第30章

Etruscanprophecywhichsaith，"Whenthemountainopens，thecityshallfall——whenthesmokecrownstheHilloftheParchedFields，thereshallbewoeandweepinginthehearthsoftheChildrenoftheSea。"Dreadmaster，ereIleavethesewallsforsomemoredistantdwelling，Icometothee。Asthoulivest，knowIinmyheartthattheearthquakethatsixteenyearsagoshookthiscitytoitssolidbase，wasbuttheforerunnerofmoredeadlydoom。ThewallsofPompeiiarebuiltabovethefieldsoftheDead，andtheriversofthesleeplessHell。Bewarnedandfly！’

Theyhadplacedthemselvesattheonsetfacetoface，atthedistanceofmodernfencersfromeachother：buttheextremecautionwhichbothevincedatfirsthadpreventedanywarmthofengagement，andallowedthespectatorsfullleisuretointerestthemselvesinthebattlebetweenSporusandhisfoe。ButtheRomanswerenowheatedintofullandfierceencounter：theypushed——returned——advancedon——retreatedfromeachotherwithallthatcarefulyetscarcelyperceptiblecautionwhichcharacterizesmenwellexperiencedandequallymatched。Butatthismoment，Eumolpus，theeldergladiator，bythatdexterousback—strokewhichwasconsideredinthearenasodifficulttoavoid，hadwoundedNepimusintheside。Thepeopleshouted；

Lepidusturnedpale。

’Ho！’saidClodius，’thegameisnearlyover。IfEumolpusfightsnowthequietfight，theotherwillgraduallybleedhimselfaway。’

’But，thankthegods！hedoesnotfightthebackwardfight。See！——hepressesharduponNepimus。ByMars！butNepimushadhimthere！thehelmetrangagain！——Clodius，Ishallwin！’

’WhydoIeverbetbutatthedice？’groanedClodiustohimself；——orwhycannotonecogagladiator？’

’ASporus！——aSporus！’shoutedthepopulace，asNigerhavingnowsuddenlypaused，hadagaincasthisnet，andagainunsuccessfully。Hehadnotretreatedthistimewithsufficientagility——theswordofSporushadinflictedaseverewounduponhisrightleg；and，incapacitatedtofly，hewaspressedhardbythefierceswordsman。Hisgreatheightandlengthofarmstillcontinued，however，togivehimnodespicableadvantages；andsteadilykeepinghistridentatthefrontofhisfoe，herepelledhimsuccessfullyforseveralminutes。Sporusnowtried，bygreatrapidityofevolution，togetroundhisantagonist，whonecessarilymovedwithpainandslowness。Insodoing，helosthiscaution——headvancedtooneartothegiant——raisedhisarmtostrike，andreceivedthethreepointsofthefatalspearfullinhisbreast！Hesankonhisknee。Inamomentmore，thedeadlynetwascastoverhim，hestruggledagainstitsmeshesinvain；

again——again——againhewrithedmutelybeneaththefreshstrokesofthetrident——hisbloodflowedfastthroughthenetandredlyoverthesand。Heloweredhisarmsinacknowledgmentofdefeat。

Theconqueringretiariuswithdrewhisnet，andleaningonhisspear，lookedtotheaudiencefortheirjudgement。Slowly，too，atthesamemoment，thevanquishedgladiatorrolledhisdimanddespairingeyesaroundthetheatre。

Fromrowtorow，frombenchtobench，thereglareduponhimbutmercilessandunpityingeyes。

Hushedwastheroar——themurmur！Thesilencewasdread，foritwasnosympathy；notahand——no，notevenawoman’shand——gavethesignalofcharityandlife！Sporushadneverbeenpopularinthearena；and，lately，theinterestofthecombathadbeenexcitedonbehalfofthewoundedNiger。

Thepeoplewerewarmedintoblood——themimicfighthadceasedtocharm；theinteresthadmounteduptothedesireofsacrificeandthethirstofdeath！

Thegladiatorfeltthathisdoomwassealed：heutterednoprayer——nogroan。

Thepeoplegavethesignalofdeath！Indoggedbutagonizedsubmission，hebenthisnecktoreceivethefatalstroke。Andnow，asthespearoftheretiariuswasnotaweapontoinflictinstantandcertaindeath，therestalkedintothearenaagrimandfatalform，brandishingashort，sharpsword，andwithfeaturesutterlyconcealedbeneathitsvizor。Withslowandmeasuredsteps，thisdismalheadsmanapproachedthegladiator，stillkneeling——laidthelefthandonhishumbledcrest——drewtheedgeofthebladeacrosshisneck——turnedroundtotheassembly，lest，inthelastmoment，remorseshouldcomeuponthem；thedreadsignalcontinuedthesame：

thebladeglitteredbrightlyintheair——fell——andthegladiatorrolleduponthesand；hislimbsquivered——werestill——hewasacorpse。’

Hisbodywasdraggedatoncefromthearenathroughthegateofdeath，andthrownintothegloomydentermedtechnicallythespoliarium。Andereithadwellreachedthatdestination，thestrifebetweentheremainingcombatantswasdecided。TheswordofEumolpushadinflictedthedeath—wounduponthelessexperiencedcombatant。Anewvictimwasaddedtothereceptacleoftheslain。

Throughoutthatmightyassemblytherenowranauniversalmovement；thepeoplebreathedmorefreely，andresettledthemselvesintheirseats。A

gratefulshowerwascastovereveryrowfromtheconcealedconduits。Incoolandluxuriouspleasuretheytalkedoverthelatespectacleofblood。

Eumolpusremovedhishelmet，andwipedhisbrows；hisclose—curledhairandshortbeard，hisnobleRomanfeaturesandbrightdarkeyeattractedthegeneraladmiration。Hewasfresh，unwounded，unfatigued。

Theeditorpaused，andproclaimedaloudthat，asNiger’swounddisabledhimfromagainenteringthearena，LydonwastobethesuccessortotheslaughteredNepimus，andthenewcombatantofEumolpus。

’Yet，Lydon，’addedhe，’ifthouwouldstdeclinethecombatwithonesobraveandtried，thoumaysthavefulllibertytodoso。Eumolpusisnottheantagonistthatwasoriginallydecreedforthee。Thouknowestbesthowfarthoucanstcopewithhim。Ifthoufailest，thydoomishonorabledeath；ifthouconquerest，outofmyownpurseIwilldoublethestipulatedprize。’

Thepeopleshoutedapplause。Lydonstoodinthelists，hegazedaround；

highabovehebeheldthepaleface，thestrainingeyes，ofhisfather。Heturnedawayirresoluteforamoment。No！theconquestofthecestuswasnotsufficient——hehadnotyetwontheprizeofvictory——hisfatherwasstillaslave！

’Nobleaedile！’hereplied，inafirmanddeeptone，’Ishrinknotfromthiscombat。ForthehonourofPompeii，Idemandthatonetrainedbyitslong—celebratedlanistashalldobattlewiththisRoman。’

Thepeopleshoutedlouderthanbefore。

’FourtooneagainstLydon！’saidClodiustoLepidus。

’Iwouldnottaketwentytoone！Why，EumolpusisaveryAchilles，andthispoorfellowisbutatyro！’

EumolpusgazedhardonthefaceofLydon；hesmiled；yetthesmilewasfollowedbyaslightandscarceaudiblesigh——atouchofcompassionateemotion，whichcustomconqueredthemomenttheheartacknowledgedit。

Andnowboth，cladincompletearmor，thesworddrawn，thevizorclosed，thetwolastcombatantsofthearena（ereman，atleast，wasmatchedwithbeast），stoodopposedtoeachother。

Itwasjustatthistimethataletterwasdeliveredtotheproctorbyoneoftheattendantsofthearena；heremovedthecincture——glancedoveritforamoment——hiscountenancebetrayedsurpriseandembarrassment。Here—readtheletter，andthenmuttering——’Tush！itisimpossible！——themanmustbedrunk，eveninthemorning，todreamofsuchfollies！’——threwitcarelesslyaside，andgravelysettledhimselfoncemoreintheattitudeofattentiontothesports。

Theinterestofthepublicwaswoundupveryhigh。Eumolpushadatfirstwontheirfavor；butthegallantryofLydon，andhiswell—timedallusiontothehonourofthePompeianlanista，hadafterwardsgiventhelatterthepreferenceintheireyes。

’Holla，oldfellow！’saidMedon’sneighbortohim。’Yoursonishardlymatched；butneverfear，theeditorwillnotpermithimtobeslain——no，northepeopleneither；hehasbehavedtoobravelyforthat。Ha！thatwasahomethrust！——wellaverted，byPollux！Athimagain，Lydon！——theystoptobreathe。Whatartthoumuttering，oldboy’Prayers！’answeredMedon，withamorecalmandhopefulmienthanhehadyetmaintained。

’Prayers！——trifles！Thetimeforgodstocarryamanawayinacloudisgonenow。Ha！Jupiter！whatablow！Thyside——thyside！——takecareofthyside，Lydon！’

Therewasaconvulsivetremorthroughouttheassembly。AfierceblowfromEumolpus，fullonthecrest，hadbroughtLydontohisknee。

’Habet！——hehasit！’criedashrillfemalevoice；’hehasit！’Itwasthevoiceofthegirlwhohadsoanxiouslyanticipatedthesacrificeofsomecriminaltothebeasts。

’Besilent，child！’saidthewifeofPansa，haughtily。’Nonhabet！——heisnotwounded！’

’Iwishhewere，ifonlytospiteoldsurlyMedon，’mutteredthegirl。

MeanwhileLydon，whohadhithertodefendedhimselfwithgreatskillandvalor，begantogivewaybeforethevigorousassaultsofthepractisedRoman；hisarmgrewtired，hiseyedizzy，hebreathedhardandpainfully。

Thecombatantspausedagainforbreath。

’Youngman，’saidEumolpus，inalowvoice，’desist；Iwillwoundtheeslightly——thenlowerthyarms；thouhastpropi