CHAPTER XXI.
When the craft was brought up at the landing-place on the mainland,Plautus, followed by five of his crew, sprang ashore and with all hastemade toward the posting-house.
The superintendent was in a long stable, overlooking the business offeeding and making snug for the night the animals under his charge.
'Horses!' demanded Plautus laconically, as he strode inside, followed byhis gang.
'Humph--on whose business?' said the superintendent suspiciously.
'Caesar's!'
'Humph! I must have more than your word for that.'
Plautus, without speaking, thrust his fist close up under the official'snose, and displayed a signet ring gleaming on one of his bony fingers.
The man of horses bobbed back his head with an angry gesture, which madethe new-comers laugh, and turning to the grooms, said snappishly, 'Givehim Livilla.'
Plautus again thrust his ring under his visage. 'I said horses,' hegrowled roughly; 'here are six of us. Nor will the nag Livilla do forme--pick out your own, lads, and no more palaver.'
This was soon done, amid much noisy mirth and rude jesting, and in a fewminutes they were all speeding along the road to Surrentum, making themost of the last minutes of departing daylight.
Arriving at the town, they proceeded at a walk, in straggling order, toattract less attention. The streets were now dark, however, and thepassers-by few in number; nevertheless Plautus, in the van, thought fitalso to defeat any idle curiosity by taking a devious route.
Within a hundred yards of the dwelling of the ill-fated Masthlion, theband dismounted; the sweating horses were fastened in a gloomy corner, anda man left in charge of them. Plautus, with the remainder, proceeded tothe house.
The outer door was closed and all was dark and silent. Plautus, orderinghis companions to remain without until he called them, knocked loudly. Alight step came running within.
'Father, is it you?' called the glad tones of Neaera's voice.
A bolt was drawn, the door opened, and the girl herself stood in theentrance, holding a light above her head, whilst she peered beneath, witheager expectation written on her face.
'No, my pretty wench, it is not your father, that's very sure,' quothPlautus, as he came forward out of the darkness into the feeble lightthrown by the lamp.
Neaera, with a cry of alarm, started back at the sight of the shroudedfigure and the harsh features of the speaker.
'Stop,' he said, making good his entrance inside the shop; 'don't beafraid nor run away. If I'm not your father, I've come from yourfather--that is, if you are the daughter of Masthlion the potter.'
'I am,' said the disappointed girl, whose anxiety to learn of the absentone struggled against feminine suspicion and timidity of the ill-favouredvisitor. 'What have you to tell me of him? Why does he not come home? Whenis he coming?'
'For a particular reason he has not come home; nor is he coming yet. Thatis why he has sent me to bring you to him. To speak truth, he is takenvery ill, and you are bidden to go back with me, straightway, to tendhim.'
'That shall be my business,' said a voice behind; 'ill, did you say--myhusband ill?'
'Eh!' ejaculated Plautus, scanning the wrinkled anxious face of Tibia asshe came forward; 'are you his wife?'
'Yes,' cried Neaera for her, in great agitation; 'tell us, good sir, if heis very ill--speak quickly and tell us all.'
'How many more are there of you?'
'None--save a kinsman who dwells with us for a space--oh, tell us of myfather.'
'And where is the kinsman--is he in the house?'
'No--no! Somewhere in the town. You are cruel in tormenting us--speak then,and say what we are to do?'
'I have already told you. He has sent for you--he is ill, dying--so hasteand come along, if you would see him alive.'
A smothered cry broke from Tibia's lips, and Neaera turned pale.
'Dying?' murmured the girl, tottering back against the wall.
'It was me he should have sent for--his wife,' said Tibia, confronting thewily ruffian; 'you have made a mistake surely. At any rate she shall notgo.'
'She must, and quickly.'
'It would be impossible for a girl, as she is, to go with you now; it ismy place and duty to go to my husband--she must remain.'
'Ah, mother, can we not both go? Where is he, and how are we to travel?'said Neaera, pale but self-possessed.
Plautus scowled and gnawed his lip for a moment. Then he said, 'Well,well! I admit the wife has a claim before the daughter. Go you, therefore,and get your cloak--let the girl remain by the house. All blame must be onyour head.'
Tibia instantly departed into the upper rooms with the assurance that shewould not be long.
'You have not yet told us where my father is,' said Neaera, when they werealone; 'you are unkind, as a messenger, to those who hold him dearest. Didhe send no words beyond bidding me to go--no token? Speak, for the love ofthe gods!'
'I don't recollect, but I'll bring in my comrade and see if he has abetter memory,' replied Plautus.
He whistled and his accomplices filed in. Neaera, in great alarm, turned todart away down the passage into the house, but Plautus dexterously placedhimself in the way. At the same moment a cloak was twisted round her head,which stifled the cry on her lips. To pinion her limbs was the work of aninstant, for the worthy slaves were prepared for every emergency, and madelight of her struggles. Thus gagged and helpless she was borne outside.The remaining four men instantly closed the door and passed into thehouse, carrying the light with them.
The unhappy Tibia was surprised in her room, where she was hastilycollecting a few articles for her supposed journey.
'What do you want?' she cried, as the ruthless slaves crowded into thenarrow room.
They advanced toward her, and she screamed in affright at their menacingaspect. One of them rolled his eyes to his leader and half drew a knifefrom his belt. But no orders had been given for any further use of theweapon, and Plautus, from experience, kept to the letter of hisinstructions.
'Silence, hag!' he roared, 'and keep your traps--you can stay and keephouse since your girl has now gone. As for your husband, he doesn't wantyou, for he is at the bottom of the sea, and his glass pot with him--we puthim there as we came along to-night.'
As if his pitiless brutality were a matter of humour, the wretchaccompanied it with a grin. The poor woman gave an agonised cry, and sankdown beneath his terrible words, as though pierced with the kinder thrustof a sword.
'You have killed her,' said one of his comrades.
'Not I,' returned Plautus; 'she'll make a sturdy widow yet--it was wellbehaved to go off in that fashion and save us trouble.'
The insensible dame's mouth was gagged, her poor, frail limbs tied, andthen the room ransacked. There was nothing, however, which seemed worthyof any particular notice, and they proceeded to devote a similar attentionto the remainder of the house.
Every glass article was smashed, to prove it did not possess theinterdicted malleable quality, and, in the search for whatever might havesome bearing on the same luckless invention, the whole of the poorappointments of the dwelling were tossed hither and thither. This processwas very rapid and thorough, and occupied only a few minutes.
The workshop outside was then entered, and a work of devastation enteredupon. The furnace was pulled down bodily. Every article which could bedestroyed was utterly wrecked. Every nook and cavity was zealously rakedout and explored, and finally, when the rigorous examination wascompleted, the potter's tools, which had been gathered together, werethrust in a sack and carried away.
In another minute the marauders had regained their horses. The wholecampaign had been executed with a rapidity, silence, and completenesswhich left nothing to be desired, and reflected the highest credit on thediscipline of the Imperial household.
Neæra: A Tale of Ancient Rome Page 32