Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero
He would have lost himself in gazing, and forgotten himself altogether,
had it not been for Chilo, who pulled the corner of his mantle, out of
fear that he might do something to expose them to danger. Meanwhile the
Christians began to pray and sing. After a while Maranatha thundered
forth, and then the Great Apostle baptized with water from the fountain
those whom the presbyters presented as ready for baptism. It seemed to
Vinicius that that night would never end. He wished now to follow Lygia
as soon as possible, and seize her on the road or at her house.
At last some began to leave the cemetery, and Chilo whispered,--“Let us
go out before the gate, lord, we have not removed our hoods, and people
look at us.”
Such was the case, for during the discourse of the Apostle all had cast
aside their hoods so as to hear better, and they had not followed the
general example. Chilo’s advice seemed wise, therefore. Standing before
the gate, they could look at all who passed; Ursus it was easy to
recognize by his form and size.
“Let us follow them,” said Chilo; “we shall see to what house they
go. To-morrow, or rather to-day, thou wilt surround the entrances with
slaves and take her.”
“No!” said Vinicius.
“What dost thou wish to do, lord?”
“We will follow her to the house and take her now, if thou wilt
undertake that task, Croton?”
“I will,” replied Croton, “and I will give myself to thee as a slave if
I do not break the back of that bison who is guarding her.”
But Chilo fell to dissuading and entreating them by all the gods not
to do so. Croton was taken only for defence against attack in case they
were recognized, not to carry off the girl. To take her when there were
only two of them was to expose themselves to death, and, what was
worse, they might let her out of their hands, and then she would hide
in another place or leave Rome. And what could they do? Why not act
with certainty? Why expose themselves to destruction and the whole
undertaking to failure?
Though Vinicius restrained himself with the greatest effort from seizing
Lygia in his arms at once, right there in the cemetery, he felt that the
Greek was right, and would have lent ear, perhaps, to his counsels, had
it not been for Croton, to whom reward was the question.
“Lord, command that old goat to be silent,” said he, “or let me drop my
fist on his head. Once in Buxentum, whither Lucius Saturnius took me to
a play, seven drunken gladiators fell on me at an inn, and none of them
escaped with sound ribs. I do not say to take the girl now from the
crowd, for they might throw stones before our feet, but once she is at
home I will seize her, carry her away, and take her whithersoever thou
shalt indicate.”
Vinicius was pleased to hear those words, and answered,--“Thus let it
be, by Hercules! To-morrow we may not find her at home; if we surprise
them they will remove the girl surely.”
“This Lygian seems tremendously strong!” groaned Chilo.
“No one will ask thee to hold his hands,” answered Croton.
But they had to wait long yet, and the cocks had begun to crow before
dawn when they saw Ursus coming through the gate, and with him Lygia.
They were accompanied by a number of other persons. It seemed to Chilo
that he recognized among them the Great Apostle; next to him walked
another old man, considerably lower in stature, two women who were not
young, and a boy, who lighted the way with a lantern. After that handful
followed a crowd, about two hundred in number; Vinicius, Chilo, and
Croton walked with these people.
“Yes, lord,” said Chilo, “thy maiden is under powerful protection. That
is the Great Apostle with her, for see how passing people kneel to him.”
People did in fact kneel before him, but Vinicius did not look at them.
He did not lose Lygia from his eyes for a moment; he thought only of
bearing her away and, accustomed as he had been in wars to stratagems
of all sorts, he arranged in his head the whole plan of seizure with
soldierly precision. He felt that the step on which he had decided was
bold, but he knew well that bold attacks give success generally.
The way was long; hence at moments he thought too of the gulf which
that wonderful religion had dug between him and Lygia. Now he understood
everything that had happened in the past, and why it had happened. He
was sufficiently penetrating for that. Lygia he had not known hitherto.
He had seen in her a maiden wonderful beyond others, a maiden toward
whom his feelings were inflamed: he knew now that her religion made her
different from other women, and his hope that feeling, desire, wealth,
luxury, would attract her he knew now to be a vain illusion. Finally he
understood this, which he and Petronius had not understood, that the
new religion ingrafted into the soul something unknown to that world
in which he lived, and that Lygia, even if she loved him, would not
sacrifice any of her Christian truths for his sake, and that, if
pleasure existed for her, it was a pleasure different altogether
from that which he and Petronius and Cæsar’s court and all Rome were
pursuing. Every other woman whom he knew might become his mistress,
but that Christian would become only his victim. And when he thought
of this, he felt anger and burning pain, for he felt that his anger was
powerless. To carry off Lygia seemed to him possible; he was almost sure
that he could take her, but he was equally sure that, in view of her
religion, he himself with his bravery was nothing, that his power
was nothing, and that through it he could effect nothing. That Roman
military tribune, convinced that the power of the sword and the fist
which had conquered the world, would command it forever, saw for the
first time in life that beyond that power there might be something else;
hence he asked himself with amazement what it was. And he could
not answer distinctly; through his head flew merely pictures of the
cemetery, the assembled crowd, and Lygia, listening with her whole soul
to the words of the old man, as he narrated the passion, death, and
resurrection of the God-man, who had redeemed the world, and promised it
happiness on the other shore of the Styx.
When he thought of this, chaos rose in his head. But he was brought
out of this chaos by Chilo, who fell to lamenting his own fate. He had
agreed to find Lygia. He had sought for her in peril of his life, and he
had pointed her out. But what more do they want? Had he offered to
carry the maiden away? Who could ask anything like this of a maimed man
deprived of two fingers, an old man, devoted to meditation, to science,
and virtue? What would happen were a lord of such dignity as Vinicius to
meet some mishap while bearing the maiden away? It is true that the gods
are bound to watch over their chosen ones,--but have not such things
happened more than once, as if the gods were playing games instead of
watching what was passing in the world? Fortune is blindfold, as is
well known, and does not see even in daylight; what must the case be at
night? Let something happen,--let that Lygian bear hurl a millstone at
the noble Vinicius, or a keg of wine, or, still worse, water,--who
will give assurance that instead of a reward blame will not fall on
the hapless Chilo? He, the poor sage, has attached himself to the noble
Vinicius as Aristotle to Alexander of Macedon. If the noble lord should
give him at least that purse which he had thrust into his girdle before
leaving home, there would be something with which to invoke aid in
case of need, or to influence the Christians. Oh, why not listen to the
counsels of an old man, counsels dictated by experience and prudence?
Vinicius, hearing this, took the purse from his belt, and threw it to
the fingers of Chilo.
“Thou hast it; be silent!”
The Greek felt that it was unusually heavy, and gained confidence.
“My whole hope is in this,” said he, “that Hercules or Theseus performed
deeds still more arduous; what is my personal, nearest friend, Croton,
if not Hercules? Thee, worthy lord, I will not call a demigod, for thou
art a full god, and in future thou wilt not forget a poor, faithful
servant, whose needs it will be necessary to provide for from time to
time, for once he is sunk in books, he thinks of nothing else; some
few stadia of garden land and a little house, even with the smallest
portico, for coolness in summer, would befit such a donor. Meanwhile
I shall admire thy heroic deeds from afar, and invoke Jove to befriend
thee, and if need be I will make such an outcry that half Rome will be
roused to thy assistance. What a wretched, rough road! The olive oil
is burned out in the lantern; and if Croton, who is as noble as he is
strong, would bear me to the gate in his arms, he would learn, to begin
with, whether he will carry the maiden easily; second, he would act
like Æneas, and win all the good gods to such a degree that touching the
result of the enterprise I should be thoroughly satisfied.”
“I should rather carry a sheep which died of mange a month ago,”
answered the gladiator; “but give that purse, bestowed by the worthy
tribune, and I will bear thee to the gate.”
“Mayst thou knock the great toe from thy foot,” replied the Greek;
“what profit hast thou from the teachings of that worthy old man, who
described poverty and charity as the two foremost virtues? Has he not
commanded thee expressly to love me? Never shall I make thee, I see,
even a poor Christian; it would be easier for the sun to pierce the
walls of the Mamertine prison than for truth to penetrate thy skull of a
hippopotamus.”
“Never fear!” said Croton, who with the strength of a beast had no human
feeling. “I shall not be a Christian! I have no wish to lose my bread.”
“But if thou knew even the rudiments of philosophy, thou wouldst know
that gold is vanity.”
“Come to me with thy philosophy. I will give thee one blow of my head in
the stomach; we shall see then who wins.”
“An ox might have said the same to Aristotle,” retorted Chilo.
It was growing gray in the world. The dawn covered with pale light the
outlines of the walls. The trees along the wayside, the buildings, and
the gravestones scattered here and there began to issue from the shade.
The road was no longer quite empty. Marketmen were moving toward the
gates, leading asses and mules laden with vegetables; here and there
moved creaking carts in which game was conveyed. On the road and along
both sides of it was a light mist at the very earth, which promised good
weather. People at some distance seemed like apparitions in that mist.
Vinicius stared at the slender form of Lygia, which became more silvery
as the light increased.
“Lord,” said Chilo, “I should offend thee were I to foresee the end of
thy bounty, but now, when thou hast paid me, I may not be suspected of
speaking for my own interest only. I advise thee once more to go home
for slaves and a litter, when thou hast learned in what house the divine
Lygia dwells; listen not to that elephant trunk, Croton, who undertakes
to carry off the maiden only to squeeze thy purse as if it were a bag of
curds.”
“I have a blow of the fist to be struck between the shoulders, which
means that thou wilt perish,” said Croton.
“I have a cask of Cephalonian wine, which means that I shall be well,”
answered Chilo.
Vinicius made no answer, for he approached the gate, at which a
wonderful sight struck his eyes. Two soldiers knelt when the Apostle was
passing; Peter placed his hand on their iron helmets for a moment, and
then made the sign of the cross on them. It had never occurred to
the patrician before that there could be Christians in the army; with
astonishment he thought that as fire in a burning city takes in more
and more houses, so to all appearances that doctrine embraces new souls