CHAPTER XVI.
The morning following this conversation the beautiful Empress rose ingreat good-humour from her swelling cushions, which were filled withthe delicate neck-feathers of the Pontian crane, and covered with paleyellow silk.
Before the bed stood a tripod holding a silver basin, representingOceanus; in it lay a massive golden ball. The Empress lifted the balland let it fall clanging into the basin. The clear tone roused theSyrian slave who slept in the ante-room. She entered, and, approachingthe bed of the Empress with her arms crossed upon her bosom, drew backthe heavy violet-coloured curtains of Chinese silk. Then she took asoft Iberian sponge, which, soaked in asses' milk, lay in a crystaldish, and carefully wiped off the coating of oily paste with which theneck and face of her mistress were covered during the night.
Next she kneeled down before the bed, her face bent almost to theearth, and stretched out her hand to the Empress, who, taking it,slowly set her foot upon the neck of the kneeling girl, and sprangelastically to the ground.
The slave rose and threw over her mistress, who, clad only in anunder-tunic of the finest lawn, sat upon the palm-wood frame of thebed--a fine dressing-mantle of rose-coloured stuff. Then she made aprofound obeisance, turned to the door, cried "Agave!" and disappeared.
Agave, a young and beautiful Thessalian girl, entered the room. Sherolled a washstand of citrean-wood, covered with countless boxes andbottles, close before her mistress, and began to rub her face, neck,and hands with soft cloths dipped in different wines and essences. Thistask completed, the Empress rose from the bedside and stepped on to acouch covered with panther's skins.
"The large bath towards mid-day," she said.
Agave pushed an oval bath of terebinthus-wood, covered outside withtortoise-shell and filled with deliciously-scented water, in front ofthe divan, and lifted the little white feet of the Empress into it.Afterwards she loosened the net of gold-thread which confined theluxurious hair of her mistress during the night, letting the rich darkcoils fall over neck and shoulders, and departed in her turn, calling"Galatea!"
Galatea was an aged slave, the nurse, attendant, and, we regret to add,the procuress of Theodora, when the latter was only the bespangleddaughter of Acacius the lion-keeper, and, while yet almost a child, thealready deeply-corrupted favourite of the great Circus.
Galatea had faithfully shared all the humiliations and triumphs, thevices and cunning of the adventuress's life until the latter hadattained to the imperial throne.
"How hast thou slept, my dove?" asked Galatea, handing to Theodora in avessel of amber the aromatic essence which the town of Adana, inSicily, was forced to send in large quantities for the Empress's use asa yearly tribute.
"Well; I dreamt of him."
"Of Alexandros?"
"No, thou fool! of the handsome Anicius."
"But Alexandros has been waiting for some time already; outside in thesecret niche."
"He is impatient," said the Empress, smiling; "well then, let him in!"
And she leaned back upon the long divan, drawing a cover of purple silkover her; but the delicate ankles of her beautiful feet remainedvisible.
Galatea bolted the principal door, through which she had entered, andcrossed the room to the opposite corner, which was filled by a colossalbronze statue of Justinian. She touched a spring, and the seeminglyimmovable mass turned on one side, exposing a small opening in thewall, which was completely hidden by the statue in its normal position.A dark curtain was drawn before this opening. Galatea lifted thecurtain and Alexandros hurried in. He threw himself on his knees beforethe Empress, caught her small hand and covered it with kisses.
Theodora gently drew it away.
"It is very imprudent, Alexandros," said she, leaning back her lovelyhead, "to admit a lover to the toilet of his mistress. What says thepoet: 'All things serve beauty. Yet it is no pleasant sight to see thatin preparation which only pleases when complete.' But I promised, whenyou left for Ravenna, to admit you to my toilet, and you richly deserveyour reward. You have ventured much for me. Fasten the braids tighter,"she cried to Galatea, who had now commenced the task, entrusted to heralone, of dressing the splendid hair of her mistress. "You have riskedyour life for me, Alexandros!" and she gave him two fingers of herright hand.
"Oh, Theodora!" cried the youth, "to gain but this one moment I woulddie ten times over!"
"But," she continued, "why did you not send me a copy of the barbarianQueen's last letter to Justinian?"
"It was not possible; there was no time. I could send no moremessengers from my ship. I barely succeeded, after landing, in sendingyou word that her picture was among the presents. You came just at theright moment!"
"Yes; what would become of me if I did not pay Justinian's door-keeperstwice as well as he? But, most imprudent of ambassadors! how stupid youwere about the date!"
"Oh, loveliest daughter of Cyprus! I had not seen you for months! Icould think of nothing but you and your wonderful beauty!"
"Well, I suppose I must forgive you.--Galatea, bring me the blackfillet.--You are a better lover than a statesman, Alexandros. ThereforeI have kept you here. Yes, you were to have gone once more to Ravenna!But I think I will send an older ambassador, and keep the young one formyself. Shall I?"
Alexandros, becoming bolder and more ardent, sprang up and pressed akiss upon her rosy lips.
"Hold, traitor!" she scolded, and struck his cheek lightly with a fanof flamingo-feathers. "Enough for to-day. To-morrow you may come again,and tell me about the barbarian beauties. I must have the next hour foranother."
"For another!" cried Alexandros, starting back. "So what theywhisper in the gymnasiums and baths of Byzantium is true! You everfaithless----"
"Theodora's friends must never be jealous," laughed the Empress. It wasno sweet laughter. "But this time you may be quite easy; you shall meethim yourself. Go."
Galatea took the reluctant lover by the shoulders, without ceremony,and pushed him behind the statue and out of the secret door.
Theodora now seated herself upright, and fastened the loose folds ofher long under-garment with her girdle.