CHAPTER XX.
The waiting-room was empty when Melissa crossed it for the second time.Most of the emperor's friends had retired to rest or into the city whenthey had heard that Caesar slept; and the few who had remained behavedquietly when she appeared, for Philostratus had told them that theemperor held her in high esteem, as the only person who was able togive him comfort in his suffering by her peculiar and wonderful healingpower.
In the tablinum, which had been converted into a sick-room, nothing washeard but the breathing and gentle snoring of the sleeping man. EvenPhilostratus was asleep on an arm-chair at the back of the room.
When the philosopher had returned, Caracalla had noticed him, anddozing, or perhaps in his dreams, he had ordered him to remain by him.So the learned man felt bound to spend the night there.
Epagathos, the freedman, was lying on a mattress from the dining-room;the corpulent physician slept soundly, and if he snored too loudly, oldAdventus poked him and quietly spoke a word of warning to him. Thisman, who had formerly been a post messenger, was the only person who wasconscious of Melissa's entrance; but he only blinked at her throughhis dim eyes, and, after he had silently considered why the young girlshould have returned, he turned over in order to sleep himself; for hehad come to the conclusion that this young, active creature would beawake and at hand if his master required anything.
His wondering as to why Melissa had returned, had led to many guesses,and had proved fruitless. "You can know nothing of women," was the endof his reflections, "if you do not know that what seems most improbableis what is most likely to be true. This maid is certainly not one of theflute-players or the like. Who knows what incomprehensible whim or freakmay have brought her here? At any rate, it will be easier for her tokeep her eyes open than it is for me."
He then signed to her and asked her quietly to fetch his cloak outof the next room, for his old body needed warmth; and Melissa gladlycomplied, and laid the caracalla over the old mans cold feet withobliging care.
She then returned to the side of the sick-bed, to wait for the emperor'sawaking. He slept soundly; his regular breathing indicated this. Theothers also slept, and Adventus's light snore, mingling with the loudersnoring of the physician, showed that he too had ceased to watch. Theslumbering Philostratus now and then murmured incomprehensible words tohimself; and the lion, who perhaps was dreaming of his freedom in hissandy home, whined low in his sleep.
She watched alone.
It seemed to her as if she were in the habitation of sleep, and as ifphantoms and dreams were floating around her on the unfamiliar noises.
She was afraid, and the thought of being the only woman among so manymen caused her extreme uneasiness.
She could not sit still.
Inaudibly as a shadow she approached the head of the sleeping emperor,holding her breath to listen to him. How soundly he slept! And she hadcome that she might talk to him. If his sleep lasted till sunrise, thepardon for her people would be too late, and her father and Philip,chained to a hard bench, would have to ply heavy oars as galley slavesby the side of robbers and murderers. How terribly then wouldher father's wish to use his strength be granted! Was Philip, thenarrow-chested philosopher, capable of bearing the strain which had sooften proved fatal to stronger men?
She must wake the dreaded man, the only man who could possibly help her.
She now raised her hand to lay it on his shoulder, but she half withdrewit.
It seemed to her as if it was not much less wicked to rob a sleeping manof his rest, his best cure, than to take the life of a living being. Itwas not too late yet, for the harbor-chain would not be opened till theOctober sun had risen. He might enjoy his slumbers a little longer.
With this conclusion she once more sank down and listened to the noiseswhich broke the stillness of the night.
How hideous they were, how revolting they sounded! The vulgarest of thesleepers, old Adventus, absolutely sawed the air with his snoring.
The emperor's breathing was scarcely perceptible, and how nobly cut wasthe profile which she could see, the other side of his face leaning onthe pillow! Had she any real reason to fear his awakening? Perhaps hewas quite unlike what Berenike thought him to be. She remembered thesympathy she had felt for him when they had first met, and, in spite ofall the trouble she had experienced since, she no longer felt afraid. Athought then occurred to her which was sufficient excuse for disturbingthe sick man's sleep. If she delayed it, she would be making him guiltyof a fresh crime by allowing two blameless men to perish in misery.But she would first convince herself whether the time was pressing.She looked out through the open window at the stars and across the openplace lying at her feet. The third hour after midnight was past, and thesun would rise before long.
Down below all was quiet. Macrinus, the praetorian prefect, on hearingthat the emperor had fallen into a refreshing sleep, in order that hemight not be disturbed, had forbidden all loud signals, and ordered thecamp to be closed to all the inhabitants of the city; so the girl heardnothing but the regular footsteps of the sentries and the shrieks of theowls returning to their nests in the roof of the Serapeum. The wind fromthe sea drove the clouds before it across the sky, and the plain coveredwith tents resembled a sea tossed into high white waves. The camp hadbeen reduced during the afternoon; for Caracalla had carried out histhreat of that morning by quartering a portion of the picked troops inthe houses of the richest Alexandrians.
Melissa, bending far out, looked toward the north. The sea-breeze blewher hair into her face. Perhaps on the ocean whence it came the highwaves would, in a few hours, be tossing the ship on which her father andbrother, seated at the oar, would be toiling as disgraced galley-slaves.That must not, could not be!
Hark! what was that?
She heard a light whisper. In spite of strict orders, a loving couplewere passing below. The wife of the centurion Martialis, who had beenseparated for some time from her husband, had at his entreaty comesecretly from Ranopus, where she had charge of Seleukus's villa, to seehim, as his services prevented his going so far away. They now stoodwhispering and making love in the shadow of the temple. Melissa couldnot hear what they said, yet it reminded her of the sacred nighthour when she confessed her love to Diodoros. She felt as if she werestanding by his bedside, and his faithful eyes met hers. She would not,for all that was best in the world, have awakened him yesterday at theChristian's house, though the awakening would have brought her freshpromises of love; and yet she was on the point of robbing another of hisonly cure, the sleep the gods had sent him. But then she loved Diodoros,and what was Caesar to her? It had been a matter of life and death withher lover, while disturbing Caracalla would only postpone his recoverya few hours at the utmost. It was she who had procured the imperialsleeper his rest, which she could certainly restore to him even if shenow woke him. Just now she had vowed for the future not to careabout her own welfare, and that had at first made her doubtful aboutCaracalla; but had it not really been exceedingly selfish to losethe time which could bring freedom to her father and brother, only toprotect her own soul from the reproach of an easily forgiven wrong? Withthe question:
"What is your duty?" all doubts left her, and no longer on tiptoe, butwith a firm, determined tread, she walked toward the slumberer's couch,and the outrage which she shrank from committing would, she saw, bea deed of kindness; for she found the emperor with perspiring browgroaning and frightened by a severe nightmare. He cried with the dull,toneless voice of one talking in his sleep, as if he saw her close by:
"Away, mother, I say! He or I! Out of the way! You will not? But I,I--If you--"
At the same he threw up his hands and gave a dull, painful cry.
"He is dreaming of his brother's murder," rushed through Melissa's mind,and in the same instant she laid her hand on his arm and with urgententreaty cried in his ear: "Wake up, Caesar, I implore you! GreatCaesar, awake!"
Then he opened his eyes, and a low, prolonged "Ah!" rang from histortured breast.
He then, with a deep breath and perplexed glance, looked round him; andas his eyes fell on the young girl his features brightened, and soonwore a happy expression, as if he experienced a great joy.
"You?" he asked, with pleased surprise. "You, maiden, still here!It must be nearly dawn? I slept well till just now. But then at thelast--Oh, it was fearful!--Adventus!"
Melissa, however, interrupted this cry, exhorting the emperor to bequiet by putting her finger to her lips; and he understood her andwillingly obeyed, especially as she had guessed what he required fromthe chamberlain, Adventus. She handed him the cloth that lay on thetable for him to wipe his streaming forehead. She then brought himdrink, and after Caracalla had sat up refreshed, and felt that the pain,which, after a sharp attack, lasted sometimes for days, had now alreadyleft him, he said, quite gently, mindful of her sign:
"How much better I feel already; and for this I thank you, Roxana; yes,you know. I like to feel like Alexander, but usually--It is certainly apleasant thing to be ruler of the universe, for if we wish to punish orreward, no one can limit us. You, child, shall learn that it is Caesarwhom you have laid under such obligations. Ask what you will, and I willgrant it you."
She whispered eagerly to him:
"Release my father and brother."
"Always the same thing," answered Caracalla, peevishly. "Do you know ofnothing better to wish for?"
"No, my lord, no!" cried Melissa, with importunate warmth. "If you willgive me what I most care for--"
"I will, yes, I will," interrupted the emperor in a softer voice; butsuddenly shrugging his shoulders, he continued, regretfully: "But youmust have patience; for, by the Egyptian's orders, your people have beenfor some time afloat and at sea."
"No!" the girl assured him. "They are still here. Zminis has shamefullydeceived you;" and then she informed him of what she had learned fromher brother.
Caracalla, in obedience to a softer impulse, had wished to show himselfgrateful to Melissa. But her demand displeased him; for the sculptor andhis son, the philosopher, were the security that should keep Melissaand the painter attached to him. But though his distrust was so strong,offended dignity and the tormenting sense of being deceived caused himto forget everything else; he flew into a rage, and called loudly thenames of Epagathos and Adventus.
His voice, quavering with fury, awakened the others also out of theirsleep; and after he had shortly and severely rebuked them for theirlaziness, he commissioned Epagathos to give the prefect, Macrinus,immediate orders not to allow the ship on which Heron and Philip were,to leave the harbor; to set the captives at liberty; and to throwZminis, the Egyptian, into prison, heavily chained.
When the freedman remarked, humbly, that the prefect was not likelyto be found, as he had purposed to be present again that night at theexorcisms of the magician, Serapion, Caesar commanded that Macrinusshould be called away from the miracle-monger's house, and the ordersgiven him.
"And if I can not find him?" asked Epagathos.
"Then, once more, events will prove how badly I am served," answered theemperor. "In any case you can act the prefect, and see that my ordersare carried out."
The freedman left hastily, and Caracalla sank back exhausted on thepillows.
Melissa let him rest a little while; then she approached him, thankedhim profusely, and begged him to keep quiet, lest the pain should returnand spoil the approaching day.
He then asked the time, and when Philostratus, who had walked to thewindow, explained that the fifth hour after midnight was past, Caracallabade him prepare a bath.
The physician sanctioned this wish, and Caesar then gave his hand to thegirl, saying, feebly and in a gentle voice: "The pain still keeps away.I should be better if I could moderate my impatience. An early bathoften does me good after a bad night. Only go. The sleep that you knowso well how to give to others, you scarcely allow to visit you. I onlybeg that you will be at hand. We shall both, I think, feel strengthenedwhen next I call you."
Melissa then bade him a grateful farewell; but as she was approachingthe doorway he called again after her, and asked her with an alteredvoice, shortly and sternly:
"You will agree with your father if he abuses me?"
"What an idea!" she answered, energetically. "He knows who robbed him ofhis liberty, and from me shall he learn who has restored it to him."
"Good!" murmured the emperor. "Yet remember this also: I need yourassistance and that of your brother's, the painter. If your fatherattempts to alienate you--"
Here he suddenly let fall his arm, which he had raised threateningly,and continued in a confidential whisper: "But how can I ever showyou anything but kindness? Is it not so? You already feel the secrettie--You know? Am I mistaken when I fancy that it grieves you to beseparated from me?"
"Certainly not," she replied, gently, and bowed her head.
"Then go," he continued, kindly. "The day will come yet when you willfeel that I am as necessary to your soul as you are to mine. But you donot yet know how impatient I can be. I must be able to think of you withpleasure--always with pleasure--always."
Thereupon he nodded to her, and his eyelids remained for some time inspasmodic movement. Philostratus was prepared to accompany the younggirl, but Caracalla prevented him by calling:
"Lead me to my bath. If it does me good, as I trust it will, I have manythings to talk over with you."
Melissa did not hear the last words. Gladly and quickly she hurriedthrough the empty, dimly lighted rooms, and found Alexander in a sittingposition, half asleep and half awake, with closed eyes. Then she drewnear to him on tiptoe, and, as his nodding head fell on his breast, shelaughed and woke him with a kiss.
The lamps were not yet burned out, and, as he looked into her face withsurprise, his also brightened, and jumping up quickly he exclaimed:
"All's well; we have you back again, and you have succeeded! Ourfather-I see it in your face--and Philip also, are at liberty!"
"Yes, yes, yes," she answered, gladly; "and now we will go together andfetch them ourselves from the harbor."
Alexander raised his eyes and arms to heaven in rapture, and Melissaimitated him; and thus, without words, though with fervent devotion,they with one accord thanked the gods for their merciful ruling.
They then set out together, and Alexander said: "I feel as if nothingbut gratitude flowed through all my veins. At any rate, I have learnedfor the first time what fear is. That evil guest certainly haunts thisplace. Let us go now. On the way you shall tell me everything."
"Only one moment's patience," she begged, cheerfully, and hurried intothe chief priest's rooms. The lady Euryale was still expecting her, andas she kissed her she looked with sincere pleasure into her bright buttearful eyes.
At first she was bent on making Melissa rest; for she would yet requireall her strength. But she saw that the girl's wish to go and meether father was justifiable; she placed her own mantle over hershoulders--for the air was cool before sunrise--and at last accompaniedher into the anteroom. Directly the girl had disappeared, she turned toher sister-in-law's slave, who had waited there the whole night by orderof his mistress, and desired him to go and report to her what he hadlearned about Melissa.
The brother and sister met the slave Argutis outside the Serapeum. Hehad heard at Seleukus's house where his young mistress was staying, andhad made friends with the chief priest's servants.
When, late in the evening, he heard that Melissa was still with Caesar,he had become so uneasy that he had waited the whole night through,first on the steps of a staircase, then walking up and down outside theSerapeum. With a light heart he now accompanied the couple as far as theAspendia quarter of the town, and he then only parted from them inorder that he might inform poor old Dido of his good news, and makepreparations for the reception of the home-comers.
After that Melissa hurried along, arm in arm with her brother, throughthe quiet streets.
Youth, to whom the present belongs entirely, only cares to know thebright side of the future; and
even Melissa in her joy at being able torestore liberty to her beloved relations, hardly thought at all of thefact that, when this was done and Caesar should send for her again,there would be new dangers to surmount.
Delighted with her grand success, she first told her brother what herexperiences had been with the suffering emperor. Then she started on therecollections of her visit to her lover, and when Alexander opened hisheart to her and assured her with fiery ardor that he would not resttill he had won the heart of the lovely Christian, Agatha, she gladlyallowed him to talk and promised him her assistance. At last theydeliberated how the favor of Caesar--who, Melissa assured him, wascruelly misunderstood--was to be won for their father and Philip; andfinally they both imagined the surprise of the old man if he should bethe first to meet them after being set at liberty.
The way was far, and when they reached the sea, by the Caesareum inthe Bruchium, the palatial quarter of the town, the first glimmer ofapproaching dawn was showing behind the peninsula of Lochias. The seawas rough, and tossed with heavy, oily waves on the Choma that ran outinto the sea like a finger, and on the walls of the Timoneum at itspoint, where Antonius had hidden his disgrace after the battle ofActium.
Alexander stopped by the pillared temple of Poseidon, which stood closeon the shore, between the Choma and the theatre, and, looking toward theflat, horseshoe-shaped coast of the opposite island which still lay indarkness, he asked:
"Do you still remember when we went with our mother over to Antirhodos,and how she allowed us to gather shells in the little harbor? If shewere alive to-day, what more could we wish for?"
"That the emperor was gone," exclaimed the girl from the depths of herheart; "that Diodoros were well again; that father could use his handsas he used, and that I might stay with him until Diodoros came to fetchme, and then... oh, if only something could happen to the empire thatCaesar might go away-far away, to the farthest hyperborean land!"
"That will soon happen now," answered Alexander. "Philostratus says thatthe Romans will remain at the utmost a week longer."
"So long?" asked Melissa, startled; but Alexander soon pacified her withthe assurance that seven days flew speedily by, and when one looked backon them they seemed to shrink into only as many hours.
"But do not," he continued, cheerfully, "look into the future! We willrejoice, for everything is going so well now!"
He stopped here suddenly and gazed anxiously at the sea, which was nolonger completely obscured by the vanishing shadows of night. Melissalooked in the direction of his pointing hand, and when he cried withgreat excitement, "That is no little boat, it is a ship, and a largeone, too!" Melissa added, eagerly, "It is already near the Diabathra. Itwill reach the Alveus Steganus in a moment, and pass the pharos."
"But yonder is the morning star in the heavens, and the fire is stillblazing on the tower," interrupted her brother. "Not till it has beenextinguished will they open the outside chain. And yet that ship issteering in a northwesterly direction. It certainly comes out of theroyal harbor." He then drew his sister on faster, and when, in a fewminutes, they reached the harbor gate, he cried out, much relieved:
"Look there! The chain is still across the entrance. I see it clearly."
"And so do I," said Melissa, decidedly; and while her brother knocked atthe gate-house of the little harbor, she continued, eagerly:
"No ships dare go out before sunrise, on account of the rocks--Epagathossaid so just now--and that one near the pharos--"
But there was no time to put her thoughts into words; for the broadharbor gate was thrown noisily open, and a troop of Roman soldiersstreamed out, followed by several Alexandrian men-at-arms. Afterthem came a prisoner loaded with chains, with whom a leading Roman inwarrior's dress was conversing. Both were tall and haggard, and whenthey approached the brother and sister they recognized in them Macrinusthe praetorian prefect, while the prisoner was Zminis the informer.
But the Egyptian also noticed the artist and his companion. His eyessparkled brightly, and with triumphant scorn he pointed out to sea.
The magician Serapion had persuaded the prefect to let the Egyptian gofree. Nothing was yet known in the harbor of Zminis's disgrace, and hehad been promptly obeyed as usual, when, spurred on by the magicianand his old hatred, he gave the order for the galley which carried thesculptor and his son on board to weigh anchor in spite of the earlyhour.
Heron and Philip, with chains on their feet, were now rowing on thesame bench with the worst criminals; and the old artist's two remainingchildren stood gazing after the ship that carried away their father andbrother into the distance. Melissa stood mute, with tearful eyes, whileAlexander, quite beside himself, tried to relieve his rage and grief byempty threats.
Soon, however, his sister's remonstrances caused him to restrainhimself, and make inquiry as to whether Macrinus, in obedience to theemperor's orders, had sent a State ship after the galley.
This had been done, and comforted, though sadly disappointed, theystarted on their way home.
The sun in the mean time had risen, and the streets were filling withpeople.
They met the old sculptor Lysander, who had been a friend of theirfather's, outside the magnificent pile of buildings of the Caesareum.The old man took a deep interest in Heron's fate; and, when Alexanderasked him modestly what he was doing at that early hour, he pointedto the interior of the building, where the statues of the emperors andempresses stood in a wide circle surrounding a large court-yard, andinvited them to come in with him. He had not been able to complete hiswork--a marble statue of Julia Domna, Caracalla's mother--before thearrival of the emperor. It had been placed here yesterday evening. Hehad come to see how it looked in its new position.
Melissa had often seen the portrait of Julia on coins and in variouspictures, but to-day she was far more strongly attracted than she hadever been before to look in the face of the mother of the man who had sopowerfully influenced her own existence and that of her people.
The old master had seen Julia many years ago in her own home at Emesa,as the daughter of Bassianus the high-priest of the Sun in that town;and later, after she had become empress, he had been commanded to takeher portrait for her husband, Septimus Severus. While Melissa gazedon the countenance of the beautiful statue, the old artist related howCaracalla's mother had in her youth won all hearts by her wealth ofintellect, and the extraordinary knowledge which she had easily acquiredand continually added to, through intercourse with learned men. Theylearned from him that his heart had not remained undisturbed by thecharms of his royal model, and Melissa became more and more absorbed inher contemplation of this beautiful work of art.
Lysander had represented the imperial widow standing in flowingdraperies, which fell to her feet. She held her charming, youthful headbent slightly on one side, and her right hand held aside the veil whichcovered the back of her head and fell lightly on her shoulders, a littleopen over the throat. Her face looked out from under it as if she werelistening to a fine song or an interesting speech. Her thick, slightlywaving hair framed the lovely oval of her face under the veil, andAlexander agreed with his sister when she expressed the wish that shemight but once see this rarely beautiful creature. But the sculptorassured them that they would be disappointed, for time had treated hercruelly.
"I have shown her," he continued, "as she charmed me a generation ago.What you see standing before you is the young girl Julia; I was notcapable of representing her as matron or mother. The thought of her sonwould have spoiled everything."
"He is capable of better emotions," Alexander declared.
"May be," answered the old man--"I do not know them. May your father andbrother be restored to you soon!--I must get to work!"