第27章

’Thepeople，’saidthegravePansa，’arealldelightedwiththeresult。

Theyweresomuchafraidthesportsattheamphitheatrewouldgooffwithoutacriminalforthebeasts；andnow，togettwosuchcriminalsisindeedajoyforthepoorfellows！Theyworkhard；theyoughttohavesomeamusement。’

’TherespeaksthepopularPansa，whonevermoveswithoutastringofclientsaslongasanIndiantriumph。Heisalwayspratingaboutthepeople。Gods！

hewillendbybeingaGracchus！’

’CertainlyIamnoinsolentpatrician，’saidPansa，withagenerousair。

’Well，’observedLepidus，itwouldhavebeenassuredlydangeroustohavebeenmercifulattheeveofabeast—fight。IfeverI，thoughaRomanbredandborn，cometobetried，prayJupitertheremaybeeithernobeastsinthevivaria，orplentyofcriminalsinthegaol。’

’Andpray，’saidoneoftheparty，’whathasbecomeofthepoorgirlwhomGlaucuswastohavemarried？Awidowwithoutbeingabride——thatishard！’

’Oh，’returnedClodius，’sheissafeundertheprotectionofherguardian，Arbaces。Itwasnaturalsheshouldgotohimwhenshehadlostbothloverandbrother。’

’BysweetVenus，Glaucuswasfortunateamongthewomen。TheysaytherichJuliawasinlovewithhim。’

’Amerefable，myfriend，’saidClodius，coxcombically；’Iwaswithherto—day。Ifanyfeelingofthesortsheeverconceived，IflattermyselfthatIhaveconsoledher。’

’Hush，gentlemen！’saidPansa；’doyounotknowthatClodiusisemployedatthehouseofDiomedinblowinghardatthetorch？Itbeginstoburn，andwillsoonshinebrightontheshrineofHymen。’

’Isitso？’saidLepidus。’What！Clodiusbecomeamarriedman？——Fie！’

’Neverfear，’answeredClodius；’oldDiomedisdelightedatthenotionofmarryinghisdaughtertoanobleman，andwillcomedownlargelywiththesesterces。YouwillseethatIshallnotlockthemupintheatrium。Itwillbeawhitedayforhisjollyfriends，whenClodiusmarriesanheiress。’

’Sayyouso？’criedLepidus；’come，then，afullcuptothehealthofthefairJulia！’

Whilesuchwastheconversation——onenotdiscordanttothetoneofmindcommonamongthedissipatedofthatday，andwhichmightperhaps，acenturyago，havefoundanechointheloosercirclesofParis——whilesuch，Isay，wastheconversationinthegaudytricliniumofLepidus，fardifferentthescenewhichscowledbeforetheyoungAthenian。

Afterhiscondemnation，GlaucuswasadmittednomoretothegentleguardianshipofSallust，theonlyfriendofhisdistress。HewasledalongtheforumtilltheguardsstoppedatasmalldoorbythesideofthetempleofJupiter。Youmayseetheplacestill。Thedooropenedinthecentreinasomewhatsingularfashion，revolvingroundonitshinges，asitwere，likeamodernturnstile，soasonlytoleavehalfthethresholdopenatthesametime。Throughthisnarrowaperturetheythrusttheprisoner，placedbeforehimaloafandapitcherofwater，andlefthimtodarkness，and，ashethought，tosolitude。Sosuddenhadbeenthatrevolutionoffortunewhichhadprostratedhimfromthepalmyheightofyouthfulpleasureandsuccessfullovetothelowestabyssofignominy，andthehorrorofamostbloodydeath，thathecouldscarcelyconvincehimselfthathewasnotheldinthemeshesofsomefearfuldream。Hiselasticandgloriousframehadtriumphedoverapotion，thegreaterpartofwhichhehadfortunatelynotdrained。Hehadrecoveredsenseandconsciousness，butstilladimandmistydepressionclungtohisnervesanddarkenedhismind。Hisnaturalcourage，andtheGreeknobilityofpride，enabledhimtovanquishallunbecomingapprehension，and，inthejudgment—court，tofacehisawfullotwithasteadymienandunquailingeye。Buttheconsciousnessofinnocencescarcelysufficedtosupporthimwhenthegazeofmennolongerexcitedhishaughtyvalor，andhewaslefttolonelinessandsilence。Hefeltthedampsofthedungeonsinkchillinglyintohisenfeebledframe。He——thefastidious，theluxurious，therefined——hewhohadhithertobravednohardshipandknownnosorrow。Beautifulbirdthathewas！whyhadhelefthisfarandsunnyclime——theolive—grovesofhisnativehills——themusicofimmemorialstreams？Whyhadhewantonedonhisglitteringplumageamidsttheseharshandungenialstrangers，dazzlingtheeyeswithhisgorgeoushues，charmingtheearwithhisblithesomesong——thussuddenlytobearrested——cagedindarkness——avictimandaprey——hisgayflightsforeverover——hishymnsofgladnessforeverstilled！ThepoorAthenian！hisveryfaultstheexuberanceofagentleandjoyousnature，howlittlehadhispastcareerfittedhimforthetrialshewasdestinedtoundergo！Thehootsofthemob，amidstwhoseplauditshehadsooftenguidedhisgracefulcarandboundingsteeds，stillranggratinglyinhisear。Thecoldandstonyfacesofformerfriends（theco—matesofmerryrevels）stillrosebeforehiseye。Nonenowwerebytosoothe，tosustain，theadmired，theadulatedstranger。Thesewallsopenedbutonthedreadarenaofaviolentandshamefuldeath。AndIone！ofher，too，hehadheardnaught；noencouragingword，nopityingmessage；she，too，hadforsakenhim；shebelievedhimguilty——andofwhatcrime？——themurderofabrother！Hegroundhisteeth——hegroanedaloud——andeverandanonasharpfearshotacrosshim。Inthatfellandfiercedeliriumwhichhadsounaccountablyseizedhissoul，whichhadsoravagedthedisorderedbrain，mighthenot，indeed，unknowingtohimself，havecommittedthecrimeofwhichhewasaccused？Yet，asthethoughtflasheduponhim，itwasassuddenlychecked；for，amidstallthedarknessofthepast，hethoughtdistinctlytorecallthedimgroveofCybele，theupwardfaceofthepaledead，thepausethathehadmadebesidethecorpse，andthesuddenshockthatfelledhimtotheearth。Hefeltconvincedofhisinnocence；andyetwho，tothelatesttime，longafterhismangledremainsweremingledwiththeelements，wouldbelievehimguiltless，orupholdhisfame？AsherecalledhisinterviewwithArbaces，andthecausesofrevengewhichhadbeenexcitedintheheartofthatdarkandfearfulman，hecouldnotbutbelievethathewasthevictimofsomedeep—laidandmysterioussnare——theclueandtrainofwhichhewaslostinattemptingtodiscover：

andIone——Arbaceslovedher——mighthisrival’ssuccessbefoundeduponhisruin？Thatthoughtcuthimmoredeeplythanall；andhisnobleheartwasmorestungbyjealousythanappalledbyfear。Againhegroanedaloud。

Avoicefromtherecessofthedarknessansweredthatburstofanguish。

’Who（itsaid）ismycompanioninthisawfulhour？AthenianGlaucus，itisthou？’

’So，indeed，theycalledmeinminehouroffortune：theymayhaveothernamesformenow。Andthyname，stranger？’

’IsOlinthus，thyco—mateintheprisonasthetrial。’

’What！hewhomtheycalltheAtheist？Isittheinjusticeofmenthathathtaughttheetodenytheprovidenceofthegods？’

’Alas！’answeredOlinthus：’thou，notI，artthetrueAtheist，forthoudeniestthesoletrueGod——theUnknownOne——towhomthyAthenianfatherserectedanaltar。ItisinthishourthatIknowmyGod。Heiswithmeinthedungeon；Hissmilepenetratesthedarkness；ontheeveofdeathmyheartwhispersimmortality，andearthrecedesfrommebuttobringthewearysoulneareruntoheaven。’

’Tellme，’saidGlaucus，abruptly，’didInothearthynamecoupledwiththatofApaecidesinmytrial？Dostthoubelievemeguilty？’

’Godalonereadstheheart！butmysuspicionrestednotuponthee。’

’Onwhomthen？’

’Thyaccuser，Arbaces。’

’Ha！thoucheerestme：andwherefore？’

’BecauseIknowtheman’sevilbreast，andhehadcausetofearhimwhoisnowdead。’

Withthat，OlinthusproceededtoinformGlaucusofthosedetailswhichthereaderalreadyknows，theconversionofApaecides，theplantheyhadproposedforthedetectionoftheimposturesoftheEgyptianupontheyouthfulweaknessoftheproselyte。’Therefore，’concludedOlinthus，’hadthedeceasedencounteredArbaces，reviledhistreasons，andthreateneddetection，theplace，thehour，mighthavefavoredthewrathoftheEgyptian，andpassionandcraftalikedictatedthefatalblow。’

’Itmusthavebeenso！’criedGlaucus，joyfully。’Iamhappy。’

’Yetwhat，Ounfortunate！availstotheenowthediscovery？Thouartcondemnedandfated；andinthineinnocencethouwiltperish。’

’ButIshallknowmyselfguiltless；andinmymysteriousmadnessIhadfearful，thoughmomentary，doubts。Yettellme，manofastrangecreed，thinkestthouthatforsmallerrors，orforancestralfaults，weareforeverabandonedandaccursedbythepowersabove，whatevernamethouallottesttothem？’

’Godisjust，andabandonsnotHiscreaturesfortheirmerehumanfrailty。

Godismerciful，andcursesnonebutthewickedwhorepentnot。’

’Yetitseemethtomeasif，inthedivineanger，Ihadbeensmittenbyasuddenmadness，asupernaturalandsolemnfrenzy，wroughtnotbyhumanmeans。’

’Therearedemonsonearth，’answeredtheNazarene，fearfully，’aswellasthereareGodandHisSoninheaven；andsincethouacknowledgestnotthelast，thefirstmayhavehadpoweroverthee。’

Glaucusdidnotreply，andtherewasasilenceforsomeminutes。AtlengththeAtheniansaid，inachanged，andsoft，andhalf—hesitatingvoice。

’Christian，believestthou，amongthedoctrinesofthycreed，thatthedeadliveagain——thattheywhohavelovedhereareunitedhereafter——thatbeyondthegraveourgoodnameshinespurefromthemortalmiststhatunjustlydimitinthegross—eyedworld——andthatthestreamswhicharedividedbythedesertandtherockmeetinthesolemnHades，andflowoncemoreintoone？’

’BelieveIthat，OAthenianNo，Idonotbelieve——Iknow！anditisthatbeautifulandblessedassurancewhichsupportsmenow。OCyllene！’

continuedOlinthus，passionately，’brideofmyheart！tornfrommeinthefirstmonthofour