下载辰思小说免费APP
Etruscanprophecywhichsaith，"Whenthemountainopens，thecityshallfall——whenthesmokecrownstheHilloftheParchedFields，thereshallbewoeandweepinginthehearthsoftheChildrenoftheSea。"Dreadmaster，ereIleavethesewallsforsomemoredistantdwelling，Icometothee。Asthoulivest，knowIinmyheartthattheearthquakethatsixteenyearsagoshookthiscitytoitssolidbase，wasbuttheforerunnerofmoredeadlydoom。ThewallsofPompeiiarebuiltabovethefieldsoftheDead，andtheriversofthesleeplessHell。Bewarnedandfly！’
ThroughthisawfulscenedidtheAthenianwadehisway，accompaniedbyIoneandtheblindgirl。Suddenly，arushofhundreds，intheirpathtothesea，sweptbythem。NydiawastornfromthesideofGlaucus，who，withIone，wasbornerapidlyonward；andwhenthecrowd（whoseformstheysawnot，sothickwasthegloom）weregone，Nydiawasstillseparatedfromtheirside。
Glaucusshoutedhername。Noanswercame。Theyretracedtheirsteps——invain：theycouldnotdiscoverher——itwasevidentshehadbeensweptalongsomeoppositedirectionbythehumancurrent。Theirfriend，theirpreserver，waslost！AndhithertoNydiahadbeentheirguide。Herblindnessrenderedthescenefamiliartoheralone。Accustomed，throughaperpetualnight，tothreadthewindingsofthecity，shehadledthemunerringlytowardsthesea—shore，bywhichtheyhadresolvedtohazardanescape。Now，whichwaycouldtheywend？allwasraylesstothem——amazewithoutaclue。Wearied，despondent，bewildered，they，however，passedalong，theashesfallingupontheirheads，thefragmentarystonesdashingupinsparklesbeforetheirfeet。
’Alas！alas！’murmuredIone，’Icangonofarther；mystepssinkamongthescorchingcinders。Fly，dearest！——beloved，fly！andleavemetomyfate！’
’Hush，mybetrothed！mybride！Deathwiththeeissweeterthanlifewithoutthee！Yet，whither——oh！whither，canwedirectourselvesthroughthegloom？
Alreadyitseemsthatwehavemadebutacircle，andareintheveryspotwhichwequittedanhourago。’
’Ogods！yonrock——see，ithathriventheroofbeforeus！Itisdeathtomovethroughthestreets！’
’Blessedlightning！See，Ione——see！theporticooftheTempleofFortuneisbeforeus。Letuscreepbeneathit；itwillprotectusfromtheshowers。’
Hecaughthisbelovedinhisarms，andwithdifficultyandlaborgainedthetemple。Heborehertotheremoterandmoreshelteredpartoftheportico，andleanedoverher，thathemightshieldher，withhisownform，fromthelightningandtheshowers！Thebeautyandtheunselfishnessoflovecouldhalloweventhatdismaltime！
’Whoisthere？’saidthetremblingandhollowvoiceofonewhohadprecededthemintheirplaceofrefuge。’Yet，whatmatters？——thecrushoftheruinedworldforbidstousfriendsorfoes。’
Ioneturnedatthesoundofthevoice，and，withafaintshriek，coweredagainbeneaththearmsofGlaucus：andhe，lookinginthedirectionofthevoice，beheldthecauseofheralarm。Throughthedarknessglaredforthtwoburningeyes——thelightningflashedandlingeredathwartthetemple——andGlaucus，withashudder，perceivedtheliontowhichhehadbeendoomedcouchedbeneaththepillars——and，closebesideit，unwittingofthevicinity，laythegiantformofhimwhohadaccostedthem——thewoundedgladiator，Niger。
Thatlightninghadrevealedtoeachothertheformofbeastandman；yettheinstinctofbothwasquelled。Nay，thelioncreptnearerandnearertothegladiator，asforcompanionship；andthegladiatordidnotrecedeortremble。TherevolutionofNaturehaddissolvedherlighterterrorsaswellasherwontedties。
Whiletheywerethusterriblyprotected，agroupofmenandwomen，bearingtorches，passedbythetemple。TheywereofthecongregationoftheNazarenes；andasublimeandunearthlyemotionhadnot，indeed，quelledtheirawe，butithadrobbedaweoffear。Theyhadlongbelieved，accordingtotheerroroftheearlyChristians，thattheLastDaywasathand；theyimaginednowthattheDayhadcome。
’Woe！woe！’cried，inashrillandpiercingvoice，theelderattheirhead。
’Behold！theLorddescendethtojudgment！Hemakethfirecomedownfromheaveninthesightofmen！Woe！woe！yestrongandmighty！Woetoyeofthefascesandthepurple！Woetotheidolaterandtheworshipperofthebeast！Woetoyewhopourforththebloodofsaints，andgloatoverthedeath—pangsofthesonsofGod！Woetotheharlotofthesea！——woe！woe！’
Andwithaloudanddeepchorus，thetroopchantedforthalongthewildhorrorsoftheair，’Woetotheharlotofthesea！——woe！woe！’
TheNazarenespacedslowlyon，theirtorchesstillflickeringinthestorm，theirvoicesstillraisedinmenaceandsolemnwarning，till，lostamidthewindingsinthestreets，thedarknessoftheatmosphereandthesilenceofdeathagainfelloverthescene。
Therewasoneofthefrequentpausesintheshowers，andGlaucusencouragedIoneoncemoretoproceed。justastheystood，hesitating，onthelaststepoftheportico，anoldman，withabaginhisrighthandandleaninguponayouth，totteredby。Theyouthboreatorch。Glaucusrecognizedthetwoasfatherandson——miserandprodigal。
’Father，’saidtheyouth，’ifyoucannotmovemoreswiftly，Imustleaveyou，orwebothperish！’
’Fly，boy，then，andleavethysire！’
’ButIcannotflytostarve；givemethybagofgold！’Andtheyouthsnatchedatit。
’Wretch！wouldstthourobthyfather？’
’Ay！whocantellthetaleinthishour？Miser，perish！’
Theboystrucktheoldmantotheground，pluckedthebagfromhisrelaxinghand，andfledonwardwithashrillyell。
’Yegods！’criedGlaucus：’areyeblind，then，eveninthedark？Suchcrimesmaywellconfoundtheguiltlesswiththeguiltyinonecommonruin。Ione，on！——on！’
ChapterVIII
ARBACESENCOUNTERSGLAUCUSANDIONE。
ADVANCING，asmengropeforescapeinadungeon，Ioneandherlovercontinuedtheiruncertainway。Atthemomentswhenthevolcaniclightningslingeredoverthestreets，theywereenabled，bythatawfullight，tosteerandguidetheirprogress：yet，littledidtheviewitpresentedtothemcheerorencouragetheirpath。Inparts，wheretheasheslaydryanduncommixedwiththeboilingtorrents，castupwardfromthemountainatcapriciousintervals，thesurfaceoftheearthpresentedaleprousandghastlywhite。Inotherplaces，cinderandrocklaymattedinheaps，frombeneathwhichemergedthehalf—hidlimbsofsomecrushedandmangledfugitive。Thegroansofthedyingwerebrokenbywildshrieksofwomen’sterror——nownear，nowdistant——which，whenheardintheutterdarkness，wererendereddoublyappallingbythecrushingsenseofhelplessnessandtheuncertaintyoftheperilsaround；andclearanddistinctthroughallwerethemightyandvariousnoisesfromtheFatalMountain；itsrushingwinds；
itswhirlingtorrents；and，fromtimetotime，theburstandroarofsomemorefieryandfierceexplosion。Andeverasthewindsswepthowlingalongthestreet，theyboresharpstreamsofburningdust，andsuchsickeningandpoisonousvapors，astookaway，fortheinstant，breathandconsciousness，followedbyarapidrevulsionofthearrestedblood，andatinglingsensationofagonytremblingthrougheverynerveandfibreoftheframe。
’Oh，Glaucus！mybeloved！myown！——takemetothyarms！Oneembrace！letmefeelthyarmsaroundme——andinthatembraceletmedie——Icannomore！’
’Formysake，formylife——courage，yet，sweetIone——mylifeislinkedwiththine：andsee——torches——thisway！Lo！howtheybravetheWind！Ha！theylivethroughthestorm——doubtless，fugitivestothesea！wewilljointhem。’
Asiftoaidandreanimatethelovers，thewindsandshowerscametoasuddenpause；theatmospherewasprofoundlystill——themountainseemedatrest，gathering，perhaps，freshfuryforitsnextburst；thetorch—bearersmovedquicklyon。’Wearenearingthesea，’said，inacalmvoice，thepersonattheirhead。’Libertyandwealthtoeachslavewhosurvivesthisday！Courage！Itellyouthatthegodsthemselveshaveassuredmeofdeliverance。On！’
RedlyandsteadilythetorchesflashedfullontheeyesofGlaucusandIone，wholaytremblingandexhaustedonhisbosom。Severalslaveswerebearing，bythelight，panniersandcoffers，heavilyladen；infrontofthem——adrawnswordinhishand——toweredtheloftyformofArbaces。
’Bymyfathers！’criedtheE
