A Thorny Path — Complete

  CHAPTER XXVIII.

  The amphitheatre was soon emptied, amid the flare of lightning and thecrash and roll of thunder. Caracalla, thinking only of the happy omenof Tarautas's wonderful escape, called out to Melissa, with affectionateanxiety, to fly to shelter as quickly as possible; a chariot was inwaiting to convey her to the Serapeum. On this she humbly representedthat she would rather be permitted to return under her brother's escortto her father's house, and Caracalla cheerfully acceded. He had businesson hand this night, which made it seem desirable to him that she shouldnot be too near him. He should expect her brother presently at theSerapeum.

  With his own hand he wrapped her in the caracalla and hood which oldAdventus was about to put on his master's shoulders, remarking, as hedid so, that he had weathered worse storms in the field.

  Melissa thanked him with a blush, and, going close up to her, hewhispered: "To-morrow, if Fate grants us gracious answers to thequestions I shall put to her presently after this storm--tomorrow thehorn of happiness will be filled to overflowing for you and me. Thethrifty goddess promises to be lavish to me through you."

  Slaves were standing round with lighted lanterns; for the torches in thetheatre were all extinguished, and the darkened auditorium lay likean extinct crater, in which a crowd of indistinguishable figures weremoving to and fro. It reminded him of Hades and a troop of descendingspirits; but he would not allow anything but what was pleasant to occupyhis mind or eye. By a sudden impulse he took a lantern from one ofthe attendants, held it up above Melissa's head, and gazed long andearnestly into her brightly illuminated face. Then he dropped his handwith a sigh and said, as though speaking in a dream: "Yes, this is life!Now I begin to live."

  He lifted the dripping laurel crown from his head, tossed it intothe arena, and added to Melissa: "Now, get under shelter at once,sweetheart. I have been able to see you this whole evening, even whenthe lamps were out; for lightning gives light. Thus even the storm hasbrought me joy. Sleep well. I shall expect you early, as soon as I havebathed."

  Melissa wished him sound slumbers, and he replied, lightly:

  "If only all life were a dream, and if to-morrow I might but wake up,no longer the son of Severus, but Alexander; and you, not Melissa, butRoxana, whom you so strongly resemble! To be sure I might find myselfthe gladiator Tarautas. But, then, who would you be? And your stalwartfather, who stands there defying the rain, certainly does not look likea vision, and this storm is not favorable to philosophizing."

  He kissed his hand to her, had a dry caracalla thrown over hisshoulders, ordered Theocritus to take care of Tarautas and carry him apurse of gold--which he handed to the favorite--and then, pulling thehood over his head, led the way, followed by his impatient courtiers;but not till he had answered Heron, who had come forward to ask him whathe thought of the mechanical arts of the Alexandrians, desiring him topostpone that matter till the morrow.

  The storm had silenced the music. Only a few stanch trumpeters hadremained in their places; and when they saw by the lanterns that Caesarhad left the Circus, they sounded a fanfare after him, which followedthe ruler of the world with a dull, hoarse echo.

  Outside, the streets were still crowded with people pouring out ofthe amphitheatre. Those of the commoner sort sought shelter under thearchways of the building, or else hurried boldly home through therain. Heron stood waiting at the entrance for his daughter, though thepurple-hemmed toga was wet, through and through. But she had, in fact,hurried out while he was pushing forward to speak to Caesar, and inhis excitement overlooked everything else. The behavior of hisfellow-citizens had annoyed him, and he had an obscure impression thatit would be a blunder to claim Caesar's approval of anything they haddone; still, he had not self-control enough to suppress the questionwhich had fluttered on his lips all through the performance. At last, inhigh dudgeon at the inconsiderateness of young people and at the rebuffhe had met with--with the prospect, too, of a cold for his pains--hemade his way homeward on foot.

  To Caracalla the bad weather was for once really an advantage, for itput a stop to the unpleasant demonstrations which the "Green" party hadprepared for him on his way home.

  Alexander soon found the closed carruca intended for Melissa, and placedher in it as soon as he had helped Euryale into her harmamaxa. He wasastonished to find a man inside it, waiting for his sister. Thiswas Diodoros, who, while Alexander was giving his directions to thecharioteer, had, under cover of the darkness, sprung into the vehiclefrom the opposite side. An exclamation of surprise was followed byexplanations and excuses, and the three young people, each with aheart full almost to bursting, drove off toward Heron's house. Theirconveyance was already rolling over the pavement, while most of themagnates of the town were still waiting for their slaves to find theirchariots or litters.

  For the lovers this was a very different scene from the terrible onethey had just witnessed in the Circus, for, in spite of the narrowspace and total darkness in which they sat, and the rain rattling andsplashing on the dripping black leather hood which sheltered them, intheir hearts they did not lack for sunshine. Caracalla's saying that thelightning, too, was light, proved true more than once in the courseof their drive, for the vivid flashes which still followed in quicksuccession enabled the reunited lovers to exchange many confidences withtheir eyes, for which it would have been hard to find words. When bothparties to a quarrel are conscious of blame, it is more quickly made upthan when one only needs forgiveness; and the pair in the carruca wereso fully prepared to think the best of each other that there was no needfor Alexander's good offices to make them ready and willing to renewtheir broken pledges. Besides, each had cause to fear for the other; forDiodoros was afraid that the lady Euryale's power was not far-reachingenough to conceal Melissa from Caesar's spies, and Melissa trembled atthe thought that the physician might too soon betray to Caesar that shehad been betrothed before he had ever seen her, and to whom; for, inthat case, Diodoros would be the object of relentless pursuit. So sheurged on her lover to embark, if possible, this very night.

  Hitherto Alexander had taken no part in the conversation. He could notforget the reception he had met with outside the amphitheatre. Euryale'spresence had saved his sister from evil imputations, but had nothelped him; and even his gay spirits could make no head against theconsciousness of being regarded by his fellow-citizens as a hiredtraitor. He had withdrawn to one of the back seats to see theperformance; for as soon as the theatre was suddenly lighted up, he hadbecome the object of dark looks and threatening gestures. For the firsttime in his life he had felt compassion for the criminals torn by wildbeasts, and for the wounded gladiators, whose companion in misfortunehe vaguely felt himself to be. But, what was worst of all, he could notregard himself as altogether free from the reproach of having accepted areward for the service he had so thoughtlessly rendered.

  Nor did he see the remotest possibility of ever making those whoseopinion he cared for understand how it had come to pass that he shouldhave acceded to the desire of the villain in the purple, now that hisfather, by showing himself to the people in the 'toga pretexta', hadset the seal to their basest suspicions. The thought that henceforth hecould never hope to feel the grasp of an honest man's hand gnawed at hisheart.

  The esteem of Diodoros was dear to him, and, when his young comradespoke to him, he felt at first as though he were doing him an unexpectedhonor; but then he fell back into the suspicion that this was only forhis sister's sake.

  The deep sigh that broke from him induced Melissa to speak a few wordsof comfort, and now the unhappy man's bursting heart overflowed. Ineloquent words he described to Diodoros and Melissa all he had felt, andthe terrible consequences of his heedless folly, and as he spoke acuteregret filled his eyes with tears.

  He had pronounced judgment on himself, and expected nothing of hisfriend but a little pity. But in the darkness Diodoros sought and foundhis hand, and grasped it fervently; and if Alexander could but haveseen his old playfellow's face, he would have perceived that his eyesglistened
as he said what he could to encourage him to hope for betterdays.

  Diodoros knew his friend well. He was incapable of falsehood; and hisdeed, which under a false light so easily assumed an aspect of villainy,had, in fact, been no more than an act of thoughtlessness such as he hadhimself often lent a hand in. Alexander, however, seemed determined notto hear the comfort offered him by his sister and his friend. A flash oflightning revealed him to them, sitting with a bent head and his handsover his brow; and this gloomy vision of one who so lately had been thegayest of the gay troubled their revived happiness even more than thethought of the danger which, as each knew, threatened the others.

  As they passed the Temple of Artemis, which was brightly illuminated,reminding them that they were reaching their destination, Alexanderat last looked up and begged the lovers to consider their immediateaffairs. His mind had remained clear, and what he said showed that hehad not lost sight of his sister's future.

  As soon as Melissa should have effected her escape, Caesar wouldundoubtedly seize, not only her lover, but his father as well. Diodorosmust forthwith cross the lake and rouse Polybius and Praxilla, to warnthem of the imminent danger, while Alexander undertook to hire a shipfor the party. Argutis would await the fugitives in a tavern bythe harbor, and conduct them on board the vessel which would be inreadiness. Diodoros, who was not yet able to walk far, promised to availhimself of one of the litters waiting outside the Temple of Artemis.

  Just before the vehicle stopped, the lovers took leave. They arrangedwhere and how they might have news of each other, and all they said, inbrief words and a fervent parting kiss, in this moment, when death orimprisonment might await them, had the solemn purport of a vow.

  The swift horses stopped. Alexander hastily leaned over to his friend,kissed him on both cheeks, and whispered:

  "Take good care of her; think of me kindly if we should never meetagain, and tell the others that wild Alexander has played another fool'strick, at any rate, not a wicked one, however badly it may turn out forhim."

  For the sake of the charioteer, who, after Melissa's flight, would becertainly cross-examined, Diodoros could make no reply. The carrucarattled off by the way by which it had come; Diodoros vanished in thedarkness, and Melissa clasped her hands over her face. She felt asthough this were her last parting from her lover, and the sun wouldnever shine on earth again.

  It was now near midnight. The slaves had heard the approach of thechariot, and received them as heartily as ever, but in obedience toHeron's orders they added the most respectful bows to their usualwell-meant welcome. Since their master had shown himself to Dido, in theafternoon, with braggart dignity, as a Roman magnate, she had feltas though the age of miracles had come, and nothing was impossible.Splendid visions of future grandeur awaiting the whole family, includingherself and Argutis, had not ceased to haunt her; but as to the empress,something seemed to have gone wrong, for why had the girl wet eyes andso sad a face? What was all this long whispering with Argutis? But itwas no concern of hers, after all, and she would know all in good time,no doubt. "What the masters plot to-day the slaves hear next week," wasa favorite saying of the Gauls, and she had often proved its truth.

  But the cool way in which Melissa received the felicitations whichthe old woman poured out in honor of the future empress, and hertear-reddened eyes, seemed at any rate quite comprehensible. The childwas thinking, no doubt, of her handsome Diodoros. Among the splendorsof the palace she would soon forget. And how truly magnificent were thedress and jewels in which the damsel had appeared in the amphitheatre!

  "How they must have hailed her!" thought the old woman when she hadhelped Melissa to exchange her dress for a simpler robe, and the girlsat down to write. "If only the mistress had lived to see this day! Andall the other women must have been bursting with envy. Eternal gods!But, after all, who knows whether the good luck we envy others is greator small? Why, even in this house, which the gods have filled to theroof with gifts and favors, misfortune has crept in through the keyhole. Poor Philip!

  "Still, if all goes well with the girl. Things have befallen her suchas rarely come to any one, and yet no more than her due. The fairest andbest will be the greatest and wealthiest in the empire."

  And she clutched the amulets and the cross which hung round her arm andthroat, and muttered a hasty prayer for her darling.

  Argutis, for his part, did not know what to think of it all. He, if anyone, rejoiced in the good fortune of his master and Melissa; but Heron'spromotion to the rank of praetor had been too sudden, and Heron demeanedhimself too strangely in his purple-bordered toga. It was to be hopedthat this new and unexpected honor had not turned his brain! And thestate in which his master's eldest son remained caused him the greatestanxiety. Instead of rejoicing in the honors of his family, he had at hisfirst interview with his father flown into a violent rage; and thoughhe, Argutis, had not understood what they were saying, he perceived thatthey were in vehement altercation, and that Heron had turned away ingreat wrath. And then--he remembered it with horror, and could hardlytell what he had seen to Alexander and Melissa in a reasonable andrespectful manner--Philip had sprung out of bed, had dressed himselfwithout help, even to his shoes, and scarcely had his father set out inhis litter before Philip had come into the kitchen. He looked like onerisen from the grave, and his voice was hollow as he told the slavesthat he meant to go to the Circus to see for himself that justice wasdone. But Argutis felt his heart sink within him when the philosopherdesired him to fetch the pipe his father used to teach the birds towhistle, and at the same time took up the sharp kitchen knife with whichArgutis slaughtered the sheep.

  The young man then turned to go, but even on the threshold he hadstumbled over the straps of his sandals which dragged unfastened, andArgutis had had to lead him, almost to carry him in from the garden, fora violent fit of coughing had left him quite exhausted. The effort ofpulling at the heavy oars on board the galley had been too much for hisweak chest. Argutis and Dido had carried him to bed, and he had soonfallen into a deep sleep, from which he had not waked since.

  And now what were these two plotting? They were writing; and not on waxtablets, but with reed pens on papyrus, as though it were a matter ofimportance.

  All this gave the slave much to think about, and the faithful soul didnot know whether to weep for joy or grief when Alexander told him, witha gravity which frightened him in this light-hearted youth, that,partly as the reward of his faithful service and partly to put him in aposition to aid them all in a crisis of peculiar difficulty, he gave himhis freedom. His father had long since intended to do this, and the deedwas already drawn out. Here was the document; and he knew that, even asa freedman, Argutis would continue to serve them as faithfully as ever.With this he gave the slave his manumission, which he was in any case tohave received within a month, at the end of thirty years' service, andArgutis took it with tears of joy, not unmixed with grief and anxiety,while only a few hours since it would have been enough to make him thehappiest of mortals.

  While he kissed their hands and stammered out words of gratitude, hisuncultured but upright spirit told him that he had been blind ever tohave rejoiced for a moment at the news that Melissa had been chosen tobe empress. All that he had seen during the last half-hour had convincedhim, as surely as if he had been told it in words, that his belovedyoung mistress scorned her imperial suitor, and firmly intended to evadehim--how, Argutis could not guess. And, recognizing this, a spirit ofadventure and daring stirred him also. This was a struggle of the weakagainst the strong; and to him, who had spent his life as one of theoppressed, nothing could be more tempting than to help on the side ofthe weak.

  Argutis now undertook with ardent zeal to get Diodoros and his parentssafely on board the ship he was to engage, and to explain to Heron, assoon as he should have read the letter which Alexander was now writing,that, unless he could escape at once with Philip, he was lost. Finally,he promised that the epistle to Caesar, which Melissa was composing,should reach his hands on the mor
row.

  He could now receive his letter of freedom with gladness, and consentedto dress up in Heron's garments; for, as a slave, he would have beenforbidden to conclude a bargain with a ship's captain or any one else.

  All this was done in hot haste, for Caesar was awaiting Alexander, andEuryale expected Melissa. The ready zeal of the old man, free for thefirst time to act on his own responsibility in matters which wouldhave been too much for many a free-born man, but to which he felt quiteequal, had an encouraging effect even on the oppressed hearts of theother two. They knew now that, even if death should be their lot,Argutis would be faithful to their father and sick brother, and theslave at once showed his ingenuity and shrewdness; for, while the youngpeople were vainly trying to think of a hiding-place for Heron andPhilip, he suggested a spot which would hardly be discovered even by thesharpest spies.

  Glaukias, the sculptor, who had already fled, was Heron's tenant. Hiswork-room, a barn-like structure, stood in the little vegetable-gardenwhich the gem-cutter had inherited from his father-in-law, and none butHeron and the slave knew that, under the flooring, instead of acellar, there was a vast reservoir connected with the ancient aqueductsconstructed by Vespasian. Many years since Argutis had helped his masterto construct a trap-door to the entrance to these underground passages,of which the existence had remained unknown even to Glaukias during allthe years he had inhabited the place. It was here that Heron kept hisgold, not taking his children even into his confidence; and only afew months ago Argutis had been down with him and had found the oldreservoir dry, airy, and quite habitable. The gem-cutter would be quitecontent to conceal himself where his treasure was, and the garden andwork-room were only distant a few hundred paces from his own home.To get Philip there without being seen was to Argutis a mere trifle.Alexander, too, old Dido, and, if needful, Diodoros, could all beconcealed there. But for Melissa, neither he nor Alexander thought itsufficiently secure.

  As she took leave of him the young girl once more charged the newlyfreed man to greet her father from her a thousand times, to beseechhis forgiveness of her for the bitter grief she must cause him, and toassure him of her affection.

  "Tell him," she added, as the tears streamed down her cheeks, "that Ifeel as if I were going to my death. But, come what may, I am always hisdutiful child, always ready to sacrifice anything--excepting only theman to whom, with my father's consent, I pledged my heart. Tell himthat for love of him I might have been ready even to give my hand tothe blood-stained Caesar, but that Fate--and perhaps the manes of her weloved, and who is dead--have ordered it otherwise."

  She then went into the room where her mother had closed her eyes. Aftera short prayer by that bed, which still stood there, she hastened toPhilip's room. He lay sleeping heavily; she bent over him and kissedthe too high brow, which looked as though even in sleep the brain withinwere still busy over some difficult and painful question.

  Her way led her once more through her father's work-room, and she hadalready crossed it when she hastily turned back to look once more--forthe last time-at the little table where she had sat for so many years,busy with her needle, in modest contentment by the artist's side,dreaming with waking eyes, and considering what she, with her smallresources and great love, could do that would be of use to those sheloved, or relieve them if they were in trouble. Then, as though she knewthat she was bidding a last farewell to all the pleasant companionshipof her youth, she looked at the birds, long since gone to roost in theircages. In spite of his recent curule honors Heron had not forgottenthem, and, before quitting the house to display himself to the populacein the 'toga pretexa', he had as usual carefully covered them up. Andnow, as Melissa lifted the cloth from the starling's cage, and the birdmuttered more gently than usual, and perhaps in its sleep, the cry,"Olympias!" a shudder ran through her; and, as she stepped out into theroad by Alexander's side, she said, dejectedly:

  "Everything is coming to an end! Well, and so it may; for what has comeover us all in these few days? Before Caesar came, what were you--whatwas Philip? In my own heart what peace reigned!

  "And my father? There is one comfort, at any rate; even as praetor hehas not forgotten his birds, and he will find feathered friends go wherehe may.

  "But I--And it is for my sake that he must hide like a criminal!"

  But here Alexander vehemently broke in: "It was not you, it was I whobrought all this misery on us!" And he went on to accuse himself sobitterly that Melissa regretted having alluded to the misfortunes oftheir family, and did her best to inspire him with courage.

  As soon as Caesar should have left the city and she had evaded hispursuit, the citizens would be easily persuaded of his innocence. Theywould see then how little she had cared for the splendor and wealth ofempire; why, he himself knew how quickly everything was forgotten inAlexandria. His art, too, would be a comfort to him, and if he only hadthe chance of making his way in his career he would have no difficultyin winning Agatha. He would have her on his side, and Diodoros, and thelady Euryale.

  But to all these kind speeches the young man only sadly shook his head.How could he, despised and contemned, dare to aspire to the daughter ofsuch a man as Zeno? He ended with a deep sigh; and Melissa, whose heartgrew heavier as they approached the Serapeum through the side streets,still forced herself to express her confidence as though the ladyEuryale's protection had relieved her of every anxiety. It was sodifficult to appear calm and cheerful that more than once she had towipe her eyes; still, their eager talk shortened the way, and she stoodstill, surprised to find herself so near her destination, when Alexandershowed her the chain which was stretched across the end of the street ofHermes to close in the great square in front of the Serapeum.

  The storm had passed away and the rain had ceased; the sky was clear andcloudless, and the moon poured its silvery light in lavish splendor, asthough revived, on the temple and on the statues round the square. Herethey must part, for they saw that it was impossible that they shouldcross the open space together.

  It was almost deserted, for the populace were not allowed to go there.Of the hundreds of tents which till lately had covered it, only those ofthe seventh cohort of the praetorian guard remained; for these, havingto protect the person of the emperor, had not been quartered in thetown. If Alexander and Melissa had crossed this vast square, whereit was now as light as clay, they would certainly have been seen, andMelissa would have brought not herself only but her protectress alsointo the greatest danger.

  She still had so much on her mind that she wanted to say to her brother,especially with regard to her father's welfare; and then--what aleavetaking was this when, as her gloomy forebodings told her, theywere parting never to meet again But Euryale must have been long andanxiously waiting for her, and Alexander, too, was very late for hisappointment.

  It was impossible to let the girl cross the square alone, for it wasguarded by soldiers. If she could but reach the side of the sanctuarywhere she was expected, and where the road was in the shadow of theriding-school opposite, all would be well, and it seemed as though therewas no alternative but for Alexander to lead his sister through by-waysto her destination. They had just made up their minds to this inevitablewaste of time, when a young woman was seen coming toward them from oneof the tents with a swift, light step, winged with gladness. Alexandersuddenly released his sister's hand, and saying:

  "She will escort you," he advanced to meet her. This was the wifeof Martialis, who had charge of the villa at Kanopus, and whoseacquaintance the artist had made when he was studying the Galatea in themerchant's country-house for the portrait of Korinna. Alexander had madefriends with the soldier's wife in his winning, lively way, and shewas delighted to meet him again, and quite willing to escort his sisteracross the square, and hold her tongue about it. So, after a short graspof the hand, and a fervent last appeal to her brother, "Never for amoment let us forget one another, and always remember our mother!"Melissa followed her companion.

  This evening the woman had sought her husband to tell
him that she andher mother had got safely out of the Circus, and to thank him forthe entertainment, of which the splendor, in spite of the variousdisturbances and interruption, had filled their hearts and minds.

  The first words she spoke to the girl led to the question as to whethershe, too, had been at the Circus; and when Melissa said yes, but thatshe had been too frightened and horrified to see much, the chatteringlittle woman began to describe it all.

  Quite the best view, she declared, had been obtained from the third tierof places. Caesar's bride, too, had been pointed out to her. Poorthing! She would pay dearly for the splendor of the purple. No onecould dispute Caracalla's taste, however, for the girl was lovely beyonddescription; and as she spoke she paused to look at Melissa, for shefancied she resembled Caesar's sweetheart. But she went on again quickerthan before, remarking that Melissa was not so tall, and that the otherwas more brilliant looking, as beseemed an emperor's bride.

  At this Melissa drew her kerchief more closely over her face; but it wasa comfort to her when the soldier's wife, after describing to her whatshe herself had worn, added that Caracalla's choice had fallen ona modest and well-conducted maiden, for, if she had not been, thehigh-priest's wife would never have been so kind to her. And the ladyEuryale was sister-in-law to the master she herself served, and she hadknown her all her life.

  Then, when Melissa, to change the subject, asked why the public wereforbidden to approach the Serapeum, her companion told her thatsince his return from the Circus Caesar had been devoting himself toastrology, soothsaying, and other abstruse matters, and that the noiseof the city disturbed him. He was very learned in such things, and ifshe only had time she could have told Melissa wonderful things. Thusconversing, they crossed the square, and when it lay behind them andthey were under the shadow of the stadium, Melissa thanked her livelycompanion for her escort, while she, on her part, declared that it hadbeen a pleasure to do the friendly painter a service.

  The western side of the immense temple stood quite detached from thetown. There were on that side but few bronze doors, and these, whichwere opened only to the inhabitants of the building, had long sincebeen locked for the night and needed no guard. As the inhabitants wereforbidden to cross the space dividing the stadium from the Serapeum,all was perfectly still. Dark shadows lay on the road, and the highstructures which shut it in like cliffs seemed to tower to the sky. Thelonely girl's heart beat fast with fears as she stole along, close underthe wall, from which a warm vapor breathed on her after the recentrain. The black circles which seemed to stare at her like dark, holloweye-sockets from the wall of the stadium, were the windows of thestables.

  If a runaway slave, an escaped wild beast, or a robber were to rush outupon her! The owls swept across over her head on silent wings, and batsflitted to and fro, from one building to the other, almost touching thefrightened girl. Her terrors increased at every step, and the wall whichshe must follow to the end was so long--so endlessly long!

  Supposing, too, that the lady Euryale had been tired of waiting and hadgiven her up! There would then be nothing for it but to make her wayback to the town past the guards, or to enter the temple through thegreat gates--where that dreadful man was--and where she would at once berecognized! Then there could be no escape, none--and she must, yes, shemust evade her dreadful suitor. Every thought of Diodoros cried, "Youmust!"--even at the cost of her young life, of which, indeed, she sawthe imminent end nearer and nearer with every step. She knew not whitherher flight might take her, but a voice within declared that it would beto an early grave.

  Only a narrow strip of sky was visible between the tall buildings, but,as she looked up to the heavens, she perceived that it was two hourspast midnight. She hurried on, but presently checked her pace again.From the square, three trumpet-calls, one after another, rang throughthe silence of the night. What could these signals mean at so unwontedan hour?

  There could be but one explanation--Caesar had again condemned somehapless wretch to death, and he was being led to execution. When Vindexand his nephew were beheaded, three trumpet-calls had sounded; herbrother had told her so.

  And now, before her inward eye, rose the crowd of victims to Caracalla'sthirst for blood. She fancied that Plautilla, whom her imperial consorthad murdered, was beckoning her to follow her to an early grave. Theterrors of the night were too much for her; and, as when a child, atplay with her brothers, she flew on as fast as her feet would carry her.She fled as though she were pursued, her long dress hampering her steps,along by the temple wall, till her gaze, fixed on her left, fell on thespot which had been designated to her.

  Here she stopped, out of breath; and, while she was identifying thelandmarks which she had impressed on her memory to guide her to theright doorway, the temple wall seemed to open before her as if by acharm, and a kind voice called her name, and then exclaimed, "At last!"and in a moment she had grasped Euryale's hand and was drawn into thebuilding.

  Here, as if at the touch of a magician's wand, all fear and horrorvanished; and, although she still panted for breath, she would at oncehave explained to her beloved protectress what it was that had promptedher to run so fast, but that Euryale interrupted her, exclaiming: "Onlymake haste! No one must see that block of porphyry turn on its pin.It is invisible from the outside, and closes the passage by which themystics and adepts find their way to the mysteries after dedication. Allwho know of it are sworn to secrecy."

  With this she led the way into a dark vestibule adjoining the temple,and in a few moments the great block of stone which had admitted themhad turned into its place again. Those who passed by, even in broadsunshine, could not distinguish it from all the other blocks of whichthe ground-floor of the edifice was built.