“No, Christ will not refuse His first disciple and the pastor of His flock! Christ will not refuse him! I will not doubt!” And he ran toward the prison as a herald of good news.
But there an unexpected thing awaited him.
All the pretorian guards taking turn before the Mamertine prison knew him, and generally they raised not the least difficulty; this time, however, the line did not open, but a centurion approached him and said,—
“Pardon, noble tribune, to-day we have a command to admit no one.”
“A command?” repeated Vinicius, growing pale.
The soldier looked at him with pity, and answered,—
“Yes, lord, a command of Cæsar. In the prison there are many sick, and perhaps it is feared that visitors might spread infection through the city.”
“But hast thou said that the order was for to-day only?”
“The guards change at noon.”
Vinicius was silent and uncovered his head, for it seemed to him that the pileolus which he wore was of lead.