CHAPTER XVIII.
A REFUGEE.
"A priest of Jupiter here!" exclaimed Duilia. "When his temple is on fire!Bid him be off--but stay. Who let him in?"
"Lady, the Chaldaean introduced him."
"He had no right to do so. Let him entertain him. I desire to see the end.Run. The roof is on fire--the eagles will be down--or melt away."
"Lady! the Magian commissioned me to assure you that he bears an importantcommunication."
"Say I am engaged."
A minute later, the Chaldaean himself arrived on the housetop and addressedthe mistress.
"I cannot attend to your abracadabra," said she, in reply to his requestto be heard. "Look there. The Capitol is in flames, the temple of JupiterOptimus Maximus blazes. I know what he wants--he has come begging. They allbeg. I have no money. I am interested in the fire, the Revolution, and allthat sort of thing."
"Lady Longa," said Elymas, "There are moments that are turning points inevery life. A great chance offers. Take it, or put it away forever."
"You worry me past endurance. What is it? Look! the flames are lickingJupiter in his chariot."
"If you will step aside I will speak. Not here."
Duilia with an impatient toss of her head and shrug of her shoulders,gathered up her garment with one hand, stepped to a distant part of theroof, and said, sulkily--
"Well, what is this about?"
"You know that the Praefect of Rome who supped at your house the other dayis besieged in the Capitol."
"Well--this is no news."
"And that for security, lest they should be put to death by Vitellius orthe soldiery, he took his children and his nephew there with him."
"So I have been told. That does not concern me. Why did he not take alsohis fat wife? she would have fed the flames."
"My lady--the Capitol cannot hold out another half hour, and then allwithin will be butchered."
"Can I help that? They all do it. This sort of thing happens inrevolutions invariably. I cannot alter the course of the world."
"But, madam, the son of Vespasian, Flavius Domitianus has escaped throughthe Tabularium, by a little door into the Forum."
"He might have escaped by turning a somersault over the walls for aught Icare."
"His life is in extreme jeopardy. If discovered he will be assassinated,most assuredly."
"Well, that is the way these things go."
"I have brought him hither--disguised as a priest."
"What!"
The lady became rigid, eyes, mouth and nostrils.
"What!"
"He escaped disguised as a priest of Jupiter. As such, with veiled head hehas passed unmolested, even through the ranks of the soldiery and people,inclined to tear him to pieces, for they are all on the side of thereigning prince."
"Domitian here! What a fool you are, Elymas. I'll have you tossed off theroof, in punishment. By Hercules! you compromise me. If it be suspectedthat he is here, I shall have the house ransacked, and all my valuablesplundered, and the Gods alone know what may become of me."
"That is true, lady, and you must run the risk."
"I will not," said Duilia, stamping angrily on the concrete of the roof."Is it not enough to have the house turned upside down with thisdetestable Saturnalia! Age of Gold indeed! Age of tomfoolery andupside-downedness. If my poor dear man had but done what he ought, therewould have been none of these commotions, and I--well--I--I would have putdown the Saturnalia."
"Madam, this is all beside the mark. Domitian, the son of FlaviusVespasian, whom the world has saluted Emperor, and sworn to, is under yourroof as a suppliant."
"How unfortunate!"
"How fortunate!"
"I cannot see that."
"Then, madam, the clouds of night must have got into your brain. Do younot see that you are running a very slight risk. None suspect that he isin concealment here, as I smuggled him into the house."
"There are my slaves."
"They regard him as a priest escaping from the fire and the siege," saidthe soothsayer. He continued--"Before morning the Illyrian legions willhave arrived in Rome. Do you suppose the German bodyguard can standagainst them? What other troops has Vitellius to fall back on? None--he isdeserted. His cause is fatally smitten. By to-morrow evening he will bedead, cast down the Gemonian stair. Vespasian will be proclaimed in theForum. Your risk will be at an end, and you will have obtained the lastinggratitude of the Imperial father, who will do anything you desire, to showhis thankfulness to you for having saved the life of his son."
"There is something in that," said Duilia.
"And suppose now that Domitian is here, that you bid your slaves ejecthim, and he falls into the hands of Vitellius, how will you be regarded bythe Flavian family? Do you not suppose that you will be the first tosuffer the resentment of the Augustus?"
"There is a good deal in that," said Duilia, to which the Magus said,--
"I have no fear of betrayal from any in the house save Senecio, thatowl-like philosopher. He is not like the slaves, he may suspect, and tripme up."
"My good Elymas," interrupted Duilia, "do not concern yourself about him.He is not a man to chew nutshells when he can munch kernels."
"Domitian is in my apartment, will you see him, lady?"
"By all means. I have a notion. Go, fetch Domitia, bring her down there tome."
Then Longa descended to that portion of the mansion where were situatedthe rooms given up to the soothsayer; they were on one side of a smallcourt, and the philosopher occupied chambers on the other side. Across thewater tank in the midst many an altercation had taken place.
Senecio was not there now. He was probably out taking a philosophic viewof the internecine strife, and moralizing over the burning of the Capitol.
With a benignant smile and a tear in her eye, Duilia almost ran toDomitian, her two hands extended. She had just looked round the court tomake sure she was unobserved and that there was no one within earshot.
"I am so grateful to the Gods," she said, with a tremor in her voice,"that they should allow me the honor and happiness of offering you anasylum. Blood is thicker than water. Though I perish for my advocacy ofyour dear father--I cannot help it. Cousins must be cousinly. It is with usa family peculiarity--we hang together like a swarm of bees."
The young man cautiously removed his white veil or head-covering, andexposed his face, that was somewhat pale. He had a shy modest appearance,a delicate complexion that flushed and paled at the changes of emotion inhis heart. His eyes were a watery gray, large, but he screwed the eyelidstogether, as though near-sighted. He was fairly well built, but hadspindle legs, no calves, and his toes as if cut short.
In manner he was awkward, without ease in his address; owing to the lowassociates with whom he had consorted, having been kept short of money,and to his lack of acquaintance with the courtesies of the culturedclasses.
"I thank you. My life is in danger. I came hither, as my uncle supped herethe other day, and I knew something about kinship. I had nowhere elsewhither to go. I would have been hunted out and murdered had I gone to myuncle--my mother's brother. They would have sought me there first of all."
"You shall stay here till all danger is past. I should esteem myself thevilest of women were I to refuse you my protection at such a time as this.Senecio, my philosopher, is out, gadding about--of course. You shall occupyhis room, and I shall give strict orders that he be not admitted. I willnot have philosophers careering in and out of my house, at all hours, aspleases them. This is not a rabbit warren, as the Gods love me! But herecomes my daughter to unite with me in assurance of welcome andprotection."
Domitia had entered, in obedience to the command transmitted by thesorcerer.
There was but one oil lamp on a table in the chamber, and consequently atfirst she did not discern who was there addressed by her mother. ButDuilia stepped aside and allowed the light to flash over the face ofDomitian.
The moment the girl saw it, she started back and put her hands to herbosom.
"My dear child," said Longa Duilia, "you will thank the Lares and Penates,that our cousin has taken refuge with us. The Capitol is in flames, theImperial guards are storming the walls, there is, I fear, no hope for ourdear good friend Flavius Sabinus. Poor man, how he enjoyed himself atsupper here the other day! We may hope for the best, but not expectimpossibilities. Revolutions and all these sorts of things have theirnatural exits, the sword, the Tullianum and the Gemonian steps--horrible,but inevitable. Domitian has fled to us, disguised as a priest of Jupiter.O my dear, what a nice thing it is that there is so much religion leftamong the common people that they respected his cloth. Well, here he is,and we must do what we can for him."
"Cast him out," said Domitia hoarsely.
"What, my love?"
"Cast him out--the beast, the crowned beast, the new Nero. The fifth thatwas and the eighth that will be."
Duilia raised her eyebrows.
"My dear, I don't in the least understand enigmas. I was never clever atthem, though my parts are not generally accounted bad."
"Mother, I pray you, I beseech you as you desire my happiness, do notharbor him under your roof. Cast him forth. What ho! Slaves!"
Domitian started and caught the girl by the shoulders.
"You would betray me?"
"I would have you thrust forth into the street."
"To be murdered--torn to pieces by the blood-thirsty mob?"
"It is to save myself."
"Thyself! I do thee no harm."
"Do not attend to her. It is childish, maidenly timidity," said Duilia,frowning at Domitia and shaking her finger at her. "She knows that, toscreen you, we run great risks ourselves. We may be denounced--we may.--Asthe Gods love me! There is no saying what we may be called on to suffer.But I say, perish all the family rather than offend against hospitality."
"Mother," said Domitia. Her face was white as ashes. "Send him forth. Ifhe were not a coward, a mean coward, he would not come here, to the houseof two women, and shelter himself behind their skirts. Titus FlaviusDomitianus, dost thou call thyself a man?"
He looked furtively at the girl, and muttered something that wasunintelligible.
"If thou art a man, go forth, run us not into danger. If thou tarry here--Iesteem thee as the basest of men."
"I praise the Gods!" said Longa Duilia, in towering wrath, "she does notcommand in this house. That do I; and when I say welcome, there you stay,and she shall not gainsay me."
"Mother--to welcome him, is to exile, to destroy me."
"This is rank folly."
"Mother, eject him!"
"I will not. I prithee, Domitian, when your dear father is proclaimed inRome,--forget this girl's folly, and remember only that I sheltered thee."
"I will remember. I am not one to forget."
"There is no escape," sighed Domitia. "Whom the Gods will destroy--theypursue remorselessly. Well, be it so.--Stay then, coward! I am undone."
"STAY THEN, COWARD." _Page 153._]