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040 - Book 4 Chapter XII · Last Days of Pompeii

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  Speaker 1: Book four, Chapter twelve of Last Days of Pompey. This
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  Speaker 1: is the 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 Ben Wilford. Last Days of
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  Speaker 1: Pompey by Edward G. Bolwarth Lynton, Book four, Chapter twelve,
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  Speaker 1: Chapter twelve, A Wasp Ventures into the Spider's Web. The
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  Speaker 1: second night of the trial had set in, and it
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  Speaker 1: was nearly the time in which Sosia was to brave
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  Speaker 1: the dread unknown. When there entered as that very garden
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  Speaker 1: gate which the slave had left Ajar, not indeed one
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  Speaker 1: of the mysterious spirits of earth or air, but the
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  Speaker 1: heavy and most human form of Calenus, the priest of Isis.
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  Speaker 1: He scarcely noted the humble offerings of indifferent fruit and
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  Speaker 1: still more indifferent wine, which the pious Sosia had deemed
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  Speaker 1: good enough for the invisible stranger. They were intended to
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  Speaker 1: allure some tribute, thought he, to the garden God by
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  Speaker 1: my father's head. If this deity ship were never better served,
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  Speaker 1: he would do well to give up the godly profession. Ah,
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  Speaker 1: were it not for us priests, the gods would have
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  Speaker 1: a sad time of it. And now for Arbaces, I
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  Speaker 1: am treading a quicksand, but it ought to cover a mine.
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  Speaker 1: I have the Egyptian's life in my power. What will
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  Speaker 1: he value it at? As he thus soliloquied, he crossed
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  Speaker 1: through the open court into the peristyle, where a few
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  Speaker 1: lamps here and there broke upon the Empire of the
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  Speaker 1: starlight night, and, issuing from one of the chambers that
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  Speaker 1: bordered the colonnade, suddenly encountered Arbaces. O, Calenus, seekest thou me,
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  Speaker 1: said the Egyptian, and there was a little embarrassment in
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  Speaker 1: his voice. Yes, wise, Arbaces, I trust my visit is
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  Speaker 1: not unseasonable. Nay, it was but this instant that my
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  Speaker 1: freedman Callias sneezed thrice on my right hand. I knew
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  Speaker 1: therefore some good force was in store for me, and
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  Speaker 1: lo the gods that sent me Calenus. Shall we within
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  Speaker 1: to your chamber, Arbaces, as you will. But the night
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  Speaker 1: is clear and balmy. I have some remains of languor
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  Speaker 1: yet lingering on me from my recent illness. The air
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  Speaker 1: refreshes me. Let us walk in the garden. We are
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  Speaker 1: equally alone there with all my heart, answered the priest,
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  Speaker 1: and the two friends passed slowly to one of the
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  Speaker 1: many terraces, which bordered by marble vases and sleeping flowers
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  Speaker 1: intersected the garden. It is a lovely night, said Arbaces,
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  Speaker 1: blue and beautiful as that on which twenty years ago
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  Speaker 1: the shores of Italy first broke upon my view. My
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  Speaker 1: calenus age creeps upon us. Let us at least feel
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  Speaker 1: that we have lived. Thou at least mayst arrogate that boast,
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  Speaker 1: said Calenus, beating about, as it were, for an opportunity
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  Speaker 1: to communicate the secret which weighed upon him, and feeling
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  Speaker 1: his usual awe of Arbaces. Still more impressively that night,
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  Speaker 1: from the quiet and friendly tone of dignified condescension which
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  Speaker 1: the Egyptian assumed, Thou at least mayst arrogate that boast.
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  Speaker 1: Thou hast had countless wealth, a frame on whose close
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  Speaker 1: woven fibers disease can find no space to enter prosperous love,
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  Speaker 1: inexhaustible pleasure. And even at this hour triumphant revenge, Thou
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  Speaker 1: alludest to the Athenian ay Tomorrow's sun the feit of
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  Speaker 1: his death will go forth. The Senate does not relent.
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  Speaker 1: But thou mistakest his death gives me no other gratification
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  Speaker 1: than it releases me from arrival in the affections of
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  Speaker 1: his own. I entertain no other sentiment of animosity against
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  Speaker 1: that unfortunate homicide. Homicide, repeated Calenus, slowly and meaningly, and
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  Speaker 1: halting as he spoke. He fixed his eyes upon Arbaces.
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  Speaker 1: The stars shone pale and steadily on the proud face
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  Speaker 1: of their prophet, but they betrayed. There no change. The
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  Speaker 1: eyes of Calenus fell disappointed and abashed. He continued rapidly, homicide.
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  Speaker 1: It is well to charge him with that crime. But thou,
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  Speaker 1: of all men knowest that he is innocent. Explain thyself,
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  Speaker 1: said Arbaces coldly, for he had prepared himself for the
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  Speaker 1: hint his secret fears had foretold. Arbaces answered Calenus, sinking
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  Speaker 1: his voice into a whisper. I was in the sacred grove,
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  Speaker 1: sheltered by the chapel and the surrounding foliage. I overheard,
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  Speaker 1: I marked the whole. I saw thy weapon pierce the
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  Speaker 1: heart of Aposites. I blame not the deed. It destroyed
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  Speaker 1: a foe in an apostate. Thou sawest the whole, said
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  Speaker 1: Arbaces dryly. So I imagined thou wert alone alone, returned Calenus,
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  Speaker 1: surprised at the egyptians calmness. And wherefore wert thou hid
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  Speaker 1: behind the chapel at that hour? Because I had learned
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  Speaker 1: the convert Aposietes to the Christian faith, because I knew
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  Speaker 1: that on that spot he was to meet the fierce Olynthus,
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  Speaker 1: because they were to meet there to discuss plans for
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  Speaker 1: unveiling the sacred mysteries of our Goddess to the people,
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  Speaker 1: and I was there to detect in order to defeat them.
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  Speaker 1: Hast thou told living ear what thou didst witness? No,
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  Speaker 1: my master, the secret is locked in thy servant's breast.
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  Speaker 1: What even thy kinsman Burbo guesses it not come the
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  Speaker 1: truth by the gods. Hush, we know each other. What
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  Speaker 1: are the gods to us by the fear of thy vengeance? Then? No?
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  Speaker 1: And why hast thou hitherto concealed from me this secret?
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  Speaker 1: Why hast thou waited till the eve of the athenians
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  Speaker 1: condemnation before thou hast ventured to tell me that Arbaces
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  Speaker 1: is a murderer, and have tarried so long. Why revealest
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  Speaker 1: thou now that knowledge? Because because dammer Calenus coloring and
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  Speaker 1: in confusion, because interrupted arbaces with a gentle smile and
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  Speaker 1: tapping the priest on the shoulder with a kindly and
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  Speaker 1: familiar gesture. Because my Calenus see now I will read
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  Speaker 1: in thy heart and explain its motives. Because thou didst
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  Speaker 1: wish thoroughly to commit and entangle me in the trial,
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  Speaker 1: so that I might have no loophole of escape, that
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  Speaker 1: I might stand firmly pledged to perjury and to malice
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  Speaker 1: as well as to homicide. That having myself witted the
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  Speaker 1: appetite of the populace to blood, no wealth, no power
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  Speaker 1: could prevent my becoming their victim. And thou tellest me
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  Speaker 1: thy secret. Now ere the trial be over and the
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  Speaker 1: innocent condemned, To show what a desperate web of villainy
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  Speaker 1: thy word tomorrow could destroy, To enhance in this the
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  Speaker 1: ninth hour, the price of thy forbearance, to show that
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  Speaker 1: my own arts in arousing the popular wrath, would at
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  Speaker 1: thy witness recall upon myself, and that, if not for Glaucus,
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  Speaker 1: for me would gape the jaws of the lion, Is
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  Speaker 1: it not so, Arbaces, replied Calenus, losing all the vulgar
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  Speaker 1: audacity of his natural character. Verily, thou art a magician.
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  Speaker 1: Thou readest the heart as it were a scroll. It
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  Speaker 1: is my vocation, answered the Egyptian, laughing gently. Well, then forbear,
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  Speaker 1: and when all is over, I will make thee rich.
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  Speaker 1: Pardon me, said the priest, as the quick suggestion of
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  Speaker 1: that avarice which was his master passion, bade him trust
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  Speaker 1: no future chance of generosity. Pardon me, thou settest right.
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  Speaker 1: We know each other. If thou wouldst have me silent,
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  Speaker 1: thou must pay something in advance, as an offer to Harpocrates.
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  Speaker 1: If the rose sweet emblem of discretion is to take root,
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  Speaker 1: firmly water her this night with a stream of gold.
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  Speaker 1: Witty and poetical, answered Armeaces, still in that bland voice
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  Speaker 1: which love and couraged when it ought to have alarmed
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  Speaker 1: and checked his gripping comrade, Wilt thou not wait the morrow?
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  Speaker 1: Why this delay? Perhaps when I can no longer give
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  Speaker 1: my testimony without shame for not having given it? Ere,
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  Speaker 1: the innocent man suffered, Thou wilt forget my claim? And
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  Speaker 1: indeed thy present hesitation is a bad omen of thy
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  Speaker 1: future gratitude. Well, then, Calenus, what wouldst thou have me
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  Speaker 1: pay thee Thy life is very precious, and thy wealth
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  Speaker 1: is very great, returning the priest grinning, wittier and more witty.
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  Speaker 1: But speak out what shall be the sum, Arbaces? I
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  Speaker 1: have heard that in thy secret treasury below, beneath those
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  Speaker 1: rude oscan arches which prop thy stately halls, thou hast
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  Speaker 1: piles of gold, of vases, and of jewels, which might
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  Speaker 1: rival the receptacles of the wealth of the deified Nero.
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  Speaker 1: Thou mayst easily spare out of those piles enough to
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  Speaker 1: make clean among the richest priests upon pay, and yet
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  Speaker 1: not miss the loss. Come, Calenus, said Arbaces, winningly and
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  Speaker 1: with a frank and generous air. Thou art an old friend,
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  Speaker 1: and hast been a faithful servant. Thou canst have no
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  Speaker 1: wish to take away my life, nor I a desire
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  Speaker 1: to stint thy reward. Thou shalt descend with me to
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  Speaker 1: that treasury thou referrest to. Thou shalt feast thine eyes
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  Speaker 1: with a blaze of uncounted gold and the sparkle of
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  Speaker 1: priceless gems, and thou shalt, for thy own reward bear
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  Speaker 1: away with thee this night, as much as thou canst
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  Speaker 1: conceal beneath thy robes. Nay, when thou hast once seen
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  Speaker 1: what thy friend possesses, thou wilt learn how foolish it
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  Speaker 1: would be to injure one who has so much to bestow.
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  Speaker 1: When Glaucus is no more, thou shalt pay the treasury
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  Speaker 1: another visit. Speak I frankly and as a friend, O,
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  Speaker 1: greatest best of men, cried Calenus, almost weeping with joey.
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  Speaker 1: Canst thou thus forgive my injurious doubts of thy justice
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  Speaker 1: thy generosity? Hush one other turn, and we will descend
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  Speaker 1: to the Oscan Arches in the book four, chapter twelve.
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  Speaker 1: Recording by Ben Wilford of Jackson, Tennessee.