下载辰思小说免费APP
However，weoftheupperclassesarealwaystender—hearted；andhewouldcertainlygetofftolerablywellifhewerelefttous：for，betweenourselves，whatisapaltrypriestofIsis！——whatIsisherself？Butthecommonpeoplearesuperstitious；theyclamorforthebloodofthesacrilegiousone。Itisdangerousnottogivewaytopublicopinion。’
’Andtheblasphemer——theChristian，orNazarene，orwhateverelsehebecalled？’
’Oh，poordog！ifhewillsacrificetoCybeleorIsis，hewillbepardoned——ifnot，thetigerhashim。Atleast，soIsuppose；butthetrialwilldecide。Wetalkwhiletheurn’sstillempty。AndtheGreekmayyetescapethedeadlyThetaofhisownalphabet。Butenoughofthisgloomysubject。HowisthefairJulia？’
’Well，Ifancy。’
’Commendmetoher。Buthark！thedooryondercreaksonitshinges；itisthehouseofthepraetor。Whocomesforth？ByPollux！itistheEgyptian！
Whatcanhewantwithourofficialfriend！’
’Someconferencetouchingthemurder，doubtless，’repliedDiomed；’butwhatwassupposedtobetheinducementtothecrime？Glaucuswastohavemarriedthepriest’ssister。’
’Yes：somesayApaecidesrefusedthealliance。Itmighthavebeenasuddenquarrel。Glaucuswasevidentlydrunk——nay，somuchsoastohavebeenquiteinsensiblewhentakenup，andIhearisstilldelirious——whetherwithwine，terror，remorse，theFuries，ortheBacchanals，Icannotsay。’
’Poorfellow！——hehasgoodcounsel？’
’Thebest——CaiusPollio，aneloquentfellowenough。Polliohasbeenhiringallthepoorgentlemenandwell—bornspendthriftsofPompeiitodressshabbilyandsneakabout，swearingtheirfriendshiptoGlaucus（whowouldnothavespokentothemtobemadeemperor！——Iwilldohimjustice，hewasagentlemaninhischoiceofacquaintance），andtryingtomeltthestonycitizensintopity。Butitwillnotdo；Isisismightilypopularjustatthismoment。’
’And，by—the—by，IhavesomemerchandiseatAlexandria。Yes，Isisoughttobeprotected。’
’True；sofarewell，oldgentleman：weshallmeetsoon；ifnot，wemusthaveafriendlybetattheAmphitheatre。AllmycalculationsareconfoundedbythiscursedmisfortuneofGlaucus！HehadbetonLydonthegladiator；I
mustmakeupmytabletselsewhere。Vale！’
LeavingthelessactiveDiomedtoregainhisvilla，Clodiusstrodeon，hummingaGreekair，andperfumingthenightwiththeodorousthatsteamedfromhissnowygarmentsandflowinglocks。
’If，’thoughthe，’Glaucusfeedthelion，Juliawillnolongerhaveapersontolovebetterthanme；shewillcertainlydoatonme——andso，Isuppose，I
mustmarry。Bythegods！thetwelvelinesbegintofail——menlooksuspiciouslyatmyhandwhenitrattlesthedice。ThatinfernalSallustinsinuatescheating；andifitbediscoveredthattheivoryisclogged，whyfarewelltothemerrysupperandtheperfumedbillet——Clodiusisundone！
Bettermarry，then，whileImay，renouncegaming，andpushmyfortune（orratherthegentleJulia’s）attheimperialcourt。’
Thusmutteringtheschemesofhisambition，ifbythathighnametheprojectsofClodiusmaybecalled，thegamesterfoundhimselfsuddenlyaccosted；heturnedandbeheldthedarkbrowofArbaces。
’Hail，nobleClodius！pardonmyinterruption；andinformme，Iprayyou，whichisthehouseofSallust？’
’Itisbutafewyardshence，wiseArbaces。ButdoesSallustentertainto—night？’
’Iknownot，’answeredtheEgyptian；’noramI，perhaps，oneofthosewhomhewouldseekasabooncompanion。ButthouknowestthathishouseholdsthepersonofGlaucus，themurderer。’
’Ay！he，good—heartedepicure，believesintheGreek’sinnocence！Youremindmethathehasbecomehissurety；and，therefore，tillthetrial，isresponsibleforhisappearance。’Well，Sallust’shouseisbetterthanaprison，especiallythatwretchedholeintheforum。ButforwhatcanyouseekGlaucus？’
’Why，nobleClodius，ifwecouldsavehimfromexecutionitwouldbewell。
Thecondemnationoftherichisablowuponsocietyitself。Ishouldliketoconferwithhim——forIhearhehasrecoveredhissenses——andascertainthemotivesofhiscrime；theymaybesoextenuatingastopleadinhisdefence。’
’Youarebenevolent，Arbaces。’
’Benevolenceisthedutyofonewhoaspirestowisdom，’repliedtheEgyptian，modestly。’WhichwayliesSallust’smansion？’
’Iwillshowyou，’saidClodius，’ifyouwillsuffermetoaccompanyyouafewsteps。But，praywhathasbecomeofthepoorgirlwhowastohavewedtheAthenian——thesisterofthemurderedpriest？’
’Alas！well—nighinsane！Sometimessheuttersimprecationsonthemurderer——thensuddenlystopsshort——thencries，"Butwhycurse？Oh，mybrother！Glaucuswasnotthymurderer——neverwillIbelieveit！"Thenshebeginsagain，andagainstopsshort，andmuttersawfullytoherself，"Yetifitwereindeedhe？"’
’UnfortunateIone！’
’ButitiswellforherthatthosesolemncarestothedeadwhichreligionenjoinshavehithertogreatlyabsorbedherattentionfromGlaucusandherself：and，inthedimnessofhersenses，shescarcelyseemsawarethatGlaucusisapprehendedandontheeveoftrial。WhenthefuneralritesduetoApaecidesareperformed，herapprehensionwillreturn；andthenIfearmemuchthatherfriendswillberevoltedbyseeingherruntosuccourandaidthemurdererofherbrother！’
’Suchscandalshouldbeprevented。’
’ItrustIhavetakenprecautionstothateffect。Iamherlawfulguardian，andhavejustsucceededinobtainingpermissiontoescorther，afterthefuneralofApaecides，tomyownhouse；there，pleasethegods！shewillbesecure。’
’Youhavedonewell，sageArbaces。And，now，yonderisthehouseofSallust。Thegodskeepyou！Yet，harkyou，Arbaces——whysogloomyandunsocial？Mensayyoucanbegay——whynotletmeinitiateyouintothepleasuresofPompeii？——Iflattermyselfnooneknowsthembetter。’
’Ithankyou，nobleClodius：underyourauspicesImightventure，Ithink，towearthephilyra：but，atmyage，Ishouldbeanawkwardpupil。’
’Oh，neverfear；Ihavemadeconvertsoffellowsofseventy。Therich，too，areneverold。’
’Youflatterme。AtsomefuturetimeIwillremindyouofyourpromise。’
’YoumaycommandMarcusClodiusatalltimes——andso，vale！’
’Now，’saidtheEgyptian，soliloquising，’Iamnotwantonlyamanofblood；
IwouldwillinglysavethisGreek，if，byconfessingthecrime，hewilllosehimselfforevertoIone，andforeverfreemefromthechanceofdiscovery；
andIcansavehimbypersuadingJuliatoownthephiltre，whichwillbeheldhisexcuse。Butifhedonotconfessthecrime，why，Juliamustbeshamedfromtheconfession，andhemustdie！——die，lestheprovemyrivalwiththeliving——die，thathemaybemyproxywiththedead！Willheconfess？——canhenotbepersuadedthatinhisdeliriumhestrucktheblow？
Tomeitwouldgivefargreatersafetythanevenhisdeath。Hem！wemusthazardtheexperiment。’
Sweepingalongthenarrowstreet，ArbacesnowapproachedthehouseofSallust，whenhebeheldadarkformwrappedinacloak，andstretchedatlengthacrossthethresholdofthedoor。
Sostilllaythefigure，andsodimwasitsoutline，thatanyotherthanArbacesmighthavefeltasuperstitiousfear，lesthebeheldoneofthosegrimlemures，who，aboveallotherspots，hauntedthethresholdofthehomestheyformerlypossessed。ButnotforArbacesweresuchdreams。
’Rise！’saidhe，touchingthefigurewithhisfoot；’thouobstructesttheway！’
’Ha！whoartthoucriedtheform，inasharptone，andassheraisedherselffromtheground，thestarlightfellfullonthepalefaceandfixedbutsightlesseyesofNydiatheThessalian。’Whoartthou？Iknowtheburdenofthyvoice。’
’Blindgirl！whatdostthouhereatthislatehour？Fie！——isthisseemingthysexoryears？Home，girl！’
’Iknowthee，’saidNydia，inalowvoice，’thouartArbacestheEgyptian’：
then，asifinspiredbysomesuddenimpulse，sheflungherselfathisfeet，andclaspinghisknees，exclaimed，inawildandpassionatetone，’Ohdreadandpotentman！savehim——savehim！Heisnotguilty——itisI！Helieswithin，ill—dying，andI——Iamthehatefulcause！Andtheywillnotadmitmetohim——theyspurntheblindgirlfromthehall。Oh，healhim！thouknowestsomeherb——somespell——somecountercharm，foritisapotionthathathwroughtthisfrenzy！
’Hush，child！Iknowall！——thouforgettestthatIaccompaniedJuliatothesaga’shome。Doubtlessherhandadministeredthedraught；butherreputationdemandsthysilence。Reproachnotthysel
