CHAPTER III
HERMES
It was customary with the more refined aristocracy of Rome, during thefirst century of the Empire, to pay great respect to Mercury, the god ofinvention and intrigue. Not that the qualities generally attributed tothat power were calculated to inspire admiration or esteem, but simplybecause he had acquired a fortuitous popularity at a period when thegraceful Pantheism of the nation was regulated by general opinion, andwhen a deity went in and out of fashion like a dress. At Valeria's porch,in common with many other great houses, stood an exquisite statue of thegod, representing him as a youth, of athletic and symmetrical proportions,poised on a winged foot in the act of running, with the broad-leaf hat onhis head, and the snake-turned rod in his hand. The countenance of thestatue was expressive of intellect and vivacity, while the form waswrought into the highest ideal of activity and strength. It was placed ona square pedestal of marble immediately opposite the door; and behind thispedestal, the slave retired in some confusion when a train of maidensappeared from within, to answer the summons of Julius Placidus in hischariot.
The tribune did not think it necessary to alight, but producing from thebosom of his tunic a jewelled casket, leaned one hand on the shoulder ofAutomedon, while with the other he proffered his gift to a damsel whoseemed the chief among her fellows, and whose manners partook largely ofthe flippancy of the waiting-maid.
"Commend me to your mistress," said Placidus, at the same time throwing agold chain round her neck on her own account, and bending carelessly downto take a receipt for the same, in the shape of a caress; "bid her everygood omen from the most faithful of her servants, and ask her at what hourI may hope to be received on this her birthday, which the trifle you carryto her from me will prove I have not forgotten."
The waiting-maid tried hard to raise a blush, but with all her efforts therich Southern colour would not deepen on her cheek; so she thought betterof it, and looked him full in the face with her bold black eyes, while shereplied: "You have forgotten surely, my lord, that this is the feast ofIsis, and no lady that _is_ a lady, at least here in Rome, can haveleisure to-day for anything but the sacred mysteries of the goddess."
Placidus laughed outright; and it was strange how his laugh scared thosewho watched it. Automedon fairly turned pale, and even the waiting-maidseemed disconcerted for a moment.
"I have heard of these mysteries," said he, "my pretty Myrrhina, and whohas not? The Roman ladies keep them somewhat jealously to themselves; andby all accounts it is well for our sex that they do so. Nevertheless thereare yet some hours of sunlight to pass before the chaste rites of Egyptcan possibly begin. Will not Valeria see me in the interval?"
A very quick ear might have detected the least possible tremor in thetribune's voice as he spoke the last sentence; it was not lost uponMyrrhina, for she showed all the white teeth in her large well-formedmouth, while she enumerated with immense volubility those differentpursuits which filled up the day of a fashionable Roman lady.
"Impossible!" burst out the damsel. "She has not a moment to spare fromnow till sunset. There's her dinner,(1) and her fencing-lesson, and herbath, and her dressing, and the sculptor coming for her hand, and thepainter for her face, and the new Greek sandals to be fitted to her feet.Then she has sent for Philogemon, the augur, to cast her horoscope, andfor Galanthis, who is cleverer than ever Locusta was, and has twice thepractice, to prepare a philtre. Maybe it is for _you_, my lord," added thegirl roguishly. "I hear the ladies are all using them just now."
The evil smile crossed the tribune's face once more; perhaps he too hadbeen indebted to the potions of Galanthis, for purposes of love or hate,and he did not care to be reminded of them.
"Nay," said he meaningly, "there is no need for that. Valeria can do morewith one glance of her bright eyes, than all the potions and poisons ofGalanthis put together. Say, Myrrhina--you are in my interest--does she lookmore favourably of late?"
"How can I tell, my lord?" answered the girl, with an arch expression ofamusement and defiance in her face. "My mistress is but a woman after all,and they say women are more easily mastered by the strong hand, than luredby the honey lip. She is not to be won by a smooth tongue and a beardlessface, I know, for I heard her say so to Paris myself, in the very spotwhere we are now standing. Juno! but the player slunk away somewhatcrestfallen, I can tell you, when she called him 'a mere girl in herbrother's clothes' at the best. No; the man who wins my mistress will be aman all over, I'll answer for it! So far, she is like the rest of us forthat matter."
And Myrrhina sighed, thinking, it may be, of some sunburnt youth thewhile, whose rough but not unwelcome wooing had assailed her in her earlygirlhood, ere she came to Rome; far away yonder amongst the blushingvines, in the bright Campanian hills.
"Say you so?" observed the tribune, obviously flattered by the impliedcompliment; for he was proud in his secret heart of his bodily strength."Nay, there was a fellow standing here when I drove up, who would make aneasy conquest of you, Myrrhina, if, like your Sabine grandams, you must beborne off to be wed, on your lover's shoulders. By the body of Hercules!he would tuck you up under his arm as easily as you carry that casket,which you seem so afraid to let out of your hand. Ay, there he is! lurkingbehind Hermes. Stand forth, my good fellow! What! you are not afraid ofAutomedon, are you, and the crack of that young reprobate's whip?"
While he spoke, the slave stepped forward from his lurking-place behindthe statue, where the quick eye of Placidus had detected him, andpresented to Myrrhina with a respectful gesture the offering of his lordto her mistress--a filigree basket of frosted silver, filled with a fewchoice fruits and flowers--
"From Caius Licinius, greeting," said he, "in honour of Valeria's natalday. The flowers are scarce yet dry from the spray that brawling Anioflings upon its banks; the fruits were glowing in yesterday's sun, on thebrightest slopes of Tibur. My master offers the freshest and fairest ofhis fruits and flowers to his kinswoman, who is fresher and fairer thanthem all."
He delivered his message, which he had obviously learned by rote, insufficiently pure and fluent Latin, scarcely tinged with the accent of abarbarian, and bowing low as he placed the basket in Myrrhina's hand, drewhimself up to his noble height, and looked proudly, almost defiantly, atthe tribune.
The girl started and turned pale--it seemed as if the statue of Hermes haddescended from its pedestal to do her homage. He stood there, thatglorious specimen of manhood, in his majestic strength and symmetry, inthe glow of his youth, and health, and beauty, like an impersonation ofthe god. Myrrhina, in common with many of her sex, was easily fascinatedby external advantages, and she laughed nervously, while she accepted withshaking hands the handsome slave's offering to his master's kinswoman.
"Will you not enter?" said she, the colour mantling once more, and thistime without an effort, in her burning cheeks. "It is not the custom todepart from Valeria's house without breaking bread and drinking wine."
But the slave excused himself, abruptly, almost rudely, losing, be sure,by his refusal, none of the ground he had already gained in Myrrhina'sgood graces. It chafed him to remain even at the porch. The atmosphere ofluxury that pervaded it, seemed to weigh upon his senses, and oppress hisbreath. Moreover, the insult he had sustained from Automedon, yet rankledin his heart. How he wished the boy-charioteer was nearer his match insize and strength! He would have hurled him from the chariot where hestood, turning his curls so insolently round his dainty fingers--hurled himto earth beyond his horses' heads, and taught him the strength of aBriton's arm and the squeeze of a Briton's gripe. "Ay! and his masterafter him!" thought the slave, for already he experienced towards Placidusthat unaccountable instinct of aversion which seems to warn men of afuture foe, and which, to give him his due, the tribune was not unused toawaken in a brave and honest breast.
Placidus, however, scanned him once more, as he strode away, with thecritical gaze of a judge of human animals. It was this man's pecu
liarityto look on all he met as possible tools, that might come into use forvarious purposes at a future and indefinite time. If he observed more thanusual courage in a soldier, superior acuteness in a freedman, nay, evenuncommon beauty in a woman, he bethought himself that although he mighthave no immediate use for these qualities, occasions often arose on whichhe could turn them to his profit, and he noted, and made sure of, theiramount accordingly. In the present instance, although somewhat surprisedthat he had never before remarked the slave's stalwart proportions in thehousehold of Licinius, whose affection for the Briton had excused him fromall menial offices, and consequent contact with visitors, he determinednot to lose sight of one so formed by nature to excel in the gymnasium orthe amphitheatre, while there crept into his heart a cruel cold-bloodedfeeling of satisfaction at the possibility of witnessing so muscular andshapely a figure in the contortions of a mortal struggle, or the throes ofa painful death.
Besides, there was envy, too, at the bottom--envy in the proud patrician'sbreast, leaning so negligently on the cushions of his gilded chariot, withall his advantages of rank, reputation, wealth, and influence--envy of thenoble bearing, the personal comeliness, and the free manly step of theslave.
"Had he struck thee, Automedon," said his master, unable to resisttaunting the petted youth who held the reins; "had he but laid a finger onthee, thou hadst never spoken again, and I had been rid of the noisiestand most useless of my household. Gently with that outside horse; dost seehow he chafes upon the rein? Gently, boy, I say! and drive me back intothe Forum."
As he settled himself among the cushions and rolled swiftly away, Myrrhinacame forth into the porch once more. She seemed, however, scarcely tonotice the departing chariot, but looked dreamily about her, and then re-entered the house with a shake of the head, a smile, and something thatwas almost a sigh.