Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero Page 10

  Chapter X

  THE house of Vinicius was indeed decked in the green of myrtle and ivy,which had been hung on the walls and over the doors. The columns werewreathed with grape vine. In the atrium, which was closed above by apurple woollen cloth as protection from the night cold, it was as clearas in daylight. Eight and twelve flamed lamps were burning; these werelike vessels, trees, animals, birds, or statues, holding cups filledwith perfumed olive oil, lamps of alabaster, marble, or gildedCorinthian bronze, not so wonderful as that famed candlestick used byNero and taken from the temple of Apollo, but beautiful and made byfamous masters. Some of the lights were shaded by Alexandrian glass,or transparent stuffs from the Indus, of red, blue, yellow, or violetcolor, so that the whole atrium was filled with many colored rays.Everywhere was given out the odor of nard, to which Vinicius had grownused, and which he had learned to love in the Orient. The depths of thehouse, in which the forms of male and female slaves were moving, gleamedalso with light. In the triclinium a table was laid for four persons.At the feast were to sit, besides Vinicius and Lygia, Petroniusand Chrysothemis. Vinicius had followed in everything the words ofPetronius, who advised him not to go for Lygia, but to send Atacinuswith the permission obtained from Caesar, to receive her himself in thehouse, receive her with friendliness and even with marks of honor.

  "Thou wert drunk yesterday," said he; "I saw thee. Thou didst act withher like a quarryman from the Alban Hills. Be not over-insistent, andremember that one should drink good wine slowly. Know too that it issweet to desire, but sweeter to be desired."

  Chrysothemis had her own and a somewhat different opinion on this point;but Petronius, calling her his vestal and his dove, began to explain thedifference which must exist between a trained charioteer of the Circusand the youth who sits on the quadriga for the first time. Then, turningto Vinicius, he continued,--"Win her confidence, make her joyful, bemagnanimous. I have no wish to see a gloomy feast. Swear to her, byHades even, that thou wilt return her to Pomponia, and it will be thyaffair that to-morrow she prefers to stay with thee."

  Then pointing to Chrysothemis, he added,--"For five years I have actedthus more or less with this timid dove, and I cannot complain of herharshness."

  Chrysothemis struck him with her fan of peacock feathers, andsaid,--"But I did not resist, thou satyr!"

  "Out of consideration for my predecessor--"

  "But wert thou not at my feet?"

  "Yes; to put rings on thy toes."

  Chrysothemis looked involuntarily at her feet, on the toes of whichdiamonds were really glittering; and she and Petronius began to laugh.But Vinicius did not give ear to their bantering. His heart was beatingunquietly under the robes of a Syrian priest, in which he had arrayedhimself to receive Lygia.

  "They must have left the palace," said he, as if in a monologue.

  "They must," answered Petronius. "Meanwhile I may mention thepredictions of Apollonius of Tyana, or that history of Rufinus which Ihave not finished, I do not remember why."

  But Vinicius cared no more for Apollonius of Tyana than for the historyof Rufinus. His mind was with Lygia; and though he felt that it was moreappropriate to receive her at home than to go in the role of a myrmidonto the palace, he was sorry at moments that he had not gone, for thesingle reason that he might have seen her sooner, and sat near her inthe dark, in the double litter.

  Meanwhile slaves brought in a tripod ornamented with rams' heads, bronzedishes with coals, on which they sprinkled bits of myrrh and nard.

  "Now they are turning toward the Carinae," said Vinicius, again.

  "He cannot wait; he will run to meet the litter, and is likely to missthem!" exclaimed Chrysothemis.

  Vinicius smiled without thinking, and said,--"On the contrary, I willwait."

  But he distended his nostrils and panted; seeing which, Petroniusshrugged his shoulders, and said,--"There is not in him a philosopher tothe value of one sestertium, and I shall never make a man of that son ofMars."

  "They are now in the Carinae."

  In fact, they were turning toward the Carinae. The slaves calledlampadarii were in front; others called pedisequii, were on both sidesof the litter. Atacinus was right behind, overseeing the advance. Butthey moved slowly, for lamps showed the way badly in a place not lightedat all. The streets near the palace were empty; here and there onlysome man moved forward with a lantern, but farther on the place wasuncommonly crowded. From almost every alley people were pushing out inthrees and fours, all without lamps, all in dark mantles. Some walked onwith the procession, mingling with the slaves; others in greater numberscame from the opposite direction. Some staggered as if drunk. At momentsthe advance grew so difficult that the lampadarii cried,--"Give way tothe noble tribune, Marcus Vinicius!"

  Lygia saw those dark crowds through the curtains which were pushedaside, and trembled with emotion. She was carried away at one moment byhope, at another by fear.

  "That is he!--that is Ursus and the Christians! Now it will happenquickly," said she, with trembling lips. "O Christ, aid! O Christ,save!"

  Atacinus himself, who at first did not notice the uncommon animation ofthe street, began at last to be alarmed. There was something strange inthis. The lampadarii had to cry oftener and oftener, "Give way to thelitter of the noble tribune!" From the sides unknown people crowded upto the litter so much that Atacinus commanded the slaves to repulse themwith clubs.

  Suddenly a cry was heard in front of the procession. In one instant allthe lights were extinguished. Around the litter came a rush, an uproar,a struggle.

  Atacinus saw that this was simply an attack; and when he saw it he wasfrightened. It was known to all that Caesar with a crowd of attendantsmade attacks frequently for amusement in the Subura and in other partsof the city. It was known that even at times he brought out of thesenight adventures black and blue spots; but whoso defended himself wentto his death, even if a senator. The house of the guards, whose duty itwas to watch over the city, was not very far; but during such attacksthe guards feigned to be deaf and blind.

  Meanwhile there was an uproar around the litter; people struck,struggled, threw, and trampled one another. The thought flashed onAtacinus to save Lygia and himself, above all, and leave the rest totheir fate. So, drawing her out of the litter, he took her in his armsand strove to escape in the darkness.

  But Lygia called, "Ursus! Ursus!"

  She was dressed in white; hence it was easy to see her. Atacinus, withhis other arm, which was free, was throwing his own mantle overher hastily, when terrible claws seized his neck, and on his head agigantic, crushing mass fell like a stone.

  He dropped in one instant, as an ox felled by the back of an axe beforethe altar of Jove.

  The slaves for the greater part were either lying on the ground, or hadsaved themselves by scattering in the thick darkness, around the turnsof the walls. On the spot remained only the litter, broken in theonset. Ursus bore away Lygia to the Subura; his comrades followed him,dispersing gradually along the way.

  The slaves assembled before the house of Vinicius, and took counsel.They had not courage to enter. After a short deliberation they returnedto the place of conflict, where they found a few corpses, and amongthem Atacinus. He was quivering yet; but, after a moment of more violentconvulsion, he stretched and was motionless.

  They took him then, and, returning, stopped before the gate a secondtime. But they must declare to their lord what had happened.

  "Let Gulo declare it," whispered some voices; "blood is flowing from hisface as from ours; and the master loves him; it is safer for Gulo thanfor others."

  Gulo, a German, an old slave, who had nursed Vinicius, and was inheritedby him from his mother, the sister of Petronius, said,--

  "I will tell him; but do ye all come. Do not let his anger fall on myhead alone."

  Vinicius was growing thoroughly impatient. Petronius and Chrysothemiswere laughing; but he walked with quick step up and down the atrium.

  "They ought to be here! They ought to be here!"


  He wished to go out to meet the litter, but Petronius and Chrysothemisdetained him.

  Steps were heard suddenly in the entrance; the slaves rushed into theatrium in a crowd, and, halting quickly at the wall, raised their hands,and began to repeat with groaning,--"Aaaa!--aa!"

  Vinicius sprang toward them.

  "Where is Lygia?" cried he, with a terrible and changed voice.

  "Aaaa!"

  Then Gulo pushed forward with his bloody face, and exclaimed, in hasteand pitifully,--

  "See our blood, lord! We fought! See our blood! See our blood!"

  But he had not finished when Vinicius seized a bronze lamp, and with oneblow shattered the skull of the slave; then, seizing his own head withboth hands, he drove his fingers into his hair, repeating hoarsely,--"Memiserum! me miserum!"

  His face became blue, his eyes turned in his head, foam came out on hislips.

  "Whips!" roared he at last, with an unearthly voice.

  "Lord! Aaaa! Take pity!" groaned the slaves.

  Petronius stood up with an expression of disgust on his face. "Come,Chrysothemis!" said he. "If 'tis thy wish to look on raw flesh, I willgive command to open a butcher's stall on the Carinae!"

  And he walked out of the atrium. But through the whole house, ornamentedin the green of ivy and prepared for a feast, were heard, from momentto moment, groans and the whistling of whips, which lasted almost tillmorning.