trial he -had told them of. She said nothing; but her eyes passed from the object on -the floor to her husband's face, and there remained. She was a silent -woman, and spoke no word of congratulation; but the pride and devotion in -her face were eloquent enough. Masthlion, looking down into it, read it -there. Both females regarded the wonderful piece of glass with no small -amount of curiosity; but it was little else than mere curiosity. As an -extraordinary discovery it interested them but little; as the means of -bearing rapture to the breast of the discoverer it was precious beyond -compare. Their eyes indeed visited it, but straightway left it to dwell on -the recovered radiance which beamed on the face of its maker. - -The attention of Cestus, on the other hand, was absorbed in exactly the -reverse way. With great interest he stooped to pick up and examine the -flattened glass vessel. He turned and twisted it about with the most -minute scrutiny. Then, with his thick, powerful fingers, he tried to -straighten out the dint. But in this he was unsuccessful, so he began to -shake his head and hum disbelievingly through his pursed lips. - -''Tis not clay,' laughed Masthlion; 'it needs a mallet and a tool or two. -Come, I will show you!' - -They followed him to his workshop, where he took a piece of wood rounded -at one end like a pestle. With this and a mallet he pounded the injured -side of the glass back into its original shape--the glass yielding to the -heavy blows like a piece of plastic metal. - -'There!' he cried, throwing down his tools and holding forth the restored -glass in triumph, 'it is neither pretty nor useful, I admit; but the -principle is there, which is everything. One must first find the precious -pebble before it can be carved and polished. So enough for the present. -Haste, wife, and get us our supper--I must be at work again to make a more -sightly cup, as quickly as I can.' - -The women vanished. Their voices could be heard in animated chatter as -they passed hither and thither in the gladdest preparation of a meal they -had known for some time. - -'Well, kinsman, you say nothing. What do you think of my bantling in -glass?' said Masthlion to the Suburan, who stood leaning against a bench -with folded arms and knitted brows. - -''Tis something undoubtedly new, potter,' replied Cestus. 'And do you say -you can make clear glass and fancy cups and vases, such as one sees in -Rome, in the same way--unbreakable?' - -'Certainly--why not?' answered Masthlion. 'No shape, colour, or fashion -whatever can make any difference to its principle of indestructibility.' - -'Why then, potter, I may safely give you joy of your new fashion. It has -been a long time coming, but it has come at last. And provided you can -keep your secret, and deal sensibly with it, I should say you ought to -coin money. Give me your hand, kinsman--you'll be as rich as Caesar! And -recollect when your secret has two in it, it is no secret at all.' - -'Trust me for that!' laughed Masthlion, as Cestus gripped his hand. - -'And yet something more, potter. This little affair must needs take you to -Rome. You may as well wrap up your piece of glass, with the secret of its -making on a parchment inside, and go bury them in your garden, as stop in -this place to make wealth.' - -'There is nothing to prevent me going on making glass here as heretofore,' -replied Masthlion, with a shadow stealing over his face. - -'Nothing!' returned Cestus energetically, 'even if you lived for the next -hundred years. But what an ending to your twenty-five years' work! Cradled -and buried in these hills for the benefit of housewives and kitchen -wenches round about Surrentum! No; you must have a wider market for your -wares and your name. Rome is the market of the world, and to Rome all the -world looks for the latest fashion. There is where name and fame is to be -had, and everything which follows name and fame. There you will find the -powerful patron to father your handicraft--and a powerful patron is -everything, kinsman, even in the matter of glass cups.' - -'What I have toiled for so long, and at last brought to light, will be to -the direct use and service of the world. So much so that the world will -find it out and accept it. It will matter little whether it goes to Rome -or to Surrentum to obtain it.' - -'Ha! ha!' laughed Cestus sarcastically; 'much you know about the world and -its people to say that! Do you think they will come and kneel down when -you lift your finger? You have enough to bring you fortune if you go the -right way to get it. The wrong way is to stay here and dabble, or, -perhaps, let some one else worm your secret to better purpose. This is -what you are bound to do. Go to Rome. Make a cup or vase, of the finest -workmanship you can turn out. Then choose you out a great man, and show -him your curiosity. The more people about him at the time, the better -chance of being talked about. If the noble will buy your vase, so much the -better. At any rate be assured that it shall have a place on his table. To -effect all this is to bring success, if there is anything in your -discovery at all. But, however, there is luck about all things. The best -schemes, at times, fall flat--no one knows why, whilst the worthless send -people crazy together. You must do your best and take your chance of the -humour of the time. This is the way to push business--the only way--'tis -done every day--pooh, man! If I knew what you know, and had your handicraft -at my finger ends, should I stop here? Not I! I should be off into the -world and tap a gold mine. Then, if it suited my fancy, in a few years -come back to the old nest and build myself a palace.' - -'Even with my plain, simple country ideas, Cestus, I think I have -something of good sense beyond your own,' said Masthlion quietly, at the -end of his companion's speech. - -'Really, in what way, kinsman?' - -'In that I have not yet allowed my mind to measure the extent of my -palace, or the worth of the gold mine that is to build it,' said the -potter grimly. - -'Ah!' said Cestus, 'but observe, I spoke only assuming you to be -successful. If you haven't enough faith in your own discovery to give you -hope, then, of course, there is an end.' - -'I have faith, and great faith! Else would I have toiled so long and -wearily? Its worth is plain to the dullest sense; but when success comes, -then it will be time to allow the mind to run riot. Nevertheless, Cestus, -it may astonish you to know, that ere you spoke, I had already resolved on -a plan of making my discovery known, which very much resembles the plan -you advise--and without need of leaving my home.' - -The Suburan shook his head. - -'Simple being as I am, I have already the idea that a good patron is -necessary.' - -'Of course.' - -'Then, since that is settled, I have resolved that my patron shall be the -most powerful of all--the ruler of the world, in fact. To-morrow, if I can -be ready, I will go and show the fruit of my labour for the approval of -Caesar himself.' - -'What--Caesar!' cried Cestus, starting violently. - -'Caesar--Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar,' replied Masthlion, with a quiet -smile at the blank amazement on the features of his companion. - -'Biberius Caldius Mero Caesar--phew!' muttered Cestus, mechanically giving -the Emperor his well-known nickname, which his Imperial wine-bibbing -propensities had earned for him. - -So murmuring, the Suburan sank back again into his reclining posture -against the bench, glaring at the potter. - -'Why, it would seem that I have taken a bolder flight than even the city -wit and cleverness of my Roman kinsman could devise.' - -'There is such a thing as taking too bold a flight for one's welfare,' -replied the other, recovering his voice; 'and country ignorance will -plainly do many a thing which city wit would call folly. Had it been the -last Caesar now--had it been Augustus, perhaps you would have been -sensible. But this one! To go to Capreae--to run the risk of being drowned, -or spitted, ere you set foot in the tiger's lair--or, failing that, to be -hauled before the tiger himself, and straightway hurled from the cliffs -into the sea for a mad-brained potter! Gods preserve us, Masthlion--have -you taken leave of your senses?' - -'I may have seemed like it some minutes back, but I have returned into my -usual sober spirit now. At all events, I have the wit to see clearly what -I intend to do.' - -'You would never see Caesar--you would never be allowed to approach within -eyeshot--not even to set foot on shore!' - -'Nonsense, kinsman! Do you think we of Surrentum know not better than to -believe an idle tale such as that? Do you think we are not better -acquainted with our neighbours in Capreae, at our very doors here, than to -be affrighted at such an ogre's fable as yours? I will both set foot on -the island and see Caesar to boot. Is it not often done by the folk along -the coast here, whenever business demands?' - -'And who never return. What of the dozens who are tortured and strangled -and flung to the sharks by the blood-thirsty old hermit?' - -'Would the people ever continue to go if that were the case?' - -'Do you say none are treated in the way I say?' - -'There may be some so unlucky if they have offended; and Caesar is -somewhat harsh and imperious as tyrants often are. But I am a neighbour -and a Surrentine, and can make a fair reason for permission to go into -Caesar's presence--I have no fear or uneasiness. Stercus of the vineyard up -there, frequently goes to Capreae and enters the Imperial presence.' - -'By Hercules! I would I had known this before,' quoth Cestus eagerly; -'would it be possible for me to do the same thing?' - -'I should not like to say,' answered Masthlion, shaking his head; -'strangers, from a distance, seem to be out of favour on the island. We -natives have more license. Why, I know not; but strangers--especially those -who go without authority, or business--will most likely rue their boldness. -If you, a Roman, were to make a visit, out of sheer curiosity, you would, -most likely, meet with rough handling.' - -'Humph, then there is some advantage in being a Surrentine and not a -Roman,' said Cestus ironically. - -'So it would seem, in this instance,' replied the potter. - -'Then you may claim it with pleasure. It is hardly worth having when it -includes the probability of becoming a meal for the fishes. And even what -I have heard the Surrentines themselves say of old Tiberius, gives me no -better relish for him than I had before. Therefore I say, don't go! Take -your wares to a safer market. Even suppose you were safe enough in the -ordinary way of things, as a native, a little matter might upset the -Imperial humour--a slip, a word, heaven knows what! The royal humour might -be upset even before you had the first chance at it, and then what next? -What glass pot would save you then?' - -'I would never run the risk. I have the means of lying by till the sky is -favourable,' returned Masthlion, with a calm smile. - -'You are resolved then?' - -'Quite.' - -'A wilful man will have his way,' growled Cestus, pulling at his beard -nervously. He was very ill at ease, and he knew enough of the potter's -nature, to be well aware of the uselessness of any arguments to turn his -determination when once arrived at. He felt no confidence in what he had -heard concerning the peculiar privileges in Capreae toward the natives of -the district, and, in fact, was more than half assured, in his own mind, -that his kinsman was running as great a risk, as if he were going empty- -handed to a lion in its den. What if he never came back--if he was never -heard of again? It would be to lose the most important witness in his -case. That would be a terrible misfortune. The Suburan's heart was a load -within him for heaviness. Perplexity worried him very soon into a temper, -and he stood with brows clenched, and teeth grinding under his bearded -lips, whilst Masthlion proceeded calmly with the preparations for his -expedition. - -It seemed to increase Cestus's irritation to watch his tranquillity. - -'You seem to be tolerably easy, in your own mind, I must confess,' he -snarled at length. - -Masthlion looked round, and noted the ill-humoured expression of his -companion's countenance with some surprise. - -'Easy in my own mind,' said he; 'I am, truly enough--I feel more contented -and happy than I have done for many a day; and I have good reason too, I -think.' - -'Be sure it is not an evil omen,' said Cestus. - -'Of what?' - -'Ruin--death!' - -'Tush--you are talking nonsense. Set your mind at rest; I know what I am -about, and nothing shall stop me from carrying out what I have fixed -upon.' - -'Then if I cannot teach you common prudence, perhaps you will listen to -some one else. Your life and your carcase are your own, and you can do -what you like with them; but there are matters other than your own, and -also people dependent on you, who ought to have some consideration. Have -you told your wife and the girl what you mean to do?' - -'No; but it means only the telling,' replied Masthlion, with the faintest -hesitation. - -'I am not so sure of that; and besides it is your duty not to run any risk -on their account.' - -'Nothing venture nothing win. As I have told you, you have got silly -fancies into your head. The risk I run does not trouble my conscience on -the score of those I leave behind me; so have done, Cestus, and trouble me -no more.' - -Cestus approached him, and taking his arm with one hand he pointed to the -door with the other. 'Do you forget, also, what duty you owe to the girl -singing within there? You say you love her like your own child--do you -forget that you are one of the chief witnesses in the task of restoring -her to her proper station?' - -A shadow fell on the potter's face and his frame shivered. 'No, I do not -forget--how could I?' he murmured, as his head fell on his breast. 'You -will take her from me.' - -'I will take her to Rome--it will be necessary for you and Tibia to -accompany us. Where, then, is the separation? You settle in Rome, and -carry on your work nigh at hand. The matter is ripe and will wait no -longer. Within these two days I had resolved to tell you. I have written -to her grandfather to expect her, and we must go. Come, let us go in to -supper and settle it; but without, as yet, telling the reason. You cannot -but see that all this suits you in every way--nothing better.' - -Masthlion remained silent for a few moments, with his head cast down and -his fingers twining themselves nervously. Then he went apart, and stooped -low on his bench, with his face in his hands. Here he remained for several -minutes motionless, during which time Cestus began to pace impatiently up -and down the floor. At length the potter stood up. The old care and -heaviness was back on his face once more, from the burden of which he had -had such a brief respite. - -'Cestus,' he said huskily, 'for my sake and my wife's, and it may be for -hers for all that I can tell, I wish occasion had never been to have -brought you back again. We must suffer; but that is nothing if it be for -her good. I have of late thought over what you have said. In one way and -another it seems fated that she must leave us. I have also thought that -our home here would be very dark without her, or even the consolation of -knowing that she was within easy reach. I had half resolved, therefore, to -follow to the city. She may be lost to us, it is true; but still they -could not rob us altogether of the sight of her. That--that, at least, -would be a comfort. This will decide me then. As soon as I return from -Capreae we will go, and, at least, make a trial of a new home--though it is -a hard task to transplant old trees.' - -'As soon as you return from Capreae!' echoed Cestus, his incipient -satisfaction giving way in a breath to disgust. 'You will still persist in -that madness. It must never be! You have no need of Caesar--what benefit to -you is a man who lives like a hermit on a rock? The rich nobles in Rome -will be a thousand times the service to you--you shall not go!' - -'I will!' cried Masthlion, stung into anger and despair by the fierce tone -of his kinsman; 'I will do my duty to the labour of my life--its fame shall -be mine and shall cling to me though everything fall away.' - -'Life included,' sneered Cestus. - -'Let it, if it be so fated. It seems less bright than it did.' - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - - -When they were called in to supper the two women were awaiting them, -bright-eyed and radiant, at a modest, but well-filled table. Their new- -found cheerfulness, however, was doomed to a brief existence. Cestus -remained silent and gloomy; and Masthlion, equally taciturn, despatched -his meal rapidly, as though it were a task to be well rid of. Their -dampened spirits were still more depressed, when the potter, immediately -on swallowing the last mouthful, announced, in a blunt, matter-of-fact -way, his intended visit to Capreae. With a certain amount of dismay they -at once expressed their disapprobation of the undertaking. It oppressed -them with a sense of dread--it was of too great a magnitude. The very name -of Caesar filled them with awe. They used their best efforts to dissuade -the potter, assisted by the interjectory remarks and sarcasms of Cestus; -but they plainly saw that their efforts were doomed to be vain. Masthlion -bade them put away their fears, and, with something of his natural manner, -clapped his wife gently on the shoulder as he went back to his workshop. -Without being reassured, the women went silently about their work of -removing the supper things, their hearts as heavy as before they had been -cheerful. - -'Have _you_ put this into his head?' demanded Tibia suddenly of her -brother. Her glance was suspicious and her tone unusually sharp. - -'Have I put it into his head?' replied Cestus, with concentrated scorn. -'Oh, to be sure. Had I put it into his head, in the first place, I should -hardly have taken the trouble I have to drive it out again.' - -His sister being silenced he said no more, and sat tilting himself -backward and forward, in moody silence, on his stool. - -Neæra bestowed on him one or two lofty glances, which plainly showed that -her ideas flowed in the same direction as the dame's. She said nothing, -however, and glided hither and thither, in and out, in her occupation. -Presently she went quietly to the door of the workshop, and, tapping -gently, asked for admission. Cestus caught the sounds and stopped his -restless motion. The door creaked open, and by and by it closed again, and -Neæra returned into the passage. The Suburan's quick ear heard the voices -of the two females mingling outside. There was a smothered sob, and -presently a light foot sped up the stairs. Tibia then came into the room -to give a parting touch to its arrangements before retiring for the night. -Her face was more dejected than ever. - -'She has been in to see him,' observed Cestus. - -Tibia nodded yes. - -'And did no good, I can tell.' - -The dame this time shook her head, and remained standing, with one hand on -her hip and the other underneath a kind of apron which she wore over her -gown, as if ready to lift it to stanch the drops which struggled into her -patient eyes. - -'Very well, then,' continued her brother, 'we may as well give the matter -up, for the man will go his own way. It's of no use to show him his -madness. That being the case, there is something you must know without any -further delay, since he is determined to throw himself away. Wait and I -will bring him in.' - -'He is busy, Cestus,' dissuaded she. - -'He will have to make a few moments' leisure, however,' was the reply, and -the Suburan went accordingly to summon the potter. - -The latter obeyed without demur on learning the reason for his required -presence. Cestus shut the door and took his former position on his stool. - -'Brother-in-law, since you will not listen to reason concerning this -errand of yours to Capreae, and since I have small hope of ever seeing you -return, Tibia must hear, in your presence, what I have already told you -alone. Your life is your own, and if you are determined to shorten it at -once you can do so, I suppose. That is your own matter, and you can settle -it with or without your wife's help. But in the matter of the child called -Neæra, I am concerned; and as you are about to rob me of my best witness -in her case, I must arrange matters as best I may, so as to be able to do -without you.' - -'You put it in a pleasant way, kinsman,' returned Masthlion, smiling; 'but -as you are bent on putting me to death I won't argue the point. -Nevertheless I agree with you that it is time Tibia should know what we -know about our child--I still call her ours, you see. It was only at your -wish that I have kept silence as long as this. Tell her the story--I -cannot.' - -Tibia sat looking from one to the other in her mute way, her hands lying -folded in her lap, and her eyes full of anxious curiosity. What new -trouble was this which was about to be launched upon her? Was it the -secret which had darkened her husband's face so long? Was it not enough to -be told that he was about to throw away his life on the morrow? Cestus, -her brother, was the cloud upon her house. It was time he left it, since -matters had seemed to go strangely wrong with the hour of his arrival. -What of the child Neæra? He had brought her there--did he want to take her -away again? - -Her gaze fixed on the Suburan as this thought broke upon her slow brain. -Her brows knitted slightly, and her eyes seemed to contract and congeal, -for a moment, into lifeless glassy balls. She had a manner of meeting -bitter trouble, as it were, with a motionless, voiceless, passive -numbness. It resembled the action of some animals and reptiles when seized -in the grip of a ferocious enemy. The functions of body and brain seemed -withdrawn into an impenetrable inner casket, leaving all else relaxed, -lifeless, and torpid. It is the supreme effort to resist exquisite -torture, this power of self-paralysation, this contraction of all sense -into the numbness of oblivion; whilst to the beholder the spectacle of -mute suffering is the most heartrending of all. - -Cestus, without further delay, began the same narrative he had already -related to Masthlion. Tibia sat like a carven image, with her hands -clenched in her lap and her head half bowed. Once only during the recital -she started slightly, when she heard the noble parentage of the child she -had tended, and she gave a swift, half-startled glance, first at Cestus, -and then at her husband. When the end came and the speaker's voice ceased, -and she heard the decree that Neæra was to be given up to her own people, -her fingers twitched nervously for a time. - -'This, then, is what has haunted thee and darkened the house!' she cried -out sharply to her husband, as she threw her apron over her head. - -The anguish of her glance cut the potter to the heart. A silence fell on -the room for a minute. Masthlion could not summon a word, and Cestus swung -uneasily on his stool. Then the latter cleared his throat and tried to -smooth matters, with arguments already familiar to the reader. - -'Why, Tibia, you have tended the child till she has become like your own, -and it is hard, I admit, to hear she must leave you. But consider, she was -bound to go, for the Centurion will marry her and take her away to Rome, -at all events. Why trouble them? The only way, if you cannot abide without -being near her, is to go after her. I have already told Masthlion this, -with all the common sense one can be capable of, and shown him how it is -the best place for employment in all his work.' - -'I have already agreed; if Tibia is willing we will go to the great city,' -said Masthlion. - -'Ay--but not now--not at once!' replied Cestus sharply. 'Only, as you say, -when you come back from Capreae. That is another thing altogether. It is a -promise on condition with a vengeance, when there is every chance you will -not be alive to perform it. Hark'ee, Tibia, I am eager for us all to go at -once, for this reason, that I am anxious concerning the girl. There have -been a couple of fellows from Capreae in the shop lately, for nothing in -the world but to see the child herself. I saw them, heard them, watched -them. What does this mean? Why, that some fine night your house may be -broken into, and the girl carried off to the island by a gang of Caesar's -blackguards. Once there, you may cry for ever to get her back. Is it not -time, think you, to be moving such a good-looking lass out of the reach of -the tiger's claws? Will you leave her to the chance of such a fate, for -the sake of a fool's errand, on the score of a glass bowl?' - -'The fool's errand shall be carried out, look you,' interposed Masthlion -sternly, 'so no more of that. Nevertheless, if you scent danger so close, -there is nothing to prevent you all taking ship or horse to-morrow, if -need be. I will follow when I am ready to bid farewell to Surrentum.' - -'And that is your determination?' - -'It is--I leave the rest to Tibia.' - -'Then she and the girl and myself will go hence without delay.' - -'Speak for yourself, brother,' said Tibia, standing. 'When I go my husband -goes also.' - -'The girl, then, I shall take alone,' cried Cestus furiously. - -'If she will go with thee,' said Tibia. - -He started up so violently that he upset his stool, and he stood, for a -moment, stuttering with passion. Failing to produce an intelligible sound, -he stamped his foot savagely and rushed out of the room. - -Masthlion gave a grim sort of a smile and went to his workshop. Ere he -could shut the door, Tibia slipped silently after him. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - -To return to Plautia, whom we left on the way from Tucca's cottage to the -villa Jovis, in the stormy, gray dawn. - -Her litter was set down at a side door of the palace, and Zeno, the -steward, stood by to hand her out. His proffered courtesy was loftily -ignored, so he turned on his heel and led the way inside. - -Not a living soul was to be seen; it was, doubtless, before the usual hour -for any one of the Imperial household to be astir about the duties of the -day. - -The Greek brought them into a small peristyle close at hand. He threw open -the door of a handsomely appointed room, and the noise brought forward, -from within, three or four young female slaves, particularly noticeable -for their good looks. - -'My prison?' ejaculated Plautia grimly. - -The Greek's face grew pitiable with an injured look. - -'Caesar has ordered these apartments for your use; and these slaves will -be under your orders,' said he, bowing her in with a deep obeisance. -Plautia gave a haughty nod and passed in with her own attendant. Zeno -gently closed the door upon them, and his deprecating look gave place to a -satisfied grin, as he hurried away to a different portion of the palace, -in order to report to his master. - -Plautia found that the room formed one of a suite. After the unwonted -experience of a husbandman's kennel, the space and luxurious arrangements -of these apartments could not fail to draw from her a sigh of -satisfaction, in spite of her position. - -The state of her mind was indeed unenviable. - -After the horror and misery of the night in her wretched quarters, the -brief moments of slumber, which fell, finally, on her exhausted senses, -had not sufficed to relieve her fevered mind. They had seemed, instead, to -have only sunk her faculties into the first leaden state of suspension,--to -have lulled the wakefulness of her tortured brain, and plunged it into the -horrors of a narcotic sleep, amid whose heavy vapours, her struggling -reflections became the distorted phantasms of an oppressive dream. - -Even yet her mind had not recovered sufficient elasticity to entirely -throw off this soporific load. Stupor still seemed to clog her senses and -maintain her in a condition of waking sleep. The scenes of the past night -still floated through her brain and mingled with what was actually -occurring, as if on common ground of unsubstantiality. The pale, soft -crescent of the moon hung phantom-like in her distempered mind, just as it -had struck upon her gaze over the Pretorian's shoulder; save that now its -bulk swam magnified, and its paleness shone intensified to ghastliness. -Then the play of his warm breath on her forehead, and one or two of his -gestures, which lived, as if fire-impressed in her brain--all the sharper, -in relief to the dark, blurred, frenzied moments of sudden agony and -despair which had followed, like a gulf of blackness. After this her -mental awakening in the pitchy darkness and crash of the sudden storm, the -misery of the night, the phantoms of her short drowsiness, the coming of -Caesar's messenger, the cold gray of sea and sky, the palace--it was all -like the unbroken course of a shadow-play. - -She moved through the rooms, and, in the furthest, found the marble basin -of a bath with all appliances. With more animation, she turned instantly, -and bade the flock of young slaves prepare it for her immediate use. To -have been obliged to forego, for a considerable period, this luxury so -necessary to a Roman, had been not the lightest privation she had incurred -in her headstrong expedition. - -The crystal water, foaming and flooding out of the brazen dolphin's mouth -into the polished basin, was so welcome a sight as to rouse her not a -little. Whilst preparing to enjoy it, one of the slaves answered a summons -at the outer door, and brought back a message, saying, that Caesar would -pay her a visit in an hour. - -Infinitely revived and invigorated, Plautia returned from the bath to eat -and drink. She had recovered also so much of her ancient humour, as to -visit with a sharp word and a frown, a slight clumsiness on the part of -the trembling girl who served her on bended knee. The lady's face had lost -some of its customary richness of colour, whilst dark rings showed under -her eyes, as evidences of the night's passionate tumult; but to one of her -physical robustness and wanton health, it required an enormous and -continuous strain to make any material inroads on her outward appearance. -The slaves apportioned to her, who had dwelt in secret on the splendid -form and beauty of their new mistress, wondering what princess she might -be, and whence she had come, now marked the imperious flash of her eyes -with inward quaking. - -Plautia dismissed them, and awaited the coming of her Imperial visitor. -The thoughtful knitting of her brows and lips were beginning to relax -under the drowsiness which crept over her, when the pale, blotched face, -and tall, stooping form of Tiberius glided slowly into her presence. - -He stopped in the middle of the room, and his brilliant eyes fixed -themselves upon her with a scrutiny which she seemed to feel in every part -of her frame. Not a sign, however, glimmered in their depths, or stirred -the gravity of his countenance, to show that her appearance in any way -moved him. - -She rose from the couch and gave a slight obeisance of her head, which he -returned. He was familiar enough to her by sight; but now, on close -personal contact, there was something which struck her uncomfortably. -Whether it was the piercing ruthlessness of his gaze she knew not. She -began to think uneasily, that she had been wise if she had listened to the -advice she had scouted more than once already. Her keen feminine -perceptions flashed out upon him. It was the odour of the tiger of which -she had been so heedless; and yet, withal, an old, stooping, emaciated, -unsightly man. Her thoughts, from some curious fancy, momentarily left her -own concerns, and conjured up alongside Caesar the form of his handsome, -ambitious, dashing Prefect. The comparison left its mark on her mind. -Returning to herself, her indignation and her courage, she awaited to hear -him speak. - -'Plautia, I bid you welcome to my house,' he said, in his slow way. 'Not -until last night did I know you had favoured the island with your -beautiful presence. I have hastened, therefore, to give you a more fitting -reception than the hovel of a husbandman can afford. It was unkind thus to -steal upon my island home with the intention of leaving it again as -silently.' - -'I have no claim upon your hospitality, Caesar,' replied Plautia; 'I came -hither on a trifling concern of my own, and sought to disturb no one. The -poor house in which I lodged was freely chosen, and willingly endured for -the short time of my stay. To-day was to have seen my departure, and -indeed will do so. I am grieved that you should have learnt of my -presence, and so caused you kindly trouble on my account. If my intrusion -into Capreae is wrong and impertinent, I crave your gracious pardon and -indulgence. Indeed, no disrespect was intended.' - -'Dismiss all that from your mind,' said Tiberius; 'the only fact which -gives me pain is, that you should have sought to deprive us of the delight -of your fair presence; I repeat, it was unkind.' - -'It is not for me to thrust myself upon a stranger's hospitality--much less -upon Caesar's.' - -'Hospitality despised is the grievance, Plautia.' - -The old Emperor's manner was highly-bred, perfectly graceful, and -polished, and a smile gently parted his lips. Nevertheless, in spite of -the delicate, deprecating speech which fell so softly, slowly, but -fluently from his honied tongue, every word seemed but the tinkling of -artifice. Had she dared to retort as she felt, she would have said that -hospitality enforced was as grievous a burden as hospitality despised. - -With this idea firmly in possession of her mind, she recognised her jailer -before her, and felt the grim hardness of the captor's hand toying with -her through the soft sheathing of ceremony and politeness. Nevertheless it -was not her nature to feel fear, and she never quailed. - -'That is all past,' continued the Emperor; 'youth and loveliness are right -and might in themselves. In their presence it is possible for no ruffle of -the mind to remain unsmoothed. Now that you have graciously honoured my -house, all is well, and----' - -'Pardon, Caesar! I was brought hither, favour or no favour,' interrupted -Plautia majestically. - -'But now since you have honoured me,' continued he, with the same -unruffled smile, 'my spirit is at rest. Be pleased to use my house and all -it contains, as if it were your own. Your will shall be law within the -limits of Capreae. Small as this island is, it contains some beauties, -which we shall be eager to show, and which have been deemed worthy of -notice. It may be you have never visited them before.' - -'Once as a child, I think,' replied Plautia, with a rigid aspect. 'Your -proffered kindness is beyond words of mine to acknowledge, but I regret -that my engagements will not allow to take advantage of it. I must return -home without further delay--it is imperative.' - -Tiberius shook his head and forefinger at her playfully. - -'I could not allow you to carry out a determination which you would regret -to your dying day. The island would grow black with scowls were I to -suffer the fair Plautia to quit it in such haste. Besides which, the -furious wind and sea renders it impossible. Hark, how the storm roars!' - -'I will risk the sea and the wind--I fear them not!' - -'Possibly; but it is otherwise with those whose business it would be to -transport you to the opposite shore. Nor would I consent for one moment to -the hazard--and though a feeble old man, I am obeyed somewhat.' - -'No one shall run any hazard for me, if it come to that. I will pay any -fisherman the cost of his boat twice over, and go myself.' - -Tiberius suffered an expression of admiration to gleam on his face as the -deep colour flushed in her cheeks, and the mettle sparkled in her eyes. - -'Permit me, fair Plautia!' said he, stepping forward and raising her hand -to his lips; 'what have I lost in not knowing you before? What so -delightful to aging eyes as the spectacle of youth and beauty and high -spirit? Doubly grateful to me the assurance, that the spirit of my people -will hardily live and flourish. 'Tis such women as you who have nourished -the masters of the world, and with such as you left behind me, I may die -in the comforting knowledge that dominion will not leave them. But to -cross those miles of stormy water alone! Ah, it is wonderful courage--it -conquers me! But it cannot be--it is madness! Were I to allow it I would -esteem myself your murderer. No, no, you must live, and be the mother of -heroes!' - -'It is imperative that I return home immediately, and I entreat that you -will not seek to detain me,' said Plautia, with fierce rage eating her -heart. - -'It remains a marvel to us how you came to land here without the fact -being duly reported,' said Tiberius, as if he were stone deaf; 'it was a -feat quite in accordance with your spirit, to be able to cheat the -vigilance on which we pride ourselves. Can it be possible that you -alighted in our midst as the soft goddess herself would do?' - -'Had it been so, I would have retired in the same manner ere this,' she -replied, with scarcely veiled scorn. - -The Emperor laughed silently. - -'Thank heaven,' he said, 'which leaves you dependent on mortal means of -locomotion like the rest of us, and so preserves your presence to us. I, -myself, prefer warm flesh and blood to these airy immortals whom we never -know, save in the fables of the poets. I leave you, therefore, for the -present, lady, with the satisfaction that you cannot depart through the -air. I am the richer in your acquaintance, which must be extended. Now -that I have the assurance of my own eyes of your comfort, I will intrude -no longer at present.' - -'For that receive my thanks, Caesar,' she cried, advancing, as he retired; -'but circumstances make it impossible for me to remain--at all hazards I -must quit the island.' - -'To-day it is quite impossible,' returned Tiberius, gliding nearer the -door; 'to-morrow, I am satisfied, your mind will be changed. Till then, -farewell, fair Plautia!' - -As the last word left his lips he contrived to retreat, and summarily -close the conference by shutting the door upon it, yet so dexterously as -to leave no impression of unseemly haste. Plautia sprang after him, but -her devoted slave seized her skirts and besought her to be prudent. - -'Fool!' cried her mistress in a fury, flashing out at the same time a -superb oath and a blow. Her retainer started back in affright, and Plautia -rushed out into the peristyle. Not a sight or a sound of a living being -were distinguishable. She flew along what seemed to be the Emperor's most -likely line of retreat, and boldly called upon him in loud tones. But -nothing answered save the short echo of her own voice: the place seemed -deserted. Passage ran out of passage in bewildering intricacy. Again she -stopped and called, and again the echoes sank around her into dead -silence, as she stood with her senses strained to their utmost. Was the -palace really inhabited? If so, what part? She pressed on again, keeping -to what she assumed was the main corridor. Suddenly her course was stopped -by a door. In the dim light she sought in vain for a handle or latch, or -anything which might cause the door to yield. Nothing but a smooth hard -surface met her touch, wherever it strayed: there was not even a keyhole. -Wasting no time, therefore, she instantly turned back. On either hand she -had passed the entrances of room after room. She darted in and out, -exploring them with wonderful energy. She was fully roused, but more with -passion than sense of danger. Her explorations, however, availed her -nothing. Some of the apartments were furnished, and more were just as the -workmen's hands had left them. All alike were uninhabited. Forming another -resolution, she relinquished this task, in order to make her way back to -her own apartments. The time to be consumed in this, however, was a matter -dependent on chance, since her movements had become merely at random. With -nothing to guide her she hastened along, doubling on her track now and -again when she considered herself to be wrong, or when her flying steps -led her into a _cul-de-sac_. At last she struck the right path, and -finally ran out into the peristyle of her own rooms, very much relieved in -mind and temper, and scant of breath. She found she had made a circuit of -the maze. Nearly opposite, her slave was standing by the open door, where -she had been left in the agonies of doubt and fear. - -''Tis nothing but a maze of empty passages and rooms,' exclaimed her -mistress, bursting on her savagely. 'Where the people dwell, I know -not--nor where the old dotard has disappeared to. I had caught him if you -had not held me, fool. Come, let us see if we cannot find the outer door -through which we entered, and so let us begone; it was nigh at hand -somewhere.' - -Plautia had no recollection of the way, but her companion had been more -attentive. They went almost straight to the narrow outer door which they -required. To their joy it opened to their touch, and they passed outside. -Before them was a long stretch of ornamental garden of irregular shape, -but rectangular in the main. It was picturesquely laid out with artificial -mounds, grottoes, and groves, in the miniature semblance of a sylvan -wilderness, and the whole was encircled by a wall. In this outside domain, -as within-doors, no living being was visible. - -The storm still roared and blustered. The winding irregular parapet of the -wall was the horizon, and above it the gray watery masses of clouds drove -across the sky. Even, sheltered as they were, the trees and shrubs of the -tiny thickets and groves bent low to the blast. - -It had, of course, been previously necessary to pass through a portion of -this garden to enable them to reach the door of the palace. They proceeded -at once to search for the entrance, and found it amid the winding depths -of a grove and ornamental rockery-work. It profited them nothing, however, -for the door was as fast and firm as the wall in which it was embedded. -They hurried on, looking for an opening, or a weak spot in the ring of -masonry, for it was too lofty to afford any hope of surmountal. To hide it -from view had taxed the utmost ingenuity of arrangement; but the efforts -of the gardeners had met with considerable success. - -When the two females had swiftly threaded a succession of miniature -alleys, glades, groves, and rocky glens, to the furthest end of the -garden, and were skirting along the opposite side, on their return -journey, their eyes were suddenly gladdened by observing the forbidding -wall slope abruptly down, and continue at a considerably lower level. -Moreover, here and there the earth was heaped up in grassy mounds, within -three or four feet of the top. Up one of these Plautia sprang with a cry -of joy. Reaching the summit, she stood aghast, for, as she peered over the -parapet, nothing stood between her and the gray foam-streaked water, more -than a thousand feet below. Leaning over, she looked down the smooth wall, -cunningly faced with the verge of the sheer cliffs, right down into the -waters, roaring and dashing into spouts of foam against the rocks far away -at the bottom. Nothing but a sea-bird could ever set a foot there. - -She shivered and drew back, and the slave gave a cry of dismay. One or two -observations more, where opportunity offered, gave the same result, and -thus they arrived back at the palace. There was a wall of smooth-dressed -stone on one hand, high and unscaleable, and on the other was a leap of a -thousand feet, plumb down into the foaming sea. - -The Roman damsel looked from one to the other with a fierce glance. She -was entrapped, beyond doubt, and like a trapped animal she stood for a few -moments, as if at bay, with scowling brows and labouring breast. - -The slave observed, and stood discreetly back. - -'Come!' said Plautia, suddenly wheeling toward the entrance of the villa, -'we can do nothing out here but starve ourselves; we must play the fox and -not the lion; let us get in again and wait for a fool's face.' - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - -Baffled and chafing, Plautia stretched herself on the couch again, and, -this time, fell into a profound slumber, whilst her slave nodded and -dozed, in company, upon a cushion at her feet. - -No sooner did the former awake, greatly refreshed, than one of her -attendants glided into the room, saying that the Emperor's steward was -awaiting admittance to deliver a message. The handsome Greek was brought -in, and he handed her the tablets he bore. Plautia opened the missive, and -found it to be a scrawl in Caesar's own hand, desiring her company at -breakfast, or luncheon, by whichever term the Roman prandium may be -called. - -'His highness honours me,' she said frigidly; 'but I am not well, and must -be excused.' - -'Does your ladyship wish me to take that message to Caesar?' said Zeno, -with subdued regret in his tone. - -She nodded, and swept majestically into her dressing-room, where the -mirror gave her the satisfaction of beholding a recovered bloom in her -cheeks. She had never been prostrated a day with sickness in her memory. -Yet to accept a place of her own free will at the table of her jailer was -monstrous--at least so her indignant thoughts ran at that moment. - -With recovered mental tone, her feminine curiosity began to indulge itself -in a more minute inspection of its surroundings than it had hitherto found -inclination for. In a small closet she came upon an array of female -vestments. Caesar and Capreae were in general forgotten for a period, amid -the rustle of beautiful and costly fabrics. Presently came another -message, that Charicles, the Emperor's physician, was in attendance, and -would see her at her convenience. Plautia gave a grim kind of smile, and -directed inquiry to be made who had sent the physician, and why. The -answer was that it was by command of Caesar himself, who was much -concerned to learn of her indisposition. He also said, that if -sufficiently recovered, he would expect to see her at the Imperial supper- -table. - -'Say to Caesar I am grateful for his thoughtful attention,' said Plautia; -'but my illness will not require a physician's aid, and will amend itself -by and by.' - -Contained in the rooms was a small library of books, and to these Plautia -at last turned her attention, when everything else had yielded its full -amusement. She lacked the fanciful and imaginative powers which are -enslaved by books. She had no resources, no world within to draw upon, -like the solitary dreamer or student, who usually finds his own company -the most entertaining. Her temperament was practical and her habits -active. The resources of the great city, with its variety and bustle, had -never failed to provide occupation to fill her time; but here, cooped in -the corner of a house, on an island, the situation was wholly different, -and already loomed as a serious matter. - -She read for some time, and then was wearied. Her own thoughts had -remained passive too long, and began to reassert themselves very actively -to the subjection of her author. The book was finally tossed aside, and -its reader betook herself to pacing ceaselessly and aimlessly through the -rooms, with her hands behind her back and her eyes bent on the floor. She -gave full rein to her thoughts, and they sought the deep-worn rut of their -former fierce torrent, as naturally as the quivering needle-point seeks -the pole. Her brows grew dark and heavy once more. Suddenly she shut -herself up alone. - - * * * * * * * - -There was a brighter gleam in the air when, after a time, she came forth. -The small windows, high up, seemed more radiant, and outside, in the -peristyle, there was even hazy sunlight. The storm had broken. The place -seemed to stifle her. Catching up a cloak she sought the garden. The heavy -gale had dropped into a steady, brisk breeze, fresh, bracing, and salt. -The low, hurrying pall of gray vapours had melted away, and, far overhead, -the clouds were luminous. They were shredding and breaking fast into -feathery masses. Here and there already peeped the deep blue of the -heavens. The sea still tumbled its foamy billows far below, but, from the -great elevation of the villa garden, the agitation was scarcely -noticeable. It seemed like a huge plain thickly flecked with snow, across -the surface of which moved gleaming halos of radiance shooting down from -the sunny rifts overhead. - -Plautia, on reaching the door previously described as fixed in the high -wall, turned to the palace attendants and bade them bring the means to -open it. They were visibly struck with embarrassment, but a tall handsome -girl, who seemed to have authority over the rest, was constrained to find -an answer, as the brow of the lady began speedily to blacken over. She -said she would be obliged to go to the steward, having no authority -herself in the matter. Plautia bade her do so, and she hurried away -accordingly. Presently she returned with the reply that the steward was -absent in attendance on the Emperor, and that nothing could be done until -his return. Plautia turned sharp on her heel, without a word, and -continued her walk. - -In half an hour she was again within her room, attempting a perusal of her -book. But, though her eyes rested on the letters, she never read twenty -lines. Very soon she was again wandering here and there, aimlessly and -wearily, under the influence of her disturbed thoughts. Presently she -found herself standing before the mirror of her dressing-room, gazing at -her reflected face with an unconscious and preoccupied stare. Becoming -attentive, or waking up, as it were, she noticed that either the fresh -breeze out-of-doors, or else the ferment of her mind, or both combined, -had more than restored the rich warmth of colour which was the crown of -her vivid type of beauty. Its brilliance was, perhaps, even a trifle more -than customary; yet it was magnificent, and no one understood that better -than herself. She drew herself up, folded her arms across her ample bosom, -and smiled sidelong at herself with proud satisfaction. A new idea had -possessed her, and she nodded approvingly to herself. Her black orbs -sparkled with a careless, reckless light. One passion had ruled her, but -that was all over. She had drunk to the dregs of the anguish which -stimulates despair, and she would meet Caesar on his own ground. Wearied -and harassed beyond her patience by the disappointment which poisoned her -thoughts, and which was yet increased by the unaccustomed restriction and -monotony of her position, she rushed from the idea of remaining passively -watching. With the recklessness of a gamester who has lost all, she would -go boldly forth. To act on the aggressive, with such potent weapons as her -wit and beauty, would be more likely to achieve her liberty, than standing -defiantly at bay in the corner of a cage. It might, moreover, bring her -more than mere liberty. She knew not what fate might have in store for -her; and, in truth, she cared little. At least she might calculate upon -the relief of some amount of novelty and excitement. It is better to die -in a dash for liberty, than to lie and rot away in a dungeon. - -It was then resolved. She would recover from her indisposition, and appear -at Caesar's supper-table, wreathed with smiles and graciousness. It might -be called a feminine masked reconnaissance in force. - -She, therefore, caused her intention to become known to the domestics when -the hour for supper approached; and through them it was conveyed to the -Imperial ears. To arm herself was the next and most important business. -Her own wardrobe, under the circumstances of her visit, was most humble -and scanty; but, in the plentiful supply already alluded to, she had -neither difficulty nor scruple in selecting an attire to her satisfaction. -The protracted and minute process of the toilet completed, she stood forth -brilliant, peerless, and resistless. The admiration of the women broke -forth in murmurs as she swept on in the wake of Zeno and his people, who -had come to marshal her to table. - - * * * * * * * - -From supper, at a late hour, she went back to her room triumphant. -Exultation shone in her eyes, and, for a time at least, lulled the -sticking pain in her heart. - -Copious floods of wine flashed in Caesar's cup, whilst his gaze was -riveted on the matchless beauty of his guest. The cool-headed, temperate -Prefect, whom the Emperor had purposely brought into unexpected contact -with his guest, looked on and laughed in his sleeve. On Plautia, at times, -he bestowed an ironical smile, the spirit of which she defined, and -resented inwardly. Atticus, Flaccus, and Marinus, three devoted personal -friends of the Emperor, drank their wine, gazed their fill at the superb -woman, listened to her lively wit, and gave back what they could of their -own, in an excited ecstasy and jauntiness of foolish middle-age. The night -waxed, and the faces of the waiting slaves grew weary. But the wine still -splashed into the gold goblet of Caesar, and his eyes scarce moved from -the girl before him. These only betrayed him to the watchful; for his -slow, cautious tongue, scarcely looser with wine, said little. The time -flew on. Draught followed draught still faster, until Plautia rose to go. -The pallid face of Tiberius had become gradually suffused with a faint -tint of the warm floods which were pouring through his veins. His kindling -eyes had begun to sparkle and blaze like a basilisk's. The swift-witted -damsel seized the moment, and, with the briefest delay, left the table and -the room. - -The rich jewel which had set the ring was gone. The flame in the Emperor's -eyes lacked its fuel, and quickly sank like the chilling embers of fire. -His gaze became a vacant stare, and then swiftly relapsed into the glassy -stupidity of intoxication: but all in complete silence. The remaining six -men, after a parting cup, took their leave of their Imperial host, who -made no sign in response. - -One of the guests walked away from the palace, under the bright stars, -with a hot brow, and tumult in his breast. The Prefect, his companion, -suddenly startled the quiet night air with a loud laugh. - -'Is she not clever, my Titus? Is she not superb? Did she not play a pretty -game? Ha! ha! ha! Is it not a droll world this of ours? An emperor -besotted on what a poor centurion has spurned! Wouldst thou have turned a -goddess adrift who had knelt to thee? O, mighty Centurion! O, poor Caesar! -Was she ever so glorious as to-night? But hark you--it was false fire. I -caught the spurious tone--did you not, Afer? But she was incomparable--do -you not hear, my friend?' - -Afer ground his teeth, and muttered something unintelligibly between his -lips. - -'She was, do you say? You are insufferably dull, my friend. You have drunk -too much, or not enough. It is lucky our companionship is only to be -short. Here is my way! _Vale!_ sleep off your sombre fit!' Afer went on, -but not to his bed. He burned with a fever which could not endure the -cramping walls of his lodging. - -The first faint, luminous gleam of dawn in the eastern sky found him -watching, motionless, under the walls of the villa Jovis, and then, and -not until then, he went away homeward. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - -Some days subsequently, Plautia stood with her arms resting on the parapet -of the garden wall which edged the cliffs. - -Her mood was one of profound abstraction, and the fixed gaze of her eyes -seemed to be unconscious of the endless beauties of the scene which lay -within the scan of that giddy height. The rays of the autumn sunlight, -mingling with the opal-coloured light, the deepening shades of the -whispering sea, the changing tints of the mountains, and the white gleam -of the cities fringing the sweep of the distant shores, were far from her -mind. No sound arose to the secluded spot on high, save the mysterious -murmur of nature, so favourable to an utter absorption of mind, until the -grate of a human foot behind aroused her with a start. Turning round she -beheld Afer standing within a few yards, gazing at her intently. - -Since the banquet the manner of Plautia had become that of one quite -reconciled to her situation. Nay, it rather betokened satisfaction and -pleasure judging by outward manifestation. She had seemingly earned -complete freedom also, since she came and went wherever and whenever she -pleased, without being subjected to any galling symptom of restraint. Her -apartments were free of access to whosoever chose to visit her, though -these were necessarily few in number. To Tiberius himself she jestingly -contrasted her later freedom with her first day's experience. He lightly -returned, that he prided himself upon the better judgment he had shown, in -perceiving the unreality of her momentary dissatisfaction; and that now, -since time had proved him to be right, she might call herself the Queen of -Capreae, and do aught her mind might fancy, save attempt to quit the -island. This he added smilingly, with the customary shake of his -forefinger; but, whether it was an earnest injunction veiled in jest, -Plautia had not as yet thought proper to prove. - -In accordance with this disposition of affairs Afer had first presented -himself at her apartments, and, by direction of her attendants, had -followed her to the garden. - -His cheeks seemed hollower and more drawn, and his glance was haggard and -restless. For the rest, his attire and bearing were unchanged in their -faultless taste and neatness. Plautia did not quit her position, but -simply turned her back against the wall, with her elbows thrust behind her -on the top of the stones. The grace of her splendid form was thus -admirably displayed, but the posture was strongly suggestive of careless -indifference. The languid gaze, and the lifeless drawl of her salutation, -were even more devoid of the sense of politeness; but he, nevertheless, -drew nearer to her. - -'They told me you were here, so I made bold to follow you,' he said. 'No -wonder the evening has tempted you forth with its loveliness.' - -She gave a faint yawn, and turned her glance languidly another way, in a -manner distinctly rude and heedless. - -His gloomy eyes flashed, and his hand clenched for a moment in anger. - -'I have interfered with your solitary enjoyment of the scene.' - -'I was thinking nothing of it,' she replied carelessly. - -'Intent, perhaps, upon the thoughts of Rome, far away across the waters -there--your eyes seemed fixed in that direction.' - -'You are mistaken.' - -'Pardon, Plautia, for having intruded myself so unpleasantly and untimely. -It is all the more to be regretted, inasmuch as I sought you with the hope -of your favour, having just received letters from Rome.' - -'And how could the letters of Titus Afer possibly concern me?' - -'Being discursive they might probably contain something to interest you, -in the current affairs of the city we love so well.' - -'Humph!' she said drily, with her gaze still fixed down the garden. 'You -are speaking for yourself. You are growing thin and pale, Afer, and -absence from the city you love so well is trying you. You are fretting -after the airy height of the Esquiline, and the view of the housetops from -your own portico.' - -'You, who have left it so recently, can so far afford to mock me,' he -retorted sarcastically. 'I will plead guilty to the charge in order not to -spoil the jest.' - -'It is not worth another word.' - -'My correspondent tells me that Rome is wondering what is passing in the -island here.' - -'It is not surprising in the city, when one considers the power and -importance of the absentees--including yourself!' said she. - -'Of course,' responded Afer, growing paler; 'nor, at the same time, must -such a powerful factor in the Imperial destinies as the beauty of Plautia -be omitted.' - -Plautia smiled and showed her pearly teeth, and the face of the knight -grew whiter than ever. - -'It seems that, surprised as the poor exiles on this island were at your -appearance, the citizens are even more mystified at your disappearance -there. It is totally inexplicable. Rumour says you have been stolen, -murdered, and so on' (Plautia's smile deepened as she caught the fiercely -suppressed tremor of anger in his voice); 'or translated to the -companionship of the immortals, after the fashion of old,' he continued; -'that is even believed in. One individual, at least, is inconsolable, -frantic, desperate--mad, if you like. Searching day and night--wandering -sleepless like a spectre.' - -'Only one, Afer--do they tell you of only one?' she said ironically. - -'Only one in such sad straits,' he responded. 'You can guess probably who -it is.' - -Plautia shrugged her shoulders carelessly. - -'So may one love you and perish--O wretched example!' he said bitterly. 'If -the miserable man could only have seen that careless shrug of your -pitiless shoulders.' - -'The idiot--he has seen many such, doubtless. Am I to be answerable for the -presumption of such fools?' said she, turning her head swiftly toward him -with a withering blast of scorn and contempt. - -The knight's face became like pallid marble, but, apparently impenetrable, -he replied-- - -'Surely not, if it be of their own cultivation. There can be no blame to -you.' - -'Thanks!' - -'Nevertheless one should feel pity and not scorn; for who knows how soon -the same fate may overtake oneself? Ill-starred Martialis is not the first -nor the last who has suffered from misplaced infatuation.' - -Her face was in profile, and his eyes scanned it keenly. - -'Of course Plautia knows I am speaking of Caius Martialis, the bosom -friend of Apicius,' he went on, with slow distinctness. 'There is also -another Martialis, his brother Lucius, a Centurion of the Pretorian guard, -at present in attendance here on our worthy friend the Prefect. Do you -know this one?' - -'It matters not whether I do or not; it is not worth the trouble to try -and remember. I am ever grateful for your visit, your company, your -entertaining conversation, which has beguiled my loneliness. And now I -must bid good-night--it grows chilly.' - -She roused herself from her leaning posture, and gathered up her drapery -preparatory to moving off. Afer's eyes were still riveted on her -countenance. Her mocking words were easily borne after the insulting -demeanour already experienced. Something like a cold smile rested on his -lips as he watched her. He did not feel disposed to leave her yet. Her -behaviour had stung him deeply, and the bitterness which gnawed him so -grievously was too keen to be borne without the solace of retaliation. He -waited a few moments until she was on the point of retiring, without any -further notice of him, and then said, in a low voice-- - -'It would be better worth your while than you think, Plautia, to strive to -remember if the soldier-brother be amongst your acquaintance or not.' - -'Another time when I am more disposed,' she sternly answered, beginning to -descend the grassy mound on which they stood. - -'At your own gracious pleasure,' he repined, as he leisurely followed. 'I -mentioned it, because I thought it might interest you to know, that -whether the acquaintance really exist or not, there are rumours in the -island of a somewhat close relationship between you.' - -She stopped short, and turned round upon him--so swiftly and sharply, that -the skirts and folds of her garments whirled out on the air. - -'Rumours--what rumours? What close relationship? What do you mean?' she -said, with the haughtiness of a queen to a slave. - -'Nothing, but what my words plainly convey. Let me repeat--it is said in -the island that a warm friendship exists between yourself and the -Centurion Martialis.' - -'And what of that? Is it not permitted to me to have warm friends as well -as others?' - -He gently shrugged his shoulders, and the action brought the sudden fire -to her eyes and the colour to her cheeks. Noting the signs he looked down -and smiled covertly, to her intense irritation. - -'Do you wish to trifle with me, Afer?' she said, in a dangerous tone. - -'I would rather brave Tiberius himself,' he replied, with a bow, which was -lower than humility itself; 'far from trifling, I merely alluded to that -which passes current in the island; but, if it be distasteful to you, I -regret I was the unlucky means of making it known.' - -'My friends are always of my choosing; I ever abide by my choice and -suffer no other interference. It is true I remember to have met the -younger Martialis on chance occasions in the city. It is hardly possible -that it should be otherwise, since the brother haunts me like a pestilent -shadow. That should all the more predispose me to increase the intimacy -with the name as little as possible. The tale of the elder brother's folly -has followed even here, Afer, and the good idle Capreans have saddled it -on the wrong man--the mistake is obvious.' - -'That would have been the most probable explanation doubtless, if I were -sure that the idle babbling had arisen amongst the islanders themselves.' - -'Psa!' ejaculated she, sweeping round again, as if contemptuously dropping -all further thought of the subject. - -She walked on a few yards with the knight following. Then she turned -sharply round on her heel and confronted him again. The movement was -unexpected, and she caught a smile on his lip. She stamped her foot. - -'Tell me, what this is--what it all means! Quick, man!' - -'The thorn has stuck,' he murmured imperceptibly, as he hesitated and -looked down. - -'Speak!' continued the angry imperious tones. - -'I knew she could not rest with that prickle rankling in her mind,' he -continued inwardly; 'now her haughtiness shall dance to my piping and pay -for her insolence.' - -A vehement snatch of her hand at his arm roused him. - -'Do you hear, Afer? Speak when I ask you!' - -Raising his head he looked at her with provoking gravity, and his studied -deliberate manner easily attained the effect he designed for it. - -At no time did she appear so superb, as when her impetuous blood was -stirred, and the excitement of anger glowed in her cheeks and flashed in -her eyes. He gazed upon her with a double gratification, for, while his -glance drank in the spectacle of her kindled beauty, his heart warmed with -a savage joy of power. - -Her contemptuous bearing had filled him with a devouring tumult of -passions, none the less fierce, because of the powerful restraint which -stifled them. - -All the arts of sympathetic love and compassion may be lavished on a mind -which lies numb in the chill death of its hope of hopes; but let the venom -of contempt be flung upon it, from a certain eye or lip, and it -straightway surges from its icy torpor with the fire and fury of deadly -hate. - -Above the wild passion which sickened in the heart of Afer, struggled -resentment and profound indignation. He calmly looked back the flashing -gaze of his companion, and a faintly mocking smile curved his lips. - -'Yes, I hear,' he said at length; 'of what do you wish me to speak?' - -'Of what? You are bent on provoking me. Are we not talking--did you not -speak of some rumour or tavern gossip of the island at my expense?' - -'Since your appearance in Caesar's villa, as a guest, the island is -mightily interested in you, and, naturally, the tongue follows the bent of -the mind. Many rumours and conjectures are doubtless rife concerning you. -To which would you have me refer?' - -'You are playing with me, I repeat--you dare to do so,' she replied; and he -plainly saw the effort it cost her to speak, as she did, in a quiet tone. -'You either know something, or nothing--to the point then, quickly.' - -'Your displeasure is so swift and heavy that it behoves me to be most -prudent and cautious. Give me to understand of what I am to speak----' - -'People call you wise and subtle, but, to me, your prudence and caution -savours very much of the profound wisdom of the bird of Minerva.' - -'It is a sapient fowl which flies about in the night-time only, and, -doubtless, sees many strange things in moonlight and shade,' said he. - -'Once again--do you refuse to answer me?' - -'Surely not, in reply to a direct question,' he answered, as if taking a -malicious pleasure in forcing her to mention names. - -'I will give you a cue then,' said she; 'you mentioned rumours concerning -me--tell me all you know.' - -'There is only one worth repeating.' - -'And that refers to Martialis.' - -She was pale, with the exception of a bright, red spot on either cheek, -and, perceiving by her look and tone, that it would be imprudent to try -her further, he nodded affirmatively. - -'And could you not say so before?' she asked, with an indescribable sneer -which stung him to the quick. - -'Not until you yourself had uttered the name, should I have dared to -mention what might prove disagreeable,' he replied derisively. - -'Proceed, then, and without fear.' - -'It will require but few words. You arrived in a mysterious manner; and, -it is said, you came hither of your own accord, because you could no -longer endure the absence of the handsome Centurion Martialis from Rome!' - -'Psa! You are too ridiculous.' - -She laughed outright, but the knight, though he could not but admire her -self-possession, could hardly fail to detect the false ring on her tones. - -'And this is the portentous secret you drag forth so mysteriously,' she -cried; 'this is what you have heard in the wine-shops and on the Marina! -Worthy, idle Capreans! And you, Titus Afer--subtle Titus Afer--to what an -empty, pitiful condition of mind, has the sleepy stagnation of this pile -of rocks amid the sea brought you, that such an idle fable should so -occupy your thoughts as to relate it seriously and solemnly to me.' - -'I admit that one's faculties are apt to rust amid the sluggish -tranquillity of this place,' replied Afer, with a sigh of charming -softness. 'The whole thing is absurd, but for the extraordinary fact, that -the wonderful story is not the production of the gossips themselves. -Instead of being born in the village below, it has flowed from the villa -above--from headquarters itself.' - -As a matter of fact, the details of Plautia's romantic adventure had -spread no further than the reader is already aware of, but the -unscrupulous knight knew the power of such a statement, false as it was, -and, therefore, made it without hesitation. To have given the rumour on -the authority of the simple islanders themselves, was to have rendered it -of no weight with her; but to boldly state that it proceeded from the -villa, was at once to load her with the maddening suspicion that she had -been betrayed. Thus to include the man he hated, by one master-stroke, was -a worthy revenge, and he perpetrated the falsehood with an utter -recklessness of discovery. He was prepared to exult over an explosion of -wrath, or, better still, to gloat over an exhibition of shame and -abasement, which would have left him master of the field, in a triumph to -last as long as life. But to have reckoned on any mood of weakness, he -perceived, at once, was vain. His quiet words fell on her ears with an -unexpectedness that struck her dumb for a few moments. - -Martialis must have betrayed her--had probably told all to his comrades, as -an excellent joke and boast; and for all she knew, she had, perhaps, been -the sport and object of secret laughter to every one around. Her pride -boiled--her head whirled. Her eyes dilated and her robust frame trembled as -if seized with ague. - -'Infamous!' she cried, at length, in a choking voice. 'But say you are -trifling with me, Afer, and this is the crown of your jest.' - -'I am not so mad,' he replied, dwelling with complete satisfaction on the -effect of his communication. - -'From whom, then, in the villa, has such a slander sprung?' - -'That I cannot say.' - -'I must know.' - -'Drowning were too good for him.' - -'Him!' - -'Him,' repeated the knight, with a nod. 'There are no women in the villa -who could possibly be the author of such a story. It is certain to be a -man. Have you no suspicion?' - -He could hear the grate of her teeth as she breathed heavily and rapidly -through her nostrils. - -'Suspicion!' she cried, after some inarticulate sounds. 'How am I to know? -A lie--it is for any one--what is easier? A scullion--Caesar--any one can make -a lie! It is another matter to discover it--the coward!' - -'Who?' demanded Afer, starting at the fierce intensity of the epithet. - -'The coward--the liar, whoever he may be.' - -'Humph, that is true; if we could only find him out.' - -He looked at her with a sidelong glance. Her face had taken a cadaverous -hue, and her forehead seemed to shine as if bedewed with moisture. Her -eyes, under their knitted eyebrows, were directed for the moment in fierce -abstraction among the thickets of the gardens, so that he had ample -opportunity for observing her. - -'Such a fabrication, mischievous as it is, is too idle to cause you -concern, Plautia,' he said, breaking silence. 'I see it has troubled you -as I dreaded; but, in my humble opinion, you consider it too much.' - -'Can I help, and I a woman?' she retorted fiercely; 'but I will be even -with the coward.' - -'He must first be found; and I think the best plan would be to commence -with the individual with whom your name has been linked in such a -shameless fashion.' - -'Do you think it is he?' - -'Nay, I cannot say. But as a beginning must be made somewhere in the -inquiry, that is the point I should select. I don't see but what it is as -likely as any. He is tall, well-favoured, conceited, like all Pretorians, -and more so, probably, since the Prefect makes much of him. He has -probably told his comrades some such story, as a boast of his own superior -attractions. It is a weakness of the military nature, and of the gorgeous -Pretorian nature in particular, to be vain of a supposed fascination over -females.' - -Plautia smiled disdainfully. - -'I had the opportunity of coming in contact with one of his conquests the -other day,' continued Afer, 'a young girl with whom he is infatuated, they -say. One of the lower people only. The daughter of a potter in Surrentum, -who has some sort of reputation for his work. Wishing for some specimens -of his handicraft, as a memento of Surrentum, I went thither to purchase, -and the girl herself attended on me in the shop. A tall, lithe, handsome -girl, undoubtedly, and with a manner altogether superior to that of her -class, however she came by it.' - -'And do you think it likely, with such a paragon as this under his sway, -he would ever trouble himself to invent a lie concerning another?' said -Plautia. - -'Oh, in the most natural manner possible,' laughed Afer. 'You know not -these men. Victory does not appease them. They are insatiable after fresh -conquests, like Alexander.' - -'Indeed--is it possible?' - -She proceeded calmly to gather together the skirts of her garments; and -beyond the pallor of her face, the result of her great mental excitement, -there was nothing unusual in her manner. - -'If I can help you in the matter, command me, Plautia,' said Afer. - -'I ask nothing save your profound silence--I will take the affair into my -own hands.' - -'It will be well dealt with.' - -She bowed her head. - -'I suppose the Centurion is to be found somewhere in the vicinity of the -villa?' - -'He left yesterday for Rome on an errand for the Prefect.' - -'You appear to be very intimate with him and his movements,' remarked -Plautia drily. - -'The place is so small, and its events so few, that every one seems to -know everything that passes. As for his departure, I happened to be idling -on the Marina at the moment he took boat, so that there is no mystery in -my knowledge.' - -'No matter; he will return, I presume.' - -'Ah yes, for his sweetheart's sake as well as his commander's. It is a -matter of jest how he invariably posts to Rome, when often he might save -himself and the Imperial horses the labour. For instance, what a fine -breeze has been blowing these three days past--a fair wind which would have -taken a swift-sailing galley straight from the Marina to Ostia or Puteoli -without the touch of an oar.' - -'Winds are apt to fail and change when least desired. He probably prefers -the surer method of travelling.' - -'Yes, but why?' said Afer, with a cunning smile, 'because his sweetheart's -home is but a few paces from the road to Rome, and thereby he gains the -opportunity of seeing her for a few moments, going and coming--that is the -real reason.' - -'And an excellent one too, Afer. He shows his devotion as well as his -sense. The woman ought to be proud of him,' she replied, with a -perceptible sneer which filled the listener's heart with transport. 'Lest -it be of use to me, you may as well tell me this girl's name.' - -'I do not know, I grieve to say, but it may be obtained. Her father is -well known, and lives on the further side of the town, close by the main -road; he is a potter, as I have said.' - -'Surrentum, I understand, contains many of them. Have you not his name?' - -Afer considered for a few moments. - -'Ah, I know--it had almost slipped my memory. His name is Masthlion.' - -'Masthlion--good!' said Plautia; 'it may help or it may not. It is as well -to know it.' - -She turned and walked quickly toward the villa, and Afer attended her in -silence up to the door of her apartments. - -'I have been the unwitting cause of bringing you great unpleasantness,' he -said as he took leave; 'but you will admit that I was unwilling to relate -what I did.' - -'I admit it. It was necessary for me to hear eventually--the sooner the -better. I now perceive I gave way to my anger more than the occasion -warranted, but on a woman slander falls heavier than on a man. _Vale!_' - -She entered the room swiftly and shut the door, and the knight burst into -a laugh and strode off. - -'If I have not opened a Pandora's box in my own small way, I am mistaken. -I am not to be treated as she treats that spiritless dog of a Martialis in -Rome--no, by Hercules!' - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - -Afer had gauged with tolerable accuracy the depth to which he had stirred -the heart of Plautia, in spite of her efforts to counterfeit indifference. -Indeed, with the actual knowledge he possessed of her feelings towards the -Centurion Martialis, he could scarcely be misled. - -'She will go straightway and lock herself up alone, to give it all vent,' -he thought to himself, with a grin, 'and quite right that she should know -the flavour of what she deals so liberally to others.' - -What the knight thus shrewdly conjectured was actually the course which -Plautia followed. No sooner had she quitted him, than, impatiently -refusing all the attentions of her women, she closed the door upon them, -and gave a full rein to the feelings which choked her. - -Furious resentment against the betrayer of her confidence was uppermost; -and reflection on the consequences of publicity was maddening to one whose -intense pride had never been thwarted in any particular. She would now be -haunted by the covert smile, the half-hidden sneer and giggle, though -masked by the obsequious court and service which hung upon her nod. She -shook her clenched fists in dull fury. - -It was the nervous dread of this which formed the obstacle to her burning -desire of making personal inquiries into the extent of the evil. To watch -the smile on a menial's face in answer to her questions, would be truly -insupportable; but, more than all, would her pride disdain to betray the -least token that the matter gave her concern, even to the extent of a -simple question. The thoughts, therefore, which remained to comfort her in -some degree, may easily be perceived. Her fevered mind was filled with the -form of the imagined author of her trouble. 'Coward, coward!' she muttered -from time to time, in the accents of the deepest rage and contempt, though -once or twice it fell whispered from her lips, like an echo of reproach -and despair, rounded by a half-hysterical sob. - -But all such passing weaknesses were swallowed up in the overpowering -resentment which thirsted for revenge. What mischief had already been done -it was impossible to remedy. Nothing was left to her but a counter scheme, -which might eventually enable her to cry quits. With this intention in -full possession of her mind she paced the room, yet was without a -sufficiently plausible idea to work upon, when the customary invitation to -the supper-table of Caesar arrived. Her first impulse was to remain in -seclusion, but, on second thoughts, she reproached herself with want of -courage, and determined to boldly accept her position at once. The hour -for the meal being near at hand, she summoned her attendants for the -business of her toilet. - -There was seldom much change in the party at the Imperial supper-table. -Plautia, therefore, met the familiar faces, amongst whom were Afer and the -Prefect. The task of appearing utterly indifferent and unobservant when, -at the same time, the breast is unusually susceptible and sick with -nervous dread, is so difficult as to be seldom or never acted with -success. The result with Plautia was, that her bearing became haughty and -stiff to an unusual degree. Her distempered mind appropriated every smile -and jest as in some way connected with herself. Her disordered fancy even -reached to the slaves behind her back, furnishing them with imagined nods -and winks, and _sotto-voce_ jokes. The exclusive demands on her vigilance -by this morbid sensitiveness naturally engendered an abstraction from the -conversation of the company, which was particularly noticeable, in -contrast to her customary mood. As she was moreover, somewhat pale, -Tiberius expressed a fear that she was unwell. Assuring him to the -contrary, she made a spasmodic attempt to recover her sprightliness, but, -unable to sustain it, she gradually relapsed into her former mood. No -further notice, however, was taken. - -When the business of eating was over, and the conversation began to lag -somewhat, Zeno, whose watchfulness had a care for everything, leaned over -the Imperial couch and whispered in his master's ear. Tiberius nodded. - -''Tis an artisan from Surrentum, friends, who desires to show me -something--some extraordinary discovery. It may amuse us to see what it -is,' said the Emperor. - -In a few moments the Greek returned, followed by Masthlion, who seemed to -be dazzled for a moment by the lights and glitter of the luxuriously- -appointed apartment. The Surrentine's eyes had never been suffered to fall -upon such magnificence crowded within the limits of four walls. When to -this was added the scrutiny of the richly-attired guests at table, whom he -concluded to be people of the highest rank, including Caesar himself, his -temporary embarrassment was only natural. As he stepped inside the room, -he made a deep obeisance towards a confused gleam, mingled with forms and -faces. But speedily recovering himself, his keen eye roved swiftly round, -and noted every particular and face, even of the slaves who stood -clustered aside. Thence his gaze returned and rested on the pale, blotched -face and brilliant eyes, which, by repute, he knew belonged to his ruler. - -'Approach!' said Tiberius. - -The potter stepped forward into the middle of the floor opposite to the -table, and on his flanks, at the same time, moved the Pretorian of the -guard, who had attended him into the room. He was dressed in his best dark -woollen tunic, and carried in his hand a wallet. His striking face, with -its pale massive brow and deep-set bright eyes, caught the attention of -all and he stood calmly sustaining the scrutiny of every eye. - -'We are ready to see what you have to show, artisan, and to hear what you -have to say,' said Caesar. 'Who and what are you?' - -'I am a potter of Surrentum, and well known to the townsfolk. My name is -Masthlion, so please you, Caesar.' - -Plautia started in surprise as the name fell on her ears, and she roused -with eager attention to what should follow. She found the glance of Afer -also resting on her, and he slightly raised his eyebrows and smiled. - -'Proceed, then, Masthlion the potter,' said Tiberius. - -'May it please you, Caesar,' responded Masthlion, 'although a potter by -trade, I have devoted much time to the art of making glass,--as much in the -way of inclination as of making profit. Twenty-five years ago, whilst -working under my old master, I chanced to fall upon a piece of glass of -very strange quality, amongst a pile of fragments and rubbish of the -workshop. It had been fused and formed by some strange accident, and ever -since that time I have never ceased in trying to discover the secret of -its formation. Within the last two or three days I have, by the favour of -the gods, succeeded in my endeavours, and to you, Caesar, first after my -own family, I considered it my foremost duty to show it.' - -Tiberius nodded. - -'Twenty-five years! At any rate such wonderful perseverance should command -respect,' remarked Sejanus drily. - -'It was the belief that my labour, if successful, would prove a benefit to -the world, that has upheld me under much disappointment and poverty.' - -'Very disinterested and laudable,' said Afer, in a tone which brought a -laugh to the lips of the Prefect. - -'You would seem to doubt my sincerity, noble sir,' said the potter, -bestowing a keen glance on the knight, and at the same time opening his -wallet, 'and without being selfish, I think that my long labour and -sacrifices should meet with a just return, if the fruit of it prove of -real service to others.' - -'Doubtless,' quoth Afer. - -'Doubtless,' murmured Caesar, and the knight became silent. - -'This is the specimen I have made to test my words,' proceeded Masthlion, -as he drew out a plain bowl of dull-coloured glass. He handed it to Zeno, -who stood by, and the Greek took it to his master who briefly examined it. -With a shrug of his shoulders it was handed back to the steward. A smile -rested on the lips of the potter. - -'It is true that its appearance has nothing to commend it,' said the -latter, 'but I will explain that, by saying, that it was made in haste -during the past night, that I might hasten hither to-day. It is not the -appearance of the glass I wish your highness to judge of--that can be made -to suit every taste, with better appliances than my humble workshop -possesses. The same principle which constructs this poor bowl can be -applied to produce such costly and priceless articles as those I see -there,'--he pointed to some magnificent vases on the table. 'It is the -nature of the material which forms my secret. You know of what worth those -vases would be if flung on the floor; they would be shivered to a million -atoms. Will Caesar bid the strongest slave take this poor bowl of mine and -dash it on the floor with all his might, that he may see the result?' - -Tiberius turned his head slightly toward his gigantic Nubian servant who -stood behind him. The black went round and took the cup from Zeno. Raising -it to the full height of his arm, he dashed it down on the marble floor -with terrific force. The derisive smile on his thick lips changed to -complete surprise, for, instead of the expected crash was a dull thud. He -stooped quickly and lifted on high the bowl with one side completely -flattened in. - -Exclamations and murmurs of wonder arose, and the bowl was given over once -more to the inspection of Caesar, from whom it was passed to the others. - -'Good,' said Tiberius. 'What next?' - -'I will proceed to restore it to its original shape, if Caesar will -permit.' - -Receiving the customary nod, the potter took from his wallet a small -block, slightly concave on one surface, together with a mallet and a piece -of wood, which had one end fashioned like a wedge, and the other broad and -round like a pestle. Placing the bowl on the hollow side of the block, he -proceeded to distend the crushed glass with the thin end of the wedge, -and, when sufficient space had been made, he inserted the blunt end, and -so hammered the malleable glass to its original shape. - -Springing up Masthlion once more passed the bowl for examination. - -'This virtue is my discovery, Caesar,' said he with pride. 'That frail -glass is made well-nigh indestructible. That is my feat accomplished at -last. To others who follow it will be easier to further develop the -principle.' - -The potter and his novel exhibition had now aroused very considerable -curiosity in the spectators. Plautia's interest was in the man rather than -in his work, not only by reason of the relation he bore to the affair -which absorbed her mind, but also by the natural inclination of her sex. -The Prefect was genuinely interested, whilst Afer assumed an amused -indifference. Tiberius himself betrayed evident attention to Masthlion's -work, and asked many questions in reference to its qualifications and -fitness for further development, not omitting to draw from the inventor -brief details concerning himself. - -At length the potter received the signal to retire, and Zeno was -instructed to retain him in the villa until further notice. One old man at -table had kept his peace, watching all and hearing all, with knitted brows -and pursed mouth. He was one of the philosophers whose company was so much -affected by the Emperor, and his profession was the abstruse science of -astrology, a pursuit whose attributes of mystery and superstition -especially recommended it to his master's favour. - -'Look how rapt in meditation is our worthy Thrasullus,' remarked Sejanus, -with ill-concealed raillery; 'his mind is amid the stars. Say, learned -sage of Chaldean mysteries, if this new birth of plastic glass pots has -been recorded in the heavens?' - -'In the eternal stars are written all things, but few only of their -inscrutable secrets fall within the narrow scope of the human -understanding,' responded the philosopher, in a low tone. 'My own poor -powers have been engaged in tracing weightier destinies than that of a -wretched potter.' - -'Oh, for a lesson therein from your learned lips, Chaldean!' - -'Nothing is sacred to the ears of a scoffer,' said the old man. 'Thou wilt -know well enough some day all that I could tell thee now, Prefect.' - -'And much more too--it requires no planets to tell us that,' said Sejanus -derisively. - -Thrasullus smiled scornfully and, without deigning to reply, turned to the -Emperor and said, 'What does Caesar think of this new species of -glassware, which would seem to be practically indestructible?' - -'Indestructible material must ever have the preference over the -perishable.' - -'Yes, when there is tolerable equality in other respects. For the kitchen -and tables of the poor, the ware that is proof against time and usage is -priceless. But how, if, as this potter says, the principle can be applied -to works of the highest beauty and art, such as deck the boards and -mansions of the noble and wealthy, the chosen of mankind?' - -'It does not alter the circumstances. I should prefer to have this -precious vase before me safe from all possible fracture.' - -'And so would the rest of mankind owning such a treasure. Thus then, this -union of beauty and economy becoming universal, to what esteem and value -will the precious metals sink? Look to it, Caesar, and great ones of the -earth, possessors of the priceless wealth of gold and silver! This poor -potter with his bowl is a leveller and cheapener of ye all.' - -'Thank heaven 'tis a danger I am quit of,' quoth Afer, in a tone which -raised a laugh; and, after Plautia retired a few minutes later, the -discussion upon the very plausible theory put forward by Thrasullus was -continued with animation some time longer. - -The appearance of Masthlion in the character of an inventor struck Plautia -as a very extraordinary coincidence, and added fresh fuel to her excited -thoughts. She lay sleepless for hours, turning restlessly from side to -side with the sharply graven image of the potter rooted in her brain. The -mystery of the man's daughter tormented her. A mental portrait of her she -had formed long ago, but now a fierce desire to see with her own eyes took -possession of her. She must visit Surrentum--she would request it of -Caesar--nay, she would demand it. The old man was infatuated and would -grant her any wish--any whim. A thought struck her, and she started up with -the blood tingling through her veins. Would not this man's lovely daughter -be a more acceptable and interesting object in the villa than his -glassware! Fool she was not to think of it before! - -To find the cherished flower--the paragon of loveliness within the fatal -walls of the villa when he returned! Ha, then would Martialis have his -due. She sank back with a sinister laugh. - -When the morning came she despatched a messenger to Priscus, a knight and -personal friend and follower of Tiberius. He had been of the party at the -supper-table the previous evening. In half an hour he entered the -apartment, newly-shaven, curled, fresh and wreathed in smiles. She had -chosen her man well, for in all matters domestic he was Caesar's -confidant. With political matters he meddled not, repelled alike by -inclination and prudence. But in the daily minutiæ of the personal and -private occupations of his Imperial friend and ruler he was indispensable, -inestimable as thinker, provider, arranger--a true lion's jackal. - -He was barely middle-aged, with regular, comely features, which a puffy -face and pasty complexion marred considerably. His figure exhibited the -same overload of fat, and, altogether, he presented the idea of a man, -whose habits of life might more wisely have lain in the way of increased -bodily exercise and Spartan fare. He used his hands very freely to -accentuate his speech, but, more probably, because they were very small, -plump, white, and soft. - -'Plautia's message reached me in the midst of important business, but at -the very moment of relief I came,' he said, with a charming smile and wave -of his white hand. - -'It is more than I deserved, so trifling are my requirements,' replied -Plautia. 'I left the table last night somewhat early, and I am anxious to -know whether I missed anything in the affair of that wonderful potter and -his glass. See how interested I am, when I presume so far as to bring you -hither at the sacrifice of your own affairs to enlighten me.' - -'Ah,' replied Priscus, with a smirk, a bow, and a flash of his snowy -fingers, 'would to heaven your summons came oftener to bid me attend your -presence. In the matter of the potter and his glass, which was, as you -say, so highly remarkable, there followed a long discussion, of which, to -my deep sorrow, I am utterly unable to give you a detailed account. I -believe the fellow is still detained during Caesar's pleasure, and the -decided opinion last night was, that his new fashioned glass, if brought -into general use, would sadly interfere with the more highly esteemed -metals. So that, in case this opinion be retained, I should say the -unlucky man will have small cause to rejoice in his invention.' - -'A very hard fate, no doubt, after his toil.' - -'Doubtless,' said Priscus, shrugging his shoulders; 'but it cannot be -helped. If his invention be disadvantageous, Caesar must interdict it in -the interest of all.' - -'Naturally! And so, noble Priscus, let me thank you for your courtesy. I -am sorry to think the poor man will be no gainer--he seemed so intelligent, -I was quite interested.' - -'Undoubtedly above the standard of his class.' - -'He seems, moreover, to be tolerably well known,' uttered Plautia, with a -careless yawn. 'Somebody about me--I know not who--told me he possessed a -daughter at home, a girl of surpassing loveliness.' - -'Ah, indeed!' said the knight, with the slightest wrinkle of his brows. -'Now, to my humble taste, that would be infinitely more interesting than -the child of his genius--a glass bowl. But yet to speak of surpassing -loveliness when the beauteous Plautia is not excepted is absurd.' - -Priscus bowed and smirked again with effusive gallantry which Plautia, as -affectedly, returned. - -'And now I will detain you no longer, my friend,' said Plautia; 'forgive -my idle message!' - -'Ah, say no more of that--would I could remain! But there is an excursion -half resolved upon to-day to inspect the works at the new villa of Mars. -You will doubtless hear of it in due course, if finally resolved on. Till -then farewell, noble Plautia.' - -As the day wore on, Priscus came again with the anticipated invitation for -Plautia to accompany the afternoon's expedition. - -The effect of yesterday's experience had far from passed away from her -mind, and, although she had recovered much of her nerve, there yet -remained a dread of appearing among the people. The hesitation did not -last long. Her courage was equal to the occasion, and she had now, -moreover, a definite plan of action. The man before her, she thought, as -that individual chattered away, must know, if any one knew, of every -rumour and piece of gossip current in the villa and island. She longed to -question him, but her pride recoiled from the attempt. - -As the knight was going out of the room, he suddenly turned back and -whispered, with portentous secrecy, 'Concerning that potter, I had nearly -forgotten to tell you. I am afraid the verdict goes dead against -him--Caesar has been closeted with his philosophers all morning--lengthy -discussion and opinion entirely unfavourable to said potter's -invention--Silenus tells me this, _sub rosa_--I tell it to you, divine -Plautia, but you will respect the secret and save me the fate of a -talebearer, I know--in half an hour your litter will await you at your -garden entrance.' - -At the time appointed Plautia was borne away by the stout slaves, and -joined Tiberius and his small retinue which awaited her without the villa -gates. After a minute inspection of the villa, which was rapidly rising on -a height beyond the village, the party returned, and Plautia was escorted -to her rooms by her host himself. Refreshments were served. Tiberius, -drinking wine, reclined on a couch. - -'You eat nothing, Caesar,' said Plautia, whose healthy appetite, sharpened -by the open air, was not so easily appeased. - -'Age wants for less than youth,' replied Tiberius, with his admiring gaze -fixed upon her. 'This island wine will suffice me till supper.' - -She refilled his cup and acted as his cupbearer, with such charming, -smiling grace, that his pale face was suffused with a faint hue of -pleasure. - -'You sent for Priscus this morning,' murmured he, between the sips of the -wine which she had tasted for him with her ripe lips. - -She started and he smiled. - -'Priscus told me,' he said, laying his thin hand quietly on her arm. 'Why -do you start? Do you think you have committed some grave offence? Can you -not send for whom you please--myself included?' - -'You are too good,' murmured Plautia, with a pretty assumption of bashful -pleasure. - -'Yes,' continued the Emperor, feasting his eyes on the lovely colour which -deepened in her face. 'You feel interested in the artisan and the work he -showed us last night, and you sent for Priscus. I am displeased--you ought -to have sent your pleasure to me, who can better serve you than Priscus.' - -'It was nothing--yet I confess the man's appearance and his work interested -me--I wished to know what you had determined with regard to him!' - -'I am counselled to think that his invention would not be the benefit -which, at first glance, it would seem to be. It is necessary to consider -it in conjunction with other things. However, if the fellow is likely to -suffer by his unlucky idea, we may be able to make it up in some other -particular--let us have him here and hear what he has to say.' - -One of the attendants was despatched, and in a short time returned with -Masthlion. - -The potter came before them with his customary respectful, but self- -possessed bearing; but his expression was a trifle more anxious and -careworn, as if delay and want of encouragement had dispirited him. His -hopes had been very sanguine. - -His eyes eagerly tried to glean from the Emperor's impassive face some -trace of the bent of his thoughts, but without result. - -'This noble lady,' said Tiberius, 'who saw you last night, has deigned to -take so much interest in you, as to wish to hear from your own lips the -story of your life. With regard to the specimen you brought us, that is -yet under consideration.' - -'The noble lady honours me with her regard,' replied Masthlion, gazing at -her with undisguised admiration; 'I will tell her willingly; but there is -little worthy of notice. The life of a poor workman is seldom anything but -the dreary history of toil for daily bread. One day resembles another, -save when food is scarcer and labour harder.' - -'Go on!' said Plautia. - -Masthlion did as he was requested, and gave a brief sketch of his life, -down to the discovery already described. Plautia listened attentively, -whilst Caesar beguiled the time in sipping his wine and gazing at her -face. - -'Good!' said Tiberius, as the speaker concluded; 'and now it would be idle -to mislead you with sanguine hopes. After so long a labour it must needs -be disappointing to know, that the verdict upon your invention seems to be -unfavourable. Build not, therefore, extravagant visions of success.' - -Masthlion listened in silence. It sounded like the knell of his hopes. His -eyes first sought one and then the other, as if to assure himself that no -joke was being passed upon him; then he folded his arms across his breast -with quiet dignity, but infinite sadness. - -'Take heart, potter!' said Plautia, who seemed really touched, as far as -it was possible for an aristocrat to be with one of Masthlion's degree. - -'A lifelong task must needs be rooted in one's breast--it is idle to deny -it,' said Masthlion, sick at heart. 'Will Caesar deign to say in what -respect my work has met with disapproval?' - -'Its bad effect upon a more important industry.' - -'One industry can scarce injure another, when both are useful. To my own -poor thoughts they would rather tend to mutual good.' - -'Older and wiser heads than yours think differently. Your views are -prejudiced and circumscribed by the narrow limits of your own particular -work--it will be necessary for your secret to remain undivulged.' - -'And yet there is no one living who would not seek the benefit of my -glass--is it possible, then, for such a thing to be hurtful?' muttered -Masthlion in the keen bitterness of his soul. - -''Tis strange, to say the least of it,' said Plautia; 'but courage--it will -be approved--some day you will become famous.' - -Tiberius smiled coldly. Seeing Masthlion about to speak again, he shot him -a warning glance and raised his finger. - -'It is enough,' he said; 'I admit the disappointment, but it is -unavoidable. At the same time your honest perseverance merits praise, -whatever its fate. We may be able to recompense you in some way. You are a -poor man, and I am told you have a comely daughter--let her come to Capreae -and attend on this noble lady, whose interest you have won. In addition to -the great honour and advancement it will confer on the girl, she will be -bestowed upon the protection and kindness of the best of mistresses. It is -a chance such as seldom offers.' - -The words fell on Masthlion like a blight. Terror froze his heart with an -icy grip, and animation seemed congealed, for a few moments, so sudden and -dread was the blow. - -The warnings and censure of his kinsman came back upon him. Their echo no -longer sounded foolish. He was in the toils--in the midst of the vast -palace, with guards and sleepless eyes environing down the water's edge. -In the very clutch of the ruthless being, the savour of whose public -reputation was as the scent of blood: whose simple request was tantamount -to a command. - -How came he to know of her existence? Those two visitors to his shop, whom -Cestus had warned him of! But then Neæra was as well known in the town as -himself. - -His mind flew back to his lowly home, and pictured his darling so vividly, -that the fire of desperation rose upon the chill horror which filled him. -She, who was all purity and womanliness, to inhabit there! They might rend -him in pieces ere he would consent. - -He moistened his parched lips with his tongue, and could scarcely trust -his voice to frame an answer. He looked up again. Caesar and the beautiful -woman were watching him. The immovable eyes of the former seemed to pierce -him to the marrow, and he shuddered. - -'What troubles you, fellow?' said Tiberius, in harsh tones; 'have you not -a daughter to send hither?' - -'So please you, Caesar, and this noble lady, I have a daughter, and I am -grateful for the gracious favour you propose for her; but for her to leave -me would be to take from my life the only joy and consolation it has left, -since the hopes of my work have been destroyed.' - -'Tush! This is the way that the maudlin childishness of old age speaks, -and not the common-sense words of hale and hearty manhood. The lady has -need of her--it will be to the benefit of the girl, and she will be nigh at -hand for your occasional visits.' - -'The noble lady will not deal so hardly with us,' said Masthlion; 'she -will not insist on removing from our poor home the only light it -possesses?' - -'My service will be easy and pleasant, and the girl will be happy--you -distress yourself without reason,' said Plautia, with singular -satisfaction at the unexpected turn things had taken. - -'Enough,' said Tiberius, 'it is settled. It is the bare idea which -frightens you--you will grow wiser on reflection. Now go--you will receive -your instructions to-morrow.' - -Masthlion seized upon a last thought which struck his mind, and, instead -of obeying the command, fell on his knees. - -'Pardon, Caesar, but it cannot be--this daughter, as I have called her, is -not my own begotten child. Those, to whom she belongs, still live, and it -is beyond my power to dispose of her, whether I would or no.' - -'It matters nothing,' said Tiberius ironically; 'refer them to me--who are -they?' - -'I know them not, save that they are noble and wealthy and dwell in Rome,' -said Masthlion wildly. - -'The children of nobles are not put into the hovels of potters,' returned -the Emperor contemptuously. - -'She was stolen and brought to me when an infant.' - -'Then your head is in danger.' - -'I knew it not until within the last few weeks--she was delivered to me as -an orphan child of poor parents--I was childless and I took her in.' - -'Dare you tell fables to me--go!' - -'It is truth, before the gods--she is a noble's daughter and cannot come!' -cried the potter in reckless desperation. - -'Away--you destroy all lenience,' said Tiberius, starting up with a -terrible frown; 'cannot come--insolent! Ho! Zeno! Who waits there?' - -Both the steward and the soldier on guard appeared in the room, almost as -soon as the words had left the Emperor's lips. By the wrathful tone and -the angry glow in their master's eyes, they expected a summary order. The -Pretorian's heavy grasp had already fallen on the potter's shoulder, but -Tiberius merely waved his hand impatiently toward the door, and fell back -on his cushions. - -'Quick, you fool!' whispered Zeno in Masthlion's ear, and, aided by the -Pretorian on the other side, the wretched potter was hurried staggering -from the room. - -'Haste!' said the steward again, when outside, 'before he changes his -mind.' He dragged his charge along through the mazes of the palace, -without stop, until he deposited him, more like a man in a dream, in the -narrow little closet which contained his sleeping pallet. - -Masthlion sank thereon and buried his face in his hands with a groan. - -'Hark'ee, comrade,' said Zeno, after regarding him for a while, 'take my -word for it, you are well out of that. I have seen better men come worse -off. It is only for madmen and fools to make experiments on the temper of -Caesar--do you take my advice and be careful and less ambitious in your -business--take your wares to a safer market.' - - - - - CHAPTER XX. - - -When the sun flashed upon the white walls of the palace next morning, -Masthlion was still upon his pallet bed, much in the same posture as when -Zeno had left him. Indeed, the cramped space of the cell gave not much -opportunity for movement. - -He was free to enter the servants' hall, to eat at their table, and -otherwise to amuse himself within the limits of the villa; but he had -remained in his narrow retreat heedless of all. - -As the morning wore on, the door opened, and the handsome steward entered. -He gazed upon Masthlion with surprise. The potter was gaunt, haggard, and -wasted--a single night had scored his face with the careworn furrows of -twenty years. - -'Well!' said the latter, starting up with an unsettled look, which had -supplanted his usual calm gaze. 'Well!' - -'Well!' echoed the Greek, regarding him with undisguised curiosity. - -'What message from the hoary tyrant--what are his commands?' - -'None, as yet, Surrentine--and speak respectfully of your betters, for -walls have ears.' - -Masthlion sank back on his pallet, and dropped his head on his hand with -an action of utter weariness, mental and physical. - -'Hark'ee, brother; no one has seen or heard anything of you since -yesterday, when I took thee to the presence chamber--have you never stirred -from here since I quitted you?' - -'No.' - -'Then you have neither eaten nor drunken?' - -The potter shook his head. - -'Nor slept either, I daresay.' - -'I think not.' - -'In truth, you look like a man who has been sealed up in a vault for a -month. What is the trouble? Is it because your business has gone amiss -with Caesar, or that he scared your life half away--or both? At any rate -this is not the way to mend it. I recommend meat and drink and fresh air, -taking care not to breathe the latter beyond the outer gate.' - -'Thanks!' replied Masthlion, rising; 'you are kind. I will do as you say, -and wait and hope for the freedom of these cursed walls.' - -'Hum--if you lived in them long enough you would be more guarded in your -language. Your visit has not been pleasant--it is hard to have one's -expectations unduly knocked on the head--you take it to heart, and you have -had an ill night of it.' - -'It has passed now.' - -'Every man to his own way. If you had tried to drown your sorrow, instead -of nursing it, you would have been a better man this morning.' - -'Every man to his own way,' said Masthlion, with a wan smile. - -'The gods be praised--mine now lies elsewhere,' returned Zeno. 'Mark! don't -attempt to pass the outer gate!' - -So saying, he vanished, and Masthlion, after a few more minutes' -reflection, followed, to act on the recommendation of the steward, and -break his long fast. - -His misery of mind led him to shun, as far as possible, all intercourse -with others; so, hastily swallowing a few mouthfuls of food and a hearty -draught of rough wine, apart in a quiet corner, he stole out-of-doors. - -The wine and the fresh morning air restored him vastly, but his condition -was yet pitiable. He sought a warm sunny corner of a wall and sat down, -but could not rest. Cramped by his narrow room, he had remained motionless -the past night, till the acute suffering of his apprehension had produced -a merciful species of drowsiness. But now, under the open heavens, and -with ample space on every side, the functions of his mind resumed such -activity, as to develop a painful nervous disorder which impelled him -ceaselessly hither and thither. A wider field for reflection might have -brought him relief, but that was denied him. He knew only, that one whom -he loved better than his own life was in worse danger than that of death. - -On this dread fact he brooded in passive agony. Like an orb of torment it -pierced him with its searing flame amid encasing blackness, through which -his mind struggled in vain to escape for relief. It scorched into his -brain; and round and round, hither and thither, without rest, his feet -wandered within the girdle of the infernal walls which imprisoned him. His -was the soul of the true artist--keenly sensitive, deeply emotional--all the -worse for him. - -The hours passed on. Would Caesar's commands never come to end his -terrible suspense? - -The vast palace, gleaming in the sun, seemed to mock him as he watched its -silent entrances with feverish glances. He knew not but what his home had -already been invaded. Knew! No, he knew nothing, save that he was -helpless. - -More than once, despair urged him to force his way into the presence of -the tyrant himself and demand his freedom, or to boldly pass the outer -gate and gain the fishermen's boats. But the madness of such an act was -evident even to his own wild thoughts. At every outlet a guard was lolling -lazily on his spear, his gilded panoply shining in the sun. One shadowy -hope there was, that Cestus might have persuaded Neæra to proceed to Rome. -But that was hoping against hope: the unhappy potter knew in his heart she -would never consent. No--there she would remain until he returned, and -there she would be the prey of the spoiler. - -The big drops stood on his pale forehead as the agony of his mind tore -him. His overloaded brain seemed to rock with a vague, hideous burden. -Suddenly the sunlight brightened, as it were, into a fierce white glare. -The vast fabric of the palace, with each neighbouring object, seemed to -heave up round him with a motion which filled him with a deadly sickness, -and caused him to spread out his arms, as if the surging masses were about -to be launched upon him. - -Out of the sky gigantic shapes whirled and swooped upon him; but when, as -it seemed, they were on the point of crushing him, they dwindled and fled -as suddenly away. His very brain seemed to contract and distend as rapidly -in the same awful proportions. It was terrific--he strove to shout aloud in -his terror, but his voice died within him, and his limbs were immovable. - -The colossal masses and spheres which darted down upon him shot away again -into tiny twinkling specks--so far away, into such immensity of space, that -his soul shuddered with a frightful sensation at the awful gulf yawning -before him. Back they came--swelling as they rushed, in the brief second of -their career, like Titanic globes upon his paralysed vision. One of them -took the semblance of a face, distorted and ghastly. Down it swooped in -stupendous bulk, so close that his brain seemed to burst with its -appalling proximity. His delirious senses saw in it a livid, grinning -caricature of Caesar's ghastly visage--he thrust out his arms at it and -shrieked in terror--tottered and fell senseless to the ground. - - * * * * * * * - -When he recovered consciousness he found himself lying on the ground where -he had fallen. A circle of faces surrounded him, and Zeno was kneeling -beside him with a cup in his hand. - -'Ah, now he is coming to,' said the Greek, as the potter gave a deep sigh -and slightly opened his eyes. 'Back, back--further back!' - -The idle, gazing menials gave way, and Zeno held the cup to Masthlion's -lips. A few mouthfuls restored the potter, and he looked around. His -faculties cleared, and he shuddered as his memory brought back those dread -visions of his overstrained brain. - -'This comes of fasting and watching, Surrentine,' quoth Zeno, offering him -the cup again; 'Nature is spiteful when robbed of her due.' - -'I must have fainted,' muttered Masthlion feebly. - -'Ay, with a yell which was enough to curdle the heart of a dead man!' - -'I shall soon be all right, but I must confess to a certain weakness and -dizziness.' - -'Come, these fellows shall help you to your bed.' - -But Masthlion, refusing the offer, walked away unassisted, though somewhat -falteringly, inside the palace to his pallet, whereon he stretched himself -gladly, for he was not a little shaken and confused. - -Zeno flung a cloak over him, and set some drink near him. Masthlion -thanked him for his kindness. - -'I was bidden to take care of thee, and I dare not disobey--that is all,' -answered the other, with a grin. 'But listen, potter, I may tell thee this -much, and it is as much as I know so far, that thou art to go away before -nightfall--how and in what way I know not.' - -'The gods bless you for the words,' cried Masthlion, whose face lighted -with unspeakable joy. - -Zeno shrugged his shoulders, and hastened away. - -The joyful intelligence appeared to pour a calm, soothing influence on the -suffering man's spirit, and, in weariness and weakness of mind and body, -he fell into a profound slumber. - -He seemed to have slept only a few minutes when he was aroused by a hand -touching him on the shoulder. He looked up and saw Zeno once more beside -him. The daylight had failed, and the little room was nearly dark. - -'How do you feel?' asked the steward. - -'Better--I have slept.' - -'Three good hours--you are now to depart--make ready.' Masthlion, with -trembling hands, lifted his wallet from the floor. - -'I am ready,' said he. - -They went out, and the steward never spoke until they reached the outer -gate. - -Conversing with the soldier on guard was an individual well wrapped up in -a cloak. - -'Here is your charge,' said Zeno, addressing him. - -The other nodded and ejaculated, 'Good,' as he bestowed a sharp glance on -the potter. - -'Farewell,' pursued the Greek to the latter; 'I come no further, and here -our acquaintance ends, I suppose. Plautus goes to the opposite shore; he -will take charge of you, and has instructions to see you safely -bestowed--farewell, Surrentine!' - -The man called Plautus laughed. Masthlion, in his eager excitement to be -gone, uttered his farewell and thanks rather hastily. - -'Come, then, Surrentine,' quoth Plautus, striding through the gate, 'the -boat waits, and I have far to go and much to do.' - -The potter needed no encouragement to quit the abhorred precincts of the -villa, and when once clear of its shadow, he breathed a prayer of -thankfulness and relief. With a light step and eager heart he followed the -rapid pace of his conductor, his mind being too full of hopes and fears to -attempt a conversation. - -The absence of any command from the Emperor with regard to Neæra, he -regarded with satisfaction, as a plausible argument that no further -insistance in the matter was intended. Yet he was anxious--more anxious -than he cared to own. He burned for the moment to arrive when he should -enter his own door again--and yet he dreaded it too. - -Once he was curious enough to ask of his companion, if he was to be landed -on the opposite point, in which case he would have a long journey on foot -to accomplish. He received only an unintelligible growl in response; so, -fearing to irritate what seemed to be a cross-grained temper, he held his -peace. - -Descending the steep declivity they issued on the narrow Marina, where a -galley ready drawn up awaited them. Its crew of about eight men were -lolling about amongst the idlers, but when the gruff voice of Plautus fell -on their ears, they sprang to their places in readiness to ply their heavy -oars. - -'In with you,' said Plautus to Masthlion; and the boat, by a vigorous -shove, was swept out on the bay. - -'Give way--bend your backs, and the sooner we shall be home again,' called -Plautus, as he seized the steering oar. - -'Sit you just there, and move not, Surrentine.' - -He pointed to a place just astern of the stroke-oarsman. The potter sat -down and became again absorbed in his reflections. - -The slaves were all picked men of large frame and muscle, and they urged -the boat through the water at a swift pace. The dusk was beginning to -fall, and the distant shore was barely visible, though the dark masses of -mountain above were sharply outlined against the clear sky. They skirted -the stupendous cliffs, upon the brink of which, far above, rested the -walls of the villa Jovis. The sea broke with a sullen, dismal plash -against the perpendicular wall of ragged rock, and the boat was still -moving in the shadow of the overhanging cliffs, when Plautus, in his deep -tones, bade the men cease rowing. - -They lay on their oars, and the boat, with its freight of motionless -forms, glided silently along like a phantom. Masthlion looked up to -account for the sudden command. The frowning, towering rocks, the -portentous gloom, and the cold inky water sent a shudder through his -frame. - -'Surrentine,' said the voice of Plautus, 'you are the potter who came to -show to Caesar a curious kind of glassware?' - -Masthlion answered in the affirmative. The question took him by surprise, -so completely had all thoughts of his unlucky invention been displaced by -those of Neæra. - -'Are you alone possessed of the secret of making that same glass?' - -'I alone--why, friend?' replied Masthlion. - -'Why,' said the cloaked Plautus in his grating tones, 'because it has been -decreed that you shall take your secret with you elsewhere.' - -'Elsewhere!' cried Masthlion, with a sharp foreboding; 'what mean -you--where am I to take it?' - -'Where it can never be found again--to the bottom of the sea!' - -As Plautus uttered the words he threw up his arm. Simultaneously the -potter's throat was grasped from behind by a hand of iron. As he fell -helplessly back, a poniard was plunged deep into his heart--all in a brief -second of time, ere he could make a sound or motion. - -The assassin raised his weapon for another stroke, but it was unneeded--he -had already done his terrible work too well. His victim had died on the -instant, without a murmur; his gentle heart was still for ever. - -The voice of Plautus broke on the terrible silence. 'Habet!' he said, 'a -good stroke--Caesar's justice must be done. Now for the daughter, whom he -is bound to father in this one's place. We must get on--quick, in with -him!' - -A heavily-weighted cord was produced--there was a sullen plunge, and the -boat again went foaming through the water to complete its mission of -violence. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - -When the craft was brought up at the landing-place on the mainland, -Plautus, followed by five of his crew, sprang ashore and with all haste -made toward the posting-house. - -The superintendent was in a long stable, overlooking the business of -feeding and making snug for the night the animals under his charge. - -'Horses!' demanded Plautus laconically, as he strode inside, followed by -his gang. - -'Humph--on whose business?' said the superintendent suspiciously. - -'Caesar's!' - -'Humph! I must have more than your word for that.' - -Plautus, without speaking, thrust his fist close up under the official's -nose, and displayed a signet ring gleaming on one of his bony fingers. - -The man of horses bobbed back his head with an angry gesture, which made -the new-comers laugh, and turning to the grooms, said snappishly, 'Give -him Livilla.' - -Plautus again thrust his ring under his visage. 'I said horses,' he -growled roughly; 'here are six of us. Nor will the nag Livilla do for -me--pick out your own, lads, and no more palaver.' - -This was soon done, amid much noisy mirth and rude jesting, and in a few -minutes they were all speeding along the road to Surrentum, making the -most of the last minutes of departing daylight. - -Arriving at the town, they proceeded at a walk, in straggling order, to -attract less attention. The streets were now dark, however, and the -passers-by few in number; nevertheless Plautus, in the van, thought fit -also to defeat any idle curiosity by taking a devious route. - -Within a hundred yards of the dwelling of the ill-fated Masthlion, the -band dismounted; the sweating horses were fastened in a gloomy corner, and -a man left in charge of them. Plautus, with the remainder, proceeded to -the house. - -The outer door was closed and all was dark and silent. Plautus, ordering -his companions to remain without until he called them, knocked loudly. A -light step came running within. - -'Father, is it you?' called the glad tones of Neæra's voice. - -A bolt was drawn, the door opened, and the girl herself stood in the -entrance, holding a light above her head, whilst she peered beneath, with -eager expectation written on her face. - -'No, my pretty wench, it is not your father, that's very sure,' quoth -Plautus, as he came forward out of the darkness into the feeble light -thrown by the lamp. - -Neæra, with a cry of alarm, started back at the sight of the shrouded -figure and the harsh features of the speaker. - -'Stop,' he said, making good his entrance inside the shop; 'don't be -afraid nor run away. If I'm not your father, I've come from your -father--that is, if you are the daughter of Masthlion the potter.' - -'I am,' said the disappointed girl, whose anxiety to learn of the absent -one struggled against feminine suspicion and timidity of the ill-favoured -visitor. 'What have you to tell me of him? Why does he not come home? When -is he coming?' - -'For a particular reason he has not come home; nor is he coming yet. That -is why he has sent me to bring you to him. To speak truth, he is taken -very ill, and you are bidden to go back with me, straightway, to tend -him.' - -'That shall be my business,' said a voice behind; 'ill, did you say--my -husband ill?' - -'Eh!' ejaculated Plautus, scanning the wrinkled anxious face of Tibia as -she came forward; 'are you his wife?' - -'Yes,' cried Neæra for her, in great agitation; 'tell us, good sir, if he -is very ill--speak quickly and tell us all.' - -'How many more are there of you?' - -'None--save a kinsman who dwells with us for a space--oh, tell us of my -father.' - -'And where is the kinsman--is he in the house?' - -'No--no! Somewhere in the town. You are cruel in tormenting us--speak then, -and say what we are to do?' - -'I have already told you. He has sent for you--he is ill, dying--so haste -and come along, if you would see him alive.' - -A smothered cry broke from Tibia's lips, and Neæra turned pale. - -'Dying?' murmured the girl, tottering back against the wall. - -'It was me he should have sent for--his wife,' said Tibia, confronting the -wily ruffian; 'you have made a mistake surely. At any rate she shall not -go.' - -'She must, and quickly.' - -'It would be impossible for a girl, as she is, to go with you now; it is -my place and duty to go to my husband--she must remain.' - -'Ah, mother, can we not both go? Where is he, and how are we to travel?' -said Neæra, pale but self-possessed. - -Plautus scowled and gnawed his lip for a moment. Then he said, 'Well, -well! I admit the wife has a claim before the daughter. Go you, therefore, -and get your cloak--let the girl remain by the house. All blame must be on -your head.' - -Tibia instantly departed into the upper rooms with the assurance that she -would not be long. - -'You have not yet told us where my father is,' said Neæra, when they were -alone; 'you are unkind, as a messenger, to those who hold him dearest. Did -he send no words beyond bidding me to go--no token? Speak, for the love of -the gods!' - -'I don't recollect, but I'll bring in my comrade and see if he has a -better memory,' replied Plautus. - -He whistled and his accomplices filed in. Neæra, in great alarm, turned to -dart away down the passage into the house, but Plautus dexterously placed -himself in the way. At the same moment a cloak was twisted round her head, -which stifled the cry on her lips. To pinion her limbs was the work of an -instant, for the worthy slaves were prepared for every emergency, and made -light of her struggles. Thus gagged and helpless she was borne outside. -The remaining four men instantly closed the door and passed into the -house, carrying the light with them. - -The unhappy Tibia was surprised in her room, where she was hastily -collecting a few articles for her supposed journey. - -'What do you want?' she cried, as the ruthless slaves crowded into the -narrow room. - -They advanced toward her, and she screamed in affright at their menacing -aspect. One of them rolled his eyes to his leader and half drew a knife -from his belt. But no orders had been given for any further use of the -weapon, and Plautus, from experience, kept to the letter of his -instructions. - -'Silence, hag!' he roared, 'and keep your traps--you can stay and keep -house since your girl has now gone. As for your husband, he doesn't want -you, for he is at the bottom of the sea, and his glass pot with him--we put -him there as we came along to-night.' - -As if his pitiless brutality were a matter of humour, the wretch -accompanied it with a grin. The poor woman gave an agonised cry, and sank -down beneath his terrible words, as though pierced with the kinder thrust -of a sword. - -'You have killed her,' said one of his comrades. - -'Not I,' returned Plautus; 'she'll make a sturdy widow yet--it was well -behaved to go off in that fashion and save us trouble.' - -The insensible dame's mouth was gagged, her poor, frail limbs tied, and -then the room ransacked. There was nothing, however, which seemed worthy -of any particular notice, and they proceeded to devote a similar attention -to the remainder of the house. - -Every glass article was smashed, to prove it did not possess the -interdicted malleable quality, and, in the search for whatever might have -some bearing on the same luckless invention, the whole of the poor -appointments of the dwelling were tossed hither and thither. This process -was very rapid and thorough, and occupied only a few minutes. - -The workshop outside was then entered, and a work of devastation entered -upon. The furnace was pulled down bodily. Every article which could be -destroyed was utterly wrecked. Every nook and cavity was zealously raked -out and explored, and finally, when the rigorous examination was -completed, the potter's tools, which had been gathered together, were -thrust in a sack and carried away. - -In another minute the marauders had regained their horses. The whole -campaign had been executed with a rapidity, silence, and completeness -which left nothing to be desired, and reflected the highest credit on the -discipline of the Imperial household. - - - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - -No tidings of Masthlion having been received for three days, his brother- -in-law, Cestus, had given himself up to the gloomiest forebodings. At the -end of the second day he had used all the arts of his persuasion to induce -Neæra and his sister to set off for Rome. At their distinct, unreasoning -refusal he had lost his temper, with the effect of causing his tongue, in -desperation, to speak more violently than he would otherwise have thought -prudent. The discourse had been suddenly brought to a close, by the abrupt -retirement of Neæra from the room, at which the worthy Suburan, in a rage, -slunk out of the house, to go and drown his anxiety and harassments at his -favourite wine-shop. - -A scene of much the same character had occurred on the following evening, -and, in a still more violent fit, he had again quitted the now detested -dwelling of his sister, to seek the solace of copious draughts of liquor. - -Whilst he was thus engaged in a temporary return to his old indulgent -habits, we have seen what occurred at home. - -An hour subsequent to the events already recorded, he went back, not -without a suspicion of unsteadiness in his gait. Although a faint, -luminous haze had succeeded to the short period of darkness, the moon had -not yet topped the crests of the hills which girdled the town and valley. -His vision being also a little blurred with the fumes of the wine, he did -not perceive that the door, which was always closed at this hour, was wide -open. He raised his fist to deal it a blow as usual, but, meeting no -resistance, he overbalanced himself and fell forward on his hands and -knees. With an oath of astonishment he got up and went forward. At every -step his feet crunched the fragments of glass and pottery. More astonished -than ever, and not without a suspicion of something wrong, he roared out -for a light, whilst he groped his way to the passage leading within. No -answer or sound relieving the silence, he was constrained to go forward in -the dark until he reached the common dwelling-room. The door of this was -found to be also open, and the gloom impenetrable. He remained on the -threshold, for a moment, dumbfounded; but not a sign of life met his ear. - -'What in the name of all that's damnable has come to the house?' he -muttered; 'is it a joke--thieves, or what? Where are -they--Tibia--Neæra--hillo!' - -His voice was no mean one and his roar shook the little house; but he got -no return for his pains. With increasing alarm and soberness he groped his -way into the room, and, at once, caught his shin against a substantial -article of furniture, which was in a most unexpected position. He fell -with a cry of pain and rage, and some moments were absorbed in chafing his -leg. This done he proceeded more cautiously, and, after a long search, -succeeded in laying his hand on flint and steel. He produced a light and -surveyed the room. Every article had been dragged about and ransacked. He -looked on the scene, with mouth agape, in blank amazement. Then he rushed -forward into the shop. The shelves were bared of their contents, and the -floor littered with their fragments. Turning back he ascended to the upper -floor, and there, on her back, tied and gagged, he perceived the form of -Tibia, with her eyes resting upon him in the strange agony of speechless -helplessness. - -'What is it, Tibia--what is it? The girl--where is she?' he cried, springing -forward. - -Drawing his knife he cut her bonds, and raised her into a sitting posture. - -Tibia burst into a paroxysm of grief. 'Oh brother, brother--dead, dead!' - -'Who--the girl--Neæra? Don't say that, woman!' he cried furiously. - -'No, no! Masthlion--my husband!' - -'Did I not say he would never return? But the girl--where is she, in the -name of the furies?' - -'Gone--they have taken her away.' - -With a cry like the howl of a wild beast, Cestus threw up his arms. -Everything was plain. - -His face grew purple; the veins swelled like cords, and his eyes glared -with an insane fire. His tongue found vent in a torrent of mad ravings and -horrid imprecations, accompanied with the wildest gestures, till the -heart-stricken woman herself forgot her own anguish for the moment, and -shuddered in horror. - -When the fit had partially exhausted itself he turned to his sister, and -hoarsely demanded a recital of what had passed. A few words sufficed, and -she threw her apron over her head, and rocked herself to and fro. - -The bluster of the tempest was over, and silence succeeded. For a moment -Cestus remained in meditation, with his eyes fixed on the floor. Then -bidding her not to quit the house, he rushed out headlong into the street, -and rapidly ran toward the Marina. Here, with much difficulty, for few -people were astir, he satisfied himself that no party had landed or -embarked, at all answering to those whose track he sought to discover. -Thence he hurried to the posting-house in the town, where he was just as -unsuccessful. Sustained and spurred on by terrible excitement, he ran out -to the very outskirts of the town, till he reached a tavern, standing on -the side of the road which led from the southern coast. Here he was well -known, the establishment being a favourite port of call in his rambles. He -called the landlord aside, who looked with surprise on his customer's -disordered aspect. In answer to the Suburan's inquiries a youth was -summoned, who was employed in all kinds of outdoor jobs about the -premises, which included a small farm as well as the business of a tavern. -The lad, to the intense delight of his questioner, proved to have been -loitering at the entrance of the house about nightfall, and had taken -particular note of the six horsemen who had composed the party led by -Plautus. Giving the lad a coin, Cestus briefly informed the master of the -outrage and went back home. - -'It is as I said it would be!' he burst out as he entered the room where -Tibia remained. 'A gang of Caesar's rascals from the island, and back they -have gone, taking her with them. It is all over with her, and I am ruined. -You would not listen to me, would you not?--they would have been cheated of -their prey if you had. Now you know who was the wisest! Fools! fools! -fools!' - -Pale with excitement he threw himself on the floor, and, save for his -heavy breathing, deep silence fell on all--the terrible silence of -desolation and woe. - -It was a dismal, weird scene, lighted by the dull, smoky flame of a rude -lamp. The contents of two chests littered the floor with homely linen and -wearing apparel, together with numberless odds and ends stored by a -thrifty housewife. The simple articles of furniture were awry and -overturned. The broad, burly form of the man lying face downwards, half -upon the pile of bedding and half upon the floor; the woman crouching -beside the naked pallet bed, with her head bowed down upon her knees. Two -or three locks of her thin gray hair had escaped from their fastening, and -hung loosely down over her tightly clasped hands. She was most to be -pitied. She had lost her husband and child, and sat, an aging woman, -amidst the wreck of her home, which had hitherto bounded her life and -thoughts. - -The ghostly, unutterable stillness long continued, and the only thing -which seemed to have life was the smoky yellow flame of the lamp, as it -waved and flared in the currents of air which came through the open door. -Presently Cestus turned over with a sigh and sat up. He directed his gaze -toward the motionless form of his sister, and his eyes filled with an -unaccustomed compassion. - -Long years ago, when, as a youth, he left his father's cottage, in -consequence of some misdeed, to go and seek his fortune in the great city, -this sister had been the last one to give him tearful farewell words of -hope and encouragement. That scene was still bright in his memory. The -pretty maiden standing in the middle of the sunlit road, where she had -kissed him, waving her hand as he turned the bend which hid her from view. -There she was now--old, faded, wrinkled, toil-worn, and broken-hearted. And -he, since that day when her pure kiss and warm tears fell on his beardless -face---- - -He turned away his head, and resting his chin on his hand and his elbow on -his knee, he remained staring at vacancy. He might have been a stony -embodiment of abstraction, with widely-distended, lustreless eyes which -stared as if frozen in grim despair. Such an expression Dante might have -figured among the sombre troops of the infernal regions. - -Nearly half an hour passed; then Tibia raised her wan face. The sound of a -footstep in the passage below struck on her ears. It moved irresolutely, -and finally, from the foot of the stairs, came a subdued, yet anxious -voice calling upon the name of Neæra. Starting at the tones Tibia gave a -low cry, and turned her eyes anxiously on her brother. But he was buried -in a lethargy, and seemingly oblivious of everything. She, therefore, -bowed her face again, and rocked herself with the same weary motion. The -call was repeated a little louder, but no reply being vouchsafed, a step -came bounding up the stairs and entered the room. The glitter of a -polished cuirass crossed the tranced eyes of Cestus and broke the spell -which bound him. He looked up and beheld Martialis standing before him, -regarding the scene with knitted brows and utter astonishment. - -With a yell of delight, impossible to describe, the Suburan leaped to his -feet, and seized the Centurion's hand in a convulsive grip. - -'Welcome! welcome!' he cried wildly. 'Welcome as water in the desert. Here -is a pretty business within the last few hours--it is only yourself can -right it!' - -Martialis looked on the crouching form of Tibia. - -'Where is Neæra--what has happened?' he said hurriedly. - -'A gang of cut-throats has been here, and has upset the house, and carried -away the girl----' - -'And you sitting here like a stock!' thundered the young man in a frenzy. -'Were there no neighbours to rouse to help, if you could not? Thieves that -steal maidens from a house in a peaceful town--whence come such villains -here? Where is her father--following on her track, while you sit here idle -and useless!' - -'Stop, Centurion,' said Cestus, seizing him by the arm as he was turning -to dash out of the house, 'you are all wrong together. There is only one -spot in the neighbourhood which can harbour kidnappers and the like. I was -absent at the time, and if I had been here I could not have followed--that -is for you to do.' - -'Name, then!' cried Martialis, with contempt. - -'Capreae--Caesar!' - -The young man stared as if petrified. His outstretched arm fell heavily to -his side, and he dropped his head on his breast with a groan. - -'Did I not foresee it--did I not warn and beseech them to go by my advice?' -cried Cestus, wringing his hands and giving way once more to a burst of -passion. 'Did I not see and watch two fellows here in the shop some days -ago? They were from the accursed island, and they came to mark down their -game. I knew--I knew! But no one would listen. I begged and beseeched, -almost on my knees, for them to quit the place--to go back with me to Rome, -where they might be safe. But no--none would listen. Not they! And then the -potter must needs take off to the island himself--must needs run his head -into the tiger's very jaws; all for the sake of showing some newfangled -kind of glass he had found out. As if no patron was to be found other than -a bloody, strangling, ravishing tyrant! The fool would not listen to what -I said, though I went nearly crazy, but went on his mad way with a light -heart, if one could judge by his smiling face. And here's the end of it. -He will never see his home again--he is murdered--the girl is missing, and I -am robbed, ruined, cheated! Haste, Centurion, for all depends on thee. -Bring her back, by hook or crook, for hark you, man, she is more than you -think--she is of the Patrician order, and no more my sister's child than -you are----' - -'Are you going mad?' said Martialis hoarsely. - -'Mad--no!' shouted Cestus; 'had they taken a madman's advice all would have -been well now, and the wench on her way to her people in Rome. She is no -potter's child, for I hold the proofs. There was money paid, I tell you, -to put the child out of the way; but instead of murder she was brought -here quietly and no one the wiser, save the woman there, who has passed -for her mother--no, not even the villain who was at the bottom of it all.' - -Martialis strode over to Tibia and laid his hand on her shoulder. - -'Mother,' he said, 'have you heard this?' - -'Yes,' said the poor woman, looking up with her woe-stricken face, 'I -never had a child of my own.' - -His eyes softened, and suddenly bending down, he pressed his lips against -her withered forehead. She burst into an agony of tears. - -'Bring her back--bring her back,' she moaned. - -'It is too strange; but gentle or simple she is still Neæra to me. Oh, the -accursed tyrant--I shall bury my dagger in his foul heart if she be -harmed--even if they rend me in pieces after! But I may yet save her, -though I strike her dead to do it--yes, I may yet be in time!' - -He laughed a short dry laugh, and his eyes shone with a terrible light as -he flung his long heavy cloak aside, the less to impede his motions. - -'Tell Caesar she belongs to the best blood in Rome,' said Cestus. 'He will -not dare to harm her--I will hasten to the city.' - -'He recks of nothing, idiot--her family, quick!' - -'Fabricius of the Janiculum is her grandsire--she has only him.' - -'Fabricius! He lost a child--is this true?' - -'As you stand there!' - -'And how came you to know all this?' - -'Simply because it was I who stole her as a child and brought her here--she -knows.' - -Cestus nodded to Tibia. - -'Dog, if this be true!' cried Martialis, springing on him and grasping his -throat with a hand of iron. - -'That you shall see,' choked and sputtered Cestus. 'It is likewise only I -who can restore her. You are losing time--save her first and the rest will -follow.' - -'Villain, what demon possessed you to do such a heartless deed?' - -'Money!--and now I would bring her back to the living for revenge--glorious -revenge!' - -'On whom?' - -'That is my concern, and mine only. Come, haste, Centurion!' - -Without further parley Martialis sprang to the door. - -'Hark'ee,' said Cestus, again catching his arm, 'there is one man who must -never know what I have told you until the proper time arrives, or else it -might go hard with the girl. Beware, therefore!' - -He whispered in his ear and the Pretorian started with surprise. Then he -dashed down the stairs and out of the house. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - -Martialis, who, as the reader may have perceived, was returning from Rome, -made his last change of horses in the town, an operation which his -feverish haste contracted to the limits of a very few minutes. Leaping on -the back of the fresh steed he clattered through the narrow streets, and, -on gaining the open, moonlit road, flew along at a frightful speed. - -With all his energies concentrated on his headlong race, there was left no -opportunity for the consideration of any special plan or method, by which -to attain his object. One supreme hope panted in his breast, that they, -who had carried off his beloved, might have loitered on the way, and that -thus he might have time to close with them ere they reached their -journey's end. Oh, that he might have that satisfaction! - -He chuckled savagely at the thought--his brain was on fire! The fatigue of -a long day's incessant galloping, league after league, was unfelt and -forgotten. Excitement strung his nerves to an intense pitch, and he -scarcely knew the pitiless use he made of whip and spur on his flying -horse's sides. - -He raced along, with his eyes fixed and strained ahead to catch the -welcome sight of the group he burned to see, but he was fated to bitter -disappointment. The building which terminated his ride rose before him, -and nothing more to gladden his eyes. An involuntary groan broke from his -lips. Confidence and hope died away, and blind desperation and doggedness -took root. Half a score--half a hundred menials of Caesar, beyond the -immediate beck of the tyrant's finger, he heeded not; but in the vast -palace yonder, with its thronging guards and slaves, what then? There was -still a faint hope left. There yet remained a league of sea to cover -before gaining those accursed rocks, which lay far out in dim outline. - -He leaped to the ground, and the grooms glanced in astonishment at the -foam-covered animal he quitted to their care, with its drooping head and -trembling limbs, its flanks dropping blood. - -'The Centurion must have serious business to have ridden so fast. Yes; -some of Caesar's slaves had taken boat for the island, but they must have -landed ere this.' - -A meaning laugh accompanied the information. With distraction in his brain -Martialis hastened forward to the landing-place, where a boat for courier -service was ever kept at hand for immediate use. - -It happened, however, that the crew, probably tempted by the brilliant -night, were not all on the spot, as they ought to have been, but had -rambled off here and there in the moonlight. A very few minutes would, -doubtless, have sufficed to bring them all together, but to the -Pretorian's fevered mind the delay was unbearable. Sweeping his glance -around, he perceived a light skiff drawn up on the shore at a little -distance. There were oars in it; and without a second thought he sprang to -it, and putting forth his strength pushed it down into the water. The next -moment he was pulling the frail vessel over the calm sea at a rate it had -surely never travelled before. - -The tough oars bent with the mighty strokes. Each time they gripped the -water the light bark seemed to leap forward, and the perspiration rolled -in heavy drops from the stern brow of the rower. The exertion was -terrible; but yet the powerful arms never relaxed an ounce of their -strength, nor the stroke a second of its time, nor an inch of its sweep, -till the bow of the boat flew round into the narrow little bay of the -Marina of Capreae, and ran hard upon the pebbly beach. - -Dropping the oars, Martialis leaped ashore and ran up the steep path which -climbed the terrace-like ascent to the village above, leaving the -astonished guardians of the landing-place to wonder and speculate at the -unusual method and haste of his arrival. - -To the labour of his arms now succeeded the trial of his legs, and he -possessed the swiftest foot in the legion. - -On his left arose the conical hill, topped by the villa, in which the -Prefect was established. Here he should have stopped; but neither his -commander, nor the despatches he carried for him, now claimed the least -thought. He doubled the base of the hill, and threaded the narrow lanes -leading to the villa Jovis above, with a stride which brought him in a -very few minutes close to the outer gate. Here he thought best to moderate -his pace to a rapid walk, and in this gait reached the Pretorian on guard. -From this man he learned that half a dozen slaves, with a female, had -entered about half an hour previously. He passed on and entered the -palace. - -Where within its fatal recesses was she hidden away? He came to a stand -within the gloom of a passage, whilst fiery thoughts flashed through his -mind. Beyond he could hear the sound of hurrying menials. It was Caesar's -hour for supping--what should he do? - -The Prefect was his friend, and his influence was great. Oh, that he had -met with the wretches ere this, so that his own arm had been all to trust -to! Where was the Prefect, and would he stir in his cause? It might be too -late. After the supper most like would come the sacrifice. The drops burst -forth on his brow in his agony of mind. - -If he could only discover where she was placed, it would go hard, but that -cunning, or force, or both combined, would bring him to her. But which way -to turn? The superstructure of the palace was itself intricate; -underneath, he knew, was another subterranean labyrinth of which few had -much knowledge. To follow to the bowels of the rocks was of no more -consequence than to find the object of his search where he stood, since -escape from either spot was hopeless without the tyrant's will. To gain -her side was now his utmost hope. Could he but clasp her in his arm, he -had the means to save her unsullied and to put himself beyond the reach of -vengeance. - -These few moments of reflection passed, during which the image of Neæra -rose on his mind, in painful distinctness, with the sweet breath of her -calm beauty and purity. - -He felt that his short sword and poniard were loose in their scabbards, -then entered the peristyle before him. - -Silver lamps shed a brilliant light on the polished marble of pillar and -floor, on the gilded fretwork of ceiling and cornice, the panelled -pictures, the dancing, diamond-flashing waters of the fountain in the -midst. Among the doorways which opened on the court was one heavily -curtained. Domestics passed in and out ever and anon, and the presence of -the soldier stationed before it was evidence that Caesar was within. - -Martialis perceived with satisfaction that this man was one of his own -troop, and went up to him immediately. The Pretorian drew himself up and -saluted, but not without a curious glance at the unusual aspect his -officer presented. - -'Welcome back, Centurion!--the Prefect is not within,' said he, concluding -that the object of the aide-de-camp was the commander himself. - -'Where then?' - -'At his house for anything that I can tell, Centurion.' - -'Maybe he awaits me there, for this night I was due.' - -'I can see with my own eyes you have travelled hard, Centurion.' - -'Who is within?' - -'Caesar supping with his friends.' - -'Know you which friends?' - -'Flaccus, Marinus, Priscus, the philosophers, and the Roman lady,' replied -the legionary. - -The three first named were companions of Tiberius, the third of whom we -have already known. The Roman lady Martialis knew to be Plautia. He passed -his hand across his forehead. The question was as useless as the answer. -The slaves, who idled here and there in twos and threes about the court, -were the natural repositories of household secrets and tattle. He eyed -them and gnawed his nether lip. - -'Have you been in the palace long?' he asked again. - -'I have wellnigh worn out my spell of duty, I should say, Centurion--at -least I brought Caesar hither from his dressing-room.' - -'Tell me, Asca,' said Martialis, dropping his voice, 'since you have been -here within-doors, have you seen or heard anything of the arrival of some -of Caesar's slaves bearing with them a woman--a young girl?' - -'Only a few minutes ago, Zeno, the worshipful steward, marshalled a couple -such into Caesar's presence--they had a woman with them, and they are there -now.' - -'Ah, and she?' demanded the young man, with an energy which caused the -soldier to recoil a step. 'What was she like--her appearance? Quick, Asca, -speak!' - -'Truly, Centurion, I scarce gave her any heed, except that she was taller -than common--her face was well shrouded moreover,' quoth the surprised -Asca. - -'Was that all? Was there nothing said? Did you not hear whence they came? -Can you tell me nothing of her looks, her voice, dress, or anything to -guide me?' - -'Well, she seemed very unwilling; and when they first came and demanded -entrance, Plautus--that is one of the slaves who came along with her, sent -in Caesar's signet ring, along with the word Surrentum, upon which Zeno -came out and----Stop, Centurion, stop----!' - -But Martialis had disappeared through the curtains of the doorway. The -word Surrentum was electrical, and, with a bound, he was gone, ere his -amazed subordinate could move a muscle. - -Double curtains closed the entrance to the supper-room, the few feet of -intervening space forming a kind of ante-chamber. Martialis dashed aside -the innermost drapery and halted for a brief second, whilst he cast a -flashing glance around the brilliant chamber. Yes, there was Neæra -standing in the midst, on exactly the same spot where her ill-fated -fosterfather had stood before, a target for each rude, pitiless gaze of -master and slave alike. She was drawn to the full height of her tall, -supple figure, and her noble face, as pale as death, was bent undauntedly -on the opposing visage of Tiberius. The expression of the latter was -seemingly cold and impassive. Plautia, reclining at his right hand, gazed -with an exultant glance and flushed cheeks; the others were critical and -amused. On either hand of the captive girl was Plautus and a comrade, with -their fierce eyes riveted on Tiberius, oblivious of all save his slightest -motion. Behind the Imperial couch stood the handsome steward, intently -watchful of everything. The supper-table, in the midst, was loaded with -its gorgeous service of gold and silver plate, whilst the attendants -around the apartment had stayed their stealthy steps, fearful of -interrupting the scene with the slightest sound. - -'They said my father had need of me--was dying,' Neæra was saying in a -clear, firm voice, when her glance, in common with the rest, was drawn by -a stir at the doorway. The gleam of a corslet filled her eyes, breaking -violently through the cluster of slaves round the entrance, as the prow of -a ship dashes aside the billows of the sea. With a tremulous cry she held -forth her arms. - -'Lucius!' - -'Neæra--I am here!' - -He reached her side at a stride, and, thrusting Plautus rudely back, cast -his left arm around her and lifted her away to a clearer space. - -Close on his heels rushed the terror-stricken Pretorian on guard, and -Plautus, on his part, made a savage gesture of retaliation. Both, however, -had the discretion to hesitate before the fiery glance of the Centurion -and a still more significant motion of his right hand to his belt. - -'Courage, my Neæra,' murmured her lover; 'I know all, and have followed to -save thee from these pitiless wretches, whose foul touch is worse than -death. Only one escape from dishonour is left to thee now, dear love.' - -He drew his poniard from his belt and placed it in her hand. - -She took it, and held up her face to his with an ineffable smile. - -'They shall not part us now.' - -He kissed her lips, and looked calmly on the excitement which followed his -extraordinary interruption into the inviolable presence of the Emperor. -Confused exclamations and cries broke forth. A convulsive movement ran -through the throng like the tossing of forest boughs in a sudden gust of -wind. Each one stared with astonishment on the Pretorian garb, the -splendid form, the dark, stern, handsome face, flushed and damp with -extreme exertion and emotion. The name of Martialis flew from lip to lip. - -Under the wing and eye of their Imperial patron himself, the indignant -expressions of his shocked creatures were many and loud, but, beyond these -safe demonstrations of just resentment of the unparalleled audacity of the -intruder, there seemed to be no disposition to proceed to a more forcible -proof of their zeal. An armed, desperate man, who had more than held his -own with the first gladiators and athletes of the capital, was not to be -rashly interfered with. - -Thus the clatter of tongues and perturbation of gesture eddied and tossed -within its own agitated circle for a few moments, without overflowing -toward the tall person of the offender, who stood confronting them, -motionless, yet watchful and resolute, with his left arm thrown round the -waist of the young girl. - -'Yes, they are in no hurry to begin--they know it will cost them dear,' -muttered Martialis grimly, with vigilant eyes on those nearest him, and a -meaning hitch of his belt which brought his sword hilt nigher to his hand. - -From him to Caesar all glances roved. Tiberius had recovered his attitude -and composure from his first start of astonishment and alarm. On his -countenance rested a dark, lowering look, which no one, who knew him, saw -without vague uneasiness. - -Asca, whose instructions were without privilege to any one, was the most -to be pitied. He shook with dread, and his visage, full of consternation, -hovered between his Centurion and his Emperor. On the former he bent -reproachful glances, whilst the aspect of the latter filled him with -terror. - -'So please you, Caesar, it was no fault of mine,' he broke out, after the -first few moments of confusion were dying away. 'The Centurion will bear -me witness, that he broke past my guard ere it was possible to prevent -him.' - -'The man is right,' said Martialis calmly; 'he is in no way to blame. This -maiden is my betrothed bride--I come to claim her. She has been dragged -from her home by ruffians. I pray you, Caesar, of your clemency, to let me -give her safe conduct back again.' - -Zeno leant over his master and whispered in his ear. The frown did not -quit the face of Tiberius, but he appeared to reflect. Martialis perceived -the hesitation and took heart. - -'You have a strange method of making your request,' said the Emperor, with -sardonic slowness, in the deep silence which immediately reigned at the -sound of his voice. 'Until this moment I thought the privacy of my room my -own. When Pretorian officers set the example of breaking orders and over- -riding regulations, it is time I saw to their discipline myself. I will -begin with you. Deliver up your arms, and place yourself in the custody of -the guard, awaiting my pleasure.' - -The Emperor signed to the soldier Asca to enforce these commands, but, ere -he moved, Martialis retired farther back with Neæra, until he reached the -corner of the room. By this strategic movement into the empty angle he -brought all his expected assailants more in front, and, thereby, vastly -strengthened his position. - -'I crave your pardon, Caesar, for what must appear an unseemly intrusion -into the privacy of your apartment, and nothing but the bitter -circumstances of my case would ever have driven me to be guilty of such -disregard of your presence,' said the Centurion, with respectful but -resolute mien. 'I pray you, consider my position. I bear to the Prefect -despatches from the camp at Rome, and have galloped since early dawn with -barely a stop. Flinging myself from my horse at Surrentum, for a few brief -minutes, at the house of my betrothed, I found it had been the spoil of -ruffians. I have hastened hither without stop--what are every-day rules and -customs to a man whose brain is distraught with grief? Nothing could have -touched me nearer, Caesar, and I entreat your indulgence--your pardon. Let -her go, I beseech you--I doubt not the slaves have made some grave error. -She cannot have given offence--it would not be possible for her sweet -nature. It is not much thy Centurion asks, and he has served thee well.' - -'Did you not stay, then, to deliver your despatches to the Prefect?' said -Tiberius. - -'They are here in my belt.' - -'Another duty disregarded--the first care of a courier is the errand he is -upon.' - -'The Prefect will bear willing witness of my diligence in his service--I -have ever the favour of his choice for the same errand,' said Martialis. - -'Deliver up your weapons,' said Tiberius harshly. 'Guard, take him and -lead him away.' - -'He comes to certain death,' said Martialis with energy. 'You may -overpower me, but it will cost you dear--you shall never take us alive.' - -Excitement and commotion again shook the room like a turbulent sea, yet -still it never gathered sufficient cohesion and weight to propel itself -into the corner against the resolute form there. All eyes were bent on the -luckless Pretorian Asca, whose glance, in turn, hung on Caesar's with a -piteous expression. With the selfish satisfaction which human beings view -the misfortune of another, the soldier was assailed with cries of -encouragement and censure, which came all the more freely from the lips of -those for whom he acted as a kind of sacrifice. - -'Centurion, you hear!' he said to Martialis in beseeching tones, 'give up -your sword as Caesar wills.' - -'I will not, Asca, and do you forgive me if I hurt you in self-defence.' - -The legionary looked again to Caesar. 'He refuses!' - -'Then compel him,' thundered the Emperor; 'strike, man, strike!' - -Thrilled by the terrible voice, and somewhat excited by the cries of the -others, the Pretorian set his teeth in blind desperation, and levelled his -heavy spear. With consummate ease Martialis evaded the thrust, and grasped -the weapon with his hands. Continuing the same movement, he thrust the -lance back athwart the body of the soldier, and threw him sprawling on his -back. It was done in a second of time, and with astonishing power and -celerity, but it gave what the attentive slave Plautus thought an -excellent opportunity for interference. He had been lingering nighest of -all, with the eye of a lynx on the movements of the Centurion. As the -latter closed with Asca, he therefore sprang forward. He was a large and -powerfully-built man, and, had he been able to carry out his intention of -grappling with the young officer off his guard, the latter would probably -have been entangled and finally smothered by numbers. But quick as the -slave's movement was, it was late by a brief second, for he had been -closely watched and suspected. As the soldier Asca went sprawling back, -Martialis swerved, as swift as light, and met his new assailant with an -unexpected blow of his clenched fist. No friendly affection for a comrade- -in-arms tempered the stroke, as in the case of Asca, but, on the contrary, -his long sinewy arm shot out like a battering-ram, and struck the on- -coming slave off his feet. - -The dash and prowess of the young officer seemed to arouse something like -a revolution of feeling in his favour, to judge by the tone of the -exclamations which broke forth at his feat. Even a half-stifled excited -'_Euge!_' of approval might have been heard. His reputation was general, -but Asca, alone of all present, had seen him discomfit a boxer of the -amphitheatres by a similar blow, dealt for the honour of the Legion in the -camp at Rome, amid the delighted yells of packed thousands of his -comrades. - -The senseless Plautus was lifted and carried out with a face crushed and -disfigured for life. Martialis, with his weapon still undrawn, fell back -to his former position. The slender fingers of Neæra glided into his, and -he clasped them tight. - -'Hark!' he said to her, as the raised tones of Tiberius bade them haste -for a file of Pretorians, ''twill be no more child's play--would it had -been with others than my own comrades. But courage, my Neæra! Shelter -yourself behind me, and when I fall, you know how to use your weapon; -better the tomb for such as you than the pollution of these walls.' - -'Alas, my father and mother!' she murmured, as she nestled closer to his -side. - -He glanced quickly into her face, and saw that it was composed, though -pale. No trace of fear trembled on the tender curving lips, or dwelt in -the calm clear eyes which rested devotedly upon him. New-born qualities of -heroism transfigured her, and clothed her with a new beauty. The routine -of her humble life had never lighted her fair face with such an unexpected -spirit of dauntlessness. That brief glance filled his heart with pride and -rapture such as he never felt before, and nerved him with the strength of -a Titan. Her unruffled mien flooded his mind with the parting words of -Cestus, and he thrilled with joy. Surely, none but noble blood could so -nobly withstand such a terrible test. It was a melancholy joy, however, -despairing and fierce as it was fleet. - -He reared his head, and bent his eyes upon the throng before him with -infinite pride and contempt. The dark deep orbs of the Emperor shone upon -him from beneath the shadow of their knitted brows, but he returned their -gaze disdainfully. He felt himself beyond their vengeance. - -From the ghastly visage of Caesar his gaze rested on the warm loveliness -of Plautia, whose flushed countenance and sparkling eyes betrayed the -excited conflict of her mind. Her yet unconquered love of the young -soldier's manly beauty, blown into fresh flame by the exhibition of his -power--the sting of remorse at the unlooked-for effect of her plot, mingled -with savage envy at the sight of her rival, and the bitter spectacle of -their mutual devotion, were rioting in her breast. His glance was cold and -contemptuous, as it was passing and brief, and stung her soul to madness. - -The messenger despatched for the Pretorians had sped away only a few -moments, when the anxious brows of Zeno contracted suddenly. An eager -light came into his eyes, and he stooped to whisper in the Emperor's ear. -Tiberius nodded, and muttered a few words in reply. The Greek touched the -elbow of the huge Nubian servant, and they both hurried swiftly out of the -apartment. - -Martialis saw them, but gave them no heed. He had no further hopes, fears, -nor suspicions. His sole object, in what he considered to be the few -remaining minutes of his career, was to sell his life as dearly as -possible. In expectation of the coming struggle, the slaves had -imperceptibly edged away from his vicinity, and were waiting with uneasy -suspense. The guests at table, with askant glances at the disturber of -their peace, fidgeted as though he might, at any time, burst upon them -with a furious onslaught, whilst the stern glitter of the Emperor's eyes, -on the other hand, discouraged any attempt at interference. Asca, the -guard, remained at the doorway. He held his lance at the advance, and his -face was dejected and chopfallen in the extreme. - -Rapid thoughts sped through the mind of Martialis as he surveyed the -scene. What if he were to assume the offensive before the arrival of his -comrades? Would he thereby better his position? Had he been alone, his -fleet foot by a quick dash would have easily carried him free from the -palace to the boats. But such an act was impossible with Neæra. It was -true he might fall upon the craven, naked flock before him, and turn the -room into a shambles. But such a butchery would avail him nothing; and to -leave the side of Neæra for an instant would be to endanger her. No, he -would meet his fate honestly, and not like a reckless murderous desperado. - -Once more he appealed to Tiberius. - -'Will you not send for the Prefect?' he said; 'his presence might -intercede with you, and gain your gracious clemency for his unfortunate -Centurion and this blameless maiden. Force will avail nothing, but the -sacrifice of some brave men--as for us, we shall never be parted alive, be -assured.' - -But Caesar answered nothing; neither did any motion or expression betoken -that he paid the least attention to the words. His glance was fixed -intently, as it seemed, on the wall, or rather the long curtains which -draped the wall behind the Centurion for some distance on either hand. - -Martialis forebore to say more, and ere long the critical moment arrived. -The rapid tread of many feet was heard through the half-drawn curtains of -the door, and some ten or fifteen Pretorians, fully armed, and flashing -with their polished harness, filed into the room, headed by the bulky -Centurion Macro. - -The legionaries came to a halt, with blank wonder on their faces, and -their officer, with no less astonishment, turned his eyes on Caesar for -his orders. - -Martialis silently stooped and kissed Neæra on the lips. Then he slowly -drew his sword from his sheath, and gravely saluted his comrades. - -'He refuses to surrender himself,' said Tiberius to Macro, without -removing his eyes from Martialis; 'I have sent for you to secure -him--alive, if possible; if not, dead.' - -The task was repugnant from every point of view, and the legionaries -showed it by the want of alacrity and spirit in the preparations they made -to carry out the mandate. But to hear was to obey, and Macro, who, -perhaps, felt less scruple than the rank and file, in consequence of a -jealousy of Martialis, desired the latter to deliver up his weapon. - -'Come and take it,' said Martialis; 'these are my only terms. Our -fellowship is fated to end in a way we never dreamt of; blame me not, but -those who have dragged my betrothed hither from her home--I will not give -her up.' - -The faces of the men darkened, and dissatisfied mutterings broke from -their lips. The order to draw up in line and prepare for their work was -obeyed sullenly and slowly. Martialis was popular, and his words and -position inspired them with additional sympathy. - -'Do as ye are bid,' cried Martialis, as he noted the signs of -dissatisfaction; 'nought else will avail.' - -But, as their fingers tightened on their weapons, an unlooked-for -occurrence changed the position of affairs. - -Caesar's eyes were still riveted on the curtain which hung at the back of -the Centurion's beleaguered corner. As the last words were spoken, a -tremulous motion stirred the heavy folds. Then they were suddenly and -silently parted immediately behind the lovers, and through the opening the -gigantic form of the Nubian body-servant was launched upon the Centurion -in rear. The steward followed him like a shadow, and simultaneously -gripped Neæra from behind. The surprised and helpless girl was speedily -dragged apart and disarmed, but to force her lover to succumb was a more -difficult task. His weapon, poised readily but lightly in his hand, was -whirled away by a sudden blow, and the horror-stricken Centurion, at the -same instant, felt himself strained in an embrace which well-nigh stopped -his respiration. By a marvellous contraction and eel-like movement of his -body, however, he succeeded in releasing his arms and twisting himself -into a position more face to face with his assailant. He was thus enabled -to grapple on fairer terms, and a terrible struggle began. - -The Nubian, as we have already said, was a giant in stature. He topped his -tall antagonist by a head, and enfolded him with an overwhelming bulk. His -huge, thick limbs and muscles, his vast breadth of chest, denoted enormous -power; but it was a slow, ponderous, elephantine strength, overloaded with -the superfluous flesh of ease and good feeding. On the other hand, his -opponent was lithe, supple, and active as a tiger--a consummate athlete, -with thews and sinews of steel. In addition, he was inspired with a fury -it is impossible to describe,--rage at the manner in which he had been -tricked--agony of desperation as he heard the faint cry of Neæra. - -With every muscle strained to its utmost tension they swayed round and -round. Macro, seeing the favourable opportunity, called on his men to join -in the struggle and secure the entrapped Centurion; but the voice of -Tiberius broke in with the brief word 'Hold.' They glanced at him in -surprise, and saw his uplifted hand and his eyes bent on the wrestlers -with eager interest. Nothing loth, therefore, they stood still to watch -the issue of the struggle. - -The knotted veins, the corded muscles, the mighty strength of the -combatants, as they rocked to and fro and panted with terrible efforts, -impressed the onlookers with awe, and thrilled them with excitement. The -immense Nubian was a mountain of bone and flesh. To move him was like -moving a column of the palace. He followed no plan but that of trying to -bore down his lighter antagonist by sheer weight and brute force. -Martialis felt that these tactics, rude as they were, must finally -prevail, if the contest were suffered to go on much longer. Mad with -passion, he gathered every atom of his strength and art into a last -frenzied effort. Finding it impossible to lift the ponderous, inanimate -mass in his arms by main force, he swerved, as quick and sudden as light, -and thrust forward his left hip, using it as a fulcrum, over which the -astonished slave felt himself whirled from his feet with irresistible -force. With his legs flying round in the air, like the spokes of a wheel, -he was dashed on the floor with a tremendous concussion, which stunned him -and shook the room. - -A yell of delirious excitement and triumph rang from the lips of -Martialis, and he glanced round, like a tiger at bay, as if for the next -victim. But nature has its limits, and the last supreme effort, added to -the extraordinary exertion and excitement of the day, had begun to tell -even on his frame of iron. As he drew himself back and clenched his hands -for a desperate dash, his eyes seem to fill with blood--lights, faces, -forms mingled in one confused gleam before him. The exultant shouts of the -soldiers, unrepressed by the presence of Caesar, filled his ears like a -muffled roar. He swayed dizzily for a brief second or two, and, as he -passed his hand across his brow as if to clear his faculties from the mist -which confused them, he was buried amid the forms of the soldiers. Their -grasp restored him, and he struggled with renewed vigour. Once or twice, -as he hurled the men right and left, he seemed on the point of breaking -through the heaving mass, but numbers and exhaustion rendered the issue no -longer doubtful. The Pretorians, whose feelings rather prompted them to -shoulder their officer in triumph, clung tenaciously to him with firm -hands. Only too pleased at the bloodless conclusion of the matter, they -received their rough handling with good-humoured jokes and entreaties, and -used their united strength with a merciful purpose. - -At the first chance a belt was passed around their prisoner, and his arms -securely buckled to his sides. Then the unfortunate Centurion perceived, -at last, that all hope was gone. - -'Caesar! tyrant!' he foamed, as he struggled frantically with his bonds, -'why did I not bury my blade in your foul heart and relieve the world? Do -your worst with me--I care nothing! But dare not to harm her; she is nobly -born and of gentle blood; beware, therefore!' - -The Emperor waved his hand. There was only time for one agonising look -between the lovers, and the Pretorians hurried their prisoner from the -room. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - -It would have greatly relieved the distracted mind of Martialis, had he -known that he occupied the Emperor's thoughts to a far greater degree than -his beloved Neæra. The brilliant beauty and wit of Plautia was too far in -the ascendant, at present, in the Imperial heart to admit of a rival, -especially one of such a different type. - -To Neæra, when she had been dismissed to safe keeping, Tiberius gave, for -the time, no further heed. Weightier matters engaged him, and very shortly -after the conclusion of the scene described in the last chapter, he rose -from the supper-table and returned to his own apartment, from which he -dismissed every one. - -Suspicion and dissimulation equipoised the Imperial mind. The former fed -the latter, and both were unutterably profound. Only the day before he had -yielded to the importunities of the Prefect, and had consented to give him -his daughter-in-law in marriage. Sejanus retired in joy, with everything -arranged for his early reception into the Imperial family. His plans, long -and carefully followed up, were now well-nigh matured, and he laughed in -his sleeve at the earnest, trustful affection which the Emperor had -displayed very liberally toward him. He was not aware of the fact that he -daily and hourly filled the buried thoughts of the old man--thoughts which -trusted nobody; that his own eager ambition was blinding him, and actually -supplying a fatal web for a subtler mind than his own to weave around him. - -The close attention which the Emperor devoted to the Prefect, by a natural -sequence, could not fail to follow the person of the Prefect's favourite -officer. If not so familiar with Martialis personally, he was well- -informed by report in all concerning him. Up to the moment when the -Centurion hurriedly accounted for his movements, the mind of Tiberius was -smouldering with passion, on the point of breaking into a fierce flame of -summary vengeance for the unparalleled temerity of a reckless invasion of -his privacy. At that particular moment his craft seized like lightning -upon an idea; his wrath sank subordinate, and became a mere simulation. We -shall presently see how his subtle conjectures were realised. For the -time, however, Martialis was spared, providing his own stubbornness -presented no further obstacle to lenience. His personal attributes, his -fearless, soldierly defiance, reached a vein of sympathy which yet lived -dormant, far down in the depths of the tyrant's heart. In his youth -Tiberius himself had been comely, tall of stature, strong of limb, and -skilled in hardy exercises; therefore the handsome face and athletic form, -the extraordinary strength, skill, and address of the young officer, had -not failed to arouse his secret admiration. The downfall of his gigantic -Nubian struck him with wonder, and relit a ray of the joys of the palæstra -of his own youthful days. But more grateful than this to his suspicious -nature, was the conclusion he drew from the frank, fearless countenance -and the simple faith of the Pretorian. Such a man might be invaluable, and -he determined that he should not be uselessly butchered, if it could be -profitably avoided. When Zeno stooped, and whisperingly reminded him of -the fact of the existence of a door, but seldom used, and hidden by the -curtain, immediately behind the position of Martialis, he assented eagerly -to the suggestion, which, we have seen, was carried out successfully. - -So far all had gone fortunately. The Emperor withdrew; and, from the dark -expression of his face, it was readily inferred that the culprit would -have short shrift. - -When alone, however, in his apartment, and safe from every eye, his mien -altered. Fits of abstraction and restless pacings of the room passed the -silent time, and as the hour of midnight approached, his impatience and -nervousness grew more marked. Several times his hand rested on a small -silver bell as if to ring, and, as often, after a few moments of -indecision, with his ears strained to catch the least sound in the deep -stillness, he turned away. Occasionally he went to one corner of the room, -and, drawing back a curtain, placed his ear close against the wall for a -few moments. Thence he would return to his seat and his book, for a space, -to leave them by and by for another excursion. Many varied positions he -occupied, now sitting, now reclining, now ambling hither and thither, -impelled by the pains of impatience and anxiety. Trifling with this -object, touching that, lifting and examining another, half unconsciously, -his state of nervous unrest, finding full vent within the deaf and -sightless walls of his retreat, was a wonderful relaxation from the -inscrutable impassiveness of his public demeanour. - -Midnight had barely passed, when two or three taps proceeded from that -corner of the room where he had often paid a visit, and bent a listening -ear. His face cleared instantly, and he stepped at once toward the sound. -Stooping down he pressed a particular spot in the angle of the wall, and a -narrow, secret panel, wholly indistinguishable before, shot silently and -swiftly upward. Through the opening stepped Zeno. - -'Well?' said Tiberius sharply; 'at last! I have waited almost beyond my -patience.' - -'I have not lingered one second longer than I could possibly help,' -replied the Greek; 'to have come sooner would have been rash.' - -'Is all safe now?' - -'Quite--he is off as sound as can be.' - -'And you are sure that no soul has passed from the palace outwards since -supper?' - -'Especial orders were given to all the guards.' - -'Come, then!' - -They stepped through the secret opening and drew down the shutter after -them. It closed with a subdued, but clear 'click,' which denoted the -hidden instrumentality of a highly-perfected spring. Zeno went on first -with the lamp. They descended two narrow winding flights of steps cut in -the rock; and at their foot, another door, as cunningly contrived and -hidden away, gave way to their potent touch in the same mysterious manner. -They were now in a wider gallery, all rock-hewn and faced with brick. On -either side were ranged doors; and, at a little distance away, a lamp hung -from the ceiling, like a yellow beacon light struggling with the -subterranean gloom. Immediately beneath this lamp Zeno halted before a -door. - -'Are there none but ourselves below?' muttered Tiberius. - -'No one,' returned Zeno; 'I despatched every one on one pretence and -another, and having seen all clear, locked up the main outlet myself.' - -The steward pushed with his finger one of the many iron studs or bolt- -heads which strengthened the door. It slid back a couple of inches and -disclosed a small peep-hole, through which he peered. Satisfied with his -scrutiny he unlocked the door and they went in. The chamber was about -twelve feet square, and furnished with a small tripod stand, a stool, and -a pallet bed. From the ceiling hung a lamp which threw down a dismal light -on the cheerless place. - -On the bed was stretched the form of Martialis in careless grace, with one -sinewy arm hanging down at length over the pallet-side, toward the floor. -His appearance was corpse-like. His closed eyes, his bold, handsome -features, his dark hair curling crisply over his brow, seemed all fixed in -the tranquil marble beauty of the early moments of death. Not a breath -seemed to part his moulded lips, and the steel cuirass which encased his -body hid effectually all sign of movement beneath. Tiberius started and -turned a frowning, inquiring glance on his companion. Zeno pointed to some -victuals and an empty pitcher which stood on the small stand. - -'He has eaten nothing and drunk every drop--he will give no trouble.' - -'How--have you killed him?' demanded the Emperor sternly. - -'Ah no, Caesar--the drug was harmless for that, but potent enough to make -him no better than a clod for some hours; and a mercy for him, as you -would say, had you seen his state of mind. We may do what we please with -him.' - -The steward spoke the truth, for, in the handling to which the inanimate -Pretorian was subjected, he exhibited no symptom of consciousness. -Underneath his cuirass they found a stout leather belt buckled round his -waist. Attached to the belt was a pouch securely fastened, and from this -the Emperor drew several scrolls of papyri--the paper of the ancients, made -from the Egyptian plant of that name. Taking these to the lamp on the -tripod, Tiberius turned his back on his trusty steward, and proceeded to -unroll them with eager trembling fingers. He glanced through the written -contents of each with a rapid practised eye, but found nothing therein, -save dry official reports from the deputy in command of the Pretorian camp -at Rome. His countenance fell gradually as he proceeded, and when he -arrived at the end, he gave vent to a muttered ejaculation of -disappointment. One other scroll remained, which was not of an official -nature, but evidently a late production of a bookseller's shop. - -It may be as well to explain that the book of the Romans in no point -resembled that of modern days, inasmuch as binding and pages formed no -component parts. The work of a Roman author was written on one continuous -strip of papyrus or parchment, of more or less length. This was rolled -round a stick of appropriate size in the same manner as a modern map or -chart, the exterior being neatly finished and lettered with the title of -the book. It is probable enough that the latter was also exhibited on a -ticket attached to the end of the roll, as affording a readier means of -ascertaining any particular book, when laid together on the shelves of the -library, or dropped endwise into the circular boxes used for their -transport. - -The remaining roll or book, which the Emperor now took up, was sheathed in -a purple parchment covering. Sliding off the latter, he found the volume -to be of a nature he had already guessed with the accuracy of experience. -It was a satire, a _vers-de-societé_, by one of the poetasters of the day, -and very showily got up. As the outer sheath was removed a small slip of -paper fell out. It was an epistle, which ran as follows:-- - - - 'Knowing you must at times feel dull with an out-of-the-world - feeling, I have sent the accompanying volume in the hope it may - prove acceptable; it is only small, and will not add much to the - bulk and weight of your despatches. It is the last new thing by - Varius, and quite the rage. I have a very poor opinion of the - composition myself; but, as an elegant and artistic specimen of - the publisher's workmanship, I think it is as admirable as any I - have yet seen--even to the mute wood itself, whose ornamentation - you will find well worthy of examination. It is mournful to think - that the bookmaker's art should be so needed nowadays to eke out - an author's want of wit.' - - -Now it happened that Tiberius, who was very devoted to literature, had -already perused the satire he now held. Every new publication of the city -was punctually forwarded to him, as might be expected. He, therefore, -unrolled the paper, which was about a yard and a half in length, and six -or eight inches wide, and glanced his eye down the beautifully charactered -effusion. There was also a portrait of the author included on the scroll; -but as it was all identical with what he had already seen, he passed it -over and bestowed more attention upon the wooden roller, to observe if -there was anything about it worthy of more particular notice than he had -before given to the one in his own possession. The little roller was plain -and coloured black, but each end was ornamented with a boss, rather of -conical shape, carved and picked out with brilliant colours. Tiberius -gazed at it and strove to compare it mentally with his own specimen. He -read the accompanying letter again, and tried hard to discover the -peculiar beauties of the wooden cylinder, so particularly recommended. He -failed to perceive anything extraordinary, but there seemed to be -something in the bulk thereof which struck him as unusual. Turning to -Zeno, he despatched him to his library to bring him his own copy. The -Greek soon returned, and Tiberius compared the two volumes. They were -exactly similar, being copies of the same edition; but, when he placed the -wooden cylinders together, he saw at once there was a difference in their -circumferences. That which belonged to the Prefect was very perceptibly -thicker; but, as the bosses affixed to the ends remained the same size, it -followed, that the margin of the projection was less in the Prefect's than -his own. The Emperor knitted his brows, and riveted his gaze on the two -cylinders in profound meditation. Then he once more studied the nameless -epistle to refresh his memory; after which he bestowed another examination -on the books. Something in the relative weights of the cylinders seemed to -strike him, so, arranging the rolls of paper to which they were attached -as to interfere as little as possible, he balanced the rollers on the tips -of his fingers of both hands. Then, as if dubious, he called in the aid of -Zeno, briefly pointing out the facts of the case. The Greek took the -cylinders into his own hands, and after minutely examining them, he -weighed them as his master had done. For a further test he tapped the -thicker roller with a little metal key, and listened attentively to the -sound. Then he balanced them again, and finally gave it as his opinion, -that the thicker roller was lighter than the smaller one, and, moreover, -sounded as though it were hollow. The eyes of Emperor and steward -exchanged a significant flash. - -'Such a condition is neither usual nor necessary,' said Tiberius. 'Let us -try and discover the reason.' - -The Greek took the suspected cylinder into his long supple fingers, and -made a very minute scrutiny of the junction of the bosses at either end. -Then, by patient and delicate, but firm manipulation, he proceeded to try -if they were detachable. After a considerable amount of persuasive force -of handling, one of the bosses yielded a hair's-breadth. He renewed his -efforts, and the Emperor's eyes glistened. The boss became looser and -looser, and in a minute's time came off altogether. They were now enabled -to perceive that the original bosses had been fitted to a new cylinder. -That one which had been removed, instead of being affixed in the usual way -to a flat surface, had been hollowed a little to receive the end of the -roller, and then tightened with a thin application of glue. The roller, as -Zeno had suspected, was hollow. He turned it upside down and a little -scroll of very thin paper dropped out. The fingers of the Emperor closed -on it like lightning. His eyes flamed with a ferocious delight as he -carefully unrolled a few inches of the fragile document and read therein. - -'Haste--bring tablets, paper, anything--like the wind!' he whispered -excitedly. Zeno hastened away, and Tiberius, huddling against the lamp, -devoured the contents of the secret missive with eyes starting from his -head, and mouth agape in astonishment. Rage, hate, and delirious joy -thrilled him as he read. His hands, his body, and his limbs trembled with -the force of his excitement. Swiftly reading to the close, he dropped the -little quivering paper, and laughed with triumph. Startled by his own -voice he looked fearfully round at Martialis; but the Centurion lay -deathlike in the profound stupor of his drugged slumbers. With uneasy, -hasty steps the Emperor paced the narrow dungeon, muttering inaudibly -until Zeno entered with writing materials. Then he sat down to make a copy -of the secret, and evidently fateful, missive intended for the eyes of the -Prefect alone. - -The task occupied longer than it would otherwise have done, owing to the -agitated mind and trembling fingers of the writer; but at length it came -to an end. The original letter was restored to its hiding-place in the -roller, and the boss skilfully replaced by Zeno, who carefully heated the -incrusted glue over the flame of the lamp to cause it to hold firmly. - -The documents were then replaced in the pouch of the Centurion, and his -dress arranged without a sign to show that he had been tampered with. - -'Send to the Prefect with the first light of day, and acquaint him with -the position of his courier and the causes thereof,' said Tiberius. 'He -will, without doubt, attend personally--let him see his messenger if he -wishes, and obtain his despatches with his own hands. When that is done -and he is gone, I will see this youth myself. We have made a good night's -work--you will find it to your benefit as to mine--now to bed!' - - - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - -Martialis awoke, or rather came gradually to consciousness, next morning, -with a dull torpor weighing on him like lead, and a brain confused and -racking with pain. Zeno's sleeping potion, whatever it was, had been mixed -with a liberal hand. Memory came slowly back through the stupor which -clogged his senses, and he instinctively felt for the despatches of which -he had charge. They were there all right, and he turned his heavy aching -head toward the little table. A jug stood thereon along with the victuals -he had left untouched the night before. To his joy he found it had been -replenished with water. His mouth was parched and his lips dry and -cracked, and he drank with avidity. The grateful draught restored him -vastly, and he also partook of some bread and fruit. Then lying back again -on the bed he gave himself up to his poignant reflections, and awaited -what should follow. - -He had ever the most strict injunctions to deliver papers and despatches -to no one but the Prefect himself, whenever he was employed as their -bearer, therefore there arose the idea in his mind, and a hope also, that -his commander would be one of the first to visit him, if allowed. At any -rate, captive as he was, he determined not to give up his charge to any -one but the Prefect himself, or to some one authorised by the Prefect, in -writing, to receive the same. Thus he might be able, perhaps, to cause his -commander to visit him in person, an act he was earnestly desirous of, -since he hoped to gain his influence in his behalf, and more especially in -that of Neæra. Of her his mind was filled with fears and imaginings which -tortured him with sufferings of suspense too deep to be described. He knew -nothing of the time, whether it was night or day, since he was beneath -ground; but he had been lying long awake when he heard a key put into the -door. To his joy his conjectures were realised by the entrance of Sejanus. -The Prefect was genuinely troubled at the situation of his favourite -officer, and drew from him a detailed relation of what had occurred. - -'You were ill-advised in being so bold and desperate,' said Sejanus, -shaking his head. 'A calmer method would have been more politic.' - -'I think not, though I never stayed at the time to deliberate,' returned -Martialis sternly. 'Being too late to deliver her ere she reached this -accursed place, I knew that no escape but death remained for her--therefore -I gave her the means. But for a cunning trick all had been successful, and -you, Prefect, would now have been lacking a Centurion and a few -Pretorians.' - -'Humph, it is better as it is, Martialis--we must have you free of this -place again.' - -'Preserve her, Prefect; I care little for myself if I am assured of her -safety. Do this for me, I adjure you; for I have spared nothing in your -service. Pray and entreat him, and if he be still pitiless, do as I did, -and find the means of providing her with a secret weapon of freedom. She -will bless you as I will--promise me, Prefect, in mercy to her--to us both! -The gods only know what agony of mind is mine. The torture of thinking of -the pure, sweet girl in the power of those wretches above us--to imagine -her shrinking in their foul, pitiless hands--oh!' The young man shook his -clenched fists and then buried his face in his hands. - -His distress, and the poignant groan which closed his speech moved his -commander's heart, albeit not over sensitive in such matters. - -'My best efforts shall not be wanting,' he replied. 'Think better of it. -It is early yet, but as soon as Caesar is stirring, I will put this matter -right, depend upon it--why, I cannot do without thee.' - -Martialis uttered his thanks, and, after some more questions in connection -with his mission to Rome, the Prefect buckled the courier's belt -underneath his cloak and departed from the cell. - -The weary time lagged on until the prisoner once more rose from his -recumbent position to greet his commander, who returned with a grave look -on his dark handsome face. Martialis beheld it with a failing heart. - -'I have done what I could, and have gone as far as I could, with safety; -but you have provoked him in no light fashion,' said Sejanus, shaking his -head. - -'And she?' cried the young man. - -'Well, as to her, you may rest easy. She is no longer in the palace, but -has been sent away to the household of Livia for safe keeping.' - -'Thank heaven! And to you, thanks are all I am able to give for your good -offices,' cried Martialis. - -His voice choked--his lip trembled. The revulsion of feeling was too much -for his overstrung nature to bear, and tears stopped his voice. - -'There is nothing due to me,' said the Prefect; 'the transfer was already -accomplished; but, being where she is, she shall not fail of careful -watching. The noble Livia, as you may have heard, becomes my bride ere -long.' - -'I knew it not, but wish you every joy,' said Martialis, yet without -warmth; for he could not help recalling to his thoughts the Prefect's -divorced wife Apicata, who had been frivolously put aside, no doubt to -make way for his present betrothal. 'It may be I have only a few hours to -live, but the sting of death is gone since I know my Neæra is safe. Tell -her, Prefect, that my last thoughts were of her and for her.' - -'Humph, Caesar is ruffled without doubt, but he does not make away with my -Pretorians so easily,' said Sejanus, with a proud curl of his lip; 'you -may leave your last will and bequest over for a space yet.' - -'It is all in your hands, Prefect,' returned the other. - -Sejanus retired, and Martialis was left once more alone with his thoughts. -They were tranquil and even buoyant to what they had been, and he began to -conjecture and weigh arguments in the discussion of his own case. He had -no craven fear of death, but, at the same time, he was young and an ardent -lover, and life had gone pleasantly with him. It cost him a deep pang to -think on what might have been, and Neæra being out of peril, his hold on -the hope of liberty was strengthened in spite of himself. He knew the -stern relentless nature of Tiberius, but he relied on the influence of the -commander, who he was certain would hazard much in his defence. - -So he ruminated and turned these things over and over in his mind, -wondering when he should again see the light of day. Zeno, with a guard, -paid him a visit to attend to his wants, and bring him a fresh supply of -provisions, but the worthy Greek was singularly uncommunicative. - -When they were gone the prisoner ate and drank more heartily than he had -hitherto done, and, lying down again, fell asleep. - -He was awakened by a touch on his shoulder. Opening his eyes he saw, to -his extreme surprise, the Emperor himself standing by his side. He started -up and perceived they were alone together. His heart beat quickly, and -wild thoughts began to rise. There was the tyrant defenceless before -him--the cause, as he believed, of the present situation of himself and -Neæra,--an old man, whom he could crush like a nutshell, delivered to his -hand. Whilst his mind flamed with this idea, his eye instinctively sought -the door, to ascertain whether it was closed upon them. Tiberius, -meanwhile, stood motionless before him. He read the young man's passing -thoughts quite readily--not a motion or glance escaped him. - -'We are alone, and it occurs to you that I am now in your power,' said he, -with the utmost calmness; 'I admit it.' - -A flush arose to the cheek of Martialis. It needed no words of Caesar to -show him that he had little to gain from such a desperate act, save a -momentary satisfaction of savage revenge. - -'I have been sorely tried,' he replied, drawing a deep breath; 'if such an -idea flashed into my mind it died on the instant--you need have no fear.' - -'I knew it,' said Tiberius; 'I love my Pretorians, and an officer and -youth of such prowess as you have proved yourself to possess, is well -worthy of the mature consideration of a ruler. The circumstances of your -case are so unusual that my interest has led me to visit you personally.' - -Martialis bowed his head. - -'One thing seems to demand forbearance, and that is your youth, with its -hot unreasoning blood. Without thought, scruple, or calculation of a -moment, you plunge headlong into my chamber, amid my guests and servants, -utterly regardless of everything, in pursuit of your sweetheart, just as -you would, doubtless, have rushed into the midst of a band of Satyrs.' - -'You are right--I was excited to desperation--I would have followed her -anywhere--nor do I now repent,' said the young man frankly; 'the welfare of -my betrothed is more to me than life itself.' - -Tiberius nodded gently, with a countenance as impassive as the Sphinx. - -'I entreated your pardon, Caesar, for my rude intrusion into the privacy -of the Imperial chamber, and I humbly submit my fault once more for your -forbearance and forgiveness,' added Martialis quickly. - -'It was a fault which set at defiance all discipline, authority, and -respect. What then is the punishment? You, as a soldier, ought to know.' - -'I am well aware that my offence brings me within the extreme punishment -of all. Caesar is master of life and death.' - -'Is there any reason why the penalty should not be enforced?' - -'I am ready,' said Martialis, calmly returning the gaze of the Emperor. -'But, as a soldier, who has ever done his duty, two requests might be -mercifully granted.' - -'Name them.' - -'That I suffer no dishonourable death, and that the maiden may be returned -to her people in safety and honour. Or, if these be too much, grant, at -least, the latter, and deal with me as you will as regards the former.' - -'I have said that your headstrong youth claims an amount of indulgence, -and I grant both requests.' - -'Thanks from my heart.' - -'Your betrothed shall not be harmed--she is now in safe keeping. There is -the first condition settled.' - -'Then I am at peace.' - -'And for the other, you shall name yourself the manner of your death.' - -'A single sword-thrust here,' said the Centurion, laying his hand over his -heart. 'I bear an old and honourable name.' - -Tiberius bent a long and searching gaze upon him, and then rising to his -feet, paced up and down the cell for some moments. - -'I love my Pretorians, and cannot bear to see them come to harm,' he -muttered. The words reached the ears of Martialis, whose heart throbbed -with renewed hope which would not be denied. Then Caesar returned to his -seat and said, 'The Prefect has spoken to me concerning you--has he seen -you here?' - -'He came for the despatches I bore,' answered the Centurion; 'I know he -would speak favourably of me.' - -'He did so--you often act as his courier?' - -'Very frequently.' - -'I remember to have seen you before in that capacity.' - -'I have often had the honour of carrying important letters between the -Prefect and yourself.' - -'Yes, you are favoured with his confidence. Do your missions ever include -any diplomatic or political business?' - -'No--I know nothing of either, and have no desire to learn. My profession -suffices to fill my entire attention.' - -'Good,' said the Emperor approvingly; 'you are a soldier, pure and simple, -as you ought to be. It is all the more pity you have committed this -fault.' - -He rose from his seat and walked the cell again. Martialis watched him -anxiously. - -'It is strange that you, a man of noble blood, should stoop to a girl of a -base artisan,' said Tiberius. 'Do you say you are betrothed, and meant to -marry her?' - -'I did,' replied the other, with a little sternness; 'you have already -passed your word for her safety, and that is sufficient assurance: but I -have reason to believe, Caesar, that she is not the potter's child.' - -'I have already heard that--it requires proof, however--give it me,' said -Tiberius, with an incredulous smile curling his lip. - -'I cannot prove it,' returned Martialis; 'but at least I can tell you all -I know.' - -And he accordingly related the slender facts committed to him the previous -night. - -'And this man, Cestus, whom she supposes to be her uncle--is he still in -Surrentum?' - -'I cannot tell. But his last words were, that he would hasten away to Rome -at once--I presume to reveal all to her relatives.' - -'Did he not say who these were?' - -'I should have said relative,' replied Martialis; 'according to his tale -there is only one remaining--her grandfather, Fabricius, who lives on the -Janiculum.' - -'Fabricius of the Janiculum,' repeated Tiberius, tapping his forehead; -'Fabricius belongs to other days, but if I am not mistaken, his heir is -fully with the times. Is he not the worthy Domitius Afer, the bosom friend -of the Prefect?' - -Martialis was confused and silent, for he saw he had unwittingly betrayed -what Cestus had particularly enjoined him to keep secret. - -'If this is so, then the tale certainly grows in interest,' continued -Tiberius, with a dark twinke of his eyes; 'it lends it more substance and -probability.' - -'I made a breach of trust in causing the name of Afer to be revealed,' -said Martialis anxiously; 'were he to know, it might prove a risk to her.' - -'Be at peace, Centurion--I have such sympathy with the knight, that I could -ill bear the matter to be interrupted for his sake.' - -Caesar smiled grimly, and then his brows knitted in deep thought. He -remained thus for some minutes without speaking. The young man's heart -throbbed fast, and it needed a great effort to retain an outward -appearance of composure. - -'Centurion,' said Tiberius, at length raising his head from his breast, 'I -love my Pretorians, and to deal hardly with them pains my heart. I have -pondered on your case, and find much in excuse of your conduct--the -inconsiderate rashness and haste of your youth, and the overwrought state -of your feelings, which was only to be expected. I will not say I pardon -you, but I will give you a chance of redeeming your liberty.' - -The Centurion faltered out his thanks from a heart overflowing with joy. - -'Anything that may be honestly undertaken I will strain body and mind to -accomplish, and prove my sense of your clemency,' he said. - -'You will find it to your taste, Centurion,' said Tiberius, speaking with -a polished affability which proved irresistible to his astonished -prisoner. 'I propose that you busy yourself in establishing the identity -of your betrothed with the granddaughter of Fabricius of the Janiculum. -The fate of your endeavours will determine your own.' - -Dumfounded with excess of wonder and joy, Martialis was speechless for a -few moments. It seemed too good to be true, and he gazed in Caesar's face -with a lurking suspicion that, perhaps, he was, after all, the object of a -bitter joke. - -'Do you accept?' asked Tiberius, smiling. - -'Ah, if I were sure you do not jest.' - -'Should you fail in proving your point you will eventually find it no -jest.' - -'It shall not be for the want of a trial--but how am I to commence, and -when?' - -'Proceed on your task in the manner you think best; you shall be set at -liberty to-night. Since you are so swift and faithful a courier, I will -also entrust something of my own to your care. It will, therefore, be -necessary for you to proceed to Rome direct. I do not choose it to be -known that I have broken the law, which demands that you should be -punished--it would be impolitic. It is, therefore, necessary that you -depart in absolute secrecy. That will be arranged for you. At nightfall -you will be removed to the villa Neptune, whither I am about to start -within an hour. I will, again, see you there, and, till then, breathe not -a word, or your hope will be cut off at once--nay, you must even continue -to appear the downcast prisoner whose hours are numbered.' - -'I will attend to the very letter of your instructions--Caesar will never -be better served,' replied the Pretorian; 'I only wish you gave me a -better opportunity to prove my gratitude.' - -'You are hasty--you have nothing but the tale of an idle vagabond to rely -on. If I were in your place, I should have preferred the chance of facing -a cohort single-handed. You know the terms--consider them in the interval.' - -So saying Tiberius left the cell, and Martialis flung himself on the bed -to think on what had passed. - -Was this the cruel Tiberius? It was hardly to be realised! It was so -extraordinary that his heart failed, as the sickening thought crept into -his mind that he was the victim of refined cruelty. His senses were on the -alert, with an expectation which was positive pain. If Caesar were as good -as his word, he would be breathing the pure air of heaven in a few hours. -The thought filled him with the glowing warmth and comfort of wine. On -Cestus everything depended. Had he left for Rome? Should he meet him at -the house of Fabricius? Had he the proofs, as he asserted, and would they -be conclusive and satisfactory to the old man? Was she really anything but -the simple girl he had always known her? The potter's wife said she never -had a child of her own. Her beauty seemed never to spring from such lowly -parents. She bore no resemblance to them, and her lofty courage was such -as comes with the proud blood of ancient ancestry. - -Thus, with a multitude of thoughts vivid and wild, presumptive, yet -inconclusive, he waited and burned for the hour of his deliverance. It -came, at last, in the person of Zeno and half a dozen Pretorians. - -The Centurion played his part well, and asked various questions as to his -destination and fate; but, when they produced bonds to fasten him, he drew -back. - -'No--not those,' said he proudly; 'I will go with you, comrades, without -giving you the trouble of a knot or a buckle.' - -They assented, and presently all left the cell and marched down to the -Marina. Here they took boat, and were rowed to the north-west side of the -island, where the villa Neptune stood. Ascending the cliffs by a narrow -flight of steps cut in the rock, they reached the level ground above and -entered the villa. Martialis was conducted to a cell beneath ground, and -very similar to the one he had left, save that it was somewhat larger. -Wine and food was brought him, and he proceeded at once to make a hearty -meal. The fresh air had invigorated him, and dispelled, in a great -measure, the vapours with which his drugged drink had filled him. -Moreover, it was dusk by the time they had entered the villa, and he -expected and hoped to encounter a night's toil. He had just finished -eating when the key rattled in the lock, and Caesar entered. - -'Have you eaten well, for you have a long journey before you?' asked -Tiberius. - -'I am ready,' replied Martialis. - -'Then listen! On your own concern, proceed as you think best, but first of -all you must carry and deliver a letter for me.' - -'I will ride without a single stop.' - -'Wait until you hear, for this business must be carried out in a different -manner, else I had not brought you here. It is necessary, for the reasons -already given, that your absence be not known to any one. Whilst you are -leagues away, the guard will still be stationed at the upper end of the -corridor, under the belief that you are a prisoner. Provisions will still -be supplied, and all details will go on, in order that no suspicion may be -aroused. I, myself, and the Prefect are journeying down the coast, -southward, for a few days, so that no one will interfere--you comprehend -fully?' - -'Quite.' - -'This letter you must deliver at the earliest,' said the Emperor, drawing -a small packet from his bosom. 'Never rest until you have placed it with -your own hands in those of the lady to whom it is addressed. Guard it and -care for it as your own life. I never wrote a more important and weighty -despatch. You see, I place implicit faith in you.' - -'You will have no occasion to repent your faith,' replied Martialis, who -now began to perceive that something more than personal interest in -himself was answerable for his ruler's clemency and strange proceeding. - -'That I fully expect,' said Tiberius, 'and, as your absence from -confinement is not to be revealed here, it follows, naturally, that your -presence must not be known in the city. Were it known there it would -speedily be known here. For that end, therefore, you must not stir abroad -in the city in daylight. That is all. It is simple. You will deliver the -packet promptly at the first nightfall possible. The second night after -that you will go and receive an answer and return straightway. The mean -time you may use for your own concern; but I forbid you to run any risk of -betraying your presence.' - -The Emperor clapped his hands and Zeno entered. He bore an armful of -clothing, and proceeded to disguise the outward appearance of the -Centurion. The cuirass, high boots, and all vestiges of the military -profession, were exchanged for the loose garments of a trader, in the -breast of which the nimble-fingered Greek adroitly concealed and secured -the secret missive of his master. To complete all, a wig was drawn over -the close, curling locks of the Centurion, which more than all effected a -transformation in the young man's appearance. - -''Twill not blind every one, unless the Centurion can manage to alter his -speech and bearing to suit,' said Zeno. - -'It will serve his purpose sufficiently well. Let him never speak until -compelled,' said Tiberius. 'Now you may start, Centurion. Here in writing -is the name and place required for the delivery of the letter. Keep it in -your pouch, and do not preserve it longer than necessary. Here is money, -also, without which you cannot move. Do not spare it. Go now and be -secret. Zeno will conduct you.' - -Tiberius nodded, and, Martialis turning round, saw, to his astonishment a -narrow opening in the cell wall opposite to the door, and beside it Zeno -standing smiling, with a lantern in his hand, ready to conduct him. - -'It leads to the grotto beneath, and so avoids busy eyes above,' said the -Emperor. '_Vale._' - -The steward went through the secret opening, and Martialis followed down a -narrow subterranean way for a considerable distance. The descent was -continuous, and in some places by means of broad shallow steps. A door -closed the exit, and when Zeno opened it he gave the key to his companion. - -'You must return to Capreae by no other way than this. On the upper door -you will find a small knob on the left hand side; press it and you will be -able to enter your cell again.' - -Then desiring him to stand still lest he should fall into the water, the -steward lit a torch, with which he had provided himself, and Martialis -perceived they were in the largest of those wonderful caverns or grottoes -which exist in various places in the island, along the foot of the sea- -washed cliffs. As one of the wonders of the island he had been in it -before, though, of course, entering from the sea; and had seen with -delight and wonder the dazzling effects of the blue refraction of the -light in daytime, and the lovely silvery colour which the deep water lent -to every object immersed therein. The torch of Zeno gave sufficient light -by which to unmoor a light skiff which floated beside the little landing- -place on which they stood. The red glare fell on the still, dark, deep -water, but failed to pierce to the lofty roof, or yet to the full circuit -of the cavern, which nature had curiously domed out of the rock. The -Centurion got into the boat and Zeno gave him the torch, advising him, at -the same time, to be careful to provide himself with another on his return -as well as the means of lighting it. He pushed off the shallop, and the -impetus was sufficient to bring it to the outlet of the cavern. This was -an orifice of small dimensions, and so low that it did not admit of even a -sitting posture in the boat. Guiding his skiff therein, Martialis threw -his torch into the water and uttered a farewell which rolled in hollow -echoes through the cavern. Then he lay down at full length in the boat, -and giving a vigorous shove, swept out into the open moonlit sea without. - - - - - - PART III. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - -Though Quintus Fabricius had long since withdrawn from public life, and -spent his days mainly in the library of his mansion, he was not altogether -so secluded in his habits, as to entirely forego the society of two or -three ancient friends and colleagues of the busy days of politics gone by. -From supper at the house of one of these, he returned one evening at an -early old-fashioned hour, and upon entering his own hall, was met by -Natta, his ancient steward, who informed him, that a man who had travelled -for days to see him, was now awaiting him on some pressing business. -Fabricius, thinking, perhaps, it was some affair connected with some -distant estate, desired the visitor to be brought, and, entering his -favourite library, sat down before the fire, being still deep in the -thoughts of a literary discussion which had raged over the supper-table. -In a few moments Natta ushered in Cestus. He looked pale and worn; his -brows wore an anxious wrinkle, and his glance was uneasy and restless. It -was now the fourth evening following that on which Martialis had quitted -him in the despoiled dwelling of Masthlion. The wind blowing fair, and -promising a speedy voyage, he had embarked on a trader bound for Ostia, -but contrary to expectation the passage proved long and tedious, owing to -the wind falling light and baffling. On reaching port, with a mind -overwrought with impatience, he posted along without stop, until he -reached the mansion on the Janiculum. It was not without an amount of -distrust he appeared before the old ex-senator. It was no pricking of -conscience for the wrong he had done him, but purely fear, lest he might -be recognised in connection with the part he had played in that self-same -room, at no great distance of time back, when he had acted the part of a -murderous decoy. He trusted, however, to his changed appearance, which he -had ever maintained, and, at the worst, was confident that he had the -power to make almost his own terms. - -He met the scrutiny of Fabricius, therefore, with his accustomed boldness, -and when, after a lengthened survey, the old man motioned him forward and -asked his business, he felt relieved with the assurance that he was not -recognised. - -'I have come a long way from the south--I have been travelling for days to -see you,' said he; 'that means important business, noble Fabricius, and I -must ask you to hear it alone with me.' - -But Natta was deaf to the hint and moved not from his post behind; nor did -his master give him any sign to do so. - -'My steward has my confidence in everything--go on!' said Fabricius. - -'You will pardon me, but before a third person I cannot speak; nor would -you suffer another to be present if you knew what I had to say.' - -'Then leave it unsaid!' replied the old man testily. - -Cestus drew near him and said in a low tone, - -'Did you not receive a letter, not long ago, containing a piece of -ribbon?' - -Fabricius started and fixed an intent look on the Suburan. His breast -heaved with a sudden emotion. - -'Well, what of it?' he said. - -'You did receive it, then?' said Cestus. - -Fabricius nodded hastily. - -'Then I am the bearer of a further message from him who wrote that letter -and sent that ribbon--and see, here is my warrant!' - -Cestus drew from his breast the remaining portion of the faded ribbon from -which he had cut the former piece enclosed to Fabricius. When the eyes of -the latter fell on it, his frame trembled with an agitation he could not -hide. He motioned Natta to depart, and when the door was closed, he -unlocked a cabinet, and took therefrom the tablets he had received, with -the ribbon in question. His eye had told him, at a glance, that the two -portions were of the self-same fabric; but, partly to hide his feelings, -and because he felt he could scarcely trust his voice, he nervously went -on fitting the severed ends together. - -'You see that all is right--that one piece has been cut from the other,' -said Cestus at length. - -'Who are you, and what do you know of this?' asked Fabricius, in a voice -which palpably trembled. 'Something in your face or tone seems familiar to -me.' - -'I cannot say whether I resemble any one you know, noble sir,' replied the -Suburan, with _sang froid_; 'but, touching the ribbon, it was sent because -it is of an uncommon pattern; for which reason it was also thought you -might remember and recognise it, as having been worn by the child, your -granddaughter, long ago.' - -'I could not remember it; but when it came, like a message from the dead, -I searched among the little garments and clothing in the child's room, -which remains undisturbed as when she left it, and there I found some more -of the same pattern. How came you by it? Tell me quickly what you know; -and yet most likely it is nothing but another befooling--another deception -of a foolish, fond, old man!' - -'I know well enough you have been fooled many times, but I know just as -well, that you never had a proof like this--something to see and -touch--something that fits into its proper place, in this affair, without -any denial. This is different to the tales and tricks which have been -specially made to draw money from your coffers. The girl is alive and -well, and I have other proofs, better than this, to show and tell you.' - -'Man--man! if money be your object, you are labouring in vain,' said -Fabricius, feebly endeavouring to appear firm and resolute; 'I have spent -my last coin in the folly, and now when extreme age is beginning to lay -its hold on me, I have at last learnt my lesson from experience. In no -great time now I shall be with my fathers--there will be an end of my -sorrows--for that I can now wait. If you are bent on extortion and -falsehood your opportunity is gone. Nay more, I will put an end to such -deception, and claim the help of justice--so take care!' - -'It is a pity you never did so before,' said Cestus. 'Had you done so, you -might possibly have learnt something which would have saved you no end of -bother, disappointment, and money. However, all that you shall learn -presently. I have something to ask of you, it is true; but I ask it on -condition that you fulfil your promise, only, when you are fully satisfied -and claim your grandchild. You see how certain I must be when I can offer -such terms.' - -'What is it you ask?' - -'That you give me your solemn promise, to allow me to go unharmed by you -or any one else, and that, in consideration of my services, you will -reward me with what you consider a fair return--the amount I leave to your -own liberality.' - -'Why do you wish me to guarantee to keep you safe and unharmed? What -necessity for this, when your action would be kind and merciful in the -highest degree?' - -'Because, when you hear the history of the whole affair, it is possible my -part in it may not please you,' said the Suburan coolly. - -'If you have wronged her or me you shall be punished, and everything shall -be wrung from you, as you deserve, without guarantee or reward.' - -'Then, in that case, I will go no further; and you shall never see or hear -of your missing grandchild again, simply for the reason, that I, alone, -know who and where she is, and I, alone, hold the proofs of the same. I -desire to serve myself as well as you; but, at the same time, I will not -thrust myself into danger on that account. Without your promise in writing -I will say nothing, except this, that she was safe and well until four -days ago, when something occurred which has put her in some danger--you -must understand she has grown up tall and comely. I have, therefore, come -at much cost and fatigue, in mercy to you and her. Her situation at -present is not to be envied, and the sooner we come to terms and see to -her welfare the better.' - -'I must know more than this--this is only a tale like others I have heard, -save, that it is, perhaps, more ingenious and plausible,' said Fabricius, -in a great tremor. 'Give me more proofs--show me that I may place faith in -you, and you will find that I shall not be behindhand with you in anything -that is fair and reasonable.' - -Cestus knit his brows and mused a little. - -'I thought it would have been enough for any man to see I was no -impostor,' he said at length, pointing at the ribbons; 'the child wore -those when she was taken away from here--is it not enough?' - -'No!' answered Fabricius. - -'To give me such a paper will not in any way commit you, Fabricius; for, -in it, you will not undertake to fulfil your promise, till you are -satisfied that I have done my part in the business.' - -'I will do nothing without further assurance that I am not trifled -with--let that end it!' - -'Very well, then, in consideration for the young girl, for whom I have a -regard, I will give way a point from what I had determined, in order that -she may not be sacrificed--otherwise your stubbornness would ruin all. If I -were to bring you the clothes she wore when you lost her, even to an -amulet, would you then give me the writing?' - -'Yes, if they satisfied me as being hers.' - -'Would you know them?' - -'I would know the amulet.' - -'Good--then I will bring them!' - -'Have you not them with you?' - -'No; but they are not far away,' said Cestus, with a cunning grin. 'I am -not in the habit of surrendering myself so completely; but now, with the -assurance of your promise, I will do what I had no intention of doing. You -may send your slaves along with me if you wish.' - -'Go alone. If you do not return I shall know that one more attempt on my -credulity has failed.' - -'A few minutes will set your doubts at rest,' replied Cestus, and he left -the room. - -As soon as he was gone, the patrician poured out some wine, with a -trembling hand, and drank it to brace his aged frame against the nervous -tremor which possessed it. His agitation would not allow him to rest, so -he wandered up and down the apartment. Once or twice he listened at the -door which stood ajar, and, whilst doing so, heard the sound of returning -steps. It was his visitor returning with Natta at his side. Both entered -as before, but the suspicious steward again received the sign to withdraw. -Cestus advanced to the table, beside which Fabricius has reseated himself, -and laid thereon a bundle, carefully wrapped up and tied. - -'These are the traps,' he said, and proceeded to open the parcel. Taking -out the tiny garments of a child he displayed them on the table. - -The old man, with a strange inarticulate cry, seized them in his hands, -and examined them with a devouring eagerness. - -'See!' said Cestus, laying his broad finger-tip against an embroidered -mark on one of the little linen underclothes, 'here is a mark of -ownership, I take it.' - -'Yes, yes! But the amulet!' cried Fabricius feverishly. - -'Here 'tis,' replied the Suburan, drawing from his bosom a little soft -leather bag, having a fine steel chain attached. - -His companion pounced on it, and plucked out a small agate, carved into -the shape of an open hand, bearing a curious symbol cut into the palm. - -He gazed on it for a few moments, with his wrinkled face twitching. Then -he pressed it convulsively to his lips, and, sinking his head, buried his -face in the child's garments on the table, huddling them up against his -silvery hairs with both arms. - -Cestus, anxious and impatient as he was, forbore to break the silence. - -At length Fabricius raised his head and spoke in a broken voice, 'I am an -old man and you must excuse my weakness, friend--the sight of these trifles -tries me hard.' - -'Drink!' said Cestus, filling a cup; 'there is nothing like good wine to -cheer one. Forget what has passed and think on the good time that is -coming to wipe it out.' - -'Thanks!' answered Fabricius, taking the cup with an unsteady hand. 'Fill -yourself also a draught,' which invitation Cestus obeyed, nothing loth. - -'Here's to the speedy restoration of your little maid,' he said, and -bottomed the cup. 'Now, as you are satisfied that these trifles are really -genuine, and that I am not deceiving you, I must ask you to write me that -little document; after which, you shall know the whole story, which will -contain certain items which will astonish you without doubt.' - -Fabricius reached his writing materials and wrote, slowly and painfully, a -brief undertaking, by which the personal safety of Cestus would be -assured, and his efforts suitably rewarded, upon the satisfactory -restoration of his grandchild. - -Cestus perused the document, and, finding it satisfactory, put it away -carefully in his breast. - -'Thanks! thanks! I value, and rely upon your word equally; but then I may -fall into other hands, in which case this paper might be useful. I will -commence and tell you from the beginning, and you may brace yourself up to -hear something which will startle you.' - -He poured out and drank some more wine, and then began his declaration. - -'Your little maid was stolen from your own porch, here on the Janiculum, -fifteen years ago, all but three months and three days--if you have the day -marked, consult it, and you will find I am right.' - -Giving a start of surprise, Fabricius began to count with the fingers of -one hand on the table, to assist a mental calculation. - -'You are right, without doubt,' he said finally; 'how come you to know -this?' - -'None so well as I,' returned the other, 'you shall learn.' - -He then related the manner in which the child had been enticed and snapped -away from the porch of the house, the various places she had been hidden -away, until her final removal to Surrentum. The extreme minuteness of the -narrative was too extraordinary not to impress his listener's mind with an -inward conviction of its truth, but, as our reader is already acquainted -with its tenor, it need not be recapitulated here. - -'Yes, noble Fabricius, Surrentum is full of potters,' said Cestus, -concluding, 'and with one of them, called Masthlion, and his wife Tibia, -was finally lodged your little maid; and, with them, a childless pair, she -has grown up well cared for and tended, as I know well. She thinks herself -their child to this hour, and it is time you took her to your own nest. -Her poor feathers cannot hide her breed. She is known by the name of -Neæra.' - -Fabricius sat looking at the Suburan with the torture of his mind -imprinted on his pale face. 'Why do the gods permit such cruel deeds?' -said he; 'for what reason was this wickedness perpetrated?' - -'Money,' said Cestus. - -'Money!' echoed Fabricius, leaping to his feet in horror; 'was she sold, -then, for a slave?' - -'Not at all,' replied the Suburan quietly; 'cannot you understand? Money -has been at the bottom of it all. You have an enormous amount of it, and -the child was in some one's way. Once out of it, and then who comes next? -Why your loving nephew, Afer--now do you see?' - -'Fellow, what do you mean? Do you dare to cast even so much as a doubt -upon the honesty of a knight--a relative of mine?--take care!' - -'More than that, your honour, I say it was no other, and through no other, -than your nephew, T. Domitius Afer, that your child was kidnapped.' - -'Fellow!' - -'It is true enough. He wanted her out of the way so that he might be your -heir. For that end he hired a certain individual, now alive, for a -comfortable sum to put her aside, so that she might never more be heard -of.' - -'I'll not believe it,' cried the old patrician hoarsely; 'it must be -proved--where is that wretch whom you say he hired?' - -'What would you do with him supposing I brought him?' - -'Were I forty years younger I would tear him limb from limb with my own -hands--but now nothing remains to me but the justice of the law.' - -'Neither the one nor the other, although he is within your reach at this -moment, for I am the man who was employed by your sweet nephew--I am the -man who took away your child!' - -Fabricius stood dumfounded for a moment, and his jaw fell. - -Then the blood rushed to his face; his eyes flamed with terrible wrath, -and, with a stride, he confronted Cestus. - -'Dog!' he shouted hoarsely, as he clutched the Suburan with a grasp which -was inspired with the vigour of youth. - -But Cestus, in no way disconcerted, calmly pulled out the written -guarantee from his bosom and held it up. The old man eyed it, -hesitatingly, for a brief moment; then dropped his hands and tottered back -to his chair, wherein he sank with a groan. - -'You have just cause for anger, and I admit it,' said Cestus, in a lower -and more respectful tone; 'but you cannot now move without me, and I will -do all I can to make amends. After all I am not so much to blame as your -nephew. At that time I was an idle vagabond--you see I don't attempt to -hide myself--dwelling in the Subura, and your loving nephew, Titus Afer, -tempted me with a handsome sum to do this thing. Only, mark you--I was to -put the child clean out of the way--that is to say, I was to strangle her, -drown her, kill her in the best and quietest way possible.'--Fabricius hid -his face in his hands.--'That was what I was paid to do, and, if I had done -that, the job would have served his turn most effectually, as he intended, -and you would never have been the wiser, perhaps. But bad as I was, there -was left yet a soft spot in my heart, and to that is owing the life of the -little maid. I couldn't bring myself to hurt her; and, moreover, what did -I know but what she might be useful to me in the future. It turns out now -that I was wise. A dead child is of no use to any one, but a living one -is--vastly so at the present time. You will, therefore, see that I had to -deceive your worshipful nephew. He thinks she is dead, as I told him she -was, and all his pretended help in searching for her was nothing but a -blind. Your money went, most of it, into his own pocket--and a comfortable -income it was.' - -Fabricius was overwhelmed. He rose unsteadily to his feet, and his face -was ashen pale. Such terrible deception was scarcely credible to his -trustful nature, and yet the evidence seemed too weighty to be easily -explained away. Its great perfectness of detail, the unhesitating -business-like manner of its delivery--above all, the clothes and -amulet--were beyond doubt. Yet he eyed the man before him with unconcealed -distrust, contempt, and indignation, to which, however, the Suburan was -utterly indifferent. - -'Tell me what reasons have impelled you to come to me now and confess all -this villainy,' said Fabricius, in hollow tones. - -'Because I am sorry for what I did, and wish to make some amends,' replied -Cestus. - -'And for this penitence you require to be paid,' rejoined the other, with -withering scorn; 'by your own showing you have made terms for committing a -desperate sin, and have probably extorted every sesterce possible in that -direction; now you betray your accomplice, and come to extort more from -me, under a mask of righteousness.' - -'I have told you nothing but the truth, and you may twist it as you like,' -replied Cestus, unmoved; 'bear in mind, but for me, there would have been -no child at all to welcome back.' - -'I have only your word for that, so far.' - -'The terms made are not to be carried out, on your side, until you are -satisfied with your bargain. That is enough to show, of itself, that I am -in earnest. I must live, and to your own generosity I leave the payment. -But it is not altogether that for which I am here. Your nephew, the -worshipful knight, has dealt very scurvily with me, after his nature. He -is a hundred times more rascal than myself--a mean, cowardly dog, knight as -he is. I have two surprises in store for him--one, when he is confronted -with the girl he paid me to kill, and the other, when his eyes fall on me, -whom he struck down one night, not long since, in the streets, and left -for dead. He thought, when he did that, his secret was for ever safe. But -I was picked up with a hole in my side, and so well tended in a house I -can take you to, that, after a hard fight of it, I came round. I bethought -me of the girl I had left in Surrentum, and I stole away to see how she -fared, and to pick up strength. I have been living for weeks, waiting and -watching in my sister's house; for it was my sister, and her husband, the -potter, who took her from me. They have loved her like their own child, -and she treats them as her parents, for she knows nothing to the contrary. -Watch well your nephew, therefore, when he first sets eyes on me--if his -conscience don't visibly trouble him it will be strange. But there is more -yet to be told you, and we are wasting time. When I came away, matters in -my sister's house were in a bad state. Masthlion had gone to Capreae, to -show Caesar some new kind of glass he had discovered. He was a fool and it -cost him his life; for he found the bloody tyrant in the humour to reward -him with a bed at the bottom of the sea. And more than that, a gang of -slaves, from the palace, I suppose, arrived after dark, and sacked the -house, and took off the girl back with them. You must understand she has -uncommon good looks, and is good prey for this island, which is no place -for her. Now you know what reason there is for haste to protect her. I -could do nothing; but you are a patrician and powerful, and to you Caesar -will listen.' - -'Alas, you told me she was alive and well, and now you say Tiberius has -carried her off to his island--is this your good news?' cried Fabricius, -wringing his hands. 'Better indeed dead, I should say, than left to the -mercy of that debauched old man! Four days since you left, and as long for -me to go thither, what hope is there? Why did you not bring her away at -once? Here, in this house, the house from which you say you took her, you -might have proved your words, or damned yourself for ever. You bid me -hope, and then dash hope away. Alive--ay, but if alive, most likely in a -living death--Oh!' - -'Stay a moment,' said Cestus soothingly, 'the danger is great; but yet I -have hope. I have not told you that the maid has caught the eye of a -youth, and they are betrothed. I had a suspicion that something ill was -brewing to the girl, and they will bear witness that I did my utmost to -persuade them to come to Rome at once, where she might be in safety; but -they flatly refused to move until the potter came back from the island. He -never did come back, but in his place came the slaves, who tore the girl -away. But soon after they had gone, arrived the youth who has fallen in -love with her. He is a centurion, and was posting from Rome to the island -with despatches, and him I told who she was, and bade him warn Caesar not -to harm her--I said I would go straight and bring you, and now the matter -rests with yourself.' - -'And the name of the youth you say is betrothed to her?' - -'He is a centurion of the Pretorian Guard, and his name is Martialis.' - -'What?' shouted Fabricius, 'am I living in a dream the gods have woven -round me? Martialis, did you say--Lucius Martialis, a Pretorian--tall above -the common?' - -'The same--he seemed to know you when I spoke your name, and said you had -lost a child.' - -'Oh, wonder of heaven--the man of all I would have chosen--the son of my old -playmate! Alas, alas, the more you say, the more unhappy and hopeless the -case! Do you not know that the young man has been flung into a dungeon, -awaiting perhaps his death?' - -'By Pluto, no--how could I?' cried Cestus, aghast. - -'It is here, in a letter received this morning from my nephew,' replied -Fabricius, taking an epistle from a drawer and glancing down its contents. -'Listen!' - - - --'By the way, the Centurion Martialis, for whom you took such a - sudden fancy, has fallen into disgrace and one of the palace - dungeons, for bearding Caesar in his own hall, in pursuit of a - wench, a sweetheart of his, who had been brought off to the - island, I believe, by force. Of course it means death in some - shape or other.' - - -The face of Cestus grew dark and sullen as a thundercloud, and he folded -his arms across his chest without a word. - -'What is to be done?' said Fabricius, the extremity of distress breaking -down the repugnance and indignation with which he regarded his companion. - -'The luck seems against us,' answered the Suburan bitterly; 'he must have -played the rash fool. At any rate, your letter shows that I am to be -believed when I make you a statement. All we can do is to get there as -fast as we can and make the best of a bad job. In whatever plight the girl -may be, I can prove who she is, and you can have your fling at your -dutiful nephew.' - -'A poor consolation,' muttered Fabricius; 'but I cannot rest until I -fathom this strange story; were it for nothing but the sake of this -unfortunate Martialis I would seek admittance to Caesar, who is not -unknown to me personally. We will start before dawn--you will remain here -in the house until then.' - -'I have no wish to go elsewhere, if I may have some supper and a bed, for -I am tired out.' - -Fabricius called Natta and handed over the Suburan to his care, but not -before the articles on the table were once more made up and locked away. -Later on the steward appeared to make his report, and was instructed to be -careful not to allow the visitor to slip away from the house. When, -however, he was further ordered to have everything in readiness for a long -and rapid journey southward, Natta, with the license of an old servant, -began to expostulate. Not daring to give him any reasons, his master cut -him short very peremptorily and dismissed him. The offended official had -scarcely been gone a minute before he returned, and handed a letter to his -master, with an air of injured dignity. Fabricius broke the sealed thread -which bound it, and read inside the following:-- - - - 'From L. Martialis.--I have just arrived. Come to me at once, if - possible, for your sake and mine and another's. The bearer will - conduct you. Erase this at once.' - - -'My litter immediately--I go with the bearer of this,' cried Fabricius with -sudden energy. - -The steward prepared to open his mouth once more, but an angry stamp of -his master's foot, and a flash of his eye stopped him--he hurried away. - -Fabricius flung the tablets into the fire and sank trembling on to his -knees. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - -Fabricius got into his curtained litter, and the youth, who was the bearer -of the summons, led the way across the Tiber to a tavern under Mount -Aventine, in the heart of the wharves and warehouses, of the teeming -haunts of sailors, and the thousands whose livelihood depended on the -ships and commerce which crowded the quays of the busy river. - -Here, in an upper room, the old man was brought into the presence of one -whom he did not recognise; but when the stranger removed a peruke, and -reared himself upright, as Martialis, he hastened to embrace him with a -glad cry. - -It will be needless to recount what passed between them during the two -hours they remained together; or to portray the emotion of Fabricius, -already much tried. He perceived that the narrative of the Centurion was -substantially the same as that he had heard from Cestus, so far as -regarded Neæra; and when he had exhausted his fond ingenuity of inquiry, -he put his hand into his bosom and solemnly drew out an article, which he -placed in the hand of his companion. It was an intaglio on cornelian, the -likeness of a woman's face, graved with an exquisite art unapproached in -modern times. When Martialis saw it he started in surprise. - -'Is there a resemblance?--you start!' cried Fabricius breathlessly. - -'So great, that I seem to trace Neæra herself in the face,' replied the -young man; 'and yet it cannot be herself--who, then?' - -Fabricius was so overcome with extreme joy that he could not reply for -some moments. At last, in tremulous tones, he said, 'It is her mother's -picture--done before her marriage--not long before. If she be like this, -then I shall know the child, and so get my own again. O boy, what a -strange working of the gods is here! That I should lose my little maid, -and, after long years, you, the son of my old friend, should love her all -unknowingly.' - -'Nay, Fabricius, there is nothing strange in my loving her,' returned -Martialis; 'it was only wonderful that I should have met her, of all -women--having seen her and spoken to her, the rest followed infallibly.' - -The old man smiled, and rose to go. - -'It grows late--to-morrow I will start for Surrentum. I cannot travel as -rapidly as yourself, my Lucius, and, by the time you reach Capreae, I -shall have done no more than to have arrived at my journey's end, though -with two days' start.' - -'Farewell! Let not Cestus nor any one know of my presence,' said the -Centurion. - -Fabricius went away home, and on the morrow, though later than he had -given orders for, he set out on the southern road, with Cestus, Natta, and -a retinue of slaves. - -Martialis, at the end of the second tedious day, went to receive the -answer to Caesar's epistle, and, after securing it carefully, set out also -on his return. - -On the second morning following this, about dawn, Zeno entered his cell in -the villa Neptune, and found him lying fast asleep on his bed. He went -away at once and reported the same to the Emperor, who himself proceeded -with little delay to visit the returned prisoner. - -When he entered, the latter was still asleep, and received a shake on the -shoulder from the Imperial hand. - -'So, you have returned,' said Tiberius, as Martialis leapt to his feet and -saluted; 'the letter.' - -Martialis ripped the cloth of his inner garment and took out the despatch. -Caesar stepped aside and broke the seal, and ran his eye briefly over the -contents. - -'Good!' he said, with a brightened eye, as he rolled up the paper; 'have -you succeeded in keeping yourself unrecognised?' - -'Perfectly well, Caesar, for anything I know to the contrary,' replied -Martialis. 'I entered and came away from the city at nightfall, and lodged -near the Porta Navalis, where there was small chance of -recognition--especially in my disguise.' - -'A savoury part to be lodged in, and, as you say, not often liable to the -visits of your comrades from the opposite side of the city. You have -carried out my commission perfectly well--what of your own business?' - -'So please you, Caesar, there is little doubt as to the identity of my -betrothed. It can be satisfactorily proved that she is the grandchild of -Fabricius, stolen from him when she was but a child.' - -'So much the better for you in every way--how do you propose to prove it?' - -'As soon as you wish. Fabricius has left Rome, and should be in Surrentum -ere now, with those who can give testimony.' - -'And does that testimony still incriminate the worthy nephew?' - -'It does.' - -'Ah!' said Tiberius, with grim irony, 'I am more and more interested. I -will send for the aged Fabricius and his friends, and administer this -matter myself. Where in the town is the old man to be found?' - -'He is to be found, or to be heard of, at the villa of his friend Asinius, -whom he proposed to visit.' - -'I foresee an interesting scene--no time must be lost,' said Tiberius, -turning to the door. - -'And my betrothed, Caesar--is she well?' said the lover. - -'For aught I know--they had my orders to tend her well. They would scarcely -disobey.' - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - -The following day had been fixed by Tiberius for the formal betrothal of -his daughter-in-law Livia to the Prefect; and with the intention of dining -and passing the night at the villa Neptune, so as to be in readiness for -the ceremony, the Imperial lady set out thitherwards, from her own palace, -attended by a numerous retinue. A special command had been received to -include the unhappy Neæra among the latter. - -The past few days had wrought a change in her appearance. Her form had -wasted, and her face was thin and wan with excess of mental affliction. -Much as Martialis had suffered, she was even more overwhelmed at the -agonising sight of her lover and protector torn away by the soldiers, to -what, she concluded, would be an ignominious punishment, or perhaps death. -After a sleepless night of horror, she was transferred to the dwelling of -Livia, where she was well cared for. This important lady was verging -toward middle age; was of somewhat masculine appearance, and as haughty -and full of ambition as her intended husband. But, being duly acquainted -with Neæra's story, even her proud nature could not help unbending with -pity. The girl's beauty also impressed her, and she placed her in -attendance on herself, and caused her to lay aside her poor homely -garments for more suitable apparel. - -The Prefect, when he came, was curious to see her and bent admiring eyes -on her. 'It is no wonder Martialis should dare so much,' he said -gallantly, not to say grandiloquently, after his fashion before women. 'He -is the best of my Centurions--but have courage; I will put this matter -straight. He is something to me as well as to you. They have penned him -up, but I will have him at liberty ere long. He knows you are safe, so -take heart.' - -With a mind dazed and only half-conscious through suffering, Neæra was -thankful for the encouraging words of this personage, whom she surmised to -be some one of high position. When she fell back to where the group of -attendants were standing, one of them whispered to her that it was the -Prefect who had spoken to her. A great load fell from her thankful heart -at the words. She gazed back with something like awe at the most feared -and powerful man at that moment in the empire. From Martialis she had -learned much, from time to time, concerning him; and the assurance, coming -from the mighty personage's own lips, changed at once her agony into hope. - -Another sorrow haunted her with an intensity of suspense. Her father--where -was he? Was he sick or dying as she had been told? A mysterious dread of -ill weighed upon her. The details of her own rough and forcible abduction -could not fail but impress her mind with a sense of some evil-doing, so, -at the first opportunity, she began her efforts to obtain information -respecting the potter. Those whom she asked either denied all knowledge of -him or gave evasive answers. In one or two cases, her strong suspicions -were aroused that actual knowledge was not wanting, by the hesitating -manner in which a negative answer was made. More than ever alarmed by the -confused and embarrassed manner of those who seemed to falter before her -earnest gaze, her acute anxiety at length emboldened her to speak to Livia -herself. The lady received the application condescendingly, and promised -that inquiries should be made at the palace. Later on the same day she -summoned Neæra and made known to her the fact of the potter's death. He -had been taken ill with a sudden and strange sickness, and had only lived -a few hours afterward. Such were the fatal words which fell on the -stricken girl's ears, and, after the first gust of wild grief had passed -away, a brooding melancholy possessed her. Her lover was a close prisoner, -whose fate hung on the whim of Caesar. The gentle, simple-minded, sweet- -natured potter, whom she had filially loved and revered with all the -strength of her nature, being also reft from her, no wonder the burden of -her sorrow sapped the beauty swiftly from her face, leaving hollow eyes -and thin cheeks. She knew that Martialis had been removed to the villa -Neptune, and, by the last report, was still there, so, when she received -intimation to accompany Livia thither, her heart bounded and her eyes -brightened. The journey itself, and the melancholy satisfaction that at -each step she was nigher to her lover, did something to restore more -colour to her cheek and vivacity to her manner. But what was her -unutterable delight, when no other than Zeno, the steward, appeared before -her, not long after her arrival, and led her away into a room where she -saw Tibia waiting alone to receive her. With an indescribable cry of -thankfulness and relief she sprang forward, and the two women were locked -in each other's fast embrace. Neæra was shocked to see the ravages which -affliction had wrought in her mother's appearance, and the heartbroken -widow, on her part, scanned the pale face of her fosterchild with -tenderness and pity. When Neæra had related her experiences, since she had -been taken away from her home, she led Tibia on gently, in her turn, to -speak of herself, and of him they had so looked up to, and reverenced. But -as the dame came at length to mention her husband, her voice broke down at -the word, and she got no further. They said no more--all that was in their -hearts was merged in silent weeping. The wonder of Neæra was no less than -her joy at the presence of the dame in the island, but the latter seemed -loth to give any explanation thereof, and tried to turn from the subject -as often as it was put. - -Neæra, at last, pressed the matter in an unavoidable manner. 'Mother,' she -said, 'you have not yet told me how you contrived to get here. Did they -bring you away as they brought me? Or did you come of your own accord to -seek me? It was strange if you were able to enter here alone.' - -'No--I came with others,' said Tibia. 'You shall know everything.' She -stopped and turned her eyes to the floor, and her breast began to heave -with emotion. - -A dull, chill horror sank into Neæra's heart. Her mind was prone to fear, -being overcharged and susceptible through long and dark brooding. - -'Speak!' she whispered. 'What new trouble is this? Tell me--I can bear it.' - -The old woman glanced up into the girl's face, and, divining the signs of -terror which dwelt there, took her hand caressingly. - -'It is no new trouble, thank the gods,' she faltered. 'We have had plenty -of that. Nay, I must call it rather happiness----' - -'Ah, I thought you were about to tell me something terrible of Lucius,' -murmured Neæra, drawing a deep breath, as a great load, like the shadow of -death, slid from her mind. - -'No! It is of yourself. It is time you must know all,' said Tibia. 'Child, -you must never call me mother any more.' - -It hardly needs to tell the start of surprise which Neæra gave at these -words. Through her amazement, the strange wistfulness of the dame's glance -and her broken, pathetic tones struck to her heart. She threw her arms -around her aged neck. - -'What is it you are saying?' she cried. 'Why do you look like that? What -is it I am to know? Am I to lose mother as well? Mother you are, and -always must be.' - -For some moments Tibia remained in silence within the arms of the young -girl, as if unable to force herself from the warmth of what might be the -last heartfelt, daughterlike caress. Then at length she slowly uplifted -the shapely arms, and, as she did so, pressed one hand of the girl to her -lips, whilst the tears trickled down from her eyes. - -'Neæra,' she said, 'I have lost my husband, and now the gods will that you -shall be taken from me. I have tended you, watched you, and loved you like -a mother; but--but, Neæra, we never thought the time would come, nor yet -the need to tell you that--that you are not our child. For I have been a -barren stock--I never bore a child into the world.' - -They sat looking at each other. Tibia, with a pleading, timid expression -in her meek eyes, which the tender-hearted girl could not withstand, -despite her speechless incredulity and wonder. She thought for the moment -that the dame's sufferings had, perhaps, deranged her faculties, and then, -as with a sudden and swift ray of light, her mind recalled one or two -circumstances which had puzzled her strangely hitherto. She remembered on -that day just as Cestus first appeared in the workshop at home, when -addressing the potter as father, he replied in the negative with all the -evidences of powerful emotion. Nothing had been ever added in explanation, -and the hasty disavowal of relationship had presently sunk out of active -speculation beneath other matters, and had been thought of no more. Again, -the frantic words of Martialis, as he was hurried away from the presence -of Caesar, had been wild and inexplicable to her ears at the moment of -their utterance, but, in the agony of her thoughts, they had also fallen -unheeded. What did it all mean? - -'I--not your child, mother,' she said slowly. 'Do you know what you are -saying? You are forgetting--alas, this cruel trouble--it has been too much -for you to bear!' - -'I know what you mean, child, but it is not so,' returned Tibia, in a low -voice; 'it is true, indeed, I never was a mother. You were brought to us a -little thing--a very little thing--by Cestus, my brother, for safe-keeping. -We never saw or heard of him again till this present visit. We thought he -must be dead, and that you, therefore, would never be claimed; so we -looked upon you as our own, and never allowed you to know otherwise. What -else could we have done? He told us you were an orphan--a poor man's -child--without kith or kin. Now he has come to claim you. Your grandfather -is here now in this great house. He is neither poor nor mean. He is a -great and wealthy nobleman, and you a great lady. Alas, we did not -know--Cestus has done a wicked thing; but idle and evil he ever was from a -boy in our father's cottage.' - -Neæra sat silent and motionless, listening as in a dream. The blood surged -like a fiery flood through her veins, and then fled back as suddenly, -leaving her cold and pale as death. Her mind was in a whirl, and her ideas -were helplessly tossing in a hurly-burly of confusion. It was pardonable, -in the first moments of strange wonder, that her wild but vivid thoughts -flew to the future. Reared amid humble associations, what a new world of -hopes, ideas, and curiosity flooded her dizzying brain with sensations -here indescribable. Masthlion not her father--nor Tibia her mother! Her -grandfather a stranger, awaiting her even now--a noble! She was afraid -already. What did it all mean? and why had she been thus treated? Now she -thought she saw the reason of the unhappy restraint and mysterious trouble -which had clouded their home during the sojourn of Cestus. She had been -right in ascribing it in some way to his influence. She turned her eyes on -Tibia, who was watching her in deep suspense. There, at least, was her -mother in heart and deed, and she opened her arms to her. - -'Mother, I am bewildered! How came I to be with you my life long, if I am, -as you say, the child of another--the child of great and wealthy people? -Ah, but that you have told me this strange thing I could scarce believe -it.' - -Tibia received her with a grateful heart, and held her close while she -told her the whole story. - -'It was a wicked deed that Cestus did, but he was tempted by one worse -than himself,' said she, concluding; 'evil he was without doubt, but, to -my mind, your kinsman was more to blame, for it was he who planned it. You -were nothing to my poor brother till he was tempted with gold. Ah, child, -do not be too hard upon him. If he did you and yours bitter wrong, -remember that he preserved you when he was paid to take your life.' - -'And this kinsman--who is he, and is he alive?' asked Neæra, in a hushed -voice. - -'I do not know--he may, or may not be. We are here for your grandsire to -claim you, and you will soon know everything. When you go to Rome to live -among the great people there, will you remember the poor cottage that was -your home so long?' - -'Go where I may you must still be with me,' replied Neæra; 'how could I -forget? I was happy--oh, my poor father, if he had only lived!' - -The tears of both began to flow again, and, for a long time, they remained -silent and occupied with their own thoughts. - -They were roused by the entrance of Zeno, who summoned them to follow him. -Neæra drew a sharp breath, and trembled with nervous expectation as she -stood up to obey. - -'Keep near me, mother,' she whispered, as she clutched the dame's hand -tightly; 'and yet, for the sake of Lucius, ought I not to be glad?' - -The apartment into which they were brought was tolerably well filled with -company. Tiberius sat on a slightly raised seat, and, in a lower chair, at -one side, was seated his daughter-in-law Livia. Sejanus was at her side, -whilst conversing in knots, at a respectful distance, were others of the -court. Flaccus, Priscus, Marinus, Atticus, the devoted friends of the -Emperor, were there, as well as Afer and two or three other followers of -the Prefect. Caesar himself was speaking in a low tone with Thrasullus, -the astrologer, who stood at his elbow; next to whom was Seleucus, another -philosopher, buried in deep reflection. Behind the Imperial chair was, as -usual, the gigantic Nubian, and still further in rear, other slaves in -waiting, including the females in attendance on Livia. Neæra and the dame, -marshalled by Zeno, entered the presence with hesitating steps, and halted -near the door--Tibia, with the abashed feelings of her humble timid nature, -and the maiden, with an agitation which the circumstances of her position -rendered positively painful. She clung tenaciously to the hand of the dame -as she ran her eyes hastily over the company. She was even comforted to -observe Livia present, and her heart throbbed violently as she cast -fugitive glances upon each gray head, in vain wonder as to the identity of -her aged relative. - -At Caesar's sign the steward brought them forward in front of his chair. -In the hollow of his left hand, Tiberius held the same intaglio which -Fabricius had shown to Martialis, in the tavern under the Aventine. He -studied it, in conjunction with the face of the maiden before him, with -close attention, and then, without a word, handed it to Thrasullus. The -philosopher, after a rapid comparison, returned it to the Imperial hand, -giving a significant nod. Tiberius raised his voice and called to Afer, -who immediately broke off his conversation and approached. - -'Hither--I want your opinion,' said the Emperor, holding out the intaglio; -'cast your eyes on this graven stone, and thence on the face of this -maiden before us, and tell me if you perceive any resemblance.' - -The rest of the company edged nearer with curiosity. - -Afer took the likeness, and, as he did so, bent his gaze on Neæra's -beautiful face, with the same supercilious smile, which had proved so -offensive to her in Masthlion's shop. She recognised him readily, and -coloured with displeasure, as she haughtily reared her head, and averted -her eyes. - -'Have you met before?' asked Tiberius, closely watching them. - -'Yes, Caesar, to the best of my memory,' returned the knight, removing his -eyes from her face and turning them to the miniature for the first time. -He gave an almost imperceptible movement of surprise, and his brows -knitted closely over his hooked nose, as he gazed at the portrait in his -hand. - -'Where then was the meeting?' asked Caesar. - -'In Surrentum--if I mistake not, in a potter's shop. But she is better -known, I believe, to the Centurion Martialis,' replied Afer, with the -unfailing curl of his lip, half smile and half sneer. - -There was a gentle titter; the face of the young girl became crimson, and -she dropped her head. Tibia, despite her timidity, cast an indignant -glance at the speaker and those smiling around, as she drew the maiden -nearer to her. - -'It may be so, but I wait your opinion with regard to the resemblance -which seemed to strike me,' said Tiberius; 'you also appear to be very -strongly impressed with the likeness, Afer.' - -'In truth, I confess I am,' returned the knight, as his eyes returned -again to the cornelian with a puzzled air; 'I admit there is a strong -likeness, especially in the eyes and mouth, though this is taken from a -woman somewhat older. I seem to know the face, and yet----' - -'Doubtless you do, for it belongs to a relative of your own,' said -Tiberius. 'He has honoured us with a visit, and here he is.' - -All eyes followed the glance of Caesar, and saw Fabricius, followed by -Natta and an elderly fellow-servant, appear through the curtains which -covered the entrance of an inner room. - -The old senator came forward with an erect body and firm step. His face -was very pale and stern, and, as he advanced with a measured step, he kept -his eyes persistently fixed upon the persons of Tiberius and his -granddaughter, to the determined exclusion of every one else. - -Afer was transfixed with amazement, and barely saved himself from uttering -an exclamation. Had his house on the Esquiline suddenly planted itself -before him, his face could scarcely have shown more unrestrained surprise. - -'Welcome, noble Fabricius,' said Tiberius, as the old man made a deep -obeisance before him and Livia; 'welcome to Capreae--we are busy in this -affair of yours. Your worthy nephew looks dumfounded at seeing you.' - -'Uncle!' cried the wondering voice of Afer, now released by the words of -Caesar; 'you here! This is strange!' - -The knight took a step or two forward, and then hesitated. The old man -gave him not the least sign of acknowledgment, but, raising his glance for -the first time, met the lustrous eyes of Neæra fixed upon him, with a -world of anxiety in their depths. The occasional deep heaves of her bosom -showed that she was holding her breath in her agitation, and the burning -gaze of Fabricius seemed to pierce her with its intensity. He placed one -hand over his heart, and a flush covered his wan face. Another moment he -looked, and then stretched forth his arms toward her with a strange cry-- - -'Aurelia--my Aurelia! My child!' - -The poignant accents and the unaccustomed name thrilled through her with -indescribable sensations. With no less power, but in a different way, the -old man's words startled his nephew as with an electrical shock. Reaching -his uncle's side at a stride, he grasped his arm, and said sternly, and -almost fiercely, 'What is this, uncle? Is this folly still so strong -within you? How came you here in the name of the gods? and in what does -this wench concern you? Do you thus accost every girl you see? She is -nothing but a potter's girl of Surrentum.' - -'Stay, Fabricius, you are hasty,' spoke Tiberius; 'let us hear what these -people have to say.' - -Recalled to himself, Fabricius, with his eyes yet fixed on Neæra, stepped -back to a place beside Thrasullus, without deigning his nephew a look or a -word. Afer's brows met with an angry scowl, and he abruptly folded his -arms across his breast, whilst muttering some hasty wrathful words. Every -one looked curiously on, and, in the momentary silence which suddenly -ensued, the voice of Natta was heard, in an eager undertone, speaking to -his fellow-servant. Urged by their keen interest the pair had pressed -forward beyond their proper station, and were peering through the circle -of their superiors at Neæra. The old steward's demeanour was excited, but -at the impatient sign of his master he and his companion fell back to -their proper station. - -'Noble Fabricius here, a Senator of Augustus, well known to us of old -days,' said Tiberius, 'lost a grandchild years ago. Unable to trace her, -in spite of every effort, he yet preserves hope. The likeness which you -have seen is that of the mother of the lost child. Fabricius has at last, -he thinks, fair grounds for supposing he has recovered the missing girl. -Be it our business to inquire into the proofs.' - -'To what purpose, uncle?' said Afer, with angry impatience. 'Is it not -absurd to ground a belief upon a mere resemblance to a graven gem? It can -only end in fruitless disgust, as hitherto. Cease to harass yourself any -longer by pursuing an _ignis fatuus_; be guided by me, I pray you. Leave -these impostors to me, as you were wont, and I will unmask them.' - -'I pray you, Caesar, proceed,' said Fabricius briefly, without taking any -notice of his nephew. - -With an expression of unutterable disgust and anger, the knight fell back -a pace or two. 'With your permission, Caesar, I will retire,' he said; 'I -cannot listen to this folly.' - -'It is my will that you remain; try, therefore, and endure what shall -follow,' replied Tiberius. - -'I must obey your wish,' said Afer, biting his lip. - -'Woman!' said Tiberius, addressing himself to Tibia, 'tell us your name -and where you dwell. Speak without fear.' - -'My name is Tibia, and I dwell in Surrentum,' answered the dame. She began -in low nervous tones, and then gathering courage from the conviction of -her deep injuries, she proceeded more hurriedly in a louder tone, 'My home -has, however, been ruined, and my husband Masthlion----' - -'Enough!' interrupted the Emperor, in a harsh, sudden voice; 'answer only -the questions you are asked. Anything beyond them concerns us nothing. You -are now a widow--let that suffice. How long have you dwelt in Surrentum?' - -'About twenty years.' - -'And is this girl the child of you and your husband?' - -'No; we never had a child.' - -'How then did you come by her?' - -'My brother brought her to us to foster, when she was a little child, -about fifteen years ago.' - -'Was she his child?' - -'No. He said she was an orphan--the child of a fellow-workman in Rome.' - -Afer shrugged his shoulders, and glanced toward Fabricius, who was gazing -intently and unmoved upon the females. - -'Has she remained with you ever since?' - -'Yes.' - -'Have you always led her to believe she was really your own child? Did she -never discover that she did not belong to you?' - -'She was never told till a few minutes past in this house.' - -'Did you never know of this before, maiden?' - -'No.' - -'Did your brother never visit her, woman?' - -'We never saw him again until a few weeks back. We thought he must be -dead, never having even heard of him.' - -'You then thought of the child as your own?' - -'We never thought she would be taken from us again, and we looked upon her -as our own.' - -'What brought your brother back again after so long a silence?' - -'He had had a bad illness in Rome, and he came to Surrentum for change and -fresh air to help him to get better.' - -'Why did he not come to see the child, or at least send to learn of her -welfare during all those years?' - -'I cannot tell. He said he knew she was in good keeping.' - -'And did not you or your husband ever think proper to communicate with -this brother of yours respecting the child he had left in your charge, -since he himself was so careless of her?' - -'Not until a few weeks ago, when my husband went to Rome to seek him, but -never found a trace of him.' - -'Why did he go, then, at last?' - -'It was when she was asked in marriage,' said Tibia, with hesitation. 'My -husband thought it was his duty to tell my brother, but he could not find -a trace of him.' - -'Then after this your brother arrived at Surrentum of his own accord?' - -'Yes; he was weak and thin.' - -'Did he give you no account of himself for the time he had been silent?' - -'No.' - -'Did he tell you anything further concerning the girl?' - -The dame's head sank gradually. - -'Speak, good woman,' said Fabricius; 'no harm shall come of it.' - -'He said,' Tibia continued, in a low voice, 'that he told a lie when he -came first with the child. She was not the child of a fellow-workman, but -was nobly born, and had been stolen.' - -'Of course,' said Afer ironically. - -'From whom, then, did he say she had been taken?' - -'From one called Balbus, a wealthy man; but he said this to deceive us--I -know now there is no such person.' - -'You say you have dwelt in Surrentum twenty years, being about five years -before the child was brought to you. Can you produce any people of the -town who can testify that you have been childless, and that she came as -you relate?' - -Tibia did not answer, but looked at Fabricius. - -'I have seen several such townspeople very privately, Caesar,' said -Fabricius, 'and, from the evidence I gathered, I am perfectly satisfied -that this worthy woman speaks absolute truth.' - -'Enough, then, for that,' said Tiberius; and he turned to exchange some -whispered words with Thrasullus. - -'We will now hear your brother's story,' he resumed. 'Zeno, bring him in -before us.' - -Fabricius slowly removed his eyes from the fair face of Neæra and turned -them on his nephew, who stood with an impatient, scornful expression of -face, gazing fixedly on the dame. - -The ring of bystanders parted, and Cestus walked into their midst with a -bold, not to say triumphant air. His face had recovered its normal habit. -When matters arrived at a crisis with the sudden departure of Neæra, there -was left no occasion for secrecy. But rather the reverse since his -interview with Fabricius, so that the dye had been suffered to fade from -his skin, and the razor had removed his bristly beard and moustache. - -He made an awkward obeisance to Caesar, and then turned to his former -patron. The moment for revenge, so long waited and thirsted for, had at -last arrived, and his broad, coarse face gleamed with diabolical -exultation and malignance. - -His significant gaze directed the eyes of the rest toward the unhappy -knight, whose demeanour had suffered a change which was as extraordinary -as it was sudden. He seemed as if an icy, deathlike hand had seized upon -his heart and turned him to stone. His fixed eyes were glassy, and his -face drawn and ghastly white. - -'Good morrow, patron,' said Cestus, with a fiendish grin; 'you thought you -had paid me off in full the last time we were together, but here I am -again, and, like a good client, still devoted to your affairs.' - -His voice seemed to break a horrible fascination. Afer recovered himself, -and drew a long silent breath as he glanced around. Fabricius had seen -enough in his heart-stricken nephew's face, and was now again sternly -avoiding his gaze. A dull, sickly dread numbed the heart of the knight and -whispered fatefully in his ear. But extremity of peril nerved him with the -courage and coolness of despair, and, collecting his faculties, he stood -at bay, in readiness for the ominous storm which threatened him. - -Withdrawing his attention from Afer, the Emperor devoted a few moments' -scrutiny to the Suburan. - -'Is this the brother you speak of, woman?' he asked of Tibia. - -'Yes.' - -'Do you claim the kinship, fellow? Are you her brother?' - -'Yes, so please you, I am her brother.' - -'Your name?' - -'Cestus.' - -'And dwelling?' - -'In Rome--in the Subura.' - -'From the Subura--you have that appearance. From one of the darkest holes -therein.' - -'There are some powerful and wealthy people in the Subura, Caesar, and we -cannot all choose the best spots therein.' - -'Bandy no words. Do you know the maiden there by you?' - -'Yes--no one better. She is the granddaughter of the noble Fabricius -there.' - -'How, then, came she to be living as the child of the woman your sister?' - -'I took her secretly away from the mansion of her grandsire fifteen years -ago, all but three months less a day. I have kept the reckoning -carefully--ask the noble Fabricius if I am not right.' - -'He has already told me this--he speaks truly, to the very day,' said -Fabricius. - -'Are you not afraid to confess this villainy?' said Tiberius sternly. - -'It is because I wish to make the noble Fabricius some amends for the -wrong, and for another reason, which all will soon understand.' - -'Why did you tell the woman, your sister, that you took her from one -Balbus, a wealthy man?' - -'Because I did not choose to let out my secret and mention names--the time -was not ripe then to bring the matter forward, and I was afraid it might -be meddled with, and harm done instead of good. There was no such person -as Balbus.' - -'What do you mean by the time being not ripe? Had you seen or heard of her -since you first left her in Surrentum?' - -'Not once.' - -'It may be concluded from that you cared nothing whether she were alive or -dead during all that time--is that so?' - -'Not so much as to take me to Surrentum to find out, I confess.' - -'Then why, after all that long silence, did you resolve to go to -Surrentum! Say, what was your reason in stealing the child and hiding it -away for fifteen years in order to restore it again?' - -'So please you, Caesar, the child was no more to me than any other, but -she was of great importance to my patron, and he bargained and paid me -seventy sestertia to secretly kill it. I was too soft-hearted to make away -with it altogether, so I took it to Surrentum quietly and unknown to him, -and there she has remained till now, as you see.' - -'And who is this patron?' - -'He stands there before you--Titus Afer.' - -'It's a lie--a damnable lie!' shouted the knight. 'Dog! vagabond! whoever -thou art, how darest thou say such a thing?' - -His black eyes blazed amid the deathly pallor of his face, and a thrill of -astonishment passed through the bystanders. Even Livia leaned forward in -her seat with rapt attention. - -'Have a care,' quoth Cestus, shrinking back, 'or he will knife me again, -as he did before.' - -'Command yourself, Afer,' said Tiberius drily; 'you shall have plenty of -opportunity to reply.' - -'Am I to be traduced by such a villain, whom I never saw before? And in -the face of these present? Do you, Fabricius, my uncle, whom I have served -and loved as a son so long--do you countenance it in silence thus? Oh, -monstrous! To be so gulled by a cunning knave after all that has been -practised on you in the same fashion, and thus calmly to listen to such an -outrage on your own flesh and blood--shame!' - -'Caesar has said you will have an opportunity, at a proper time, of -disproving what this man says. Let us proceed and seek for the truth, and -woe upon the evildoer,' said Fabricius in hollow tones. - -'Ay, indeed, woe upon him,' said Afer loudly. - -'Have you, then, cast me off, patron? Do you disown me after all my -services?' observed Cestus, with a grin. - -'No more of that, Suburan,' cried Tiberius. 'It is a grave charge to make -against one of the rank and family of Titus Afer. Beware, if it be an idle -piece of mischief.' - -'It's nothing but sober truth, Caesar.' - -'Lying, cunning knave!' hissed the knight. - -'It is easily explained,' continued Cestus, with a rough laugh; 'the noble -Fabricius is vastly rich and his nephew wanted it all to himself--the girl -was in the way.' - -'Execrable wretch!' cried Afer, beside himself with terror and fury. He -made a spring towards the Suburan, but those near him clung to his -garments and arrested the movement. The Suburan, on his part, bounced back -precipitately, and then seeing the knight's advance stayed, broke out into -a jeering, but, at the same time, nervous laugh. - -'Peace, I say again, Afer,' said Tiberius more sternly; 'the justness of -your cause can surely well await until the end. Go on, Suburan, and relate -the whole of your story of this affair. Add nothing, omit nothing, and be -as brief as possible.' - -Cestus did as he was required, and revealed the full extent of his -relations with the knight, on whose pallid brow the perspiration gathered -in drops with the violence of his emotions. - -Step by step the pitiless tale went on, laying bare, with extreme -minuteness, the whole history of the connection between noble and vagabond -from its commencement. Nothing was omitted down to the last violent -meeting by the Circus Maximus. Thence, in conclusion, the Suburan ran over -the occurrences which we have already described. - -'And that is everything, Caesar,' he said, when he had finished. 'Every -word I have said is truth--I swear it, by all the gods. If it were a lie, -should I have been fool enough to have made myself out to be the thief? -No, it is when thieves fall out that honest men get their own. I don't -seek to hide myself--not I; but for the man's sake, who tempted me and -hired me, I have made a clean breast of it and exposed myself. He paid me -at last with a dagger thrust, like a false-hearted coward as he is, and -now I'm even with him. See, here is the place--look at it for yourselves, -and believe your own eyes!' - -He hastily withdrew his tunic sufficiently to disclose the recently-healed -scar in his left side, where Afer had struck his desperate blow. - -'Lying knave, this is some slash received in a drunken night-brawl in a -Suburan stye, if it be there you dwell! The whole story is a fable, a -cursed lie,' broke in Afer again, whose aspect was ghastly to behold. 'I -know him not! Is this a return for my love, uncle? Shame that you should -suffer it!' - -'Patience!' said Tiberius, 'let us finish. Fabricius, you have heard him -confess that he decoyed you from your house, on a certain night, with a -false tale about a comrade who was sick, and wished to see you, concerning -your lost granddaughter--is it true, and do you recognise him?' - -'It is true enough,' replied Fabricius, whose horror-stricken feelings -were displayed distressingly in his voice and demeanour; 'I seemed to -remember his face again, and a thousand times, from Rome hither, have I -tried to bring him more exactly to my mind. But now, as he related the -occurrence, I recognised him--yes, it is the same wretch who came to me -that night. His description of what occurred is perfect--it is too well -graven on my mind. But for the timely appearance of the troop of -Pretorians with Martialis the Centurion, the wretch would have succeeded -only too well in his evil intent. This new infamy comes unexpectedly on -me, Caesar, and it tries me hard----' - -'Wine, and a seat for Fabricius,' said Tiberius; and the attendants flew -to obey. - -'Am I to bear this? Am I to listen to this'--broke in Afer. - -'Peace, I say,' said Tiberius; 'drink and rest, Fabricius.' - -The old senator drank the wine the attendants brought for him, and sank -with trembling limbs into the chair they placed for him. - -'If what you have told us is true, Suburan,--and it is scarcely credible -you would invent a tale to incriminate yourself to such a degree,--then -your actions bring you within the reach of the rods of the lictors, and of -the cord,' resumed Tiberius, 'but due attention shall be given to this at -a proper time. What concerns us now is the identity of the child. Give us, -therefore, the proofs that she is what you assert her to be.' - -'I have, already, given them to the noble Fabricius, so please you,' said -Cestus. - -'My slave bears them--bring them hither, Natta!' said Fabricius. - -The steward came forward before Caesar with the package of child's -garments, and displayed them to Tiberius on bended knee, whilst Fabricius -attested them--particularly the amulet. - -'Come hither, woman,' said Tiberius to Tibia; 'do you know these things?' - -'They are what the child wore when she came to us--we took them off and -kept them.' - -'They are not the dress of a poor man's child. Did such a thought not -strike you when you saw them at first.' - -'Yes; I asked him how she came by them, and he said her father had been -very poor, so poor that a rich family had befriended him out of charity, -and had dressed her in some cast-off clothes.' - -'That's true! I told her so,' said Cestus. - -'The memory of a liar should always be good,' cried Afer; 'this vagabond's -memory is only equalled by his lies--they are all of a prodigious nature. -Yet I doubt if they are as monstrous as the credulity which sucks them -in.' - -'What more remains to ask these people, Fabricius? Question them if you -will,' said Tiberius. - -'I have nothing to add to what your highness has ably said,' replied -Fabricius, rising from his seat. 'I have already satisfied myself, by -inquiries in Surrentum, that this woman is worthy, honest, and estimable -in the opinion of the townspeople, and that her husband was likewise -esteemed for the same qualities. Her word, therefore, is to be trusted, -and it bears out the assertions of her misguided brother. I will tell you -that some weeks ago I received a letter, saying that my grandchild was -alive, and enclosing a piece of ribbon, which lies there before you. It is -of unusual pattern. I went to the child's room, and there found some more -of the self-same fabric. I had been imposed upon many times, but this was -the first news I had heard, which seemed to strike to my heart with the -weight of conviction. It was like a message from the grave. I was deeply -moved. A few nights ago this man appeared before me in my house, and -related what you have heard, with the exception of the vile trick by which -my own life was attempted. He brought these things as proofs of his words. -I can find no flaws in his evidence, and I accept it. So please you, -Caesar, here are two slaves of my household who served the mother and -grandmother of this child. The memory of the mother should be strong -within them. Let them say. Look upon this maiden, Natta and Verrus, and -answer truly, as your hearts tell you, if she recall the image of the dead -Fabricia, my daughter, your mistress.' - -'We have already looked upon her, master,' replied Natta for both. 'She is -too near alike not to be the child of the dead Fabricia.' - -'We are all agreed as to the marked resemblance to the gem,' observed -Caesar. - -'I am satisfied; my heart--everything tells me she is my Aurelia,' said -Fabricius fervently. - -'Then it becomes Afer's turn, for which he burns, to refute the charge -which has been brought against him,' Tiberius continued. - -All eyes turned now upon the white, haggard visage of the knight, as he -stood with tightly-folded arms and compressed lips. - -'I will be brief. I deny it all--it is an infamous lie, invented to impose -upon a credulous old man,' said he. 'You have taken an unfair advantage; -it would have been, at least, manly to have warned me. You have your -witnesses gathered, and paid to brazen it out. Once concoct a tale, and -the rest is easily arranged. Now, however, I hear of this for the first -time. I have nothing to defend me but my bare word. Who am I to find in -this island to support me, when even my uncle will not turn an ear to me? -Long and bitter experience cannot cure his credulity. He swallows a -plausible tale now as eagerly as formerly, when the child was first -missing--only, with the difference, that in his present delusion he has no -scruple in allowing suspicions to be raised of his own flesh and blood.' - -'I have not spoken one word to you, much less made a charge against you, -though, like yourself, I have listened to one. Your conclusions are hasty, -therefore,' said Fabricius sternly; 'you are under no restraint; you will -be at liberty to gather what witnesses you may, and do anything you can to -disprove what has been said. No one will be more pleased than myself to -know of your success. I do not condemn on the word of one man; at the same -time, it is incumbent on you to refute him. It is a grave charge.' - -'And too true to be upset, is it not, patron?' remarked Cestus coarsely. -'Your lips are glib enough as ever, but your false, cowardly heart is -shrivelled within you, at this moment, for fear, I know right well.' - -'Silence, vagabond!' cried Tiberius; 'Afer, you have been taken unawares -it is true; but, as you declare yourself innocent, you need feel no -concern on the score of this charge.' - -'I do not know,' replied Afer scornfully; 'too often the innocent -suffer--especially, when it is in the interest and inclination of some one -that they should be the scapegoat. My worthy uncle lost his grandchild, -and now resolves to replace her at all hazards. By a perfectly natural -hallucination, he persuades himself that he sees her in the person of the -potter's girl; whatever consequences follow matters nothing to him.' - -'There shall be no suffering of the innocent, or of any one, in this sad -matter, except by the pangs of self-accusing conscience,' said Fabricius; -'it remains with yourself to disprove the charge or not. If you do not, -you know as well as I what judgment will be meted out to you, though you -still walk at liberty. I am satisfied, for my part, with the recovery of -my child; deal with the rest, which concerns you, as you will.' - -'You are too liberal and slack of dealing, noble Fabricius,' said -Tiberius: 'it would be better for all concerned to unravel the matter -completely.' - -'It touches my nephew's honour--I leave it in his hands,' replied -Fabricius. - -'Be it so. But yet a word or two more, Afer,' observed Tiberius; 'turn to -this ruffian of the Subura once more. He has given a very minute -description of an alleged acquaintance with you lasting over many years. -Is it possible that you do not know him?' - -'No--save for a lying scoundrel,' returned Afer; 'but of what avail is my -word?' - -'He must then be a scoundrel of exceptional ingenuity and imagination. -What say you to this, Suburan?' - -'Why, it is easy enough for him to say that in this place,' replied -Cestus, with a laugh; 'but in the city he would not dare. He is but -plunging himself deeper into the mud when he denies me. It is not a simple -thing to throw off altogether a friendship of eighteen years!' - -'Friendship!--execrable villain,' hissed the knight. - -'As you please, patron; you were always fertile in pretty names,' retorted -the other, shrugging his shoulders. - -'It must be just as easy for you to prove the existence of eighteen years' -connection,' said Tiberius. - -'Ay, in the city, where plenty of people could be found to help me; but -here--stop! will you send for his slave, a Greek lad named Erotion?' - -Afer started. These unlooked-for words shot a thrill of terror to his -heart and roused him to desperation. - -'He shall not come,' he cried fiercely. 'You will terrify him into bearing -false witness against me. You are banded against me. I claim a suitable -delay, until I can reach Rome, to gather evidence against this -conspiracy.' - -'You are unreasonably moved, Afer; we may as well listen to what your -slave has now to say as to wait longer. It cannot make any possible -difference to you, whether he speak the truth now or then,' remarked -Caesar grimly. 'Bring the slave hither, if he be in the palace.' - -Zeno knew that he was close at hand and went to fetch him. In the few -moments' interval the strained attention of the company relaxed into a low -murmur of conversation. Caesar sat with his cheek on his hand and his eyes -fixed on no one in particular. The Prefect stole round to the side of his -friend Afer and whispered, 'What is all this, Afer?' - -'You have heard, like me, for the first time, Prefect,' replied the other, -'the conspiracy of a rogue.' - -'A clever rogue, by Hercules,' observed the other, and at that moment Zeno -re-entered with the young Greek Erotion. - -'Come hither into the midst,' said Caesar. - -Erotion, with a look of mingled astonishment and alarm, cast an uneasy -glance around, whilst bethinking himself of any misdeed which was about to -be visited upon him. He came forward into the middle and betrayed -unmistakable surprise at seeing Cestus. His master's eyes were, moreover, -fixed on him with a peculiar, meaning expression which he failed to -interpret, and which tended to further embarrass him. - -'Are you the slave of Domitius Afer, called Erotion?' demanded Caesar. - -'I am.' - -'Stand forward a step, Suburan. Now, slave, look at that man and say -whether you know him.' - -The young slave's eyes instinctively turned a fleeting sidelong glance at -Afer ere he complied, whereupon Tiberius peremptorily bade him turn his -back on his master. - -'Look upon no one but him I have pointed out to you; speak truly and fear -not. If you speak false, Caesar has the means of discovering it, and then -woe upon you. Do you know him?' - -'Yes,' was the trembling reply. - -'His name?' - -'Cestus.' - -'Where and when have you seen him?' - -'In Rome, in various places.' - -'Where did you see him first?' - -'In the Subura, I think.' - -'What took you there?' - -'I bore a message from my master.' - -'To this man?' - -'Yes.' - -'Do you remember that message?' - -'It was a command for him to meet my master.' - -'Where?' - -'I forget.' - -'How long ago was this?' - -'About three years, I think--I cannot be certain.' - -'How long have you been the slave of Afer?' - -'Nearly four years.' - -'Have you ever seen this man since then?' - -'Yes.' - -'What business had you with him?' - -'Only to tell him where my master was to see him.' - -'Have you ever seen him in the house of your master?' - -'Yes--once, not long ago.' - -'Have you ever had any other business with him?' - -'No.' - -'Have you ever seen this man in company with your master?--answer!' - -'I have.' - -'Enough then for the present--you may go.' - -When the slave had left the room there fell a momentary deep silence upon -all present, ominous and painful. - -'Titus Afer, do you now deny all knowledge of this man Cestus?' said -Tiberius in sardonic tones. - -With his arms folded, and his eyes fixed before him, Afer remained as if -turned to granite, unheedful of everything whilst his slave unconsciously -dashed all hope of escape away. - -'Do you deny all knowledge of this man Cestus?' repeated Tiberius. - -'I have already done so,' replied Afer stolidly; 'I refuse to say more. I -am prejudged--it is useless to say more.' - -Another silence fell on the room and the Prefect frowned and fidgeted. But -the Emperor seemed in no hurry to relieve the embarrassing stillness. - -'There has been no judgment delivered so far,' he said at length. 'Do you -impugn the words of your slave?' - -'He is a Greek, and a born liar,' said Afer bitterly. - -Thrasullus and Seleucus the philosophers, both of them Greeks, pricked up -their ears at the insinuation, and reared their heads in indignation. - -'Greek or no Greek, do you say that he has now lied?' said Tiberius. - -'I say no more--it is useless,' replied Afer abruptly. - -'Good! Then the matter shall be transferred to Rome and probed to the -bottom forthwith,' said Tiberius sternly, as he sat up; 'I command it, and -it is no less due to society. Prefect, I give Domitius Afer and this man -Cestus into thy care. Let them be conveyed to the city and handed over to -the charge of the Pretors there, who shall examine fully into the truth, -with the help of whatever witnesses are forthcoming.' - -'Noble Fabricius, remember your pledge to me,' said Cestus, as alarm began -to get the upper hand of the exultation which had hitherto lighted his -coarse visage. - -'Upon his full confession I promised this man that he should come to no -hurt,' said Fabricius, immediately rising from his seat. 'I pray you will -not see fit to cause me to break faith.' - -'Granted, Fabricius,' returned the Emperor graciously; 'nevertheless I -insist on a full inquiry. You must attend the court with the woman and the -maiden if required.' - -'One other request, Caesar.' - -'Go on.' - -'The headstrong boy--the Centurion Martialis, who offended in his love for -this girl--I beseech you show clemency to him, and pardon his youth and hot -blood. He is loyal and brave, and his desperation carried him away.' - -'How say you, Prefect,' said Tiberius, turning to Sejanus; 'is your -Centurion to go scot free of his behaviour?' - -'I am of the same opinion as Fabricius, and think he has been sufficiently -punished. Caesar may well overlook a boyish rashness,' replied Sejanus. - -'Good! Then I yield to you. He shall be released, but I will not -altogether pass over his offence. I will relieve him of his centurionship -for a while, as a salutary discipline to remind him of his fault. As a -citizen of the plain coat he will be able to devote more time to his wife. -Fabricius, you dine with me to-night.' - -So saying the Emperor rose smiling, and, leaning on his gigantic Nubian, -passed into the inner apartment. When he had disappeared the others -departed by degrees, full of interest and speculation on what had passed. - -Sullen and impenetrable, Afer refused to enter into any intercourse, -despite the Prefect's efforts for that purpose; and Sejanus, therefore, -shrugging his shoulders, left him in the apartment which was appointed to -him, until the time came to proceed to Rome. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - -Escaping from the throng into privacy with his recovered child, Fabricius -poured out upon her all the endearments of a nature transported with joy -and thankfulness. His fervent warmth, and almost childish delight, touched -Neæra very deeply, but yet it was impossible for her to respond as freely. -She was still the humble cottage girl, and the stranger patrician awed her -somewhat. In addition to this, the rapid bewildering occurrences and -disclosures of the afternoon had left her in a state of confusion. She -seemed to exist in the midst of a strange dream, and her labouring -thoughts were dogged by unbelief. - -All perplexities vanished for the time at the sudden appearance of her -lover within the room. He came, not with the haggard look and the -attendant guard of a desponding prisoner, but free, alone, and smiling. -With a low cry she sprang toward him and was clasped in his arms. Here, at -least, was no place for doubt; and, on his breast, she peacefully wept -away all the darkness and misery which had loaded her mind so grievously -during the last terrible days. - -'You are sadly pale and thin,' he murmured, as he touched her cheek -caressingly, after the first moments of her emotion had passed away. 'Have -they not treated you well?' - -'Quite well.' - -'The gods be praised--it is more than I once looked for,' he said -fervently. - -'But all is well now, and you are free,' she said, looking up into his -face, and smiling through her glittering tears. 'Shall we not go soon from -this place?' - -'You, doubtless, my sweet; your duty lies with your grandsire. Does she go -back to Rome with you, Fabricius?' - -'Ay truly,' answered the old man, who was watching them with infinite -satisfaction, 'and you also.' - -'Ah, if I knew it were so!' - -'Then rest assured--it is the will of Tiberius.' - -'Then if this sweet girl's will be in unison with Caesar's I will not -strive against my fate--I await her decree.' - -'What Caesar commands I cannot forbid, and must fain put up with,' said -she demurely. - -'Then I will go; but circumstances are altered since I last saw thee. You -have been transformed from the poor potter's girl. Once you had scruples -in matching with one out of your own station. Do you still keep them? Will -you now stoop to a poor Pretorian?' - -'You took great labour to remove the scruples I had then--would you now -bring them back again?' she said. - -'Yes, if I might plant them in myself for you to charm away--it would be a -task I could never weary of.' - -'But I should--so let us not begin,' she replied, with a divine smile. - -'What is all this muttering between you?' cried Fabricius, growing -impatient. - -'I am asking her if she thinks as kindly of me now that she is changed -from the potter's child into the granddaughter of Fabricius,' replied -Martialis. - -'Well, and what says she to that? Come, child, let us hear your sweet -notes,' said Fabricius; 'he that bearded Caesar in his own hall for your -sake is worthy of some reward.' - -'I have already given him all I have to give,' she said, smiling and -blushing upon her lover. - -'What in the world can better it, my sweet Neæra?' responded Lucius with a -fervent kiss. - -'Neæra no longer, but Aurelia,' cried Fabricius. - -'Neæra she must ever be to me,' said Lucius. - - * * * * * * * - -Here we will leave Martialis in his prime, with the crown of his life in -the person of a beloved wife and noble offspring. One of his sons, named -after himself, was a man of learning and taste, and is immortalised in the -letters of his friend and namesake, the great Roman epigrammist. We cannot -refrain from concluding with that epistle of the latter which relates to -the mansion of old Fabricius, and we present it in a well-known -translation:---- - - - 'On the long ridge of the Janiculan Hill lie the few acres - belonging to Julius Martialis; land more blessed than the gardens - of the Hesperides. Secluded retreats are spread over the hills, - and the smooth summit, with gentle undulations, enjoys a cloudless - sky; and while a mist covers the hollow valleys, shines - conspicuous in a light all its own. The graceful turrets of a - lofty villa rise gently toward the stars. Hence you may see the - seven hills, rulers of the world, and contemplate the whole extent - of Rome, as well as the heights of Alba and Tusculum, and every - cool retreat that lies in the suburbs, with old Fidenae and little - Rubra, and the fruit-bearing grove of Anna Perenna, which delights - in virgins' blood. Thence may be seen the traveller on the - Flaminian and Salarian roads, while his carriage is unheard, so - that its wheels are no interruption to gentle sleep; neither is it - broken by the cry of the boatswain or the noise of hawsers, - although the Mulvian bridge is near, and ships are seen gliding - swiftly along the sacred Tiber. This country box, or rather - mansion, is rendered additionally agreeable by the welcome of its - owner. You will imagine it to be your own; so ungrudgingly, so - liberally is it thrown open to you, and with such refined - hospitality.... You now who think all these attractions - insignificant, cultivate, with a hundred spades, cool Tibur or - Praeneste, and give the slopes of Setia to one single husbandman, - whilst I, for my part, prefer to all your possessions the few - acres of Julius Martialis.' - - - - THE END. - - - - - _Printed by_ R. & R. CLARK, _Edinburgh_. - - - - - - - SOME OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. - - - The Edinburgh Review says:-- - -"'Neæra' is given to us as a picture of Roman life, under an Emperor as -infamous as the Antonines were honourable; and the picture is, we think, -carefully drawn, and in its general features trustworthy.... Mr. Graham -has at the least given us a story of sustained interest; which he has done -well in connecting with the little island rock of Capri. On this island -Tiberius has left a lasting mark, and the remains of his work bear out the -old stories told about him.... We may take leave of Mr. Graham's -interesting and powerful tale with a few words in which he speaks of the -palaces and prisons which rose here at the despot's command." - - - The Saturday Review says:-- - -"An admirable novel.... 'Neæra' is a novel with a story, and as good a -story as it often falls to one's lot to find in a new book. The interest -grows somewhat gradually at first, but increases constantly as the story -progresses, and is multiplied by the interweaving of new threads and the -occurrence of startling incidents up to the very last pages of the -concluding volume. It is plain that a careful study of the masterpieces of -classical literature, and of the places to which they refer, has -necessarily preceded the writing of 'Neæra.' One of the best scenes in the -book is the final appearance of all the characters before Tiberius, who is -to decide whether Neæra is or is not the long-lost granddaughter of the -Senator, and whether the villain is guilty or not of the blackest -crimes.... The style is for the most part good. Mr. Graham writes in a -careful and leisurely way, choosing good sound phrases, and occasionally -introduces passages which are really eloquent and beautiful." - - - The St. James's Gazette says:-- - -"Mr. Graham has a keen eye for what is called on the stage a striking -situation, and his situations follow each other so thick and fast that his -story never flags. From the suicide of Apicius to the tremendous fight in -the dining-room under the eyes of Tiberius himself all is movement. And -this movement is never hurried or huddled, nor are the means by which Mr. -Graham extricates his characters from the difficulties into which he -brings them ever far-fetched or improbable. He is a born story-teller, and -'Neæra' is in consequence an admirable story." - - - - - - MACMILLAN'S COLONIAL LIBRARY. - - - 1. BARKER.--Station Life in New Zealand. By Lady BARKER. - 2. BARKER.--A Year's House-keeping in South Africa. By the Same. - 3. BLACK.--A Princess of Thule. By WILLIAM BLACK. - 4. CONWAY.--A Family Affair. By HUGH CONWAY. - 5. CRAWFORD.--Mr. Isaacs: a Tale of Modern India. By F. M. CRAWFORD. - 6. CRAWFORD.--Dr. Claudius: a True Story. By F. MARION CRAWFORD. - 7. CRAWFORD.--A Roman Singer. By F. MARION CRAWFORD. - 8. CRAWFORD.--A Tale of a Lonely Parish. By F. MARION CRAWFORD. - 9. EMERSON.--The Conduct of Life. By RALPH WALDO EMERSON. - 10. FARRAR.--Seekers after God. By the Venerable F. W. FARRAR, D.D., - F.R.S., Archdeacon of Westminster. - 11. FORBES.--Souvenirs of some Continents. By ARCHIBALD FORBES, LL.D. - 12. HAMERTON.--Human Intercourse. By P. G. HAMERTON. - 13. KEARY.--Oldbury. By ANNIE KEARY. - 14. JAMES.--Tales of Three Cities. By HENRY JAMES. - 15. MITFORD.--Tales of Old Japan. By A. B. MITFORD. - 16. OLIPHANT.--A Country Gentleman. By Mrs. OLIPHANT. - 17, 18, 19. OLIPHANT.--The Literary History of England in the end of - the 18th and beginning of the 19th Century. By Mrs. OLIPHANT. 3 - vols. - 20. ST. JOHNSTON.--Camping among Cannibals. By ALFRED ST. JOHNSTON. - 21. MURRAY.--Aunt Rachel. By D. CHRISTIE MURRAY. - 22. YONGE.--Chantry House. By CHARLOTTE M. YONGE. - 23. HARRISON.--The Choice of Books, and other Literary Pieces. By - FREDERIC HARRISON. - 24. THE AUTHOR OF 'JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.'--Miss Tommy: A Medieval - Romance. By the author of 'JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.' - 25. MALET.--Mrs. Lorimer: A Sketch in Black & White. By LUCAS MALET. - 26. CONWAY.--Living or Dead. By HUGH CONWAY. - 27. OLIPHANT.--Effie Ogilvie. By Mrs. OLIPHANT. - 28. HARRISON.--A Northern Lily. By JOANNA HARRISON. - 29. NORRIS.--My Friend Jim. By W. E. NORRIS. - 30. LAWLESS.--Hurrah: a Study. By the Hon. EMILY LAWLESS. - 31. THE AUTHOR OF 'JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.'--King Arthur: Not a Love - Story. By the author of 'JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.' - 32. HARDY.--The Mayor of Casterbridge. By THOMAS HARDY. - 33. GRAHAM.--Neæra: a Tale of Ancient Rome. By JOHN W. GRAHAM. - 34. MADOC--Margaret Jermine. By FAYR MADOC. - 35. YONGE.--A Modern Telemachus. By CHARLOTTE M. YONGE. - 36. SHORTHOUSE.--Sir Percival. By J. HENRY SHORTHOUSE. - 37. OLIPHANT.--A House Divided against Itself. By Mrs. OLIPHANT. - 38. THE AUTHOR OF 'JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.'--About Money, and other - Things. By the author of 'JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.' - 39. BLACK.--The Strange Adventures of a Phaeton. By WILLIAM BLACK. - 40. ARNOLD.--Essays in Criticism. By MATTHEW ARNOLD. - 41. HUGHES.--Tom Brown's Schooldays. By an OLD BOY. - 42. YONGE.--The Dove in the Eagle's Nest. By CHARLOTTE M. YONGE. - 43. OLIPHANT.--A Beleaguered City. By Mrs. OLIPHANT. - 44. MORLEY.--Critical Miscellanies. By JOHN MORLEY. - 45. BRET HARTE.--A Millionaire of Rough-and-Ready, etc. By BRET - HARTE. - 46. CRAWFORD.--Saracinesca. By F. MARION CRAWFORD. - 47. VELEY.--A Garden of Memories: and other Stories. By MARGARET - VELEY. - 48. BLACK.--Sabina Zembra. By WILLIAM BLACK. - 49. HARDY.--The Woodlanders. By THOMAS HARDY. - 50. DILLWYN.--Jill. By E. A. DILLWYN. - 51. DILLWYN.--Jill and Jack. By E. A DILLWYN. - 52. WESTBURY.--Frederick Hazzleden. By HUGH WESTBURY. - 53, 54. The New Antigone: A Romance. 2 vols. - 55. BRET HARTE.--The Crusade of the 'Excelsior.' By BRET HARTE. - 56. CUNNINGHAM.--The Coeruleans: A Vacation Idyll. By H. S. - CUNNINGHAM. - 57, 58. HARTLEY.--Ismay's Children. By Mrs. NOEL HARTLEY. 2 vols. - 59. CRAWFORD.--Zoroaster. By F. MARION CRAWFORD. - 60. NOEL.--Hithersea Mere. By Lady AUGUSTA NOEL. - - *** _Other Volumes to follow._ - - - - - - FOOTNOTES - - - 1 The 'Clavus' was a very distinctive token in the later Roman days. - The 'Latus Clavus' was a broad purple band running down the centre - of the tunic; it was worn only by senators. The 'Clavus Angustus,' - as described above, was a sign of equestrian rank. A senator - retiring from office changed the former for the latter. - - 2 About £500,000, or half a million of money. - - 3 Nearly £90,000. - - - - - - TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE - - -The table of contents, which was not present in the original book, has -been added to the electronic version. - -Variations in spelling and hyphenation have not been changed. - -Following changes have been made to the text: - - page 45, quote mark added before "I act", period changed to comma - after "answer" - page 62, period changed to comma after "patron" - page 73, quote mark added after "Pretorians?" - page 107, comma added after "freedman", quote mark added before - "See" - page 110, quote mark added after "goddess." - page 233, quote mark added after "but----" - page 246, period added after "look" - page 259, quote mark added after "aristocrat." - page 289, quote mark added after "not!" - page 319, quote mark added after "requirements," - page 364, "scrunity" changed to "scrutiny" - page 376, "to" added before "proceed" - page 394, quote mark added after "nephew." - page 415, quote mark added after "Fabricius," - page 418, "things" changed to "thing" - - - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NEÆRA. 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