下载辰思小说免费APP
Etruscanprophecywhichsaith，"Whenthemountainopens，thecityshallfall——whenthesmokecrownstheHilloftheParchedFields，thereshallbewoeandweepinginthehearthsoftheChildrenoftheSea。"Dreadmaster，ereIleavethesewallsforsomemoredistantdwelling，Icometothee。Asthoulivest，knowIinmyheartthattheearthquakethatsixteenyearsagoshookthiscitytoitssolidbase，wasbuttheforerunnerofmoredeadlydoom。ThewallsofPompeiiarebuiltabovethefieldsoftheDead，andtheriversofthesleeplessHell。Bewarnedandfly！’
’Hearme，’answeredArbaces，risingcalmly，butwithagitationvisibleinhisface。’Thismancametothreatenthathewouldmakeagainstmethechargehehasnowmade，unlessIwouldpurchasehissilencewithhalfmyfortune：Iremonstrated——invain。Peacethere——letnotthepriestinterruptme！Noblepraetor——andye，Opeople！Iwasastrangerintheland——Iknewmyselfinnocentofcrime——butthewitnessofapriestagainstmemightyetdestroyme。InmyperplexityIdecoyedhimtothecellwhencehehasbeenreleased，onpretencethatitwasthecoffer—houseofmygold。Iresolvedtodetainhimthereuntilthefateofthetruecriminalwassealed，andhisthreatscouldavailnolonger；butImeantnoworse。Imayhaveerred——butwhoamongstyewillnotacknowledgetheequityofself—preservation？WereI
guilty，whywasthewitnessofthispriestsilentatthetrial？——thenIhadnotdetainedorconcealedhim。WhydidhenotproclaimmyguiltwhenI
proclaimedthatofGlaucus？Praetor，thisneedsananswer。Fortherest，I
throwmyselfonyourlaws。Idemandtheirprotection。Removehencetheaccusedandtheaccuser。Iwillwillinglymeet，andcheerfullyabideby，thedecisionofthelegitimatetribunal。Thisisnoplaceforfurtherparley。’
’Hesaysright，’saidthepraetor。’Ho！guards——removeArbaces——guardCalenus！Sallust，weholdyouresponsibleforyouraccusation。Letthesportsberesumed。’
’What！’criedCalenus，turningroundtothepeople，’shallIsisbethuscontemned？ShallthebloodofApaecidesyetcryforvengeance？Shalljusticebedelayednow，thatitmaybefrustratedhereafter？Shallthelionbecheatedofhislawfulprey？Agod！agod！——Ifeelthegodrushtomylips！Tothelion——tothelionwithArbaces！’
Hisexhaustedframecouldsupportnolongertheferociousmaliceofthepriest；hesankonthegroundinstrongconvulsions——thefoamgatheredtohismouth——hewasasaman，indeed，whomasupernaturalpowerhadentered！
Thepeoplesawandshuddered。
’Itisagodthatinspirestheholyman！TothelionwiththeEgyptian！’
Withthatcryupsprang——onmoved——thousandsuponthousands！Theyrushedfromtheheights——theypoureddowninthedirectionoftheEgyptian。Invaindidtheaedilecommand——invaindidthepraetorlifthisvoiceandproclaimthelaw。Thepeoplehadbeenalreadyrenderedsavagebytheexhibitionofblood——theythirstedformore——theirsuperstitionwasaidedbytheirferocity。Aroused——inflamedbythespectacleoftheirvictims，theyforgottheauthorityoftheirrulers。Itwasoneofthosedreadpopularconvulsionscommontocrowdswhollyignorant，halffreeandhalfservile；
andwhichthepeculiarconstitutionoftheRomanprovincessofrequentlyexhibited。Thepowerofthepraetorwasasareedbeneaththewhirlwind；
still，athiswordtheguardshaddrawnthemselvesalongthelowerbenches，onwhichtheupperclassessatseparatefromthevulgar。Theymadebutafeeblebarrier——thewavesofthehumanseahaltedforamoment，toenableArbacestocounttheexactmomentofhisdoom！Indespair，andinaterrorwhichbeatdownevenpride，heglancedhiseyesovertherollingandrushingcrowd——when，rightabovethem，throughthewidechasmwhichhadbeenleftinthevelaria，hebeheldastrangeandawfulapparition——hebeheld——andhiscraftrestoredhiscourage！
Hestretchedhishandonhigh；overhisloftybrowandroyalfeaturestherecameanexpressionofunutterablesolemnityandcommand。
’Behold！’heshoutedwithavoiceofthunder，whichstilledtheroarofthecrowd；’beholdhowthegodsprotecttheguiltless！ThefiresoftheavengingOrcusburstforthagainstthefalsewitnessofmyaccusers！’
TheeyesofthecrowdfollowedthegestureoftheEgyptian，andbeheld，withineffabledismay，avastvaporshootingfromthesummitofVesuvius，intheformofagiganticpine—tree；thetrunk，blackness——thebranches，fire！——afirethatshiftedandwaveredinitshueswitheverymoment，nowfiercelyluminous，nowofadullanddyingred，thatagainblazedterrificallyforthwithintolerableglare！
Therewasadead，heart—sunkensilence——throughwhichtheresuddenlybroketheroarofthelion，whichwasechoedbackfromwithinthebuildingbythesharperandfierceryellsofitsfellow—beast。DreadseersweretheyoftheBurdenoftheAtmosphere，andwildprophetsofthewrathtocome！
Thentherearoseonhightheuniversalshrieksofwomen；themenstaredateachother，butweredumb。Atthatmomenttheyfelttheearthshakebeneaththeirfeet；thewallsofthetheatretrembled：and，beyondinthedistance，theyheardthecrashoffallingroofs；aninstantmoreandthemountain—cloudseemedtorolltowardsthem，darkandrapid，likeatorrent；
atthesametime，itcastforthfromitsbosomashowerofashesmixedwithvastfragmentsofburningstone！Overthecrushingvines——overthedesolatestreets——overtheamphitheatreitself——farandwide——withmanyamightysplashintheagitatedsea——fellthatawfulshower！
NolongerthoughtthecrowdofjusticeorofArbaces；safetyforthemselveswastheirsolethought。Eachturnedtofly——eachdashing，pressing，crushing，againsttheother。Tramplingrecklesslyoverthefallen——amidstgroans，andoaths，andprayers，andsuddenshrieks，theenormouscrowdvomiteditselfforththroughthenumerouspassages。Whithershouldtheyfly？
Some，anticipatingasecondearthquake，hastenedtotheirhomestoloadthemselveswiththeirmorecostlygoods，andescapewhileitwasyettime；
others，dreadingtheshowersofashesthatnowfellfast，torrentupontorrent，overthestreets，rushedundertheroofsofthenearesthouses，ortemples，orsheds——shelterofanykind——forprotectionfromtheterrorsoftheopenair。Butdarker，andlarger，andmightier，spreadthecloudabovethem。ItwasasuddenandmoreghastlyNightrushingupontherealmofNoon！
ChapterV
THECELLOFTHEPRISONERANDTHEDENOFTHEDEAD。GRIEFUNCONSCIOUSOF
HORROR。
STUNNEDbyhisreprieve，doubtingthathewasawake，Glaucushadbeenledbytheofficersofthearenaintoasmallcellwithinthewallsofthetheatre。
Theythrewalooserobeoverhisform，andcrowdedroundincongratulationandwonder。Therewasanimpatientandfretfulcrywithoutthecell；thethronggaveway，andtheblindgirl，ledbysomegentlerhand，flungherselfatthefeetofGlaucus。
’ItisIwhohavesavedthee，’shesobbed；nowletmedie！’
’Nydia，mychild！——mypreserver！’
’Oh，letmefeelthytouch——thybreath！Yes，yes，thoulivest！Wearenottoolate！Thatdreaddoor，methoughtitwouldneveryield！andCalenus——oh！
hisvoicewasasthedyingwindamongtombs——wehadtowait——gods！itseemedhourserefoodandwinerestoredtohimsomethingofstrength。Butthoulivest！thoulivestyet！AndI——Ihavesavedthee！’
Thisaffectingscenewassooninterruptedbytheeventjustdescribed。
’Themountain！theearthquake！’resoundedfromsidetoside。Theofficersfledwiththerest；theyleftGlaucusandNydiatosavethemselvesastheymight。
AsthesenseofthedangersaroundthemflashedontheAthenian，hisgenerousheartrecurredtoOlinthus。He，too，wasreprievedfromthetigerbythehandofthegods；shouldhebelefttoanolessfataldeathintheneighboringcell？TakingNydiabythehand，Glaucushurriedacrossthepassages；hegainedthedenoftheChristian！HefoundOlinthuskneelingandinprayer。
’Arise！arise！myfriend，’hecried。’Savethyself，andfly！See！Natureisthydreaddeliverer！’HeledforththebewilderedChristian，andpointedtoacloudwhichadvanceddarkeranddarker，disgorgingforthshowersofashesandpumicestones——andbadehimhearkentothecriesandtramplingrushofthescatteredcrowd。
’ThisisthehandofGod——Godbepraised！’saidOlinthus，devoutly。
’Fly！seekthybrethren！——Concertwiththemthyescape。Farewell！’
Olinthusdidnotanswer，neitherdidhemarktheretreatingformofhisfriend。Highthoughtsandsolemnabsorbedhissoul：andintheenthusiasmofhiskindlingheart，heexultedinthemercyofGodratherthantrembledattheevidenceofHispower。
Atlengthherousedhimself，andhurriedon，hescarceknewwhither。
Theopendoorsofadark，desolatecellsuddenlyappearedonhispath；
throughthegloomwithinthereflaredandflickeredasinglelamp；andbyitslighthe
