CHAPTER II.
Meanwhile, slowly walking up the high-road, the two men whom Crispushad announced were approaching the villa; they often stood still,interrupting their progress with an animated conversation.
"No, no," warned the money-dealer, shaking his bald head, which, inspite of the sun, was uncovered, and striking with his staff on thehard road, "such haste, such violence, such impetuosity, as thypassionate longing craves, will not answer, O friend Tribune. Onlyleave me alone! We are on the right, the safe way."
"Thy way is a crooked, weary, roundabout way, a snail-pace," cried thesoldier impatiently, and he threw back his proud head so that the blackplume of his helmet rustled on the links of his armour. "To whatpurpose are these ceremonies? They do not hasten the time when youshall add the little property to your vast possessions. And I--I cannotsleep since the sight of this young woman has inflamed my passions. Myheart beats to breaking. All night I toss on my hot couch. By theungirdled Astarte of Tripolis! I _will_ have this slender Felicitas!And I _must_ have her, or my veins will burst." And his fiery blackeyes flashed.
"Thou shalt have her, only patience."
"No! no patience. A sword-thrust will make the milk-sop of a husbandcold; in these arms will I lift the struggling one on Pluto, my blackhorse, and quick to the Capitol, even if all the market-women ofJuvavum raise an outcry behind me."
"Murder and rape! Thou knowest the punishment."
"Bah! Would an accuser come forward? And the Emperor? The Emperor of_Juvavum_--is myself. Let us see who will climb the walls of myCapitolium."
"The Cross, my roaring Leo, the Cross and the Presbyter. No, no, itmust not be an open sin crying to heaven. True, the Judge and hislictors are weak in this land, which is almost given up by Rome. Butthe Church is so much the stronger. If the haggard, white-beardedJohannes thrust thee out, thou art a lost man. No pound of meat, no cupof wine, will the people of Juvavum again sell to thee."
"I will take what I need with my lancers."
"But thy lancers are Mauritanians: pious Christians, baptised by thePresbyter. See if they will follow, if the old man have cursed thee."
"I will strike him dead after, or rather, before the curse," cried theofficer, and he made a quick step forwards; his long dark-red mantlefloated in the wind.
But the money-changer again stopped, adjusting with his bony fingershis yellow tunic.
"How useless! Dost thou not know that _they_ are immortal? If thoustrikest _one_ dead, the Bishop sends another. And they are allalike--much more than thy soldiers resemble each other. And I--I wouldnot look at thee across the street if thou wert thrust out from theHoly Church."
But now the soldier stopped and laughed aloud: "Thou! Zeno ofByzantium! Thou believest as little in the Holy Church as Leo himself.And it is my opinion, that thy soul-destroying usury is not regardedmore favourably by the saints, than my trifle of pleasure in love andmurder. What hast thou to do with the Church?"
"I will tell thee, thou rash son of Mars. I _fear_ her! She is the onlypower now left in these lands. The Emperor is far away, his officersare all venal; the barbarians are like the storm, they bluster aroundus, we bend to them, and they again bluster away; but the Church iseverywhere, even if only a single priest says mass in a half-ruinedhouse of prayer. And the priest is not to be bought. The miserablecreature dares not live like a man, so he needs nothing; and all whohope for heaven follow him, that is to say: all fools. But woe to theman who has the fools against him--he is lost. No, no! we must notrouse the Church against us."
"I need him yet, the sneak!" grated Leo through his teeth, with anangry look at his companion; and he impatiently pushed aside his short,broad sword in the finely-worked scabbard.
"For that reason truly, I have to serve you," continued the merchant.
"For a good reward," interrupted Leo scornfully.
"But which, alas! I have yet only received in half."
"The other half when I have the gazelle-eyed beauty in my chamber."
"For that reason I have taken all this trouble, woven all these meshes,and gathered them in my hand; one jerk, and the net closes over thehead of the stone-mason; he and the sweet nymph struggle therein,defenceless, powerless, and best of all, without a right. Emperor andChurch can look on whilst thou seizest the bird, and I the land. Notthat it is valuable; but it rounds off my fields here. I can then moreeasily sell the whole to a great lord in Italy."
"I also do not intend to keep the fragile creature long; only throughthe autumn and winter. When the slave-dealers come here in summer fromAntioch, I shall sell her at a high price. This half-bluish white ofthe eyes is much sought for. Whence has she it?"
"From Hellas or Ionia. Her parents were slaves of a Greek trader inpurple, who died here on the return journey from Pannonia. They declarethat the old man set them free before his death; they then carried on alittle trade in salt. When they also died, the child became the wife oftheir neighbour's son, the stone-mason, who had grown up with her. I ameager to know if they have preserved the letter of emancipation. Ifnot, then good-night, Felicitas! We are now at our goal; the foot-pathhere turns down, from the main road towards the Mercurius Hill.Moderate, I beseech thee, the violence and the eagerness in thine eyes,or thou wilt spoil all."
"I have not been born or trained to wait."
Thereupon the Tribune approached the open entrance of the garden. Zenofollowed slowly. The setting sun threw its beams fully on thethreshold-stone and the newly-cut inscription.
"Hic habitat Felicitas!" read the Tribune. "For yet how long?" askedhe, laughing.
"Nihil mali intret!" concluded the merchant. "It is well that wishesare not bolts."
"Or _we_ should not come in!" said the other; and he trod scornfullywith a quick step on the neat letters. These were rubbed smooth as amirror with fresh oil. Leo's foot slipped, he staggered, tried torecover himself, stumbled again, and fell with a cry of pain on thestone slab, helmet and armour loudly rattling.