A Struggle for Rome, v. 3

  CHAPTER VIII.

  Shortly after, Cethegus once more stood before the still seductivewoman, whom he had known in youth. She was lying stretched upon hercouch in the room in which we have before seen her.

  Galatea frequently handed to her a small onyx-cup, filled with thedrops prescribed by her Persian physician. Grecian doctors no longersufficed.

  "I thank you, Theodora," said Cethegus, after a friendly greeting, "andif I must thank any other than myself--and a woman!--I would rather owesomething to my early friend than to another."

  "Listen, Prefect," said Theodora, looking gravely at him. "You would bejust the man--shall I say the barbarian or the Roman?--to first kiss aCleopatra whom a Caesar and an Antony had adored, and then take her intriumph to the Capitol in order to strangle her, as, perhaps,Octavianus once intended, if that sly Queen had not been beforehandwith him. Cleopatra has always been my model. 'Tis true, I have neverfound a Caesar. But the asp, perhaps, will not be wanting. But you neednot thank me. I have spoken and acted out of conviction. The insolencewhich we have suffered from these Goths must be smothered in blood.Perhaps I have not always been such a faithful wife as Justinianbelieved; but I was always his best and truest adviser. Belisarius andNarses cannot be sent together, and still less singly, to Italy. Youshall go. You are a hero, a general, and a statesman, and yet you aretoo weak to harm Justinian."

  "Thanks for your good opinion," said Cethegus.

  "Friend, you are a general without an army, an Emperor without anempire, a pilot without a ship. But enough of this--you will notbelieve me. I send you to Italy because I believe that you hate thebarbarians with all your heart. The second general, whom the imperialdistrust will undoubtedly send after you, shall be Areobindos. He willnot trouble you much! I am rejoiced that I can thus serve not only myold companion but also the Empire. Ah, Cethegus, our youth! To you menit is either golden hopes or golden memories: to a woman it is lifeitself! Oh for a single day of the time when I sent you roses and yousent me verses!"

  "Your roses were beautiful, Theodora, but my verses were poor."

  "They were fine to me, for they were addressed to me! My choice of you,which is necessary for the Empire, is sweetened by old and new hate aswell as by old love. Belisarius must not rise to new honours. He mustfall, and this time fall low and for ever. As sure as I live!"

  "And Narses? I should understand and like it better if you were to ruinthat head without an arm, than this arm without a head."

  "Patience! One after the other."

  "What has the good-natured hero done to you?"

  "He? Nothing. But his wife! that clumsy Antonina, whose whole triumphlies in her good health."

  And the delicate Empress clenched her little white fist, the fingers ofwhich had become more transparent than ever.

  "Ah," she exclaimed, "how I hate her! Yes, and I envy her too! Stupidpeople are always healthy. But she shall not rejoice while I suffer!"

  "And the fate of the Capitol depends upon such a woman's hatred!"exclaimed Cethegus to himself. "Down with Cleopatra!"

  "The foolish woman is in love with her husband's honour and glory.There I can wound her fatally!" continued Theodora.

  As she spoke the twitching of her delicate features betrayed an attackof acute pain; she threw herself back upon her cushions.

  "My little dove," said Galatea, "do not be angry. Thou knowest what thePersian said. Every excitement, be it of love or of hate----"

  "Yes. To hate and to love is life! And as one grows older, hatred isalmost sweeter than love. Love is false; hate is true."

  "In both," said Cethegus, "I am a novice compared to you. I have alwayscalled you the Siren of Cyprus. One can never be sure that you will notsuddenly tear your victim in the very act of embracing him--either fromlove, or from hate. And what has suddenly changed your love of Antoninainto hatred?"

  "She has become virtuous, the hypocrite! Or can she be really soweak-minded? It is possible. Her fishy blood can never be made to boil.For a strong passion or a bold crime she was always too cowardly. Sheis too vain to forego admiration and too paltry to reciprocate it.Since she accompanied her husband on his campaign she has become quitevirtuous. Ha, ha, ha! because she was obliged! Even as the devil fastswhen he has nothing to eat. Because I kept her lover a prisoner."

  "Anicius, the son of Boethius? I heard of it."

  "Yes, he. When in Italy Antonina again clung to her husband and sharedhis fame and his misfortunes. And since that time she is a veryPenelope! When she returned here, what did the goose do? She reproachedme with having enticed her from the path of virtue! and swore that shewould save Anicius from my toils. And she succeeds, the snake! Sheopens the gates of conscience and weans my unfaithful chamberlain moreand more from me--of course only to keep him for herself."

  "So you cannot imagine," said Cethegus, "that any woman can try to savea soul?"

  "Without profit? No. But at the same time she deceives herself and himby pious speeches. And oh! how gladly the youth allows himself to besaved by this youthful blooming saint from the arms of the fadedwoman--who is wasted before her time! Ha!" she added passionately,starting from her seat, "how pitiable that the body must succumb fromfatigue before the soul has half satisfied its thirst for life! And tolive is to rule, to hate, and to love!"

  "You seem insatiable in these arts and enjoyments."

  "Yes," cried Theodora, "and I am proud of it. Must I indeed leave therichly-spread table of existence, must I leave this imperial throne,with all my ardent love of joy and power still unquenched? Shall I onlysip a few more drops? Oh, Nature is a miserable blunderer! Once in manythousand ages she creates, amid a host of cripples, ugly in body andweak in mind, a soul and body like mine, perfect and strong, and fullof the longing to live and to enjoy for an eternity. And, when only sixlustres have passed, when I have scarcely sipped of the full cupoffered to me. Nature dries up the spring of life! A curse upon theenvy of the gods! But men can envy too, and envy changes them intodemons. Others shall not enjoy when I can do so no longer! Others shallno more laugh when I must writhe in agony all night long! Antoninashall not rejoice in her youth with the false man who was once mine andyet could think of another, or of virtue, or of heaven! Anicius hastold me this very day that he can bear this life without fame andhonour no more--that heaven and earth call him away. He shall repentit--together with her. Come, Cethegus," she said furiously, graspinghis arm, "come; we will destroy them both!"

  "You forget," said Cethegus coldly, "that I have no reason to hateeither her or him. So what I do will be done for your sake."

  "Not so, you wise and icy Roman! Do you believe that I do not seethrough you?"

  "I hope not," thought Cethegus.

  "You wish to keep Belisarius away from Italy. You wish to fight andconquer alone. Or at most with a shadow beside you, such as Bessas wasand Areobindos will be. Do you think I did not understand why you socleverly managed the recall of Belisarius when before Ravenna? Anxietyfor Justinian! What is Justinian to you?"

  Cethegus felt his heart beat.

  "The freedom of Rome!" continued Theodora. "Nonsense! You know thatonly strong and simple men can be trusted with freedom. And you knowyour Quirites. No, your aim lies higher."

  "Is it possible that this woman guesses what all my enemies and friendsdo not even suspect?" thought Cethegus.

  "You wish to free Italy alone, and alone rule her as Justinian'svice-regent. To be next to his throne, high above Belisarius andNarses, and second only to Theodora. And if there were any higher goal,yours would be the spirit to fly at it."

  Cethegus breathed again.

  "That would hardly be worth the trouble," he thought.

  "Oh," continued Theodora, "it is a proud feeling to be the first ofJustinian's servants!"

  "Of course," thought Cethegus, "she is not capable of imagininganything superior to her husband, although she deceives him daily."

  "And," Theodora went on, "to rule _him_, the Emperor, in company wit
hme."

  "The flattering atmosphere of this court dulls even the clearestintellect," thought Cethegus. "It is the madness of the purple. She canonly think of herself as all-commanding."

  "Yes, Cethegus," continued Theodora; "I would allow no other man evento _think_ of this. But I will help you to obtain it. With you I willshare the mastery of the world. Perhaps only because I remember many afoolish youthful dream. Do you still remember how, years ago, we sharedtwo cushions in my little villa? We called them the Orient and theOccident. It was an omen. So will we now share the Orient and theOccident. Through my Justinian I will rule the Orient. Through myCethegus I will rule the Occident!"

  "Ambitious, insatiable woman!" thought Cethegus. "Oh that Mataswinthahad not died! She at this court--and you would sink for ever!"

  "But to gain this," said Theodora, "Belisarius must be got outof the way. Justinian had resolved to send him once more as yourcommander-in-chief to Italy."

  Cethegus frowned.

  "He trusts again and again to his dog-like fidelity. He must bethoroughly convinced of his falsity."

  "That will be difficult to manage," said Cethegus. "Theodora willsooner learn to be faithful than Belisarius to be false."

  A blow from Theodora's little hand was the punishment for this speech.

  "To you, foolishly, I have been ever faithful--that is, in affection.Do you want Belisarius again in Italy?"

  "On no account!"

  "Then help me to ruin him, together with Anicius, the son of Boethius."

  "So be it," said the Prefect. "I have no reason to spare the brother ofSeverinus. But how can you possibly bring proofs against Belisarius? Iam really curious. If you accomplish _that_, I will declare myself noless a novice in plots and machinations than in love and hatred."

  "And that you are, you dull son of Latium! Now listen. But it is such adangerous subject, that I must beg thee, Galatea, to keep watch that noone comes and listens. No, my good mother, not inside! I beg thee;_outside_ the door. Leave me alone with the Prefect: it is--more's thepity--no secret of love?"

  When, after some time, the Prefect left the room, he said to himself:

  "If this woman were a man--I should kill her! She would be moredangerous than the barbarians and Belisarius together! But then,certainly, the iniquity would be neither so inscrutable nor sodevilish!"