by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER XVI: IN NERO'S PALACE
Upon leaving Phaon, Beric was conducted to the room where he hadleft Scopus. The latter at once joined him, and without asking anyquestions left the palace with him.
"I would ask nothing until you were outside," Scopus said. "Theywere wondering there at the long audience you have had with Nero.Judging by the gravity of your face, things have not gone well withyou."
"They have gone well in one sense," Beric said, "though I wouldvastly rather that they had gone otherwise. I feel very much morefear now than when I stood awaiting the attack of the lion."
And he then related to Scopus the conversation he had had withNero. The lanista inclined himself humbly to the ground.
"You are a great man now, Beric, though, as you say, the place isnot without its dangers. I guessed when Caesar sent for you thathe purposed to use your strength and courage in his service. Yourface is one that invites trust, and Nero was wise enough to seethat if he were to trust you he must trust you altogether. He hasacted wisely. He deemed that, having no friends and connections inRome, he could rely upon you as he could rely upon no one who isa native here. You will be a great man, for a time at any rate."
"I would rather have remained at your ludus, Scopus. I shall feellike a little dog I saw the other day in a cage of one of thelions. The beast seemed fond of it, but the little creature knewwell that at any moment the lion might stretch out its paw andcrush it."
Scopus nodded.
"That is true enough, Beric, though there are tens of thousands inRome who would gladly run the risk for the sake of the honour andprofit. Still, as I said to you before we started, I have faith inyour good fortune and quickness, and believe that you may escapefrom the bars where another would lose his skin. Tell to none butmyself what Caesar has said to you. The world will soon guess thatyour post as private librarian is but a pretext for Caesar to haveyou near him. It is not by such a post that the victor of the arenawould be rewarded." They now went together to a goldsmith.
"Ah! Scopus, I have been expecting you. I saw you in the arenawith your two gladiators. Afterwards I saw this tall young Britonfight the lion, and when I heard that he was at your ludus I saidto myself, 'Scopus will be bringing him to me to dispose of someof the jewelry to which the ladies were so prodigal.'"
"That is our errand, Rufus. Here is the bag."
The goldsmith opened it.
"You don't expect me to name a price for all these articles, Scopus?It will take me a day to examine and appraise them; and, indeed, Ishall have to go to a friend or two for money, for there is enoughhere to stock a shop. Never did I know our ladies so liberal oftheir gifts."
"Ah!" Scopus said, "and you don't often see gifts so well deserved;but, mind you, if it had been I who had fought the lion--I, whohave nothing to recommend me in the way of either stature or looks--itwould have been a very different thing. Youth and stature andgood looks go for a great deal even in the arena, I can tell you.Well, Beric will call in a day or two. Here is the inventory of thejewels; I have got a copy at home. Do you put the price you willgive against each, and then he can sell or not as he pleases. Heis not going to sacrifice them, Rufus, for he has no need of money;Caesar has just appointed him to his household."
The manner of the jeweller changed at once.
"The list shall be ready for you in two days," he said to Bericrespectfully. "If you have need of money on account now I can letyou have as much as you will." Beric shook his head.
"I have all that I require," he said. "I will return it may be intwo days, it may be more--I know not precisely how much my dutiesmay occupy me."
"You will get full value for your goods," Scopus said when they leftthe shop--"that was why I mentioned that you had entered Nero'shousehold, for it is a great thing to have a friend at court."
"And how about yourself, Scopus? You have kept me and trained mefor months. Now you are going to lose my services just when youmight begin to get a return. Moreover, I may tell you that I shallas soon as possible get Boduoc with me. So you must name a sumwhich will amply recompense you for the trouble and expense thatyou have had with us."
"I shall be no loser, Beric. When captives in war are sent tobe trained in a ludus the lanista is paid for a year's keep andtuition for them. After that he makes what he can from those whogive entertainments. Therefore I received from the imperial treasurythe regular amount for you and your comrades. Moreover, the senatorwho gave the performances sent me a very handsome sum--more thanhe had agreed to give me for Porus and Lupus together--sayingthat, although he had not engaged you, your deeds in the arena haddelighted the people beyond measure, and that as his show would betalked about for years, it was but fair he should pay your lanistaa sum worthy of the performance. And now farewell! You know that Iand your comrades at the ludus will always be glad to see you. Weshall be back in Rome as soon as my place is rebuilt."
"You may be sure that I will come, Scopus. You have shown me muchkindness, and if in any way I can repay you I will do so. Tell BoduocI hope very shortly to have him with me, and that maybe I shall beable to find means of withdrawing the others from the arena."
As soon as they separated Beric walked rapidly to the house whereNorbanus had taken up his abode. As he reached the door he paused,for he heard within the sounds of wailing, and felt that he hadcome too late.
"Tell Norbanus," he said to the slave at the door, "that Beric ishere, but that unless he wishes to see me I will leave him undisturbed,as I fear by the cries that the Lady Ennia is dead."
"She died early this morning," the slave said. "I will tell mymaster that you are here."
He returned almost directly.
"Norbanus prays you to enter," he said, and led the way to themagistrate's study.
"Ah, my friend," the Roman said, "it is over! Ennia died thismorning. She passed away as if in sleep. It is a terrible griefto me. Thanks to the gods I can bear that as becomes a Roman; buthow would it have been had I seen her torn to pieces under my eyes?Ah, Beric you know not from what you have saved us! We could neverhave lifted up our heads again had she died so. Now we shall grievefor her as all men grieve for those they love; but it will be agrief without pain, for assuredly she died happy. She spoke of youonce or twice, and each time she said, 'I shall see him again.' Ithink she was speaking her belief, that she should meet you afterdeath. The Christian belief in a future state is like yours, youknow, Beric, rather than like ours."
"She was a gentle creature," Beric said, "and as she dared evendeath by the lions for her God, assuredly she will go to the HappyIsland, though it may not be the same that the Druids tell usBritons of. And how are the Ladies Lesbia and Aemilia?"
"My wife is well," the magistrate said. "She has not the consolationsof philosophy as I have, but I think that she feels it is betterfor the child herself that she should have so died. Ennia wouldalways have remained a Christian, and fresh troubles and persecutionswould have come. Besides, her religion would have put her apartfrom her mother and her family. To me, of course, it would have madeno difference, holding the views that I do as to the religions ofthe world; but my wife sees things in a different light. Aemiliais worn out with watching and grief, but I know that she will seeyou presently, that is, if you are not compelled to return at onceto the hills."
"I return there no more. I have seen Nero today, and he has appointedme an official in his household. It will seem ridiculous to youwhen I say that I am to be his private librarian. That, of course,is but a pretext to keep me near his person, deeming that I amstrong enough to be a useful guard to him, and being a strangeram not likely to be engaged in any intrigue that may be going on.I would rather have remained at the ludus for a time; but there isno refusing the offers of an emperor, and he spoke to me fairly,and I answered him as one man should do another, frankly and openly."
"Nero has done wisely," Norbanus said warmly, "though for youthe promotion is perilous. To be Nero's friend is to be condemnedbeforehand to death, though for a time he may show
er favours uponyou. He is fickle and inconstant, and you have not learned tocringe and flatter, and are as likely as not to anger him by youroutspoken utterances."
"I shall assuredly say what I think if he questions me," Beric saidquietly; "but if he values me as a guard, he will scarce questionme when he knows that I should express an opinion contrary to hisown."
"When do you enter his service, Beric?"
"I am to present myself tomorrow morning."
"Then you will stay with us tonight, Beric. This is a house ofmourning, but you are as one of ourselves. You must excuse ceremony,for I have many arrangements to make, as Ennia will be buriedtomorrow."
"I will go out into the garden," Beric said.
"Do so. I will send up word to Aemilia that you are there. Doubtlessshe would rather meet you there than before the slaves."
Beric had been sitting in the shade for half an hour when he sawAemilia coming towards him. Her face was swollen with crying, andthe tears were still streaming down her cheeks. Beric took herhand, and would have bent over it, when she grasped his with bothof hers and pressed it to her lips.
"Oh, Beric," she cried, "what have you not done for us, and how muchdo we not owe you! Had it not been for you, I should be mourningnow, not for Ennia who lies with a smile on her face in her chamber,but for Ennia torn to pieces and devoured by the lion. It seemedto me that I too should die, when suddenly you stood between herand the fierce beast, seeming to my eyes as if a god had come downto save her; and when all the people gave you up as lost, standingthere unarmed and calmly waiting the lion's attack, I felt that youwould conquer. Truly Ennia's God and yours must have stood besideyou, though I saw them not. How else could you have been so strongand fearless? Ennia thought so too. She told me so one night whenthe house was asleep, and I only watching beside her. 'My God waswith him,' she said. 'None other could have given him the strengthto battle with the lion. He will bring him to Himself in good time,and I shall meet him again.' She said something about your knowingthat she was a Christian. But, of course, you could not have knownthat."
"I did know it, Aemilia;" and Beric then told her of his meeting withEnnia and the old slave when they were attacked by the plundererson the way home from their place of meeting. "She promised me notto go again," he said, "without letting me know, in which caseI should have escorted her and protected her from harm. But justafter that there was the fire, and I had to go away with Scopus tothe Alban Hills; and so, as she knew that I could not escort her,I never heard from her. I would that I had been with her that nightshe was arrested, then she might not have fallen into the hands ofthe guard. Indeed, had I been here I would have gone gladly, for itseemed to me there must be something strange in the religion thatwould induce a quiet gentle girl like her to go out at night unknownto her parents. Now I desire even more to learn about it. Her Godmust surely have given her the strength and courage that she showedwhen she chose death by lions rather than deny Him."
"I, too, should like to know something about it," Aemilia said."By the way Ennia spoke, when she said you knew that she was aChristian, it seemed to me that, if you did know, which I thoughtwas impossible, she thought you were angry with her for becominga Christian."
"I was angry with her not for being a Christian, but for going outwithout your father's knowledge, and I told her so frankly. If ithad been you I should not have been so much surprised, because youhave high spirits and are fearless in disposition; but for her todo so seemed so strange and unnatural, that I deemed this religionof hers must be bad in that it taught a girl to deceive her parents."
"What did she say, Beric?"
"I could see that she considered it her duty beyond all other duties,and so said no more, knowing nothing of her religion beyond whatyour father told me."
"I wish Pollio had been here," the girl said; "he would have thoughtas I do about the loss of Ennia. My father has his philosophy, andconsiders it rather a good thing to be out of the world. My motherwas so horrified when she heard that Ennia was a Christian, that Iam sure she is relieved at her death. I am not a philosopher, andit was nothing to me whether Ennia took up with this new sect ornot. So you see I have no one who can sympathize with me. You can'tthink how dreadful the thought is that I shall be alone in future."
"We grow accustomed to all things," Beric said. "I have lost allmy relations, my country, and everything, and I am here a strangerand little better than a slave, and yet life seems not so unpleasantto me. In time this grief will be healed, and you will be happyagain."
"I am sure I should never have been happy, Beric, if she had died inthe arena. I should always have had it before my eyes--I shouldhave dreamt of it. But why do you say that until today you havebeen almost a slave? Why is it different today?"
Beric told her of his new position.
"If I could take your position, and have your strength but for onenight," Aemilia said passionately, "I would slay the tyrant. He isa monster. It is to him that Ennia's death is due. He has committedunheard of crimes; and he will kill you, too, Beric. He kills allthose whom he once favours."
"I shall be on my guard, Aemilia; besides, my danger will not begreat, for he will have nothing to gain by my death. I shall keepaloof from all intrigues, and he will have no reason to suspectme. The danger, if danger there be, will come from my refusing tocarry out any of his cruel orders. I am ready to be a guard, butnot an executioner."
"I know how it will end," the girl sighed; "but I shall hope always.You conquered the lion, maybe you will conquer Nero."
"Who is a very much less imposing creature," Beric smiled. A slavegirl at this moment summoned Aemilia into the house. She waited amoment.
"Remember, Beric," she said, "that if trouble and danger come uponyou, any such poor aid as I can give will be yours. I am a Romangirl. I have not the strength to fight as you have, but have thecourage to die; and as, at the risk of your life, you saved Enniafor us, so would I risk my life to save yours. Remember that awoman can plot and scheme, and that in dealing with Nero cunninggoes for as much as strength. We have many relatives and friendshere, too, and Ennia's death in the arena would have been viewedas a disgrace upon the whole family; so that I can rely upon helpfrom them if need be. Remember that, should the occasion arise,I shall feel your refusal of my help much more bitterly than anymisfortune your acceptance of it could bring upon me." Then turning,the girl went up to the house.
On arriving at Nero's palace the next morning, and asking for Phaon,Beric was at once conducted to his chamber.
"That is well," the freedman said as he entered. "Nero is in councilwith his architects at present. I will show you to your chamber atonce, so that you will be in readiness."
The apartment to which Phaon led Beric was a charming one. It hadno windows in the walls, which were covered with exquisitely painteddesigns, but light was given by an opening in the ceiling, underwhich, in the centre of the room, was the shallow basin into whichthe rain that penetrated through the opening fell. There were severalelegantly carved couches round the room. Some bronze statues stoodon plinths, and some pots of tall aquatic plants stood in the basin;heavy hangings covered the entrance.
"Here," Phaon said, drawing one of them aside, "is your cubicule,and here, next to it, is another. It is meant for a friend of theoccupant of the room; but I should not advise you to have anyonesleep here. Nero would not sleep well did he know that any strangerwas so close to his apartment. This, and the entrance at the otherend of the room, lead into passages, while this," and he drew backanother curtain, "is the library."
This room was about the same size as that allotted to Beric,being some twenty-five feet square. Short as the notice had been,a wooden framework of cedar wood, divided into partitions fifteeninches each way, had been erected round, and in each of these stooda wooden case containing rolls of manuscripts, the name of the workbeing indicated by a label affixed to the box. Seated at a tablein one of the angles was the Greek Chiton, who saluted Beric.
"We shall be good friends,
I hope," Beric said, "for I shall haveto rely upon you entirely for the Greek books, and it is you whowill be the real librarian."
Chiton was a man of some thirty years of age, with a pale Greekface; and looking at him earnestly Beric thought that it looked anhonest one. He had anticipated that the man Nero had chosen wouldbe placed as a spy over him; but he now concluded this was not so,and that Nero at present trusted him entirely.
"This passage," Phaon said, "leads direct to Caesar's privateapartment, a few steps only separate them. The passage on this sideof your room also leads there, so that either from here or from ityou can be summoned at once. Now let us return to your room. It isfrom there you will generally go to Nero when he summons you. Thatdoor at the end of the short passage will not be kept locked, whilethis one from the library cannot be opened from your side. Threestrokes of Nero's bell will be the signal that he requires you. Ifafter the three have sounded there is another struck smartly, youwill snatch up your sword and rush in instantly by night or day."
"What are my duties to be?" Beric asked when they had returned tohis room, "for Chiton can discharge those of librarian infinitelybetter than I can do."
"You will sit and read here, or pass the time as you like, untilnine o'clock, at which hour Nero goes to the baths. At eleven hegoes out to inspect the works or to take part in public ceremonies.At three he sups, and the meal lasts sometimes till seven or eight,sometimes until midnight. Your duties in the library will end whenhe goes to the baths, and after that you will be free, unless hesummons you to attend him abroad, until supper is concluded. Atnight you will draw back the curtains between the passage and yourroom and that of your cubicule, so that you may hear his summons,or even his voice if loudly raised. You will lie down with yoursword ready at hand. I should say your duties will begin at sixin the morning, and it is only between that hour and nine that youwill be a prisoner in the library."
"I shall not find it an imprisonment," Beric said. "Three hoursis little enough to study, with all that wealth of books ready athand. How about Chiton?"
"He will be on duty whenever the emperor is in the palace; beyondthat he is free to go where he likes, so that he be ready at alltimes to produce any book that Nero may call for. Your meals willbe brought up to you by your attendant from the imperial kitchen.There are, you know, baths in the palace for the use of theofficials. You will find in this chest a supply of garments of allkinds suitable for different occasions, and here, in the cubicule,ready to hand, are a sword and dagger, with a helmet, breastplate,and shield, to be worn only when Caesar desires you to accompanyhim armed. If there is anything else that you require, you havebut to give the order to your attendant, who will obtain it fromthe steward of the palace."
At this moment a slave drew aside the hanging: "Caesar expects you,Beric."
Nero was standing at the top of the steps into the garden whenBeric entered.
"Walk with me, Beric," he said. "For three hours I have been goinginto the affairs of the city, and hearing letters read from thegovernors of the provinces. It will be a change to talk of otherthings. Tell me about this Britain of yours. I know about yourwars, tell me of your life at home."
Beric at once complied. He saw that it was not information aboutreligion and customs that the emperor desired to hear, but talk aboutsimple matters that would distract his thoughts from the cares ofstate. He talked, then, of his native village, of his mother withher maids at work around her, of hunting expeditions as a boy withBoduoc, and how both had had a narrow escape of being devoured bywolves. Nero listened in silence as they strolled under the deepshade of the trees. At times he hardly seemed to be listening, butoccasionally he asked a question that showed he was following whatBeric said.
"Your talk is like a breath from the snow clad mountains," he saidat last, "or a cup of cold water to a thirsty traveller. The wordRomans never occurred in it, and yet it was in our tongue. You werebrought up among us, as I heard. Tell me of that."
Briefly Beric described his life at Camalodunum.
"It is a strange mixture," Nero said; "the cultivated Roman andthe wild Briton. I understand now better than I did before, yourrisking your life for the Christian girl in the arena. You did notlove her?"
"No, Caesar; we Britons do not think of marriage until we are atleast five-and-twenty. We hold that young marriages deteriorate arace. Ennia was little more than a child, according to our notions.She was scarce sixteen, and when I saw her before, for a few daysonly, she was a year younger; but I think that I should have donethe same had I never seen her before. We Britons, like the Gauls,hold women in high respect, and I think that few of my people wouldhesitate to risk their lives to save a helpless woman."
"I think we are all for self here," Nero said; "but we can admirewhat we should not think of imitating. I like you, Beric, becauseyou are so different from myself and from all around me. We areproducts of Rome, you of the forest; every man here sighs for poweror wealth, or lives for pleasure--I as much as any. We suffernone to stand in our way, but trample down remorselessly all whohinder us. As to risking our lives for the sake of a woman, andthat woman almost a stranger, such an idea would never so much asoccur to us. This is not the only girl you have saved. I receiveda letter from Caius Muro some months ago, saying that the newshad come to him in Syria that Beric, the young chief of the Iceni,who had so long withstood Suetonius, had been brought a prisonerto Rome, and he besought me, should Beric still be alive, to showfavour to him, as he had saved his little daughter, when all othershad been slain, at the sack of Camalodunum, and that he had hiddenher away until after the defeat of Boadicea, and had then sent hersafe and unharmed back to the Romans. The matter escaped my mindtill now, though, in truth, I bade my secretary write to him to saythat I would befriend you. But it is strange that, having so muchlife and spirit in that great body of yours, you should yet holdlife so cheaply. It was the way with our forefathers, but it isnot so now, perhaps because our life is more pleasant than theirswas. Tell me, has Phaon done all to make you comfortable? Is thereaught else that you would wish? if so, speak freely."
"There is one thing I should like, Caesar; I should like to havewith me my follower Boduoc, he who was the companion of my boyhood,who fought with me in that hut against the wolves, and was ever bymy side in the struggle among our fens. I ask this partly for myown sake, and partly that I may the better do the duty you haveset me of acting as your guard. The air of palaces is heavy, andmen wake not from sleep as when they lie down in the forest andcarry their lives in their hands. I might not hear your call; butwith him with me we could keep alternate watch through the night,and the slightest sounds would reach our ears. We could even takepost close to the hangings of your chamber, just as the Praetoriansguard all the avenues on the other side. I might even go further.There were twenty of my countrymen brought hither with me. Allare picked men, not one but in strength and courage is my equal.I would say, place them in offices in the palace; make them doorkeepers, or place some of them here as labourers under your gardeners,then at all times you would have under your orders a body of twentydevoted men, who would escort you in safety though half Rome werein tumult. They would sleep together among the slaves, where Icould instantly summon them. I can answer for their fidelity, theywould follow me to the death against any foe I bade them attack."
"It is an excellent idea, Beric, and shall be carried out. Theywere all sent to the ludi, if I mistake not, and will have skill aswell as strength and courage. I will bid my secretary send an orderfor their discharge, and that they present themselves to Phaontomorrow. He will find occupations for them, and I will myselfbid him so dispose of them that they shall be well satisfied withtheir appointments. Truly, as you say, a guard of twenty gladiatorsof your strength and courage might well defend me against a host.Now it is time that I went to my bath."
Upon the following day the British captives were all disposed asdoor keepers in the palace. Beric was present when they presentedthemselves before Phaon, and had afterwards a private i
nterviewwith them. They were delighted at finding that they were againunder his leadership. All hated as much as ever the occupation ofgladiator, although only the man who had defeated Lupus had as yetappeared in the arena.
"Your duties will be simple and easy," Beric said. "You will onlyhave to see that no strangers pass you without authority. Eachof you will have one or more attendants with you, who will takethe names of those who present themselves to those whom they wishto see, and will, on bringing an authorization for them to pass,escort them to the person with whom they have business. Of coursethe orders will be different at different posts, but these youwill receive from the officials of the chamberlain. You will be onduty, as I learn, for six hours each day, and will for the rest ofthe time be free to go where you please. I suppose by this time allof you have learned sufficient Latin to converse freely. Rememberthat at nine o'clock in the evening you must all be in the palace.Phaon has arranged for an apartment that you will occupy together.There you will keep your arms, and be always ready, when you receivea message from me, to attend prepared for fighting. There is onething more: do not mingle with the Romans more than you can help;listen to no tales relating to the emperor, and let no man discusswith you any question of state. Everything that is done in the palaceis known, and were you seen talking with any man who afterwards fellunder the suspicion of Nero it might cost you your lives. Rememberthat, whatever may be the duties assigned to you here, we arereally assembled as a sort of special bodyguard to him; he is ourgeneral. It is no business of ours what his private acts may be.It may be that he is cruel to the powerful and wealthy, but on theother hand he spends his money lavishly on the people of Rome, andis beloved by them. If they as Romans do not resent his acts towardssenators and patricians it is no business of ours, strangers andforeigners here, to meddle in the matter. It may be that in time,if we do our duty well, Nero may permit us to return to Britain."
There was a murmur of approval.
"Nero may cut off the head of every man in Rome for what I care,"Boduoc said. "I owe nothing to the Romans. They are all our enemies,from the highest to the lowest; and if Nero is disposed to be ourfriend he can do what he likes with them. But I do wish he hadgiven us something more to do than to hang about his palace."
Six months passed. Beric stood high in favour with Nero. Two orthree times, in order to test the vigilance of his guard, he hadsounded his bell. On each occasion an armed figure had instantlyentered his room, only to retire when he waved his hand; so thatthe slave who slept at the other door found Nero alone when heentered, and brought him a cooling drink, or performed some otherlittle office that served as an excuse for his summons, the emperorbeing well aware how great would be the jealousy of the Praetorianguard, were report to reach them that Caesar had guards savethemselves.
Beric often followed in the train of the emperor when he went abroad;and as it speedily became known that he was a favourite of Nero,his friendship was eagerly sought by those who frequented the court,and his good offices solicited by those who had requests to makeof the emperor. Large sums of money had been sometimes offered himfor his good offices, but he steadily refused to accept any presentswhatever, or to mingle in the affairs of others, except in veryoccasional cases, where it seemed to him that those who sought hisaid had been cruelly and unfairly dealt with by officials or venalmagistrates.
The sale of his jewels had brought him in a large sum of money,which he had placed in the hands of Norbanus; and the handsomeappointments Nero had assigned to his office were very muchmore than sufficient for his wants. He was always a welcome guestat the house of Norbanus, and now that he was an official high infavour with Nero, even Lesbia received him with marked courtesy.The conversation always turned, when the ladies were present, upongeneral topics--the gossip of society in Rome, news from theprovinces, and other similar matters, for Beric begged them not tospeak of the serious events of the day.
"I am one of Nero's guards, and I do not want to have to hate mywork, or to wish well to those from whom I am bound to protect him.To me he is kind and friendly. At times when I am with him in thegarden or alone in his room he talks to me as an equal, of booksand art, the condition of the people, and other topics.
"It seems to me that there are two Neros: the one a man such as hewas when he ascended the throne--gentle; inclined to clemency;desirous of the good of his people, and of popularity; a lover ofbeautiful things; passionately devoted to art in all its branches;taking far greater pleasure in the society of a few intimate friendsthan in state pageants and ceremonies. There is another Nero; ofhim I will not talk. I desire, above all things, not to know ofhim. I believe that he has been driven to this war upon many of thebest and worthiest in Rome, by timidity. He is suspicious. Possiblyhe has reason for his suspicions; possibly they are unfounded.I do not wish to defend him. All this is a matter for you Romans,and not for me. I wish to know nothing about it; to leave all publicmatters to those they may concern; to shut my eyes and my ears asmuch as I can to all that goes on around me. It is for that reasonthat I go so little to other houses save this. I meet those aboutthe court at the baths, the gymnasium, and in the streets. But atthese places men speak not of public affairs, they know not whomay be listening; and certainly they would not speak before me.Happily, as I am known to stand high in Caesar's favour, I am thelast person to whom they would say aught in his blame. Thus it isthat, though sometimes I come, from chance words let fall, to knowthat proscriptions, accusations, confiscations, and executions takeplace; that the Christians are still exposed to horrible persecutionsand tortures; that a gloom hangs over society, and that no man ofwealth and high station can regard himself as safe, it is only avague rumour of these things that I hear; and by keeping my earssealed and refusing to learn particulars, to listen to privategriefs and individual suffering, I am still able to feel that Ican do my duty to Caesar."
Norbanus and Lesbia alike agreed with Beric's reasoning; theformer, indeed, himself took but comparatively little interest inwhat passed around him. The latter was, on the other hand, absorbedin the politics of the hour. She was connected with many noblefamilies, and knew that a member of these might fall at any momentunder Nero's displeasure. To have a friend, then, high in thefavour of Nero was a matter of great importance; and she thereforeimpressed upon all her intimates that when they found Beric ather house they should scrupulously avoid all discussion of publicaffairs.
