Felicitas: A Tale of the German Migrations: A.D. 476

  CHAPTER III.

  Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to helphim, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sankagain to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the otherto assist him.

  "Let me lie; the foot is broken or the ankle is sprained. No, it is theknee. I do not know. But I cannot stand--I must be carried."

  "I will call the people of the house. The stone-mason is comingalready."

  "I will strike him dead if he touches me. I will have no help from him.On the other side of the road to the left I saw some of my peoplespear-throwing on the drill-ground. Call them to me, they shall carryme away."

  And this was done.

  While the money-changer had gone for the soldiers Fulvius came forward,but the Tribune turned away from him and would not speak; silent,suppressing any utterance of pain, he was carried by the strong Moorsinto the town, where they soon obtained a litter and took him to theCapitol.

  In the meanwhile Fulvius had stopped the merchant at the entrance. "Notover the threshold, most excellent man!" said he, pushing him back. "Iam superstitious; thou hast an evil look. As soon as I caught sight ofthee and the Tribune I hastened to meet you, bringing the money whichlies in that bag ready counted for thee. Here"----and he began to countout the silver money on the broad coping of the low wall. "Here, countthen! It is reckoned correctly: fifty solidi principal, and at thirtyper cent, interest, fifteen solidi more. And here--for I cannottransact business with thee without a receipt--on this wax tablet Ihave written the acquittance. Take the style, put thy name to it, andgo thy way, never to return."

  But with his lean hand Zeno pushed back disdainfully the silver pieces,so that they fell rattling on the stone slab and rolled round about.

  "We do not separate so quickly, hospitable landlord and gratefuldebtor."

  "Grateful! Thirty per cent, is, I think, thanks enough, and one is nothospitable to harpies and vampires. Take what belongs to thee and go!"

  "When I have taken that which belongs to me," answered the Byzantinerfiercely, "then, not I, but _thou_, wilt go out of this house--out ofthis whole property."

  "What does that mean?"

  "That means, that my business is not merely with the fifty miserablesolidi with interest. Thou art my debtor for more than twenty timesthat sum; mine is the house, mine the whole possession, most probablythyself also, at this moment, with every bone in thy body; mine alsothat slave daughter, who peeps anxiously there between the curtains,with the child at her breast. Mother-sheep and lamb are my own."

  So maliciously were these words uttered, at first lightly whispered,then in rising anger, ever louder and more threatening, that Fulvius,alarmed, looked back to see if his young wife had perceived thisdisaster.

  But Felicitas had again disappeared behind the curtain, satisfied thatthe wild officer, whom she feared, she knew not why, was no longerthere. She knew well that the money was ready for the usurer.

  Smiling, she bade farewell to her guest, who had emptied his beaker andnow took his departure. Not a cloud overshadowed her white brow as shenow sat down on the couch, and with a sweet smile on her maiden-likecountenance raised the waking child, and proceeded to give itnourishment.

  Zeno still delaying, Fulvius in fear and anger pushed him with hiselbow a step farther from the entrance; the muscles of his naked armstightened, his hands clenched; threatening but speechless, he stoodbefore the man who had spoken such fearful words.

  Crispus now came forward; he seized his young nephew firmly by thewrist of his right arm, which he was slowly raising for a blow.

  "What means this?" cried the fat uncle, anxiously.

  Fulvius spoke not a word.

  But Zeno answered: "This means, that I have bought this property fromthe Imperial Exchequer, with all the old claims for State taxes, andseven times the rent due to the Emperor, for which, according to theaccounts, this tenant and his father are many decades in arrear; thismakes, together with the fines, a debt of seven thousand solidi."

  Crispus calculated in an instant that if even he gave his wholepossessions to save his nephew, they would not amount to a seventh partof this sum.

  "That means," continued Zeno, "that as there is no doubt about theinability of the debtor to pay, I claim him as my slave for debt, andshall to-morrow be installed by the magistrate into the property."

  "Oh, Felicitas!" groaned Fulvius.

  "Be calm; I will take mother and child home with me till the suit isdecided," comforted the good-natured uncle.

  "Law-suit?" laughed Zeno. "A suit that begins with its accomplishmentis quickly decided. My claim is indubitably shown by the Imperialtax-rolls; they give positive evidence, and that young creature"----

  "Wilt thou also claim the wife for the debt of her husband? That is notRoman justice," cried Crispus.

  "Stay with thy ridiculous statues, and do not teach me justice and itsways. The young wife is a slave-child, the property of the master ofher parents. This man died without a will, without assignable heirs.His property fell to the Exchequer; to the Exchequer belonged theparents and belongs the child."

  "The old Krates set the parents and the child free before his death."

  "Where is the letter of emancipation?"

  And when both were silent the usurer continued in a triumphant tone:"You are silent? It is, then, as I suspected: the papyrus was destroyedwhen her parents' house was burnt in the rising of the people againstthe tax-collectors. Her birth as a slave is undisputed, the letter ofemancipation is not forthcoming, therefore she and her slave-brood aremine."

  The young husband was overcome with passion and anguish, and a blowwith his fist on the breast of the villain sent him staggeringbackwards. "Hast thou, then, thou old sinner, purchased my wife inadvance from the Fiscus, as thou hast also me and my house?"

  "No," said he, exasperated, "the beautiful Greek belongs to a handsomeyoung lord, who suits her better. A lion will soon drag her to his den.Thou knowest well what kind of suitor the lion is."

  "The Tribune!" cried Fulvius. "I will strangle him first with thesefists; and thou, panderer, take"----

  But Crispus slung both arms around him, holding him fast.

  So Zeno gained time to make his escape. He quickly mounted the pathwhich led to the main road; when he had gained the height he turned andlooked through the bushes at the villa. He raised his fist menacingly,and cried to the two men, "Woe to the vanquished!"