“Quo vadis, Domine?”
Nazarius did not hear the answer; but to Peter’s ears came a sad and sweet voice, which said,—
“If thou desert my people, I am going to Rome to be crucified a second time.”
The Apostle lay on the ground, his face in the dust, without motion or speech. It seemed to Nazarius that he had fainted or was dead; but he rose at last, seized the staff with trembling hands, and turned without a word toward the seven hills of the city.
The boy, seeing this, repeated as an echo,—
“Quo vadis, Domine?”
“To Rome,” said the Apostle, in a low voice.
And he returned.
Paul, John, Linus, and all the faithful received him with amazement; and the alarm was the greater, since at daybreak, just after his departure, pretorians had surrounded Miriam’s house and searched it for the Apostle. But to every question he answered only with delight and peace,—
“I have seen the Lord!”