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043 - Book 4 Chapter XV · Last Days of Pompeii

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  Speaker 1: Book four, Chapter fifteen 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. This recording by Amy Benton. Last Days
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  Speaker 1: of Pompeii by Edward G. Bulwer Lytton Book four, Chapter fifteen.
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  Speaker 1: Arbaces and Ione Nidia gains the garden. Will she escape
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  Speaker 1: and save the Athenian? When Arbaces had warmed his veins
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  Speaker 1: by large drafts of that spiced and perfumed wine so
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  Speaker 1: valued by the luxurious, he felt more than usually elated
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  Speaker 1: and exultant of heart. There is a pride in triumphant ingenuity,
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  Speaker 1: not less felt. Perhaps, though its object be guilty, our
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  Speaker 1: vain human nature hugs itself in the consciousness of superior
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  Speaker 1: craft and self obtained success. Afterwards comes the horrible reaction
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  Speaker 1: of remorse. But remorse was not a feeling which Arbaces
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  Speaker 1: was likely ever to ex experience. For the fate of
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  Speaker 1: the base Calanus, he swept from his remembrance the thought
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  Speaker 1: of the priest's agonies and lingering death. He felt only
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  Speaker 1: that a great danger was past, and a possible foe silenced.
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  Speaker 1: All left to him now would be to account to
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  Speaker 1: the priesthood for the disappearance of Calunus, and this, he imagined,
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  Speaker 1: it would not be difficult to do. Calanus had often
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  Speaker 1: been employed by him in various religious missions to the
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  Speaker 1: neighboring cities on some such errand he could now assert
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  Speaker 1: that he had been sent with offerings to the shrines
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  Speaker 1: of Isis at Herculaneum and Neopolis, placatory of the Goddess
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  Speaker 1: for the recent murder of her priest Apsides. When Calanus
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  Speaker 1: had expired, his body might be thrown previous to the
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  Speaker 1: Egyptian's departure from Pompeii into the deep stream of the Sarnus,
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  Speaker 1: and when discovered, suspicion would probably fall upon the Nazarene
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  Speaker 1: atheists as an act of revenge for the death of
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  Speaker 1: Alnthus at the Arena. After rapidly running over these plans
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  Speaker 1: for screening himself, Arbaces dismissed at once from his mind
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  Speaker 1: all recollection of the wretched priest, and, animated by the
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  Speaker 1: success which had lately crowned all his schemes, he surrendered
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  Speaker 1: his thoughts to Ione. The last time he had seen her,
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  Speaker 1: she had driven him from her presence by a reproachful
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  Speaker 1: and bitter scorn which his arrogant nature was unable to endure.
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  Speaker 1: Now he felt emboldened once more to renew that interview,
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  Speaker 1: for his passion for her was like a similar feeling
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  Speaker 1: in other men. It made him restless for her presence,
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  Speaker 1: even though in that presence he was exasperated and humbled
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  Speaker 1: from delicacy to her grief. He laid not aside his
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  Speaker 1: dark and unfestive robes, but renewing the perfumes on his
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  Speaker 1: raven locks, and arranging his tunic in its most becoming folds,
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  Speaker 1: he sought the chamber of the Neapolitan, accosting the slave
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  Speaker 1: in attendance without he inquired if Ione had yet retired
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  Speaker 1: to rest, and, learning that she was still up and
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  Speaker 1: unusually quiet and composed, he ventured into her presence. He
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  Speaker 1: found his beautiful ward sitting before a small table and
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  Speaker 1: leaning her face upon both her hands and the attitude
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  Speaker 1: of thought. Yet the expression of the face itself possessed
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  Speaker 1: not its wonted, bright and psyche like expression of sweet intelligence.
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  Speaker 1: The lips were apart, the eyes vacant and unheeding, and
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  Speaker 1: the long dark hair falling neglected and disheveled upon her neck,
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  Speaker 1: gave by the contrast, additional paleness to a cheek which
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  Speaker 1: had already lost the roundness of its contour. Arbaces gazed
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  Speaker 1: upon her a moment ere he advanced. She too, lifted
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  Speaker 1: up her eyes, and when she saw who was the intruder,
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  Speaker 1: shut them with an expression of pain. But did not stir. Ah,
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  Speaker 1: said Arbaces in a low and earnest tone, as he respectfully,
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  Speaker 1: nay humbly, advanced and seated himself at a little distance
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  Speaker 1: from the table. Ah, that my death could remove thy hatred,
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  Speaker 1: then would I gladly die. Thou wrongest me, Ione, But
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  Speaker 1: I will bear the wrong without a murmur. Only let
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  Speaker 1: me see thee sometimes chide reproach scorn me. If thou wilt,
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  Speaker 1: I will teach myself to bear it. And is not
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  Speaker 1: even thy bitterest tone sweeter to me than the music
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  Speaker 1: of the most artful lute. In thy silence, the world
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  Speaker 1: seems to stand still, A stagnation curdles up the veins
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  Speaker 1: of the earth. There is no earth, no life without
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  Speaker 1: the light of thy countenance and the melody of thy voice.
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  Speaker 1: Give me back my brother in my betrothed, said Ione,
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  Speaker 1: in a calm and imploring tone, and a few large
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  Speaker 1: tears rolled unheeded down her cheeks. Would that I could
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  Speaker 1: restore the one and save the other, returned Arbaces, with
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  Speaker 1: apparent emotion. Yes, to make THEE happy, I would renounce
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  Speaker 1: my ill fated love and gladly join thy hand to
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  Speaker 1: the Athenians. Perhaps he will yet come unscathed from his trial.
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  Speaker 1: Arbaces had prevented her from learning that the trial had
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  Speaker 1: already commenced. If so, thou art free to judge or
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  Speaker 1: condemn him thyself, And think not, o, Ione, that I
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  Speaker 1: would follow THEE longer with a prayer of love. I
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  Speaker 1: know it is in vain. Suffer me only to weep,
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  Speaker 1: to mourn with THEE. Forgive a violence deeply repented, and
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  Speaker 1: that shall offend no more. Let me be to THEE
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  Speaker 1: only what I once was, a friend, a father, a protector.
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  Speaker 1: Ah Ione, spare me and forgive I forgive THEE. Save
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  Speaker 1: but Glaucus, and I will renounce him, O mighty Arbaces,
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  Speaker 1: thou art powerful and evil or in good? Save the
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  Speaker 1: Athenian and the poor. Ione will never see him more.
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  Speaker 1: As she spoke, she rose with weak and trembling limbs
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  Speaker 1: and falling at his feet. She clasped his knees. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: if thou really lovest me, if thou art human, remember
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  Speaker 1: my father's ashes, Remember my childhood, Think of all the
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  Speaker 1: hours we passed happily together, and save my Glaucus. Strange
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  Speaker 1: convulsions shook the frame of the Egyptian. His features worked fearfully.
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  Speaker 1: He turned his face aside and said, in a hollow voice,
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  Speaker 1: if I could save him, even now, I would. But
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  Speaker 1: the Roman law is stern and sharp. Yet if I
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  Speaker 1: could succeed, if I could rescue and set him free,
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  Speaker 1: wouldst thou be mine my bride? Thine repeated Ione, rising, thine,
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  Speaker 1: thy bride. My brother's blood is unavenged. Who slew him?
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  Speaker 1: O Nemesis? Can I even sell for the life of Glaucus?
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  Speaker 1: Thy solemn trust? Arbaces? Thine? Never Ione, Ione cried Arbaces passionately.
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  Speaker 1: Why these mysterious words, Why dost thou couple my name
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  Speaker 1: with the thought of thy brother's death? My dreams couple it,
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  Speaker 1: And dreams are from the gods vain phantasies. All it
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  Speaker 1: is for a dream that thou wouldst wrong thee innocent
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  Speaker 1: and hazard thy sole chance of saving thy lover's life.
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  Speaker 1: Hear me said Ione, speaking firmly and with a deliberate
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  Speaker 1: and solemn voice. If Glaucus be saved by THEE, I
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  Speaker 1: will never be born to his home a bride. But
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  Speaker 1: I cannot master the horror of other rites. I cannot
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  Speaker 1: wed with THEE interrupt me not, but mark me arbaces.
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  Speaker 1: If Glaucus die on that same day, I baffle thine
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  Speaker 1: arts and leave to thy love only my dust. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: thou mayst put the knife and the poison from my reach.
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  Speaker 1: Thou mayst imprison, thou mayst chain me. But the brave
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  Speaker 1: soul resolved to escape is never without means. These hands,
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  Speaker 1: naked and unarmed though they be, shall tear away the
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  Speaker 1: bonds of life fetter them, and these lips shall firmly
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  Speaker 1: refuse the air Thou art learned, thou hast read how
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  Speaker 1: women have died rather than meet dishonor if Glaucus perish,
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  Speaker 1: I will not unworthily linger behind him. By all the
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  Speaker 1: gods of the heaven and the ocean and the earth,
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  Speaker 1: I devote myself to death. I have said, ay, proud,
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  Speaker 1: dilating in her stature, like one inspired. The air, and
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  Speaker 1: the voice of Ione struck an awe into the breast
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  Speaker 1: of a listener. Brave heart said he, after a short pause,
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  Speaker 1: Thou art indeed worthy to be mine. O that I
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  Speaker 1: should have dreamt of such a partner in my lofty
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  Speaker 1: destinies and never found it. But in thee ione, he
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  Speaker 1: continued rapidly. Dost thou not see that we were born
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  Speaker 1: for each other? Canst thou not recognize something kindred to
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  Speaker 1: thine own energy, thine own courage, and this high and
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  Speaker 1: self dependent soul. We were formed to unite our sympathies,
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  Speaker 1: formed to breathe a new spirit into this hackneyed and
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  Speaker 1: gross world, formed for the mighty ends, which my soul,
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  Speaker 1: sweeping down the gloom of time, foresees with the prophet's vision,
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  Speaker 1: with a resolution equal to thine own, I defy thy
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  Speaker 1: threats of an inglorious suicide. I hail thee as my
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  Speaker 1: own queen of climes, undarkened by the eagle's wing, unravaged
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  Speaker 1: by his beak. I bow before thee in homage and
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  Speaker 1: in awe, and I claim thee in worship and in love.
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  Speaker 1: Together we will cross the ocean. Together, we will found
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  Speaker 1: our realm, and far distant ages shall acknowledge the long
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  Speaker 1: race of kings born from the marriage bed of Arbaces
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  Speaker 1: and Ione, thou ravest these mystic declamations are suited rather
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  Speaker 1: to some palsied crone selling charms in the market place,
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  Speaker 1: than to the wise Arbaces. Thou hast heard my resolution.
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  Speaker 1: It is fixed as the fates themselves, Orcus has heard
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  Speaker 1: my vow, and it is written in the book of
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  Speaker 1: the unforgetful Hades. Atone, then, O Arbaces atone the past.
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  Speaker 1: Convert hatred into regard, vengeance into gratitude, preserve one who
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  Speaker 1: shall never be thy rival. These are the acts suited
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  Speaker 1: to thy original nature, which gives forth sparks of something
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  Speaker 1: high and noble. They weigh in the scales of the
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  Speaker 1: kings of death. They turn the balance on that day
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  Speaker 1: when the disembodied soul stand shivering and dismayed between Tatarus
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  Speaker 1: and Elysium. They gladden the heart in life better and
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  Speaker 1: longer than the reward of a momentary passion. O Arbaces,
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  Speaker 1: hear me, and be swayed enough. Ione, All that I
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  Speaker 1: can do for Glaucus shall be done. But blame me
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  Speaker 1: not if I fail. Inquire of my foes, even if
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  Speaker 1: I have not sought, if I do not seek to
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  Speaker 1: turn aside the sentence from his head, and judge me accordingly. Sleep, then,
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  Speaker 1: n Ione, knight wanes I leave thee to rest, and
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  Speaker 1: mayst thou have kinder dreams of one who has no existence,
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  Speaker 1: but in thine. Without waiting for a reply, arbaces hastily withdrew,
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  Speaker 1: afraid perhaps to trust himself farther to the passionate prayer
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  Speaker 1: of Ione, which racked him with jealousy, even while it
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  Speaker 1: touched him to compassion. But compassion itself had come too late.
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  Speaker 1: Had Ione even pledged him her hand as a reward,
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  Speaker 1: he could not now his evidence. Given the populace excited
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  Speaker 1: have saved, the Athenian still made sanguine by the very
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  Speaker 1: energy of mind, he threw himself on the chances of
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  Speaker 1: the future and believed he could yet triumph over the
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  Speaker 1: woman who had so entangled his passions. As his attendants
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  Speaker 1: assisted to unrobe him for the night, the thought of
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  Speaker 1: Nidia flashed across him. He felt it was necessary that
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  Speaker 1: Ione should never learn of her lover's frenzy, lest it
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  Speaker 1: might excuse his imputed crime. And it was possible that
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  Speaker 1: her attendants might inform her that Nidia was under his roof,
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  Speaker 1: and that she might desire to see her. As this
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  Speaker 1: idea crossed him, he turned to one of his freedmen.
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  Speaker 1: Go Callius, said, he forthwith to Sosia and tell him
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  Speaker 1: that on no pretense is he to suffer the blind
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  Speaker 1: slave Nydia out of her chamber. But stay first, seek
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  Speaker 1: those in attendance upon my ward, and caution them not
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  Speaker 1: to inform her that the blind girl is under my roof.
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  Speaker 1: Go quick, the freedman hastened to obey. After having discharged
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  Speaker 1: his commission with us respect to Ione's attendants, he sought
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  Speaker 1: the worthy Sosia. He found him not in the little
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  Speaker 1: cell which was apportioned for his cubiculum, but he called
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  Speaker 1: his name aloud, and from Nidia's chamber close at hand,
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  Speaker 1: he heard the voice of Sosia reply, Oh, Callius, is
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  Speaker 1: it you that I hear the gods be praised? Open
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  Speaker 1: the door, I pray you. Callius withdrew the bolt, and
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  Speaker 1: the rueful face of Sosia hastily protruded itself. What in
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  Speaker 1: the chamber with that young girl? Sosia? Pro poudour? Are
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  Speaker 1: there not fruits ripe enough on the wall that thou
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  Speaker 1: must tamper with such green name? Not that little witch
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  Speaker 1: interrupted Sosia impatiently she will be my ruin, and he
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  Speaker 1: forthwith imparted to Callias the history of the air demon
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  Speaker 1: and the escape of the Thessalian. Hang thyself then, unhappy, Sojia,
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  Speaker 1: I am just charged from Arbaces with a message on thee.
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  Speaker 1: On no account art thou to suffer her even for
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  Speaker 1: a moment from that chamber. Nay, miss Erroom, exclaimed the slave.
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  Speaker 1: What can I do? By this time she may have
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  Speaker 1: visited half Pompeii. But tomorrow I will undertake to catch
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  Speaker 1: her in her old haunts. Keep but thy counsel, my
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  Speaker 1: dear Calius, I would do all that friendship can consistent
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  Speaker 1: with my own safety. But are you sure that she
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  Speaker 1: has left the house. She may be hiding here, yet,
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  Speaker 1: how is that possible? She could easily have gained the garden,
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  Speaker 1: and the door, as I told thee was open. Nay,
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  Speaker 1: not so, For at that very hour thou specifiest Arbaces
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  Speaker 1: was in the garden with the priest Callanus. I went
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  Speaker 1: there in search of some herbs for my master's bath tomorrow.
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  Speaker 1: I saw the table set out, but the gate I
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  Speaker 1: am sure was shut. Depend upon it. The Callanus entered
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  Speaker 1: by the garden and naturally closed the door after him.
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  Speaker 1: But it was not locked. Yes, for I myself, angry
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  Speaker 1: at a negligence which might expose the bronzes and the
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  Speaker 1: peristyle to the mercy of any robber, turned the key,
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  Speaker 1: took it away, and as I did not see the
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  Speaker 1: proper slave to whom to give it, or I should
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  Speaker 1: have rated him. Finally here it actually is still in
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  Speaker 1: my girdle, Oh, merciful Bacchus, I did not pray to
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  Speaker 1: thee in vain. After all, let us not lose a moment.
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  Speaker 1: Let us to the garden instantly. She may yet be there.
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  Speaker 1: The good natured Cali has consented to assist the slave,
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  Speaker 1: and after vainly searching the chambers at hand and the
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  Speaker 1: recesses of the peristyle, they entered the garden. It was
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  Speaker 1: about this time that Nidia had resolved to quit her
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  Speaker 1: hiding place and venture forth on her way, lightly tremulously
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  Speaker 1: holding her breath, which ever and Anon broke forth in
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  Speaker 1: quick convulsive gasps, now gliding by the flower wreathed columns
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  Speaker 1: that bordered the peristyle, now darkening the still moonshine that
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  Speaker 1: fell over its tessellated center, Now ascending the terrace of
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  Speaker 1: the garden. Now gliding amidst the gloomy and breathless trees,
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  Speaker 1: she gained the fatal door, to find it locked. We
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  Speaker 1: have all seen that expression of pain, of uncertainty, a
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  Speaker 1: fear which of sudden disappointment of touch, if I may
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  Speaker 1: use the expression cast over the face of the blind,
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  Speaker 1: But what words can paint the intolerable woe, the sinking
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  Speaker 1: of the whole heart, which was now visible in the
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  Speaker 1: features of the Thessalian. Again and again her small, quivering
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  Speaker 1: hands wandered to and fro the inexorable door. Poor thing
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  Speaker 1: that thou wert in vain had been all thy noble courage,
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  Speaker 1: thy innocent craft, thy doublings, to escape the hound, and
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  Speaker 1: the huntsmen within but a few yards from thee, laughing
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  Speaker 1: at thy endeavors, thy despair, knowing thou wert now their own,
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  Speaker 1: and wahs with cruel patience their own moment to seize
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  Speaker 1: their prey. Thou art saved from seeing thy pursuers. Hush, Caalius,
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  Speaker 1: Let her go on. Let us see what she will
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  Speaker 1: do when she has convinced herself that the door is honest. Look,
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  Speaker 1: she raises her face to the heavens, she mutters. She
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  Speaker 1: sinks down, despondent. No, by Pollux, she has some new scheme.
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  Speaker 1: She will not resign herself by Jupiter, a tough spirit. See,
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  Speaker 1: she springs up. She retraces her steps. She thinks for
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  Speaker 1: some other chance. I advise thee Sojha to delay, no
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  Speaker 1: longer seize her ere she quit the garden. Now, Ah,
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  Speaker 1: run away, I have thee, eh, said Sojia, seizing upon
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  Speaker 1: the unhappy Nadia as a hare's last human cry, and
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  Speaker 1: the fangs of the dog as the sharp voice of
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  Speaker 1: terror uttered by a sleep walker suddenly awakened, broke the
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  Speaker 1: shriek of the blind girl when she felt the abrupt
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  Speaker 1: grip of her gowler. It was a shriek of such
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  Speaker 1: utter agony, such entire despair, that it might have rung
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  Speaker 1: hauntingly in your ears for ever. She felt, as if
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  Speaker 1: the last plank of the sinking Glaucus were torn from
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  Speaker 1: his clasp. It had been a suspense of life and death,
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  Speaker 1: and death had now won the game. Gods, that cry
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  Speaker 1: will alarm the house arbaces sleeps full lightly gager, cried Calius. Ah,
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  Speaker 1: here's a very napkin which the young witch conjured away
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  Speaker 1: my reason. Come, that's right now. Thou art dumb as
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  Speaker 1: well as blind, and catching the light weight in his arms,
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  Speaker 1: Sosia soon gained the house and reached the chamber from
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  Speaker 1: which Nydia had escaped. There, removing the gag, he left
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  Speaker 1: her to a solitude so racked and terrible that out
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  Speaker 1: of hades its anguish could scarcely be exceeded. End of
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  Speaker 1: Book four, Chapter fifteen,