The Roman Traitor (Vol. 1 of 2)

, my

nted with your

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na rose unrefreshed and languid, with his mind ill at ease; for the reaction which succeeds ever to the reign of any vehement excitement, had

aking, they and the true occurrences of the past day, seemed

ion. Lucia, the charming siren of the previous evening, appeared in her real color

h dawned on him, it was but coupled with a despairing se

welfare, but that of all whom he loved or cherished; his own pure, beautiful, inimitable Julia, to whom his heart now reverted with a far deeper and more earnest tenderness, a

nd correct, his calm sober thoughts always honorable and upright; but his passions were violent and unreg

d the strange fascinations of his lovely daughter, into the perpetration of a great crime. He had bound himself

vision, his eyes were opened, that he saw and repented mos

one in these days, knowing and repenting of the crime, would hesitate a moment, or fancy himself bound, because he ha

g, not in the breaking of a

the reach of any intellect perhaps of that day to arrive at a conclusion,

ultery, incest, or blood shedding. And the bare thought of the vengeance due for a broken oath would often times [pg 123]

confessed himself guilty; trembling at the idea of rushing into yet more desperate guilt; and at the same time

his fiery anguish, and striving with all his energies of intellect to devise some scheme by which he might escape the perils that seemed to hem him round on every side

h a trembling eye, and a soul that feared it knew not what

, is our sphere-the Forum and the Campus, the great world with its toils, its strifes, and its honors, yours! All this I speak to myself often. I repeated it many, many times yesterday-it ought to have satisfied me-it did satisfy my reason, Paul, but it spoke not to my heart! That whispers ever, 'he came not yesterday to see me! he promised, yet he came not!' and it will not be answered. Are you sick, Paullus, [pg 124]that you came not? Surely in that case you had sent for me. Hortensia would have gone with me to visit you. No! you are not sick, else most surely I had known it! Are you then angry with me, or offended? Unconscious am I, dearest, of any fault against you in word, thought, or deed. Yet will

tature is gigantic and their presence noble, and their garb very wild, yet magnificent withal and martial. Shall we go forth and see them? Hortensia will carry me in her carpentum, and you can either ride with us on horseback, or if you be not over pr

! And I-I-Oh, ye gods! ye gods! that beheld it!" and he smote his brow heavily with his hand, and bit his lip, till the blood almost spr

rought it, noble Paullus. He wait

, quick, Thrasea, giv

he materials he

-indeed all! for what can I wish to conceal from you, the better portion of my soul. Need I say that I come-not, alas, on the wings of my love, or I should be

se before him.' And then, hark ye, tell some of those knaves in the hall without, to make ready with all speed my light chariot, and yoke t

tep in the business any farther, and I will tell him so to-night. I will tell him, moreover, that Cicero has the dagger, for now that Volero is slain, I see not well how it can be identified. The Gods

rse, the freedman returned, and announcing that the car woul

brightly that it will be scarce possible to drive bare headed. But I have work [pg 126]for you

, my Pa

ground especially around the cave-what opportu

ittle gorge just beyond the grotto, broken with crags and blocks of

d were he to have slaves, or even gladiators, with him to attack me-but not dreaming that I suspect anything, he will not take many. Now I would have you arm all my freedmen, and some half dozen of the trustiest slaves, so as to have in all a dozen or fifteen, with corslets under their tunics, and boarspears, and swords. You must be careful that you are not seen going thither, and you

e letter, Paullus," answered the grave

l do on under my toga. I shall be there at the fourth hour precisely; but it were well that ye should be on your p

done, most

e but trustworthy men, and that ye

ave, my Paullus," an

epared, Paullus," exclaime

to hold the reins?

boy M

in the chariot. I may want it. Now, Thrasea, I r

ts in the excitement of rapid motion; and, scarcely pausing to observe the condition or appearance of his beautiful black coursers, sprang into the low car of bronze, shaped not much differently fr

ill, and the Hortensian villa; at the door of which, in a handsome street leading through the Quirinal gate to the Flamin

comfortable and luxurious a carriage as the art of that day could produce; nor was there one in Rome, with the excep

corners. Its curtains and cushions were of fine purple cloth; and altogether, though far less convenient,

did this morning, with the redundant masses of her rich hair confined by a net of green and gold, and a rich pallium, or shawl of the same colors, grac

ung forward to meet him, with both her fair hands extended,

-I am so happy, so

the dimples of her smiling mouth, breathed audible in every tone of her soft silvery voice. Yet was there nothing that the gravest and most rigid cen

mitted lover, she felt no shame in that emotion of chaste joy, and would no more have dreamed of concealing it from

r, as here was the difference between

passion. Her manner was warm and unreserved toward Paul, because she had a right to love him, and cared not [pg 129] who knew that she did so. Lucia's was as cold as snow, on the contrary; yet it required no second glance to perceive that the coldness was but the cover superinduced to hide passions too warm for revelation. Her eye was dow

ction of her sweet child; but the smile was,

coming; how painfully his absence depresses you. Sages declare that

of her artless spirit, "I am glad to see him; I do prize his coming; I do love Paullus

more devotedly, the more fondly we are cherished. There is, I fear, something of the hunter's, of the conqueror's, ardour, in their passion;

gainst all gratitude! all honor! all heart-truth! No, I will not believe it; and if I did, Hortensia, by all the Gods, I had rather live without love, than hold it on so vile a tenure of deceit. What, treasure up the secrets

y are so. I, at least, will believe, and pray, that, what his sex may be soever, our Paull

and be you sure, sweet girl, that your simple trust is philosophy far truer than the sage's lore. Base must

detained you, and where were you all the day? We expected

there be no ears to overhear us. You must let me be your charioteer to-day, and your venerab

"Then something strange ha

ether, "I knew it; I have read it in his eye this half hou

, let me assist you to the carriage; I will tell you all as we go. But if we do

d guiding the sober mules with far more ease, than Hortensia's aged charioteer experienced in restraini

ardens, on the right hand, by which they gained the great Flaminian way, just on the farther confines of the Campus; when they drove rapidly [pg

a to give nearly the whole of his attention to the guidance of the mules-he slackened the reins, and leaving the docile and well-broken animals to choose their own

t, with her lover's daring, then with the grief of Thrasea. But not a shade of distrust came to cloud her pure spirit, for Paullus mentioned nothing of

ity of the double murderer, or that he was about to go forth that very evening, for the purpo

ough she listened eagerly while he was speaking, and gazed at him wistfully after he had become silent, she said nothing. Her beautiful eyes, it is true, swam with big tear-drops for a moment, and her nether lip quivered painfully

rom the direction of the bridge, and a cloud of dust surgi

f a single chesnut, beneath which Paullus drew up the mules of Hortensia's carriage, directing the old charioteer, who seemed hard

ocks of bright scarlet cloth, dashed by as hard as their fiery Gallic steeds could trot, their harness clashing merrily from the rate at which they rode. Before these men were out of sight,

e occasional notes of the lituus, or cavalry trumpet, by which all their man?uvres were directed; and the men, hardy and fine-looking figures, in the prime of life, bestriding with an air of pe

d on these men were the eyes of the Roman ladies fixed with undisguised wonder, not unmixed with admiration. For their giant stature, strong limbs, and wild barbaric dresses, were as different from those of the wel

ound him on all [pg 133]sides with a quick flashing glance that took in everything, yet seemed surprised at nothing; though almost everything which he beheld must have been strange to him. His long red hair flowe

indomitable Urus. A coat of mail, composed of bright steel rings interwoven in the Gaulish fashion, covered his body from the throat downward to the hips, leaving his strong arms bar

much more ancient part of the costume, by the way, than the kilt, or short petticoat, now generally worn-and these trews, as well as the streaming plaid, which he wore belted gracefully about his shoulders

t side, and, at the left, suspended by gilt chains from the girdle, a long, straight, cutting broadsword, with a basket hilt-the genuine claymore, or great sword-to resist the sweep of wh

und targe, of the hide of the [pg 134]mountain bull, bound at the rim, and studded massively with bronze, and having a steel pike projectin

covered with bosses gemmed with amber and unwrought coral; his housings, of variegated plaid, were elaborately fringed with embroideries of gold; and his rich scarlet poitrel was

midian elephant. He must have slain it, single-handed in the forest, else had he not presumed to wear its trophies, which belong only to the greatest of their champions. For every stud of silver on his casque of bronze he must have fought in a pitched

sters," exclaimed Julia, shuddering at the idea of human hair used

sit their native mountains; admirers, too, of women, whom they regard as almost divine, beyond all things. I see that stout fe

the Gods, or Atheists

and though their tongues be something wild, and their usages seem strange to us, it cannot be denied that they are a brave and noble race, and

ny a hard-fought field in the scars that defaced their sunburnt visages. But the last was an old man, with long silver hair, and eyebrows and mustachios white as the snow on his native Jura; the pr

up, as he surveyed the athletic form and vigorous proportions of the young patrician, and he leaned toward

lf bewildered, for he had taken no note of the spectators, but as his eyes met those of Arvina, he smiled and wave

ered her eyes abashed; but, when she again raised them, supposing that he had passed by, she still met the fir

ures, as he surveyed and marked the ingenuous and artless beauty of her whole form and face; and he whispered [p

along, dusty and dark with sweat, yet proud in their magnificent array, and solid in their iron discipline. "Drive us hom

u; but I must say farewell

served. But Paul was not himself, though the lips he loved best poured forth their fluent music

e to say farewell, just as the earliest shades of night were falling, she arose to

th questions, but will devour my anxiety and grief. But to-morrow, to-morrow, Paullus, if you love me indeed, you will tell me all that d

g