Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz (ebook reader macos TXT) 📕

EVERY drop of blood quivered in the young patrician at sight of her. He

forgot the crowd, the old man, his own astonishment at the

incomprehensible things which he had heard,—he saw only her. At last,

after all his efforts, after long days of alarm, trouble, and suffering,

he had found her! For the first time he realized that joy might rush at

the heart, like a wild beast, and squeeze it till breath was lost. He,

who had supposed hitherto that on “Fortuna” had been imposed a kind of

duty to accomplish all his wishes, hardly believed his own eyes now and

his own happiness. Were it not for that disbelief, his passionate

nature might have urged him to some unconsidered step; but he wished to

convince himself first that that was not the continuation of those

miracles with which his head was filled, and that he was not dreaming.

But there was no doubt,—he saw Lygia, and an interval of barely a few

steps divided them. She stood in perfect light, so that he could rejoice

in the sight of her as much as he liked. The hood had fallen from her

head and dishevelled her hair; her mouth was open slightly, her eyes

raised toward the Apostle, her face fixed in listening and delighted.

She was dressed in a dark woollen mantle, like a daughter of the people,

but never had Vinicius seen her more beautiful; and notwithstanding all

the disorder which had risen in him, he was struck by the nobility of

that wonderful patrician head in distinction to the dress, almost that

of a slave. Love flew over him like a flame, immense, mixed with a

marvellous feeling of yearning, homage, honor, and desire. He felt the

delight which the sight of her caused him; he drank of her as of life-giving water after long thirst. Standing near the gigantic Lygian, she

seemed to him smaller than before, almost a child; he noticed, too, that

she had grown more slender. Her complexion had become almost

transparent; she made on him the impression of a flower, and a spirit.

But all the more did he desire to possess that woman, so different from

all women whom he had seen or possessed in Rome or the Orient. He felt

that for her he would have given them all, and with them Rome and the

world in addition.

He would have lost himself in gazing, and forgotten himself altogether,

had it not been for Chilo, who pulled the corner of his mantle, out of

fear that he might do something to expose them to danger. Meanwhile the

Christians began to pray and sing. After a while Maranatha thundered

forth, and then the Great Apostle baptized with water from the fountain

those whom the presbyters presented as ready for baptism. It seemed to

Vinicius that that night would never end. He wished now to follow Lygia

as soon as possible, and seize her on the road or at her house.

At last some began to leave the cemetery, and Chilo whispered,—“Let us

go out before the gate, lord, we have not removed our hoods, and people

look at us.”

Such was the case, for during the discourse of the Apostle all had cast

aside their hoods so as to hear better, and they had not followed the

general example. Chilo’s advice seemed wise, therefore. Standing

before the gate, they could look at all who passed; Ursus it was easy to

recognize by his form and size.

“Let us follow them,” said Chilo; “we shall see to what house they go.

Tomorrow, or rather to-day, thou wilt surround the entrances with

slaves and take her.”

“No!” said Vinicius.

“What dost thou wish to do, lord?”

“We will follow her to the house and take her now, if thou wilt

undertake that task, Croton?”

“I will,” replied Croton, “and I will give myself to thee as a slave if

I do not break the back of that bison who is guarding her.”

But Chilo fell to dissuading and entreating them by all the gods not to

do so. Croton was taken only for defence against attack in case they

were recognized, not to carry off the girl. To take her when there were

only two of them was to expose themselves to death, and, what was worse,

they might let her out of their hands, and then she would hide in

another place or leave Rome. And what could they do? Why not act with

certainty? Why expose themselves to destruction and the whole

undertaking to failure?

Though Vinicius restrained himself with the greatest effort from seizing

Lygia in his arms at once, right there in the cemetery, he felt that the

Greek was right, and would have lent ear, perhaps, to his counsels, had

it not been for Croton, to whom reward was the question.

“Lord, command that old goat to be silent,” said he, “or let me drop my

fist on his head. Once in Buxentum, whither Lucius Saturnius took me to

a play, seven drunken gladiators fell on me at an inn, and none of them

escaped with sound ribs. I do not say to take the girl now from the

crowd, for they might throw stones before our feet, but once she is at

home I will seize her, carry her away, and take her whithersoever thou

shalt indicate.”

Vinicius was pleased to hear those words, and answered,—“Thus let it

be, by Hercules! Tomorrow we may not find her at home; if we surprise

them they will remove the girl surely.”

“This Lygian seems tremendously strong!” groaned Chilo.

“No one will ask thee to hold his hands,” answered Croton.

But they had to wait long yet, and the cocks had begun to crow before

dawn when they saw Ursus coming through the gate, and with him Lygia.

They were accompanied by a number of other persons. It seemed to Chilo

that he recognized among them the Great Apostle; next to him walked

another old man, considerably lower in stature, two women who were not

young, and a boy, who lighted the way with a lantern. After that

handful followed a crowd, about two hundred in number; Vinicius, Chilo,

and Croton walked with these people.

“Yes, lord,” said Chilo, “thy maiden is under powerful protection. That

is the Great Apostle with her, for see how passing people kneel to him.”

People did in fact kneel before him, but Vinicius did not look at them.

He did not lose Lygia from his eyes for a moment; he thought only of

bearing her away and, accustomed as he had been in wars to stratagems of

all sorts, he arranged in his head the whole plan of seizure with

soldierly precision. He felt that the step on which he had decided was

bold, but he knew well that bold attacks give success generally.

The way was long; hence at moments he thought too of the gulf which that

wonderful religion had dug between him and Lygia. Now he understood

everything that had happened in the past, and why it had happened. He

was sufficiently penetrating for that. Lygia he had not known hitherto.

He had seen in her a maiden wonderful beyond others, a maiden toward

whom his feelings were inflamed: he knew now that her religion made her

different from other women, and his hope that feeling, desire, wealth,

luxury, would attract her he knew now to be a vain illusion. Finally he

understood this, which he and Petronius had not understood, that the new

religion ingrafted into the soul something unknown to that world in

which he lived, and that Lygia, even if she loved him, would not

sacrifice any of her Christian truths for his sake, and that, if

pleasure existed