The Unwilling Vestal

til

e very centre of the city. From there the infection had spread to every wind. Panic seized the people. There was an exodus of all who could afford it, to their country estates, to the mountains, to the seaside. Brinnarius and Quartilla discussed arrangements for their departure to his mountain farm in the Sabine hills above Carsioli. Their difficulty w

ger of dying of fright and worry than of pestilence. Anyhow a pestilence never kills all the people in a city, most of the towns- folk stay right at home and keep alive all right. Half the people that die scare or fret themselves to death. I won't fret or worry and I'll keep well here; but if yo

s and looked at his wife

al of trouble," he

that I am an unnatural mother, that I do not love my youngest child, that I hate

s in Rome. Other people's daughters are remaining. Lucconius means to stay here in Rome with

w there is really no use in taking me if I do not want to g

illa

about that. Then Brinnaria is so genuinely brave that she will really not dread the pestilence, and all the doctors say that there is nothin

ria squealed.

y. I'll not have you changing your mind and deciding to leave Rome after we have arranged to put you in charge h

them. She is the most resolute child I ever knew. If you leave her, she will not fail us. If s

mise?" her fa

that I'll stick it out here in Rome, going out only when necessary, unless you send for me to come away. If anything happens that makes me think I ought t

from Rome, you have my permission to send me a messenger; I know you will not resort to that without real need.

e acquitted herself well of her duties. She had been right in claiming that she was loved by most and feared by the rest. Certainly she was trusted and respected by all as if she had been five times her age. She made them as comfortable as town-slaves could be and they knew it. To her the

ther household had shown the slightest symptoms of any kind of illness. Of the daily deaths among their large acquaintance or among t

left to her own devices Flexinna visited h

nia died l

estal?" Brin

eplied, a bright

," Brinnaria said. "She wa

tal ever since C-C-Calpurnia P-P-Praetextata died, and that's fifty- six years ago. She h

, "she ought to have been glad to go,

and holy I loved to look at her sitting in her big chair like a great white b-b-butterfly, so plump and handsome and soft-looking. She always put out her hand to my face and recognized me at the first t-

diena too, and she's Chief Vestal now. She's not fat and placid like

flected, "who will be c

whoever she is. Just think, she'll have to pair with tha

ast, of the Marcomanni on the Rhine colonies, and the thunder-storms that have raged about lately, there'll be need felt for all the p-p-prayers all the offer. They'll not leave the vacan

tly, "but Lucius doesn't care what

o end of trouble. Anyhow, Verus defers to Aurelius in everything, so that whatever Aurelius wishes is as if both wish

d. "I wonder who the victim will be?

it was a chance for a while whether she'd get it instead of Mef

erhaps," Brin

w recklessly she rode and how her horse f-f-fell

" suggeste

as some k-k-kind of skin rash an

Brinnari

oo," Flexinna reminded h

ame the next

amily," said Flexinna; "they all

ventured

d. "She celebrated her b-b-birthday three d

rhaps," Brinn

mother and grandmother," sai

Brinnaria

stals of her family have had;" Flexinna reminded her. "The very na

came the ne

the side of her head

ia?" ca

said Flexinna, severely. "She's got a

" Brinnari

ith her father and mother; mig

s. She meditated. "Gav

t," laughed Flexinna. "Why don't you

f girls out of the city or defective

naria wondered. "It's boun

ped to

scre

o? I'm the only possible candidate in the city. And they'll be after m

to give the next best to Intinco, bade Intinco ride to Carsioli and Guntello to Falerii, gave Guntello a letter for Almo and Intinco a letter to her father and told them verbally, in case the letter was lost, to make it plain that she was in d

s need be, ride without halt or mercy. Get there and get

to trot a horse in the streets of Rome. Both had assured her that t

. The entire household continued in good health and there was nothing to distract t he two from their dread on the one hand that the P

r once shed a tear, attended to her housewifely duties calmly and steadil

s to come and claim me. Instead of dispatching messengers for your father and Almo, yo

arose. I pledged myself not to leave here unless I sent a messenger saying I needed to leave and received permission before I started. I took my oath no

ol!" Flexin

eep our word or pleasant; when we have passed our word we keep it. I've given my word and there's nothing to do b

inna suggested. "You might easily arrange to

dy and Almo come, I'll be Alma's wife in less time than it tak

efore your father,"

and all hope gone

na, "suppose Almo com

ak the record of which our family is so proud. None of our women

nt. Faltonius may be on the way here now. If I were in your place I'd make sure. I'd not wait for Almo. Any lad would do for me. You c-c-

ason to be ashamed of his daughter or of his sister. I'll not be the first to disgrace the clan. If Faltonius come

say no when he asks you. That would stall

that? I'm tempted, of course. But that would be to advertise m

look sixteen to anybody, and no one would imagine you are under fou

sworn to by both parents for every girl on them and attested by four exce

changed t

le, very tense, but obdurate. She controlled herself, did not forget, did not express her feelings, but she posted a sla

ue were approaching; three litters, each with eight

august visitors, ordered them shown into the atrium, and received them with proper dignity. Her self-possession did not desert her

ridiculous in his fussiness, but clothed with a certain impressiveness by the mere fact of his religious office

-five, her austere face kindly and reassuring, her dark hair barely showing u

the vacant place. You have been chosen, as best suited to this high dignity, from among those whose na

e Brinnaria, weakly,

e taken as a Vest

so," came

of body, any impediment of spe

was producing its usual effect of arousing antagonism, as it generally di

he replied. "I'm clean as fresh curd; I hear

tled like a b

ay for a Vestal to

nd that was my answer to those questions. If y

mbilio, "answer the int

l," Brinnaria main

nd in faculties to be

ca or Empress," Br

e?" came the

orn," said Brinn

?" the Pontifex q

Ides of next Septemb

ents both ali

e I heard of them," spo

that?" h

aria, "and I've not heard from them since they sent a mess

ating her more and

dead by this tim

Faltonius. "We must be sur

" snapped

his pasty face alight with

Quartilla was alive and well. I passed Brinnarius this mornin

re ahead of him?" B

bvious relish, "and I rode the best horse in I

I hereupon and hereby pronounce you in all respec

innaria fai

Faltonius cri

me!" she proclai

country, to the Roman people, to Rome, to the Emperor, to all of us, to the commonwealth? Do you not realize Rom

said Brinnaria. "I onl

g," declared the bew

not refused. I would not, even if I could escape by refusal I realize my duty. If I am taken I shall be all that a Vestal is expected to be, all that she must be to ensure the glory and prosperity and saf

mself, suddenly clothed in dignity, a really impre

to the vestibule, her face very pale

took her ha

hat a priestess of Vesta perform for the Roman People and the citize

naria could not repress a little gasp. Her eyes no longer watched

ur servitor to be clothe

ly built woman, like a Tuscan villager, who carried

, a slim white figure, her hair braided and the six braids wound round her forehead

aid, "that my hair

made at home in the Atrium o

hat you are now a Vestal and that young

ia bit

and voices outside, the door b

r little girl any more; I don't count as your daughter; you don't count

thering was still and mute, the noises of the street outside were plainly audible. They he

nched a sort of shri

ustn't even kiss you good-bye. And I mustn't speak to you, I mustn't see you, I mus