Neæra: A Tale of Ancient Rome

by Joel Chandler Harris

  CHAPTER II.

  A few weeks subsequent to the last related circumstances of our story,Domitius Afer, with nothing better to occupy his time, on a certainafternoon, indulged an inclination for gentle exercise and solitaryreflection, and took his meditative way up the gradual ascent which led tothe eastern cliffs of the island of Capreae. The highest elevation at thisend of the island is the extreme north-eastern promontory. Thereon stoodan extensive villa of the Emperor, which formed, for the most part, hisfavourite residence. The suspicious nature of Tiberius had not deemed itserection complete and satisfactory until it had been surrounded by what anordinary observer might have deemed the superfluity of a strongfortification. It stood there in all the glory of its new, gleaming, whitemasonry--a pile wellnigh impregnable to anything but starvation, surveyingisland and sea and mainland for leagues, with the waves roaring a thousandfeet below around the base of the perpendicular cliffs. This residencebore the name of the villa of Jove, and, although it claimed preference,on account of the magnificent prospect which it enjoyed, together with thenatural strength of its position, it was only one of some dozen which hadarisen at the Emperor's bidding, or were building, in various parts of theisland, each of them named after a deity. Thus the ruler of the world wasenabled to change his abode according to his whim, or oftener, perhaps, tothe workings of his subtle, mistrustful spirit.

  Leaving this favoured retreat of the Emperor on his left hand, the knightwent some distance further along the brow of the cliffs, and wrapping hiscloak closer around him, he sat down in a nook of the limestone cliffs inorder to indulge more fully in a fit of abstraction. The scene, which wasdisplayed before him, has excited the raptures of gazers of all ages. Butit was the better fortune of those of antiquity to be able to see it atits brightest, when its natural loveliness was embellished by the citizensof an empire in the fulness of its power and wealth, and ere a mostmelancholy-famous eruption of nature had cruelly defaced it for ever.

  So precipitous were the cliffs upon which the feet of the Roman knightrested, that a stone, flung from beside him, would have dropped plumb intothe waters below. Thence, from this point of vantage, the delighted eyedrank in the matchless panorama which circled before it under the clearestof skies.

  Far on the extreme left, out of the blue waters, glimmered the green isleof Aenaria, some sixteen miles away, together with the low-lying islet ofProchyta. Scarcely severed from the latter, rose the famous promontory ofMisenum, harbouring an Imperial fleet, and crowned by a Lucullan villa,ere long the death-scene of its Imperial owner. Baiae nestled close by, onthe lovely inlet which dented the palace-covered shore. After whichPuteoli, the queen of commerce, the focus of the foreign-going galleys--oneof the most frequented doors of Rome, with its mole, and its docks, andbusy quays. Then Neapolis, in the centre of the semicircle, and, stillnigher round the curving shore, the vine-clad slopes of high Vesuvius,with ill-fated Herculaneum and Pompeii resting at its foot, on the brim ofthe sparkling waters. Surrentum, in the green nook of its shelteringhills, lay hid, but its cape, reaching out to within three miles of ourisland, forms the southern horn of the crescent. The peaceful mountain inthe midst, so luxuriant with verdure, as yet gave no sign of the blot ofawful desolation with which it was about to mar for posterity theloveliest prospect in nature. Not as now, but from end to end, acontinuous belt of buildings circumscribed the bay; for this enchantingstrand was the favoured region for the retirement and residence of thewealthy. Villa upon villa, in thick profusion, sustained the line betweenvillage and town, until it seemed as if it were an unbroken city whichgleamed so white along the circuit of the lustrous Campanian shore.Turning again to the right hand was expanded the less lovely Gulf ofPaestum, with the city of the roses itself lying on its edge, far away onthe opposite side. Behind the knight lay the valley of Capreae, rich andgreen, and shut in by a mountain barrier from the other half of theisland, which was a high table-land sloping towards the north-west.Conical hills, _taurubulae_, as they were called, rose from this valley oneither hand, crowned with buildings and clothed with foliage; whilst inthe midst, which was the neck of the island, nestled a little town. Yeteven this part, the lowest point, and saddle-seat, as it were, was highabove the sea; and steep descents, to the north and south, led down oneither coast to the only two practicable landings the precipitous shorespossessed. Thus it may be seen how secluded and safe from intrusion thisisolated spot of only eleven miles in circumference could be maintained.Scarcely could a man, had he the choice of the world, pitch upon suchanother place, where he could revel so peacefully in the beauties whichnature had so lavishly clustered around, under a climate so equable andgenial, as to render mere existence delicious.

  But the sensations caused by such a prospect are rather for the breast ofthe stranger of a northern clime than for our Roman Afer, for whom life-long familiarity with the scenes described had blunted his appreciation oftheir beauty. Although his glance appeared to be earnestly fixed upon theopposing shore across the strait, his eyes retained that far-awayexpression which is produced by absorbing thought. There was sufficientwithin the narrow limits of the island at his back to occupy his thoughts,as it did those of the whole political world. For, in the palaces whichgleamed on the summits of the hills or amid the groves of that insularretreat, were the persons of the despot himself, whose touch ruled theworld; of the all-powerful, ambitious Prefect, who, as it was darklyhinted, ruled his master--as well as others of blood royal, whose youth andclose affinity with Caesar rendered them the objects of a too jealouscare.

  But to these the mind of the knight did not at present pay any heed. Histhoughts were running back to the villa on the Janiculum overlooking Rome,and were recalling the circumstances recorded in a previous chapter. Thestrong interest displayed by his uncle in the young Centurion gave himmany a moment of uneasy mistrust. Not willing to allow the smallestcommunication to pass unobserved, if his jealous watchfulness could avoidit, he had stolen after the new-made friends towards the porch, and hadthere overheard the parting words of the aged host to his guest: 'I shallawait your return in impatience, for I long to make a son of you.' Theyrang in his ears with discomforting freshness, and his face grew darkerthe more he pondered on them. They had been made in a generous impulse ofcourtesy and gratitude, he argued. It was absurd to take them literally,even though the meddlesome Pretorian had proved to be the son of an oldplaymate. Thus the knight proceeded, as he had often done before, intrying to soothe himself; but the logic of his arguments failed toentirely satisfy his apprehensive nature.

  'Old men take strange whims,' he communed with himself, though withoutunclosing his thin lips even on that lonesome crag. 'But then I havenothing to fear, being the only living kinsman of my worthy uncle, whoseconscientious rectitude would never allow him to play false with hislawful heir, especially when that heir has been so dutiful!'--this was afavourite joke, and his lips curved slightly. 'But for that cursed bunglerCestus, I might have been at this present hour in the serene enjoyment ofmy rights, instead of biting my nails in a daily worry. Well, at least, itafforded one happy stroke of genius, which rid me, at a single thrust, ofa cunning beast, whose knowledge has robbed me of at least five years ofmy life on the score of anxiety. _Euge_, it was well done! and it was adeed which had to be faced, sooner or later, for it was impossible thatboth could live without something of the kind happening. Let me bethankful; for if the ill performance of the business of that night led toconfusion in one way, it led to an unpremeditated conclusion in another,equally as good. I am rid of the past--it concerns me no more; but of thefuture--pah, it worries! I am too scrupulous, too patient, too long-suffering! There are more obvious affairs bungled through and winked at inRome every day. Meanwhile, I must watch my gay young Centurion, and do hima good turn at the first chance I have.'

  These and a hundred other thoughts floated through the brain of theknight; when, as he sat, a coasting vessel, which had been approachingfrom the northward, attracted his attention. It
came on, running beforethe wind, with its large square sail set full; but, from the greatelevation at which the knight sat, it looked like a small insectstruggling through the waves. He regarded it in a listless kind of way asit went by through the straits between the island and the mainland, but,when he saw it heave up in the wind, as if to bring to under the lee ofthe southern side of the island, he increased his attention to itsmovements at the expense of his meditations. The well-braced up sail ofthe galley began to shake and flap as it lost the wind under the cliffs,and it was then hauled down and the sweeps run out. The vessel, whateverits business, was, therefore, bent on making a port on the south side ofthe island. This was calculated to increase curiosity, inasmuch as it hadpassed the northern and customary landing-place, to, apparently, make useof the other, which was comparatively unused, and, in the present case,more undesirable in every way. At this moment, as he was trying to accountfor the cause, he heard the sound of voices approaching. Glancing roundthe corner of the large boulder which formed his shelter, he perceived twomen hurrying from the direction of the villa, previously described, towardthe south. One he intuitively recognised as Martialis, our Centurion, ofwhom his thoughts were so unpleasantly full. From the rapid pace and theattention which the pair seemed to bestow upon the approaching galleybelow, Afer concluded that they were proceeding down to the southernlanding-place, to watch the movements of the vessel, in accordance withthe severe and rigorous guard which was kept over the Emperor's islandhome. A few words, overheard as they passed, at a very short distance fromhim, confirmed this conjecture. The natural bent of his inclination toknow as much as possible of what was going on around him was in thegreatest measure stimulated by the monotony of island life. The growingsharpness of the evening air, moreover, prompted action, so he rose andfollowed in the same direction, as soon as he could do so without beingobserved.

  The night shades were falling, and objects were beginning to wear anindistinct and uncertain shape. The Campanian shores were already dim, butthe mountains behind heaved in dark purple masses against the clearheavens. The valley of Capreae lay in the dusk of its groves, backed bythe clear-cut, towering peak of the island mountain, over which hung theslender crescent of a young silver moon in the luminous flush of thewestern sky. The faint, wan rays of the satellite rendered the light onlymore ghostly and uncertain, save on the uplifted summit of the cliffs,where the white masonry of the villa Jovis gleamed with a paleillumination. Following the footsteps of Martialis and his companion,Afer, with scarcely less rapid step, soon quitted the cliffs, and, aftercrossing a small valley, arrived at the foot of one of those conical hillsbefore mentioned. Skirting the base of this, he came out upon anelevation, wherefrom he could see to which point the vessel was tending.Having satisfied himself on this point, that she was undoubtedly makingfor the landing-place below, he once more made his devious and steep, notto say difficult, way down to the rocky strand. He debouched at last, by azigzag flight of steps cut out of the rock, upon a little strip of stonybeach, encumbered by large boulders, of which one or two were fragments ofhuge dimensions. To the westward loomed the large forms of the threedetached rocks lying in the sea, one beyond the other, like giganticstepping-stones, and passing now by these the knight observed the slowlyapproaching galley. It was as much as he was able to do, for the gloom wasfast merging into darkness. Several fishing-boats were drawn up on thepebbly beach, and, at the foot of the steps, a portion of rock had beenexcavated and turned into a shelter-house, or coastguard station. In thedark shadow of this Afer noticed, as he expected, the forms of somewatchers, and as he was already sufficiently near to hear and see all thatoccurred, he quietly arrested his steps, and refrained from subjectinghimself to an inquisitive scrutiny. The watchers awaited in silence,broken only by whispers, and listened to the slow measured clank of thesweeps which sounded across the calm water from the approaching galley.She came tolerably close in shore, and forged ahead past their lurking-place for some distance. Then the strokes of the cumbersome oars ceased,and the tones of a voice in command came over the water. The hollow plungeof an anchor immediately followed, and all dropped into silence for atime.

  The watchers now left their shelter, and went forward along the beach.Arriving at a small creek, at the base of one of the large boulders beforedescribed, they halted, and once again clustered in the shade.

  A rattling on board the galley, followed by a splash, struck their ears,and in a few minutes more, the proof of the justness of their dispositionsappeared, in the shape of a small boat, directed with vigorous strokestoward their station.

  'Gently! just to the left of that biggest rock, and you can run usashore,' said a voice in the boat. Under this guidance the oarsman sentthe keel of the little bark grating on the pebbles. 'So,' uttered thevoice again, 'that is perfection; and now we will go on shore, and youwill not be sorry, I warrant, lady.'

  A man leaped on land, and then helped two female forms to follow.

  When they were quite clear of the boat they found themselves surrounded bythe party which had been awaiting them. The masked lanterns which thelatter carried were uncovered, and cast a stream of light upon thefeatures of the new arrivals. The two females, closely hooded, shrankaway, with sudden fear to still further hide their faces; but the man washeard to laugh behind his cloak, which he had raised before his features.

  'You are amused,' said Martialis, who was the foremost of the guard. 'Whoare you, and why are you here?'

  At the sound of his voice, one of the muffled females started and swerved,so as to obtain a glance at the speaker, whilst, at the same time, hermale companion dropped his cloak, and disclosed the handsome, swarthy, andsmiling features of Tigellinus.

  An expression of disgust crossed the face of his questioner. A murmur anda slight laugh broke from his comrades.

  'A fair night to you, Centurion,' answered Tigellinus; 'I thought theshadow of that rock would hold some of you--it usually does. But you arenot so well acquainted with me as some of the regular folk of the island.'

  'A misfortune for me, doubtless,' responded Martialis. 'You haveauthority, I believe, to come and go at will?'

  'Quite right, Centurion, I have,--as well as for whatever merchandise I canbring along with me. I go at once to my royal patron to offer what I havefor his approval. I am afraid I must rob you of one of your men,Centurion, to go on an errand to the villa Jovis; I am sorry, but it isfor Caesar's sake, whom we must all obey. Had I been going thither myselfdirect, I might have spared the legs of some one else, but, you see, Ihave to look after the wellbeing of my two friends here.'

  'The men are there at your service. You need not be at so much pains toexcuse the trouble you feel called upon to give,' said Martialis, with afrown at the man's impertinence and vulgar assumption of importance.

  'Thanks, Centurion, much,' responded Tigellinus; 'then, with your kindpermission, I will ask my good friend Rufus, whom I see there, to go on myerrand.'

  Singling out a certain man from amongst the guard, he took him aside andimparted his injunctions. The man departed, and Tigellinus turned roundand said: 'In which palace does Caesar rest at present, Centurion?'

  'In the villa of Neptune,' returned Martialis briefly, turning to leavethe shore.

  'The villa of Neptune!' echoed the other, with a grimace. 'Just my luck!Of course, when I come on shore, I must needs find my patron in thefurthest corner of the island, at the far end of the most toilsomepath--humph! And the Prefect, the mighty Sejanus, your commander,Centurion?--Proud-stomached puppy!'

  The last expression was not applied to the dreaded Prefect, but, in anundertone, to the contemptuous back which the young officer had abruptlyturned upon him.

  ''Tis the pampered creature of the pampered master,' he mutteredsneeringly to himself, 'but there is a day in store for them, or I ammistaken. Tell me then quickly, where is the Prefect lodging in thisisland of palaces? with which of the gods does he at present reside, ifthe Caesar lives with Neptune?'

  This last question, loudly as
ked, was answered by one of the coastguardmen, to the effect that the Prefect was housed, with his retinue, in thevilla dedicated to Mercury, which stood on the hill, on the north side,overlooking the town and the Marina.

  'Take us not to the Mercury of the Prefect, nor yet the Neptune ofCaesar,' said the guarded voice of one of the heavily-shrouded females, inhis ear; 'but to the lares and penates of some humble and obscureislander, where we may rest unnoticed and secure.'

  'If that be your wish, noble lady, you had better retire at once into oneof the grottoes of the cliffs,' replied Tigellinus, 'for on this mite ofan island everything is known; and one cannot hope to live on its face andremain secret. This is not Rome, but a tiny spot, where want of occupationrenders everybody and their business the concern of everybody else. It isa strange place, and one not lightly to be meddled with, as no doubt youwill discover before you are quit of it, my lady.'

  The merchant, or whatever he was, gave a laugh.

  'Spare your remarks, and do as I bid you,' said Plautia, for it was noother than she, who, together with a slave, had thus carried out herintention of visiting Capreae; 'you know to whom you are answerable for mysafe and secret conveyance to this spot.'

  'Perfectly well, noble Plau----'

  'Silence; you have already said sufficient, and it is unnecessary for yourlips to speak my name at any time--still less in this spot. Come, let usdally here no longer.'

  'I will but give a few directions to these fellows concerning the landingof my merchandise to-night, and then I will proceed with you speedily.'

  Stepping up to one of the coastguards, he spent a minute in conversation.Then he intimated he was ready, and proceeded up the steps beforedescribed, followed by the adventurous lady and her maid.

  No item of all this scene escaped the keen senses of Afer, who had variedhis position in accordance with the circumstances. Every outspoken word hehad heard, and whatever the furtive flash of the lanterns had revealed, hehad duly observed.

  Surprised with what he had witnessed, and still more puzzled to accountfor such an unexpected visitor, he lost no time in following up the pathtaken by the females and their escort.

  'I might have known that yon galley bore something strange about her,' hemurmured to himself as he went along, 'but for the fair Plautia to skipashore on the sly in Capreae, was a thing undreamt of. What brings herhere? She comes in brave company, however, and she seems to know it; butwhether she is here on Caesar's account, or the Prefect's, or her own,remains to be seen. The presence of the worthy Tigellinus seems to smackof Tiberius. Sejanus would hardly risk his billing and cooing with hisroyal sweetheart by such a presence. But, whatever be the reason, sheseems to agree wonderfully with the arrangement. Time will soon showeverything.'

  Having climbed up to the level road above, a very few minutes brought themupon the verge of the little town of Capreae, when Tigellinus swerved tothe left, which caused them to avoid the houses. This turn led them oncemore back to the south shore, or rather to the steep cliffs which formedthe coast-line. Tigellinus proceeded to the extreme edge, where they camesuddenly upon a low, flat-roofed house, flanked by fruit-trees andgardens, and nestling behind a face of the hill which rose up behind it.

  After a sharp knock, the self-designated merchant entered the house,followed by the two females. The knight, who dogged their steps, waited,and when, after a lapse of a few minutes, Tigellinus came out alone, andwent rapidly past him in the gloom, he also wended his way toward thetown, where he had his lodging. 'A very snug retreat, and now I supposethe jackal is off to the lion,' he said.