CHAPTER XXII.
While Miriam was gazing silently at the first pale stars, Totila'simpatience soon brought him to the villa of the rich trader, which layat about an hour's distance from the Porta Capuana.
The slave who kept the gate told him to go to the old Hortularius,Valeria's freedman, who had the care of the garden. This freedman hadbeen admitted to the lovers' confidence, and now took the plants fromthe supposed gardener's boy, and led him into his sleeping-room, thelow windows of which opened into the garden. The next day beforesunrise--so taught the mysteries of ancient horticulture--the flowersmust be planted, so that the first sunlight which shone upon them inthe new soil should be that of the fresh morning. The young Goth waitedimpatiently in the narrow chamber for the hour at which Valeria wouldbe able to leave her father after their evening meal.
He drew aside the curtain which covered the window and again and againlooked up at the sky, measuring the flight of time by the rising of thestars and the progress of the moon. The large garden before him laybathed in its peaceful light.
In the distance, the plashing of a fountain could be heard, and thecicadas chirped in the myrtles. The warm south wind blew sultry throughthe night, at times bearing clouds of sweet odour upon its wings; and,from the blooming grove at the end of the garden, the clear song of thenightingale filled the air with melody.
At last Totila could wait no longer. He swung himself noiselessly overthe marble sill of the window; the white sand of the narrow pathscarcely grated beneath his rapid footsteps, as, avoiding the stream ofmoonlight, he hurried along under the shrubbery.
On past the dark taxus-trees and the thick olive-groves; past the tallstatue of Flora, whose white marble shone ghostly in the moonlight;past the large basin, where six marble dolphins spouted water high intothe air; into the thick shrubbery of laurels and tamarinds, and,pressing through the oleanders, he stood before the stalactite grotto,in which a marble nymph of the spring leaned upon a large dark urn. Ashe entered, a white figure glided from behind the statue.
"Valeria, my lovely rose!" cried Totila, ardently embracing her.
"Leave me, leave me, my beloved!" she said, withdrawing from his arms.
"No, sweet one! I will not leave you. How long, how painfully, I havemissed you! Do you hear how sweetly and invitingly the nightingalecalls? Inhale the warm air of the summer night and the intoxicatingscent of the roses. All breathes joy and love! Oh, let us hold fastthese golden hours! My soul cannot contain all its bliss! All thybeauty; all our youth; and this glowing, blooming summer night. Liferolls in mighty waves through my heart, and bursts it with delight!"
"Oh, Totila, I would gladly lose myself, like you, in the happiness ofthese hours! But I cannot. The intoxicating perfume, the luxuriouswarmth of these summer nights are but transient; they breed misfortune.I cannot believe in the happiness of our love!"
"Thou dear fool, why not?"
"I know not. The unhappy doubt which troubles all my life spreads itscurse even over our love. How gladly would I love and trust like you!But a warning voice in my heart ever repeats: 'It will not last--thoushalt not be happy!'"
"Then, even in my arms, you are not happy?"
"Yes, and no! The feeling of concealment from my noble father oppressesme. See, Totila, what makes me love you most is not your youthfulbeauty and strength, nor even your great love for me. It is my pride inyour character, in your frank, unclouded and noble character. I haveaccustomed myself to see you walk through this dark world bright andstrong as the God of Light. The noble courage, sure of victory; theenthusiasm and truth of your being, are my pride. That when youapproach, all that is mean, little, and unholy must vanish from beforeyou, is my delight. I love you as a mortal loves the Sun-god whoapproaches him in the fulness of his glory, and therefore I can endurenothing secret about you. Not even the delight of these hours--it isenjoyed by stealth, and that must no longer be----"
"No, Valeria, and shall not! I feel exactly the same. I hate the lieof this disguise; I can bear it no longer! To-morrow I will throw itoff and speak openly and freely to your father."
"This decision is the best, for----"
"For it saves your life, young man!" suddenly cried a deep voice, andfrom the dark background of the grotto a man came forth, in the act ofsheathing his sword.
"My father!" cried Valeria, startled, but with courageous composure.Totila put one arm round her.
"Away, Valeria! leave the barbarian!" cried Valerius, stretching outhis hand commandingly.
"No, Valerius," cried Totila, pressing Valeria close to his breast;"henceforward her place is on my bosom!"
"Audacious Goth!"
"Hear me, Valerius, and be not angry with us for this deceit. Youyourself heard that it was to end tomorrow."
"Fortunately for you, I did. Warned by an old friend, I could stillscarcely believe that my daughter--would deceive me. When I wascompelled to believe my eyes, I was resolved that your life should payfor her fault. Your words saved you. But now go; you will never againsee her face."
Totila would have retorted angrily, but Valeria was beforehand.
"Father," she said quietly, stepping between the two men, "listen toyour child. I will not excuse my love, it needs no apology. It is asinnocent and heavenly as are the stars. My love is the life of my life.You know me; truth is the air I breathe. By my soul! I will never leavethis man!"
"Nor I her!" cried Totila, and took her right-hand.
The young couple stood erect before the old man in the brightmoonlight, their noble features filled with sacred enthusiasm. Theylooked so beautiful that a softened feeling took possession of theangry father.
"Valeria, my child!"
"Oh, my father! you have led all my childish steps with such untiringlove that till now I have scarcely missed, though I have deeplyregretted, my lost mother. At this moment I miss her for the firsttime; for now I feel that I need her advocacy. At least let her memoryplead for me. Let me bring her picture before you, and remind you ofthe time when, dying, she called you for the last time to her bedside,and, as you have often told me, confided to you my happiness as a holylegacy."
Valerius pressed his right hand to his forehead; his daughter venturedto take the other; he did not repulse her. Evidently a struggle wasgoing on in his mind. At last he spoke.
"Valeria, without knowing it, you have pleaded strongly. It would beunjust to withhold from you a fact upon which you have mysteriouslytouched. Your mother's vow, which, however, we had long since annulled,still oppressed her soul. 'If our child,' she said, 'is not to be thebride of Heaven, at least swear to me to honour the freedom of herchoice. I know how Roman girls, particularly in our rank of life, aregiven in marriage unasked, without love. Such an union is misery onearth and a sin before God. My Valeria will choose nobly; swear to meto give her to the husband of her choice, and to no other!'--and ISwore it. But to give my child to a barbarian, to an enemy of Italy!no, no!" And he broke from her grasp.
"Perhaps I am not so barbarous, Valerius, as you think," began Totila."At least I am the warmest friend of the Romans in all my nation.Believe me, I do not hate you; those whom I abhor are your worstenemies as well as ours--the Byzantines!"
It was a happy speech, for in the heart of the old republican thehatred of Byzantium was the reverse side to his love of freedom andItaly. He was silent, but his eyes rested thoughtfully upon the youth.
"My father," said Valeria, "your child could love no barbarian. Learnto know Totila; and if you still call him a barbarian--I will neverbecome his. I ask nothing of you but this: learn to know him. Decidefor yourself whether my choice be noble. He is beloved by all theGoths, and all men are friendly to him--surely you alone will notreject him?"
Again she took her father's hand.
"Oh, learn to know me, Valerius!" begged Totila earnestly, taking hisother hand.
The old man sighed. At length he said: "Come with me to your mother'sgrave, Valeria; there it is amongst the cypresses; there st
ands the urncontaining her heart. Let us think of her--the noblest woman who everlived--and appeal to her shade. And if your love prove to be true andwell placed, then I will perform what I have promised."