CHAPTER III.
GALLIC VIRTUE.
So great was the distrust in which Albinik and his wife held everythingRoman, that before passing the night in the tent to which they had beentaken, they examined it carefully. The tent, round of form, wasdecorated inside with woolen cloth, striped in strongly contrastingcolors. It was fixed on taut cords which were fastened to stakes driveninto the earth. The cloth of the tent did not come down close to theground, and Albinik remarked that between the coarsely tanned hideswhich served as a carpet, and the lower edge of the tent, there remaineda space three times the width of his palm. There was no other visibleentrance to the tent but the one the couple had just crossed, which wasclosed by two flaps of cloth overlapping each other. An iron bedfurnished with cushions was half enveloped in draperies, with which onecould shut himself in by pulling a cord hanging over the head of thebed. A brass lamp, raised on a long shaft stuck into the ground, feeblylighted the interior of the tent.
After examining silently and carefully the place where he was to passthe night with his wife, Albinik said to her in a whisper:
"Caesar will have us spied upon to-night. They will listen to ourconversation. But no matter how softly they come, or how cunningly theyhide themselves, no one can approach the cloth from the outside tolisten to us, without our seeing, through that gap, the feet of thespy," and he pointed out to his wife the circular space left between theearth and the lower rim of the tent cloth.
"Do you think, then, Albinik, that Caesar has any suspicions? Could hesuppose that a man would have the courage to mutilate himself in orderto induce confidence in his feelings of revenge?"
"And our brothers, the inhabitants of the regions which we have justtraversed, have they not shown a courage a thousand times greater thanmine, in giving up their country to the flames? My one hope is in theabsolute need our enemy has of Gallic pilots to conduct his ships alongthe Breton coasts. Now especially, when the land offers not a singleresource to his army, the way by sea is perhaps his only means ofsafety. You saw, when he learned of that heroic devastation, that hecould not, even he, always so dissembling, they say, hide hisconsternation and fury, which he then tried to forget in the fumes ofwine. And that is not the only debauchery to which he gives himself up.I saw you blush under the obstinate looks of the infamous debauchee."
"Oh, Albinik! while my forehead reddened with shame and anger under theeyes of Caesar, twice my hand sought and clasped under my garments theweapon with which I am provided. Once I measured the distance whichseparated me from him--it was too great."
"At the first movement, before reaching him, you would have been piercedwith a thousand sword thrusts. Our project is worth more. If itthrives," added Albinik, throwing a meaning glance at his companion, andinstead of speaking low as he had been doing up till now, raising hisvoice little by little, "if our project thrives, if Caesar has faith inmy word, we will be able at last to avenge ourselves on my tormentor.Oh, I tell you, I feel now for Gaul the hatred with which the Romansonce inspired me!"
Surprised by Albinik's words, Meroe stared at him in amazement. But by asign he showed her, through the empty space left between the ground andthe cloth, of the tent, the toes of the sandals of the interpreter, whohad approached and now listened without. At once the young womanreplied:
"I share your hate, as I have shared your heart's love, and the peril ofyour mariner's life. May Hesus cause Caesar to understand what servicesyou can render him, and I shall be the witness of your revenge as I wasthe witness of your torture."
These words, and many others, exchanged by the couple to the end ofdeceiving the interpreter, apparently reassured the spy of the honestyof the two prisoners, for presently they saw him move away.
Shortly thereafter, at the moment that Albinik and Meroe, fatigued withtheir long journey, were about to throw themselves into bed in theirclothes, the interpreter appeared at the entry. The uplifted clothdisclosed several Spanish soldiers.
"Caesar wishes to converse with you immediately," said the interpreterto the mariner. "Follow me."
Albinik felt certain that the suspicions of the Roman general, if he hadany, had just been allayed by the interpreter's report, and that themoment had come when he was to learn the mission with which they wishedto charge him. Accordingly, he prepared to leave the tent, and Meroewith him, when the interpreter said to the young woman, stopping herwith a gesture:
"You may not accompany us. Caesar wishes to speak with your companionalone."
"And I," answered the seaman, taking his wife by the hand, "I shall notleave Meroe."
"Do you really refuse my order?" cried the interpreter. "Beware,beware!"
"We go together to Caesar," began Meroe, "or we go not at all."
"Poor fools! Are you not prisoners at our mercy?" said the interpreterto them, pointing to the soldiers, motionless at the door of the tent."Willingly or unwillingly, I will be obeyed."
Albinik reflected that resistance was impossible. Death he was notafraid of; but to die was to renounce his plans at the moment when theyseemed to be prospering. Nevertheless, the thought of leaving Meroealone in the tent disturbed him. The young woman divined the fears ofher husband, and feeling, like him, that they must resign themselves,said:
"Go alone. I shall wait for you without fear, true as your brother is anable armorer."
Reassured by his wife's significant words, Albinik followed theinterpreter. The door flaps of the tent, for the moment raised, fellback into place. Immediately, from behind them, she heard a heavy thud.She ran towards the place, and saw that a thick wicker screen had beenfastened outside, closing the door. The young woman was at firstsurprised with this precaution, but she presently thought that it wouldbe better to remain thus secured while awaiting Albinik, and thatperhaps he himself had asked that the tent be closed till his return.
Meroe accordingly seated herself thoughtfully on the bed, full of hopein the interview which undoubtedly her husband was then having withCaesar. Suddenly her revery was broken by a singular noise. It came fromthe part directly in front of the bed. Almost immediately, the clothparted its whole length. The young woman sprang to her feet. Her firstmovement was to seize the poniard which she carried under her blouse.Then, trusting in herself and in the weapon which she held, she waited,calling to mind the Gallic proverb, "He who takes his own life in hishands has nothing to fear but the gods!"
Against the background of dense shadows on which the tent cloth parted,Meroe saw the young Moorish slave approach, wrapped in her whitegarments. As soon as the slave had put her foot in the tent, she fellupon her knees, and stretched out her clasped hands to Albinik'scompanion. Touched by the suppliant gesture and the grief imprinted onthe face of the slave, Meroe felt neither suspicion nor fear, butcompassion mingled with curiosity, and she laid her poniard at the headof the bed. The Moorish girl advanced, creeping on her knees, her twohands still extended towards Meroe, who, full of pity, leaned towardsthe suppliant, meaning to raise her up. But when the slave hadsufficiently approached the bed where the poniard was, she raisedherself with a bound, and leaped to the weapon. Evidently she had notlost sight of it since entering the tent, and before Albinik's stupefiedcompanion could oppose her, the poniard was flung into the outerdarkness.
By the peal of savage laughter which burst from the Moorish girl whenshe had thus disarmed Meroe, the latter saw that she had been betrayed.She ran toward the dark passage to recover her poniard, or to flee. Butout of those shadows, she saw coming--Caesar.
Stricken with fear, the Gallic woman recoiled several steps, Caesaradvanced likewise, and the slave disappeared by the opening, which wasimmediately closed again. By the uncertain step of the Roman, by thefire in his looks, the excitement which impurpled his cheeks, Meroe sawthat he was inebriate. Her terror subsided. He carried under his arm acasket of precious wood. After silently gazing at the young woman withsuch effrontery that the blush of shame again mounted to her forehead,the Roman drew from the casket a rich necklace of chased gold. He we
ntcloser to the lamp-light in order to improve its glitter in the eyes ofthe woman whom he wished to tempt. Then, simulating an ironicalreverence, he stooped and placed the necklace at the feet of the Gaul.Rising, he questioned her with an audacious look.
Meroe, standing with arms crossed on her breast, heaving withindignation and scorn, looked haughtily at Caesar, and spurned thecollar with her foot.
The Roman made an insulting gesture of surprise; he laughed with an airof disdainful confidence; and then drew from the casket a magnificentgold net-work for the hair, all encrusted with carbuncles. After makingit sparkle in the lamp-light, he deposited the second trinket also atthe feet of Meroe. Redoubling his ironical respect, he rose, and seemedto say:
"This time I am sure of my triumph!"
Meroe, pale with anger, smiled disdainfully.
Then Caesar emptied at the young woman's feet all the contents of thecasket. It was like a flood of gold, pearls, and precious stones, ofnecklaces, zones, earrings, bracelets, jewels of all sorts.
This time Meroe did not push away the gewgaws with her foot. She groundunder the heel of her boot as many of the trinkets as she could rapidlystamp upon, and drove back the infamous debauchee, who was advancingtoward her with confidently open arms.
Confused for a moment, the Roman put his hand to his heart, as if toprotest his adoration. The woman of Gaul answered the mute language witha burst of laughter so scornful that Caesar, intoxicated with lust, wineand anger, seemed to say:
"I have offered riches, I have offered prayers. All in vain; I shall useforce."
Albinik's wife was alone and disarmed. She knew that her cries wouldbring her no help. Her resolve was soon taken. The chaste, brave womanleaped upon the bed, seized the long cord which served to lower thedraperies, and knotted it around her neck. Then she quickly climbed uponthe head of the bed-stead, ready to launch herself into the air, andstrangle herself by the weight of her own body at Caesar's first steptowards her. So desperate was the resolution depicted on Meroe's facethat the Roman general for an instant remained motionless. Then, urgedeither by compunction for his violence; or by the certainty that, if heattempted force, he would have but a corpse in his possession; or, asthe unscrupulous libertine later pretended, by a generous impulse thathad guided him throughout;--whatever his motive, Caesar stepped backseveral paces, and raised his hand to heaven as if to call the gods towitness that he would respect his prisoner. Still suspicious, the Gallicwoman kept herself in readiness to give up her life. The Roman turnedtowards the secret opening of the tent, disappeared into the shadows fora moment, and gave an order in a loud voice. Immediately he returned,but kept himself at a wide distance from the bed, his arms crossed onhis toga. Not knowing whether the danger she ran was not still to beincreased, Meroe remained standing on the bed-stead with the cord abouther neck. After a few minutes she saw the interpreter enter, accompaniedby Albinik; with one bound she sprang to her husband.
"Your wife is a woman of manful virtue," said the interpreter toAlbinik. "Behold those treasures at her feet; she has spurned them.Great Caesar's love she has scorned. He pretended to resort toviolence. Your companion, disarmed by a trick, was prepared to take herown life. Thus gloriously has she come out of the test."
"The test?" answered Albinik, with an air of sinister doubt. "The test?Who, here, has the right to test the virtue of my wife?"
"The thought of vengeance, which have brought you into the Roman camp,are the thoughts of a haughty soul, roused by injustice and barbarity.The mutilation which you have suffered seemed above all to prove thetruth of your words," resumed the interpreter. "But fugitives alwaysarouse a secret suspicion. The wife often is a test of the husband.Yours is a valiant wife. To inspire such fidelity, you must be a man ofcourage and of truth. That is what we wished to make sure of."
"I don't know," began the mariner doubtfully, "the licentiousness ofyour general is well known----"
"The gods have sent us in you a precious aid; you can become fatal tothe Gauls. Do you believe Caesar is foolish enough to wish to make anenemy of you by outraging your wife, at the very moment, perhaps, whenhe is about to charge you with a mission of trust? No, I repeat: hewished to try you both, and so far the trials are favorable to you."
Caesar interrupted the interpreter, saying a few words to him. Thenbowing respectfully to Meroe, and saluting Albinik with a friendlygesture, he slowly and majestically left the tent.
"You and your wife," said the interpreter, "are henceforth assured ofthe general's protection. He gives you his word for it. You shall nomore be separated or disturbed. The wife of the courageous mariner hasscorned these rich ornaments," added the interpreter, collecting thejewels and replacing them in the casket. "Caesar wishes to keep as areminder of Gallic virtue the poniard which she wore, and which he tookfrom her by ruse. Reassure yourself, she shall not remain unarmed."
Almost at the same instant, two young freedmen entered the tent. Theycarried on a large silver tray a little oriental dagger of richworkmanship, and a Spanish saber, short and slightly curved, hung from abaldric of red leather, magnificently embroidered in gold. Theinterpreter presented the dagger to Meroe and the saber to Albinik,saying to them as he did so:
"Sleep in peace, and guard these gifts of the grandeur of Caesar."
"And do you assure him," returned Albinik, "that your words and hisgenerosity dissipate my suspicions. Henceforth he will have no moredevoted allies than my wife and myself, until our vengeance besatisfied."
The interpreter left, taking with him the two freedmen. Albinik thentold his wife that when he had been taken into the Roman general's tent,he had waited for Caesar, in company with the interpreter, up to themoment when they both returned to the tent, under the conduct of aslave. Meroe told in turn what had occurred to her. The couple concludedthat Caesar, half drunk, had at first yielded to a foul thought, butthat Meroe's desperate resolve, backed up by the reflection that he wasrunning the risk of estranging a fugitive from whom he might reap goodservice, had curbed the Roman's passion. With his habitual trickery andaddress, he had given, under the pretext of a "trial," an almostgenerous appearance to the odious attempt.