“She is to share his fate. Indeed she is guilty of a double crime: she is a Nazarene, and she tried to murder Caesar. To ask pardon for her would be tantamount to high-treason.”
“It is a strange story altogether,” said Leaina, with a little sigh. “And after all, tell me, what is the particular crime of being a Nazarene? What is it that they do?”
“Indeed, my dear, you ask me more than I can answer. It would appear, that they carry on all sorts of idolatrous worship, and concoct schemes of rebellion. Norbanus told me that they want to turn the world upside down, and make the masters slaves, and the slaves masters. I told him, that did not sound to me at all a likely story; for, if it were so, only slaves would have anything to do with them. And now, besides Quintus, the consul Flavius Clemens,[131] a relative of Caesar, has been caught and converted; so there must be something more in it than that.”
“Of course!” said Leaina.
“Very likely the whole business is somehow connected with the disturbances, that have been reported lately from the Rhaetian frontier. It is said that the conspirators—you know, Cornelius Cinna, Ulpius Trajanus and the rest—have formed an alliance with some Germanic princes, and are marching on Rome!”
“But that would be frightful! Just now too, when the best season of the year is coming on!”
“Oh! do not be alarmed. Clodianus discovered it all in good time. And to make sure, he is bringing troops out of the provinces—out of Gallia Lugdunensis I rather fancy—down into the peninsula. If it comes to the worst, they will give the rebels a lesson. But, as you see, the feast is the only thing in men’s minds. If they had the remotest idea even....”
“Well, by Cypris! I do not know what I should do. Only think of it, a conflagration like that under Nero perhaps! The whole season would be ruined.”
“You silly child!” laughed Lycoris. “But what is the matter again, Philemon? Every minute we come to a stand-still.”
“Mistress,” said the bearer, “the city-watch have got a man in charge, and the people are crowding round them and have stopped the way.”