“Without me!” the child repeated. “Ah! I do not think any one wants me here. My mother will have the little Livia from the nurse. She is the child of my uncle Fabius, and the adopted daughter of my father. She is very beautiful, and my mother can pet her, and toy with her, and will love to hear the praises which her loveliness will win. And when my father’s service is over in Britain they will all return to Rome, and I shall greet them there, when I am a priestess, and I shall greet thee also, Claudius.”
“Nay,” said the boy, “thou wilt forget the poor half-Briton, half-Roman, when thou art a grand priestess, wearing the white stole.”
“Forget! nay, I shall never forget—how can I forget? And when I have to tend the fire in the great temple at night, and the stars look down at me, and the wind whispers low, I shall pray that the goddess may bless thee, Claudius, and keep ever in thy heart a pure bright flame of love to the city of Verulam first, and of Rome after, and that thou wilt remember little Hyacintha.”
“I will remember thee through life till death,” the young man said. “I will worship thee from afar, and, perchance, I may come to Rome only to behold thee, as I behold a star in the heavens, who blesses me with its beams, though I can never attain to it.”
He took one of the child’s hands in his, bent his face over it for a moment, and when Hyacintha withdrew it, it was wetted by the tear which had fallen from Claudius’s eyes.
CHAPTER IV.
CAPTURE AND DEATH.
The warm summer weather was in favour of the little band of Christians who had concealed themselves in the cave at Radburn. But the long days and short nights made their marches towards Wales very slow, as all had to be done under cover of darkness, and not until they had moved away some miles from Verulam did Amphibalus dare to allow them to march by daylight. The little company always separated into detachments, and Agatha kept Ebba, the Christian Anna, under her especial care. Agatha was the right person to inspire poor Anna with confidence. She was bright and active, and had a cheerfulness and even merriment at command which often surprised the timid and retiring Anna.
The warm, dry weather made it easy to sleep out of doors, and Agatha and Anna, with an old man and his daughter, had arrived one morning at a clearing in a thick wood, where a stone altar showed that it was a resort of the Druids.