Part 8 (2/2)

Once or twice whilst he spoke she had tried to interrupt him, but every time the words she would have spoken had died upon her lips. He looked so strange--this praefect of Rome--whose judgments everyone feared, whose strict adherence to duty the young elegants of the day were ever fond of deriding. He looked very strange now and spoke such strange words--words that she resented bitterly, for they sounded like treason to the House of Caesar of which she was so coldly proud.

To her Caesar was as a G.o.d, and she as his kinswoman had been brought up to wors.h.i.+p in him not the man--that might be vile--but the supreme power in the Empire which he represented. She did not pause to think if he were base, tyrannical, a half-crazy despot without mind or heart or sensibilities. She knew what was said about him, she had even seen at times things from which she recoiled in unspeakable horror; but her soul, still pure and still proud, was able to dissociate the abstract idea of the holy and mighty Caesar from its present hideous embodiment.

And this same holy reverence for Caesar she looked for in all those who she deemed were worthy to stand--not as his equals, for only the G.o.ds were that--but nigh to his holy person--his own kinsmen first, then his Senate, his magistrates, and his patricians, and above all this man--almost a stranger--whom the Caesar had deigned to honour with his confidence.

And yet this same stranger spoke calmly of another, of a man whom he would obey as a slave in all things, whom he would follow even to death; a man whose might he proclaimed above that of Caesar himself.

”But who is this man?” she exclaimed at last, almost involuntarily.

”A poor Man from Galilee,” he replied.

”What is he called?”

”Out there they called Him Jesus of Nazareth.”

”And where is he now?”

”He died upon the cross, in Jerusalem, seven years ago.”

”Upon the cross?” she exclaimed; ”what had he done?”

”He had dwelt among the poor and brought them contentment and peace; He had lived amongst men and taught them love and charity. So the Roman proconsul ordered Him to be crucified, and those whom He had rendered happy rejoiced over His death.”

”Methinks that I did hear something of this. I was a child then but already I took much interest in the affairs of State, and my father spoke oft freely in my presence. I remember his talking of a demagogue over in Judaea who claimed to be the King of the Jews and who was punished for treason and sedition. But I also heard that he did but little mischief, since only a troop of ignorant fisher-folk followed and listened to him.”

”Ignorant fisher-folk thou saidst it truly, O Dea Flavia, yet I have it in my mind that anon the knee of every patrician--aye! of every Caesar--shall bend before the mighty throne of that Man from Galilee.”

”And thus didst learn thy lesson of treason, O praefect,” she retorted; ”demagogues and traitors from Judaea have sown the seeds of treachery in thy mind, and whilst thou dost receive with both hands the gifts of the Caesar my kinsman, thou dost set up another above him and dost homage to him in thy heart.”

”Aye! in my heart, gracious lady; for I am even more ignorant than those fishermen from Galilee who heard every word spoken by Jesus of Nazareth.

I heard Him but twice in my life and once only did His eyes rest upon me, and they enchained my heart to His service, though I know but little yet of what He would have me do.”

”No doubt he would have thee turn traitor to thine Emperor and to acclaim him--the demagogue--as imperator before the Senate and the army.

He----”

”I told thee that He was dead,” he interposed simply.

”And that his words had made thee rebellious to Caesar and insolent to me.”

”Thine humble servant, O Augusta,” he rejoined, smiling in spite of himself, for now she was just like an angry child. ”Wilt but command and see how I will obey.”

”The girl Nola!” she said haughtily.

”In that alone I must deny thee.”

”Then tie my shoe, it hath come undone.”

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