by Felix Dahn
CHAPTER V.
But Fulvius did not come back that night.
When he and Crispus had passed through the Porta Vindelica, and hadturned into the Via Augustana, in which stood the church of Saint Peterand the little house of the priest, they noticed Zeno, who was knockingat the door of a magnificent building at the other end of the street.It was the house of the Judge.
"He is using despatch," said Crispus. "It is well that we are alreadyhere." And he touched the knocker, which in shape like a cross hung onthe small door of the priest's house.
"He will manage all through the Judge, who is his son-in-law," saidFulvius, anxiously.
"And deeply indebted to the usurer. That holds everything together,like sticky mud."
The door was opened, and a slave led them through a long, narrowpassage, dimly lighted by an oil lamp in a little niche in the wall, tothe room of the priest; drew back the curtain, and ushered in the twoguests.
The half-dark room was almost void of furniture: the lid of a largechest served as a table, on it stood writing materials; on the wallsone saw a lamb, a fish, a dove, very roughly sketched and painted a redcolour.
Johannes, although in conversation with two priests, immediately turnedtowards them; a meagre form, upright, in spite of his seventy years, bythe force of a strong, enthusiastic will; a gray Capuchin dress, tiedround the loins with a cord, was all his attire; a silver ring of whitehair, which shone like a nimbus, encircled his head. A long white beardfell low on his breast.
"A moment's patience, dear friends," said he. "The business of mybrothers here is urgent; you see, they have the traveller's hat andstaff--but it will soon be concluded. Thou, Timotheus, wilt returnto-night to thy post. It is well that thou hast given the warning; butonly the hireling forsakes his flock, the good shepherd remainsconstant to it."
"I go," said the one addressed, a young subdeacon, blushing quiteabashed: "I certainly did not wish to run away from the barbarians--Ionly wished"----
"To give a warning, certainly. And then, perhaps, the spirit ofcowardice suggested this to thee--that Johannes would keep thee herewithin the safe walls of this fortress. But I say to thee: 'Except theLord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.' And if thetroubles of war come over the poor people out there, thy consolationswill be needed. Go with God, my son, back to thy cell at Isunisca."
"Are the barbarians already so near?" cried Crispus, alarmed.
"Apparently; at least, brother Timotheus heard, three nights ago,horsemen ride by his cell with unshod steeds. Those were not Romans."
"They were the night-riders, the gods of the heathen, led by Wotan, thedevil chief, whom our fathers named Teutates, but the RomansMercurius," said Bojorix, the deacon, an older man, and he trembled forfear.
"Hardly," said Johannes, with a quiet smile, "for afterwards in clearday, one of these night-phantoms, with a long flowing gray beard, andclad in a wolf's skin, dashed into a company of armed merchants at thebridge across the Inn, seized the largest wine-skin from the waggon,threw it on his horse, and rode away. Spectres do not drink this year'sRaeter wine. This news from the _west_ disturbs me less than the absenceof news from the _east_--from Ovilava and Lentia! There certainly camefrom there, through the Porta Latina, a few peasants into the market;but I did not know them: I was suspicious of them. Well, we stand inthe protection of the Lord, in the rising as in the setting of the sun!But thou, Stephen"----
But he who was addressed heard not.
Gently rebuking him, the Presbyter took hold of his garment: "Stephen,Stephen, dost thou still understand only the barbarian name Bojorix?Thou, my Stephen, say to the children of the widow at Foutes: I willpledge the silver vessels of the church, keeping back only one for use,and with the proceeds satisfy the money-lender, and save her fromslavery. I will bring the money to-morrow, or the day following."
"O, sir, they are so anxious. Why not tonight?"
"To-night I must bind afresh the wounds of the poor leprous Jew, whomthe doctors will no more touch, and watch by him. Go now, both of you,my brethren: and may the Angel of the Lord who led Tobias hover aroundyour traveller's staff. Fear not, although it is night: you walk inlight."
Reverently saluting, they departed; Johannes refused the kiss that theywished to press on his hand.
"And now to you, my friends," said he; "what can I do for you?"
With haste and excitement, each supplementing the other, they laidtheir anxieties before the priest; he listened gravely, attentively.
"It is," said he then, "as my dear penitent has said. Krates, themaster, set free the parents and the child: before me, in thisBasilica."
"Oh, then we are safe from that base man!" rejoiced Fulvius.
"So long as I live: but I am an old man; this night the Lord may callme. Haste is necessary against this profligate. Yon knew Galla, thechild of Gaudentius, who lives near to the tax-office. She waseighteen years old. It was only a few days ago. The villain saw her atmid-day:--before night she had disappeared:--next morning she layshattered at the foot of the rock of the Capitol;--it was said she hadmet with an accident while gathering berries--but a fisherman, who wasdrawing his nets at daybreak, confided to me that he saw her throwherself from the tower-window."
"The Tribune lives there!" cried Crispus.
Fulvius, speechless, grasped at the hammer in his tunic.
"Come! The Judge, the Curies will not take any declaration so late.They are feasting and carousing. We will seek out the elders of thecongregation: I will swear before them my knowledge of theemancipation. And I will to-night consider with thee if we cannotprotect thy wife's innocence, and also thyself and thy inheritance,brave stone-mason, against this usurer. Follow me."
They hastened all three into the street. It was still tolerably light;the twilight of the long Jane evening only very gradually deepened. Asthey reached the house of the Judge, the outer door opened: the mastercame out escorting the money-dealer.
"I will," said he, "send there early to-morrow. Thy right is undoubted;and as the flight of the debtor is probable, I will issue thewarrant--but there he stands before us."
Zeno turned towards the street and saw the three men approaching; itdispleased him to see his victim in company with the priest, whom theburghers loved, whom he feared and hated. He greeted him coldly; therewere other people in the street, it would have injured himself torefuse one so honoured a greeting, but he wished to pass by himquickly.
"Halt, Zeno of Byzantium!" cried the priest aloud--and one would nothave credited the old man with this strength of voice--"I have to warnthee, thee and that voluptuous Tribune. I know too well of your sins:the measure is full. If you do not repent, I cannot longer suffer youin the fellowship of the saints." The merchant grew pale. "A usurerthou art; and he--he is a murderer of body and soul. You will not carryit out. Know that, if the letter is burnt, the pure wife shall not begiven up to you. She is free--set free before me in the church."
"Thou canst easily say that," said Zeno, with a crafty look.
"I go to swear it before witnesses."
"Then no one knows it except the old man," thought the other.
"But thou who takest thirty and more per cent., I will bring thee toaccount before the congregation. And not for that alone. Think of thypoor Syrian slave! I will also accuse thee, on her account, before thesecular tribunal." The Byzantian trembled. "And thou and thatcommander-in-chief of lust and power, if you cannot clear yourselvesfrom the blood of Galla, I will expel you next Sunday from the Church."
Before Zeno could answer there was a clang of weapons and the sound ofheavy steps, and a company of the Tribune's Isaurians turned thecorner. The centurion hastened to the merchant:
"I seek thee! I was directed from thy house here, to the Judge. Read!From the Tribune!"
Zeno took the small wax tablet, "Open?" asked he suspiciously.
"Sealed for us," laughed the soldier; "we do not read; we only fight."
Zeno read: "It was only th
e knee. My Greek slave has by frictionreduced the swelling. I shall to-morrow again mount my horse.Threefold, if thou gettest the woman to-morrow!"
The Greek exchanged a quick look with the Judge; he then, with thereverse end of the style, rubbed the tablet smooth, effacing thewriting, turned the style and wrote:
"The priest alone knows that she was set free. On Sunday he denouncesthee publicly. Dead dogs do not bark."
"Take that to thy Tribune," said he to the centurion.
"I cannot. I go on guard at the Vindelician gate. But here, Arsakes, goback to the Capitol."
He gave the tablet to one of the soldiers, who saluted and disappeared.
"At the Vindelician gate? Wait, then!" And Zeno whispered a word to theJudge.
"Halt, centurion!" cried the latter, "My Carcerarii are not withincall; in case of necessity I can exercise authority over you warriors,according to the law of the Emperor Diocletian. Seize that debtor ofthe state, whose escape is suspected, and take him to the prison fortax-debtors; it stands by the Vindelician gate."
Fulvius was in a moment surrounded; the centurion laid hold of hisshoulder, four men seized his arms.
"Oh, Felicitas!" sighed he, utterly helpless.
"I will save her! I will go to her immediately!" cried Crispus, and hehastened away.
He was about to turn the comer, when there sounded suddenly thehoof-strokes of a horseman riding along in mad haste, followed by atumultuous crowd: soldiers, burghers, women, children--all pell-mell.
"One of our Moorish horsemen!" cried the centurion, as he caught thehorse's bridle. "Jarbas! Comrade in arms! What is the matter?"
The rider, who was dripping with water, raised himself high in thesaddle; he had lost helmet and shield, he held a broken spear in hisright hand, blood streamed over his naked left arm.
"Tell the Tribune," cried he in a hoarse voice, as if making a lasteffort. "I can do no more--the arrow in my neck--they are there--closethe gates--the Germans stand before the town!" And dropping the bridle,he fell backwards from his horse.
He was dead!
