Drusilla was as deep as Simon; she
Well enough guessed whither he tended so.
She made her face an utter vacancy,
And listened all as if she listened not,
While Simon, who was satisfied, went on
With his approaches neither shunned nor met:
"At least, madam, thine own rest needs must be
Disturbed: it would be easy to compose
Thine husband to a sounder sleep." He paused,
And she made answer quite as from the point,
But Simon did not miss the relevance:
"Simon, my lord is still postponed at court,
Has had no hearing of the emperor:
Reason enough that he should restless be.
Procure he have his audience soon, and then—
Simon, what thinkest thou? Would it not be well
That I attend him when he pleads his cause?
Thou knowest I have some gift of eloquence,
The woman's, and thy master is but man,
And somewhat slow of speech—if thick of wit
Too, that becomes me not to say to thee.
I feel that I might help our common cause
By being in presence with the emperor
Myself, as loyal sponsor for my spouse."
"Excellent," Simon said; "and no doubt I,
Permitted to make proffer such as this
From queen Drusilla, shall with ease contrive
An early audience with his majesty."
The conscious twain each other understood,
But neither token gave with lip or eye.
Simon bethought him of the beautiful
Wanton, Poppæa, with the emperor
Precariously omnipotent by her charm.
To her, in manner suiting such as he,
He wormed at length his way and fawning said:
"I have some little skill in certain arts
Called by the people magic, and I fain
Thus offer thee my services. I thought
I might amuse a tedious idle hour
For his imperial majesty and so
Perhaps, I know not how, but thou shouldst choose,
Serve thee, the wonder of the woman world.
Nay, this presumes amiss; I crave thy grace,
Forgive me, thou who art already queen
And empress of the earth, and canst not need
Service from any. I am all confused
Before thee, like one dazzled by the sun.
"It is my foolish vanity, I feel,
Nothing but that; but here am I in Rome,
And it would be the triumph of my life—
Just a Judæan magian as I am—
To have seen the emperor, and diverted him
With a few rather pretty tricks I know.
I on occasion have even awed a mind
Open to superstition (as most minds
Are sometimes, aye, the wisest among men,
Let witness the great Julius) with my art.
If ever the fair sovereign of his breast
Should in aught wish him more amenable,
Thou mayst trust me, and I should not despair
To move his mind as thou mightst signify."
Not quite at venture Simon drew his bow
Thus, for from common fame he knew how keen
That very moment was Poppæa's wish,
As yet denied to her imperious suit,
To supersede Octavia in her right
And be the consort of the emperor.
The wily sorcerer warped his sinuous way:
"Here I have seemed to sue thee for myself;
But, sooth to say, I plead another's cause.
Wilt thou not see Drusilla? Jewess, who,
Declined from royal fortune and degree,
Now seeks a hearing from the emperor
For her lord Felix, late in Palestine
A ruler, but unhappily since fallen
Under some cloud of doubt at Rome. Beseech
Thee, give my liege Drusilla speech with thee.
She too is fair, if not as thou, yet fair.
She fain, I think, would meet the emperor
In person, that her tears might touch his heart."
Subtle insinuation was conveyed
By Simon saying this, which the quick sense
Of the imperial favorite caught; she said:
"It does not need thy lady fair should first
Wait upon me; without that, she shall have
Her wished access and opportunity.
When her lord Felix presently is called
To hearing, let Drusilla with him come.
Her privilege she will find before prepared;
So much I freely undertake for her."
Poppæa had her reasons and her scheme;
And, as for Simon, he said to himself:
"Whichever woman prosper, I am sped."
Drusilla girded up both mind and will
To meet her one imperial chance aright.
Felix went like a culprit; like a queen
Went she, her peerless beauty wielded all
With absolute command infallible—
Like a bright weapon edged and tempered true
Seen wielded in the perfect swordsman's hand.
Slack heed the youthful emperor paid him
Still struggling to support his truculence;
His gaze fixed undisguisedly on her.
Poppæa from behind a screen set nigh
Saw and heard all; not unsuspected quite
Of the alert Drusilla wise as she
In arts of ambush for waylaying words
Or looks meant to be private: Nero knew
Poppæa was there.
Drusilla triumphing
Joyed in her heart to have her rival see
How easy usurpation was when one
Appeared whose very birthright was to reign:
Nero was willing those eavesdropping ears
And eyes should witness what would madden them;
He took a wanton mischievous delight
In teasing that fierce heart to jealousy.
This, too much drunken with her glorying,
Drusilla did not guess, and overweened
In measure of the conquest she had won.
The emperor made the hearing short; dismissed
Felix dismayed and from his truculence
Completely broken—to his servile state
Remanded, as in spirit so in mien.
Yet did not Nero so his cause conclude:
He said frankly to Felix: "Go, my lord,
Thy way; I shall not need to see thee more.
Let thou this lady at next summons come
Without thee; she shall better plead thy cause."
Sentence of death the emperor had pronounced,
Not meaning it, upon that wretched man.
Felix resumed his truculence, alone
Returning with Drusilla; he had felt—
Insensate as he was, could not but feel—
Her separation of herself from him
In the imperial presence, and he now
Fiercely upbraided her. But she was soft
Replying; with indignant tenderness
Purged herself clear of all but loving guile
Practiced reluctantly in his behoof—
His, sole, her husband, father to her son!—
To serve him with the amorous emperor.
Felix could not resist the witching wiles
Of fondness and of faithfulness she plied,
And he became a plaything in her hands
Trusting alike her loyalty and wit.
She presently told Simon: "Full come now
The time is that thy master should enjoy
Sleep undisturbed with dreams. Compound for me
The quieting potion that thou toldst me of.
See that thou make it strong enough; thy lord
Is not a puny weakling to be soothed
With what might still a crying babe; and I—
Nay, thou, thou thyself, Simon, shalt commend
His opiate to his lips." The sorcerer shrugged
His shoulders and demurred: "O liege, nor thou,
Nor I, with our own hands, should to his lips
Present the potion. Let a trusted slave
Bear it unto his master's bath to-night,
And say: 'His queen unto lord Felix sends
Health and the promise of more quiet sleep.'
The draught is drastic—for a lullaby—
Indeed disturbing in its first effect;
But safe sleep it will bring whoever drinks."
"Thy sedative will not pain my lord too much?"
Drusilla made her tone expressionless
In asking; and in like wise Simon said:
"Not too much, lady—let me be the judge,
Or thee who lovest him equally with me."