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055 - Book 5 Chapter X · Last Days of Pompeii

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  Speaker 1: Book five, chapter ten of Last Days of Pompeii. This
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  Speaker 1: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
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  Speaker 1: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox dot org. Recording by Philippa Last Days of Pompeii
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  Speaker 1: by Edward G. Bull Or Lytton, book five, chapter ten.
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  Speaker 1: The next morning, the fate of Nydia, and meekly, softly,
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  Speaker 1: beautifully dawned at last, the light over the trembling deep.
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  Speaker 1: The winds were sinking into rest. The foam died from
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  Speaker 1: the glowing azure of that delicious sea. Around the east,
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  Speaker 1: thin mists caught gradually the rosy hues that heralded the
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  Speaker 1: morning light was about to resume her reign. Yet still
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  Speaker 1: dark and massive, in the distance lay the broken fragments
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  Speaker 1: of the destroying cloud, from which red streaks, burning dimlier
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  Speaker 1: and more dim betrayed the yet rolling fires of the mountain,
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  Speaker 1: of the scorched fields. The white walls and gleaming columns
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  Speaker 1: that had adorned the lovely coasts were no more. Sullen
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  Speaker 1: and dull were the shores so lately crested by the
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  Speaker 1: cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii, The darlings of the deep
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  Speaker 1: were snatched from her embrace. Century after century, Shall the
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  Speaker 1: Mighty Mother stretch forth her azure arms and know them
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  Speaker 1: not moaning round the sepulchers of the lost. There was
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  Speaker 1: no shout from the mariners at the dawning light. It
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  Speaker 1: had come too gradually, and they were too wearied for
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  Speaker 1: such sudden bursts of joy. But there was a low,
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  Speaker 1: deep murmur of thankfulness amidst those watchers of the long night.
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  Speaker 1: They looked at each other and smiled. They took heart.
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  Speaker 1: They felt once more that there was a world around
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  Speaker 1: and a God above them. And in the feeling that
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  Speaker 1: the worst was past, the overwearied ones turned round and
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  Speaker 1: fell placidly to sleep. In the growing light of the skies.
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  Speaker 1: There came the silence which night had wanted, and the
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  Speaker 1: bark drifted calmly onward to its port. A few other
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  Speaker 1: vessels bearing similar fugitives might be seen in the expanse,
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  Speaker 1: apparently motionless, yet gliding also on. There was a sense
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  Speaker 1: of security, of companionship, and of hope in the sight
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  Speaker 1: of their slender masts and white sails. What beloved friends
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  Speaker 1: lost and missed in the gloom. Might they not bear
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  Speaker 1: to safety and to shelter in the silence of the
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  Speaker 1: general sleep. Nydia rose gently. She bent over the face
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  Speaker 1: of Glaucus. She inhaled the deep breath of his heavy slumber.
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  Speaker 1: Timidly and sadly, she kissed his brow, his lips. She
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  Speaker 1: felt for his hand, it was locked in that of Ione.
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  Speaker 1: She sighed deeply, and her face darkened again. She kissed
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  Speaker 1: his brow, and with her hair wiped from it the
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  Speaker 1: damps of night. May the gods bless you, Athenian, she murmured,
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  Speaker 1: May you be happy with your beloved one. May you
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  Speaker 1: sometimes remember Nydia alas she is of no further use
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  Speaker 1: on earth. With these words, she turned away. Slowly. She
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  Speaker 1: crept along by the fury or platforms to the farther
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  Speaker 1: side of the vessel, and pausing, bent low over the
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  Speaker 1: deep the cool spray dashed upward on her feverish brow.
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  Speaker 1: It is the kiss of death, said she. It is welcome.
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  Speaker 1: The balmy air played through her waving tresses. She put
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  Speaker 1: them from her face and raised those eyes so tender
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  Speaker 1: though so lightless, to the sky, whose soft face she
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  Speaker 1: had never seen. No, No, she said half aloud, and
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  Speaker 1: an amusing and thoughtful tone. I cannot endure it, this jealous,
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  Speaker 1: exacting love. It shatters my whole soul. In madness, I
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  Speaker 1: might harm him again, wretch that I was. I have
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  Speaker 1: saved him twice, saved him happy, happy thought. Why not
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  Speaker 1: die happy? It is the last glad thought I can
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  Speaker 1: ever know, Oh sacred, See I hear thy voice invitingly.
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  Speaker 1: It hath a freshening and joyous call. They say that
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  Speaker 1: in thy embrace is dishonor that thy victims crossed, not
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  Speaker 1: the fatal sticks. Be it so I I would not
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  Speaker 1: meet him in the shades, For I should meet him
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  Speaker 1: still with her rest, rest rest. There is no other
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  Speaker 1: elysium for a heart like mine. A sailor, half dozing
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  Speaker 1: on the deck, heard a slight splash on the waters. Drowsily,
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  Speaker 1: he looked up and behind as the vessel merrily bounded on.
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  Speaker 1: He fancied he saw something white above the waves, but
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  Speaker 1: it vanished in an instant. He turned round again and
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  Speaker 1: dreamed of his home and children. When the lovers awoke,
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  Speaker 1: their first thought was of each other, their next of Nydia.
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  Speaker 1: She was not to be found. None had seen her
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  Speaker 1: since the night. Every crevice of the vessel was searched,
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  Speaker 1: there was no trace of her. Mysterious from first to last,
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  Speaker 1: the blind Thessalian had vanished forever from the living world.
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  Speaker 1: They guessed her fate in silence and Glaucus and Ione.
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  Speaker 1: While they drew nearer to each other, feeling each other,
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  Speaker 1: the world itself forgot their deliverance and wept as for
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  Speaker 1: a departed sister. End Book five, Chapter ten.