Quintus Claudius: A Romance of Imperial Rome. Volume 2

  CHAPTER IV.

  Cornelia, meanwhile, awaited this evening with feverish anxiety. Thered-gold shafts of light, thrown by the setting sun on the eastern wallof the peristyle, had never lingered there so long as they mounted tothe top. And when at last--at last they had disappeared, how slowly thedarkness fell! How long it was before the night-sky had decked itselfin its glory of stars.

  She gazed eagerly into the blue depths, seeking the constellation ofCassiopeia.[42] From that spot the god, veiled in invisible clouds,was to float eastwards through the air. The stars seem to twinkle andsmile at her, as though they were conscious of the favor the immortalswere about to grant her. To-night! to-night at two hours beforemidnight--what an unfathomable mystery. So potent were the prayers ofBarbillus, the initiated minister of the gods, Osiris himself, theincomprehensible, had vouchsafed to meet a mortal woman, to appearin all the glory of his divine majesty, splendid and radiant as heonce stood, risen from the dead, when the man-headed bird, Amun, hadrestored him to life. His face, to be sure, must remain hidden from acreature of earthly birth--that divine face of the sun, before whosefires a mortal would melt away as Semele,[43] in the Greek legend,had died in the arms of Zeus. Isis, the all-merciful mother, hadmade her brother swear never to appear on earth, without hiding theflaming glory of his countenance behind a hawk's head, which the peoplebelieved to be the real head of that inscrutable divinity, but whichthe initiated knew to be a benevolent mask.

  Cornelia sighed--a sigh of longing ecstasy. Her reason was altogetherlulled to sleep. A passionate desire for release from all earthlyburdens, a vague but fervent craving for some spiritual rapture whollypossessed her lofty and ardent soul. Barbillus might well congratulatehimself; the success of his fantastic arts was beyond all he could haveexpected.

  It grew darker and darker.--"Go to bed, Cornelia," said her uncle,rising from his seat. "It is late. Come and kiss me, child! I feelstrangely this evening, sad at heart! Generally, when I see follyprevailing over truth, it makes me angry, the blood boils in my veins.But to-day it all makes me melancholy; I feel something like pity forthe myriad-bodied sufferer we call humanity. Enslaved to all that isbase, mean, and common--that is its eternal and pitiable fate!... Sleepwell, Cornelia; I am weary of these struggles, weary with this day'swork, weary with the weight of long years."

  He clasped the girl in his arms, and kissed her forehead; then heretired to his own room. What was that light-colored object in front ofthe iron lamp! A note! Again, at this late hour! It was strange.

  "Charicles!" he called into the anteroom. The slave appeared.

  "Who brought this letter?"

  "The same stranger as before. I did not like to disturb you...."

  "It is well; you can leave me," Cinna undid the fastening and read:

  "Fly, Cornelius. To-morrow at nightfall you will be seized. Your deathis decided on.... Save yourself, friend of freedom, and save yourcountry."

  The Senator looked closely at the page; the writing was the same asin the first letter. He thought and wondered, but in vain. He didnot doubt an instant. The display of force at the Palatium yesterdaywas in itself suspicious; at certain incidents in the morning'ssitting--particularly one apparently innocent observation made by TitusClaudius--had somewhat startled him; and now this letter.... It wasbeyond all doubt. He determined to take Nerva and Ulpius Trajanus intocounsel the first thing at daybreak, and to have quitted the city bynoon. The details could be left for future consideration.

  He burned the letter in the lamp, and went to bed, calm, almostcheerful. After so long enduring the torments of uncertainty, thedecision which forced him to action was, in spite of danger, far morewelcome than a continuance of the suspense he had been living in.

  As soon as he was asleep, Cornelia, accompanied by Chloe and thefaithful Parmenio, made her way to the temple of Isis. The slave andthe freedman were parted from her sooner than on previous occasions;they were left in a ground-floor room, while Cornelia was conductedup-stairs by a servant of Barbillus'.

  The priest met her at the door of the antechamber. After putting offher cloak and her shoes, and saying a short prayer, she entered thesanctuary. Here, much had been altered since her last visit; the imageof the goddess stood more on one side, and in the place of the blackcurtain, embroidered with silver, there was a sky-blue one, that fellin light, cloud-like folds. The soft floor was thickly strewn withwhite roses, which exhaled a delicious scent; and where formerly thealtar had stood, a heavy tissue hung from the ceiling to the floor.

  "My daughter," said Barbillus, "you are indeed blessed above othermortals. Fear not, even if the majesty of the divinity should at firstappal you; do not tremble, though its glory should dazzle you. Allthat is sent from heaven is gracious; infinite favor, even though itshould seem strange and terrible. If you truly love the all-mercifulmother of the universe and her divine brother--if you are in earnest inyour efforts to avert the strokes of Fate from the beloved youth, towhom you are about to devote your life, once and forever--be brave andsteadfast! Submit to the inscrutable counsels of him, who rules heavenand earth. Give him truthful devotion and childlike obedience, and thewish of your faithful heart shall be triumphantly fulfilled."

  Cornelia stood motionless. Her light dress and snow-white feet--barelycovered by the border, the pale roses and her face, paler still--in thedim moonshiny light of the hanging-lamp, made a weird, though beautifulpicture. The charm touched even the calculating priest--for a second heforgot to play his part; a ray of ardent admiration flashed from underhis lashes. Only for an instant, but long enough for Cornelia to detectit. She started and drew herself up. She tried to persuade herself,that the dim flickering light or her own excited nerves had cheatedher into such an impossible fancy. But do what she would, a shade ofsuspicion, a breath of distrust, lingered in her mind.

  "What am I to do?" she whispered.

  "Kneel down there," said Barbillus, pointing to a cushion close to thecurtain. "Pour out your soul unceasingly in prayer, and wait till theall-powerful god shall hear you."

  He was quite himself again--the devoted minister, solemn, reverend anddignified in his sublime loftiness. Cornelia was reassured. Still, asif struck by a sudden idea, she went up to him trembling.

  "My lord and master," she said with some agitation, "I do not know whatit can be, that so unexpectedly troubles my soul. Am I indeed worthy tobehold the infinite and all-merciful one with these sinful eyes? Is itpossible? Is it conceivable?"

  "What--do you hesitate?"

  "Swear to me by all the immortals, by your own life and your hopes ofbliss...."

  "Well, my daughter," said Barbillus, raising his right hand to heaven,"I swear by Isis of the thousand names, by the happiness of my lifeand the future bliss of my soul; the ruler of the world himself willvouchsafe to appear to you, the mighty lord before whom all grovel inthe dust, from the rising to the setting of the sun."

  "Oh! I thank thee!" cried Cornelia in a transport. "Let me kneel, holyFather, and wait in all humility till your words are fulfilled."

  The priest left her. Cornelia sank on to the purple cushions with asigh, and bowed her head; her long hair fell in a waving stream overher face and down to the ground. She clasped her hands and prayed.

  Then she heard once more that wonderful music, that seemed to comeout of the ceiling and out of the walls, and yet sounded so distant,so appealing, so dream-like. Suddenly the lamp went out; a terrificpeal of thunder shook the air, and the room quivered under herfeet.[44] At the same instant an intense and intolerable light, whichgradually became milder, filled the room. When Cornelia looked upagain, trembling, the curtain in front of her had been drawn back. Notfar beyond she saw a magnificent _pulvinar_,[45] as it was called; astuffed couch, such as the priests made ready, when they offered thefood of the gods to the sacred images of the immortals. Over the headof this couch hung a light cloud, which again flashed into vivid light,then gradually died out, till at last it looked merely like a mist, dimand g
hostly. Then an icy breath fanned Cornelia's burning brow, themist parted, and the figure of some unknown creature slowly advancedtowards the terror-stricken girl--mysteriously, shrouded in some sheenyblue drapery that made the outlines indistinct, like an image in adream.

  "Fear nothing," said a voice in a whisper.

  Cornelia looked upwards; the voice was soft like the murmur of waters,and seemed to come from above.

  "Fear nothing," it repeated. "Thy prayer is heard. Thou shalt be blestabove all mortal women."

  The figure came nearer, and Cornelia, with an awe-stricken shudder,recognized the grotesque hawk-head that she had so often seen inimages. Yes, it was the same guise that Osiris wore down in the temple,where he stood on his plinth of ivory and sardonyx, an inscrutablecombination of hideousness and dignity. A god with the head of a brutecreature! How could she so ignore her sense of beauty! How could shedo such violence to the instincts of her nature? By degrees her piousdelusions had gained the mastery; but now--now, when the statue seemedto have come to life, when the god himself in the hawk mask had steppeddown from his pedestal, what a shiver chilled her blood! She shuddered,as if a snake or a scorpion were creeping towards her.

  By this time the shadowy form--which almost seemed to float in the air,so noiselessly had it moved--was standing close before her. A hand wassoftly laid upon her shoulder.

  "Fear nothing," said the voice above. "The ways of the gods arewonderful."

  But this god, who appeared in such a questionable shape, now threwboth arms round the excited girl and clasped her to his breast witha vehemence not usually attributed to the divine beings; at the sametime the mysterious Osiris heaved a sigh, almost a gasp, which in themidst of all his grotesque paraphernalia sounded remarkably human.Enough--in the next instant Cornelia had violently flung the god fromher with a loud shriek, and, as he staggered backwards, she flew athim and seized him by the throat with the strength of desperation.A thunder-clap even, that broke close over her head, failed of itseffect; after a short struggle Cornelia stood free in the middle ofthe room, with the hideous painted mask crushed and broken in her lefthand, her right hand clenched and raised to strike. Before her, withdistorted features, his eyes inflamed with rage and terror, was thesneering and repulsively-bloated face of the Emperor. From his cheek,where Cornelia's nails had torn the flesh, blood was trickling out. Hegroaned and panted.

  For some minutes they stood transfixed, looking at each other.

  "Divine girl!" he said at last, in a broken voice. "Nothing but thewildest passion--a soul on fire...."

  He came a step nearer, and pressed his hand to his heart.

  "Stand back!" shrieked Cornelia wildly. "Is this the field whereCaesar, the ruler of the world, seeks a triumph? Are these the gloriousdeeds of a Flavian?"

  "Hold your tongue, girl!" cried Domitian, furious.

  "I mock at your contemptible anger! Rome may crawl and whimper at yourfeet--I, Cornelia, scorn you! You clench your fist--coward! Kill methen, as you killed Julia."

  "How she stands there," muttered Domitian, "like animated marble! I hadexpected a different issue to my hour of immortality. You shall pay forthis, Barbillus!"

  Cornelia had made her way towards the door, her eye still fixed on theenemy, and she now laid her hand on the bolt--but the door was fastenedoutside. Domitian laughed. He saw that Barbillus had foreseen everycontingency, and this restored his spirits. If cunning failed, forcemight still conquer. He felt for the dagger he wore in his bosom....

  "You are wasting your trouble," he said scornfully. "Here you are mine,fair Cornelia."

  The girl supported herself against a pillar; her head swam, and the dimblue light which shone into the room from the alcove, suddenly grewdark before her eyes. But she soon recovered the use of her wits. Itoccurred to her, that on the other side, where the Emperor had come in,there must be another door. She sprang upon Domitian like a lioness,and he could not stand against the unexpected attack. He tottered onone side, his foot caught in a fold of the curtain, and he fell to theground.

  By the time he had picked himself up again, Cornelia had disappeared.

  "Barbillus!" shouted Domitian, in the darkness of the long corridor,which checked his pursuit. "I cannot see my hand before myface--Barbillus!"

  The priest came up the stairs with a lantern in his hand.

  "You have betrayed me, cheated me!" Caesar yelled, as Barbillus cametowards him somewhat doubtfully. "Where is Parthenius?"

  "Here, sovereign lord," said the chamberlain's voice.

  "Wait here in the colonnade with Phaeton," said Domitian angrily. "Andyou, Barbillus, divest me this instant of all this foolery."

  When he found himself alone with the priest, and had got fairly rid ofthe grotesque attributes of the divinity, he hurled furious abuse atBarbillus.

  "What?" he snarled. "There is no such thing as a virtuous Roman girl?Liar--answer."

  "I am deeply grieved," replied the priest. "How was I to guess thatshe, of all others, would be the girl to disappoint you! Her soft,credulous eyes--I would have risked my head on it."

  "Here you see the traces of her tender submissiveness! She shall die--awretch, that dared to lift her hand against her sovereign--why, theblood has run down to my shoulder."

  Barbillus dipped a handkerchief in the cool fountain, and bathedDomitian's face.

  "How it stings!" he exclaimed wrathfully. Then his brow suddenlycleared; a gleam of satisfaction dawned on his face.

  "Listen, Barbillus; I believe this misadventure is of good omen."

  "No doubt," said Barbillus, thankful for this diversion. "A wound fromso fair a hand...."

  "Nay, nay--you do not understand. Did you hear of a scoundrellyastrologer, Ascletario, who paid for his audacity with his life twodays since?"

  "Yes, my lord; all the world has heard of it, and bewails it."

  "Nonsense!" laughed Caesar, in the gayest spirits. "Do not you see,that the prophecy is already fulfilled? Do not you perceive thathenceforth I am safe? What were his words? That, ere long, my bloodshould be shed by violence, because the immortals were wroth at my lovefor a woman, who did not belong to me by any law, human or divine.Well--that blood has been shed."[46] And he pointed with evidentdelight to his cheek.

  "My lord, your wisdom is unequalled," said the priest. "Certainly,by all the laws of astrology it is beyond a doubt--the prediction isfulfilled."

  Domitian grinned with contentment.

  "So that, in fact, I owe a debt of gratitude to sweet Cornelia! ByZeus! I feel all my annoyance entirely vanishing and giving way to thetenderest regret. A girl like Aphrodite! And I, Caesar, the Lord of theuniverse, invite her, and she refuses to fling herself into my armswith rapture! It is preposterous! Ridiculous.... You must find means,crafty Barbillus, for you see"--and he laughed slyly--"the anger of thegods is brief."

  "My lord, but how am I to find means?" exclaimed Barbillus in despair."Do you suppose, that Cornelia will ever set foot across this thresholdagain?"

  "You do not understand. I want no repetition of this solemn farce. Itis not as a priest, but as a man, that you must find tools for yourcunning."

  Barbillus looked at the floor, musing.

  "My lord," he said, "if I know Cornelia, sooner will she perish thanbreak her faith with her lover. Nothing but a trick could give us thesmallest chance of success, nothing but the mask of divinity."

  "Curse him!--And is another man to obtain what Caesar cannot win? Is aboy, a maundering lover, to stand in my way?"

  "Well, you know he is the son of the Flamen. If he were of any otherfamily--Cornelius or Ulpius...."

  "You are right. I owe special consideration to the Claudia family.--Somuch the worse for you! And do you mean to say that, in all yourmystical lore, you know of no charm that can part two turtle-doves? Arethere not women, who make it their business to entrap young men--orsapient tongues to wag away a young girl's reputation? Is not Lycorisa perfect mistress of all the arts of seduction--or Martial a writer,whose epigrams are po
isoned shafts? Come, consider the matter; try,plot, scheme. I must clasp that incomparable creature in my arms!--Imust--do you understand, Barbillus--or, to speak plainly, I will."

  "Your will rules the world," replied Barbillus.

  "To-morrow for the rest. I will send my chamberlain to you early.Domitian will not be slow to recognize your services."

  He drew the hood of his lacerna over his head and descended the stairs,followed by Barbillus.

  FOOTNOTES:

  [42] CASSIOPEIA. A constellation near Cepheus, so called for Cassiopeia, the mother of Andromeda, who was placed among the stars. See Prop. I, 17, 3; Ov. _Met._ IV, 7, 38.

  [43] SEMELE, the daughter of the Theban king Cadmus, at the instigation of the jealous Hera, entreated Zeus, who loved her, to appear before her in all the splendor of his divine majesty. As Zeus had sworn by the Styx to grant her request, he was bound. He approached the unfortunate girl with lightning and thunder--and the heavenly flames consumed her. Dying, she gave birth to Dionysus (Bacchus).

  [44] THE ROOM QUIVERED UNDER HER FEET. Hippolytus, in his "Refutation of Heresies," gives a number of directions for the magical appearances commonly used by the conjurers and miracle-workers of those times; among them is one in a MS. not wholly preserved, for the production of an earthquake.

  [45] PULVINAR (from _pulvinus_, the pillow and cushion) was originally the name given to a cushioned seat covered with costly tapestry, placed for the gods at the so-called _lectisternium_ (banquet of the gods). Statues of the gods were placed on this _pulvinar_, and food was offered them, (See Liv. V, 13, 16). But the name was also applied to the couches of goddesses and empresses--(See Cat. 64; Ov. _Pont._ II, 2, 71; Juv. VI, 31)--and lastly to the cushions of the imperial box at the circus and amphitheatre. See Suet. A. 45.

  [46] WELL--THAT BLOOD HAS BEEN SHED. See Suet. _Dom._ 16, where it is related that the emperor, tortured by forebodings, once accidently scratched himself till the blood came, and then exclaimed: "Would this might be enough!"