Volume Ii Part 16 (1/2)
”Of roses, fair one?”
”Never mind. If he break them, call me”-
”Chaste? Semp.r.o.nia”-enquired Caeparius, interrupting her.
”Audacious!” she answered with an affected frown, amid the laugh which followed the retort.
”What do you think of it, my Lentulus?” asked Cethegus, who although he had jested with the others, did not by any means appear satisfied in his mind, or convinced of the good faith of the Highlanders.
”That it is two hours now past midnight,” answered Lentulus yawning, ”and that I am amazing sleepy. I was not in bed till the third watch last night, writing those letters, ill luck to them. That is what I think, Cethegus. And that I am going to bed now, to trouble myself about the matter no more, until the Saturnalia.”
And so that company broke up, never to meet again, on this side Hades.
Not long thereafter the Gauls, having reached their lodgings at the house of their patron Fabius Sanga, where everything had been prepared already for their departure, mounted their horses, and set forth on their way homeward, accompanied by a long train of armed followers; t.i.tus Volturcius riding in the first rank, between the princ.i.p.al chiefs of the party.
The moon had risen; and the night was almost as clear as day, for a slight touch of frost had banished all the vapors from the sky, and the stars sparkled with unusual brilliancy.
Although it was clear and keen, however, the night was by no means cold, as it would have been under the like circ.u.mstances in our more northern climes; and the gardens in the suburbs of the city with their numerous clumps of stone-pine, and thickets of arbutus and laurestinus, looked rich and gay with their polished green foliage, long after the deciduous trees had dropped their sere leaves on the steamy earth.
No sounds came to the ears of the travellers, as they rode at that dead hour of night through the deserted streets; the whole of the vast city appeared to be hushed in deep slumber, soon, Caius Volturcius boasted as they rode along, to burst like a volcano into the din and glare of mighty conflagration.
They met not a single individual, as they threaded the broad suburra with their long train of slaves and led-horses; not one as they pa.s.sed through the gorge between the Viminal and Quirinal hills, nor as they scaled the summit of the latter eminence, and reached the city walls, where they overlooked Sall.u.s.t's gardens in the valley, and on the opposite slope, the perfumed hill of flowers.
A sleepy sentinel unbarred the gate for the amba.s.sadors, while four or five of his comrades sat dozing in their armor around a stove, in the centre of the little guard-house, or replenis.h.i.+ng their horn cups, at short intervals, from an urn of hot wine, which hissed and simmered on the hearth.
”Excellent guard they keep!” said Volturcius sneeringly, ”right trusty discipline! of much avail would such watchers be, were Catiline without the walls, with ten thousand men, of Sylla's veterans.”
”And is your Catiline so great a captain?” asked the Highlander.
”The best in Rome, since Sylla is no more! He learned the art of war under that grand, that consummate soldier! He was scarce second to him in his life time!”
”Why, then, hath Rome found no service for him?” asked the Gaul. ”If he, as you say, is so valiant and so skillful, why hath he not commanded in the east, in place of Pompey, or Lucullus?”
”Jealousy is the bane of Rome! jealousy and corruption! Catiline will not pander to the pride of the insolent patricians, nor buy of them employments or honors with his gold.”
”And is _he_ free from this corruption?”
”No man on earth of more tried integrity! While all of Rome beside is venal, his hand alone is conscious of no bribe, his heart alone incorruptible!”
”Thou must be a true friend of his; all men speak not so highly of this Catiline.”
”Some men lie! touching _him_ specially, they lie!”
”By the G.o.ds! I believe so!” answered the old Gaul, with calm irony.
”By Mars! and Apollo! they lie foully!”
”I think I have heard one, at least, do so.”