Part 22 (2/2)
”You will understand,” said Fabia, still quietly; and then briefly she told of the conspiracy against the life of Drusus, so far as she had gathered it.
”Where did you learn all this,” queried Curio, ”if I may venture to ask?”
”From Agias, the slave of Cornelia, niece of Lentulus.”
”But what is Drusus to her?” demanded the marvelling tribune.
”He is everything to her. She has been trying to win her way into Ahen.o.barbus's confidence, and learn all of the plot.”
A sudden light seemed to break over the face of the politician. He actually smiled with relieved pleasure, and cried, ”_Papae!_ Wonderful!
I may be the farthest of all the world from Diogenes the Cynic; but a man cannot go through life, unless he has his eyes shut, and not know that there are different kinds of women. I was sorry enough to have to feel that a girl like Cornelia was becoming one of Clodia's coterie.
After all, the world isn't so bad as we make it out to be, if it is Curio the profligate who says it.”
”But Drusus, my nephew?” exclaimed Fabia. ”He is in frightful danger.
You know Dumnorix will have a great band of gladiators, and there is no force in Praeneste that can be counted on to restrain him.”
”My dear lady,” said Curio, laughing, ”I am praising the happy Genius that brought you here. We Caesarians are taught by our leaders never to desert a friend in need; and Drusus has been a very good friend to us, especially by using all his influence, very successfully, for our cause among the Praenestians and the people of those parts. When did you say that Dumnorix would pa.s.s through the town?”
”Early to-morrow, possibly,” replied the Vestal.
”_Phui!_ Dismiss all care. I'll find out at once how many gladiators he took with him to Anagnia. Some of his gang will be killed in the games there, and more will be wounded and weak or disabled. I am tribune, and I imagine I ought not to be out of the city over night,[110] but before daybreak to-morrow I will take Antonius and Sall.u.s.tius and Quintus Ca.s.sius; and perhaps I can get Balbus and our other a.s.sociates to go. We will arm a few slaves and freedmen; and it will be strange indeed if we cannot scatter to the four winds Dumnorix's gladiators, before they have accomplished any mischief.”
[110] This was the law, that the tribunes might always be ready to render help (_auxilium_) to the distressed.
”The G.o.ds reward you!” said Fabia, simply. ”I will go back to the Temple, and pray that my nephew be kept from harm; and you also, and your friends who will defend him.”
Curio stood in the atrium a long time after the Vestal had left.
”The G.o.ds reward you!” he repeated. ”So _she_ believes in the G.o.ds, that there are G.o.ds, and that they care for us struggling men. Ah!
Caius, Caius Curio; if the mob had murdered you that day you protected Caesar after he spoke in the Senate in favour of the Catilinarians, where would you be to-day? Whence have you come? Whither do you go?
What a.s.surance have you that you can depend on anything, but your own hand and keen wits? What is to become of you, if you are knocked on the head in that adventure to-morrow? And yet that woman believes there are G.o.ds! What educated man is there that does? Perhaps we would, if we led the simple lives our fathers did, and that woman lives. Enough of this! I must be over letters to Caesar at Ravenna till midnight: and then at morn off to gallop till our horses are foundered.”
Chapter X
Mamercus Guards the Door
I
Agias left Phaon in the clutches of the landlord and his subordinates and was reasonably certain that since the freedman had not a farthing left with which to bribe his keepers, he was out of harm's way for the time being. The moon was risen, and guided by its light the young slave flew on toward Praeneste without incident. Whatever part of the conspirator's plans depended on Phaon was sure to collapse. For the rest, Agias could only warn Drusus, and have the latter arm his clients and slaves, and call in his friends from the town. With such precautions Dumnorix could hardly venture to risk himself and his men, whatever might be the plot.
Thus satisfied in mind, Agias arrived at the estate of the Drusi, close to Praeneste, and demanded admittance, about two hours before midnight. He had some difficulty in stirring up the porter, and when that worthy at last condescended to unbar the front door, the young Greek was surprised and dismayed to hear that the master of the house had gone to visit a farm at Lanuvium, a town some fifteen miles to the south. Agias was thunderstruck; he had not counted on Drusus being absent temporarily. But perhaps his very absence would cause the plot to fail.
”And what time will he return?” asked Agias.
<script>