CHAPTER XXIX.
CONVERSION.
If there is a state of mind utterly forlorn, it is that in which we leftthe poor prisoner after Polemo had departed. She was neither a Christian,nor was she not. She was in the midway region of inquiry, which as surelytakes time to pass over, except there be some almost miraculousinterference, as it takes time to walk from place to place. You see aperson coming towards you, and you say, impatiently, "Why don't you comefaster?--why are you not here already?" Why?--because it takes time. To seethat heathenism is false,--to see that Christianity is true,--are two acts,and involve two processes. They may indeed be united, and the truth maysupplant the error; but they may not. Callista obeyed, as far as truth wasbrought home to her. She saw the vanity of idols before she had faith inHim who came to destroy them. She could safely say, "I discard Jupiter:"she could not say, "I am a Christian." Besides, what did she know ofChristians? How did she know that they would admit her, if she wished it?They were a secret society, with an election, an initiation, andoaths;--not a mere philosophical school, or a profession of opinion, opento any individual. If they were the good people that she fancied them tobe,--and if they were not, she would not think of them at all,--they werenot likely to accept of her.
Still, though we may account for her conduct, its issue was not, on thataccount, the less painful. She had neither the promise of this world, norof the next, and was losing earth without gaining heaven. Our Lord isreported to have said, "Be ye good money-changers." Poor Callista did notknow how to turn herself to account. It had been so all through her shortlife. She had ardent affections, and keen sensibilities, and highaspirations; but she was not fortunate in the application of them. She hadput herself into her brother's hands, and had let him direct her course.It could not be expected that he would be very different from the world.We are cautioned against "rejoicing in our youth." Aristo rejoiced in hiswithout restraint; and he made his sister rejoice in hers, if enjoyment itwas. He himself found in the pleasures he pointed out a banquet offruits:--she dust and ashes. And so she went on; not changing her life,from habit, from the captivity of nature, but weary, disappointed,fastidious, hungry, yet not knowing what she would have; yearning aftersomething, she did not well know what. And as heretofore she had cast herlot with the world, yet had received no price for her adhesion, so now shehad bid it farewell; yet had nothing to take in its place.
As to her brother, after the visit of Polemo, he got more and moreannoyed--angry rather than distressed, and angry with her. One moreopportunity occurred of her release, and it was the last effort he made tomove her. Cornelius, in spite of his pomposity, had acted the part of areal friend. He wrote from Carthage, that he had happily succeeded in hisapplication to government, and, difficult and unusual as was the grace,had obtained her release. He sent the formal documents for carrying itthrough the court, and gained the eager benediction of the excitableAristo. He rushed with the parchments to the magistrates, who recognisedthem as sufficient, and got an order for admission to her room.
"Joy, my dearest," he cried; "you are free! We will leave this loathsomecountry by the first vessel. I have seen the magistrates already."
The colour came into her wan face, she clasped her hands together, andlooked earnestly at Aristo. He proceeded to explain the process ofliberation. She would not be called on to sacrifice, but must sign awriting to the effect that she had done so, and there would be an end ofthe whole matter. On the first statement she saw no difficulty in theproposal, and started up in animation. Presently her countenance fell; howcould she say that she had done what it was treason to her inward Guide todo? What was the difference between acknowledging a blasphemy by asignature or by incense? She smiled sorrowfully at him, shook her head,and lay down again upon her rushes. She had anticipated the Church'sjudgment on the case of the _Libellatici_.
Aristo could not at first believe he heard aright, that she refused to besaved by what seemed to him a matter of legal form; and his anger grew sohigh as to eclipse and to shake his affection. "Lost girl," he cried, "Iabandon you to the Furies!" and he shook his clenched hand at her. Heturned away, and said he would never see her again, and he kept his word.He never came again. He took refuge, with less restraint than was usual tohim, in such pleasures as the city could supply, and strove to drive hissister from his mind by dissipation. He mixed in the games of the CampusMartius under the shadow of the mountain; took part with the revellers inthe Forum, and ended the evening at the Thermae. Sometimes the image ofdear Callista, as once she looked, would rush into his mind with a forcewhich would not be denied, and he would weep for a whole night.
At length he determined to destroy himself, after the example of so manygreat men. He gave a sumptuous entertainment, expending his means upon it,and invited his friends to partake of it. It passed off with great gaiety;nothing was wanting to make it equal to an occasion so special andsingular. He disclosed to his guests his purpose, and they applauded; thelast libations were made--the revellers departed--the lights wereextinguished. Aristo disappeared that night: Sicca never saw him again.After some time it was found that he was at Carthage, and he had beenprovident enough to take with him some of his best working tools, and somespecimens of his own and poor Callista's skill.
Strange to say, Jucundus proved a truer friend to the poor girl than herbrother. In spite of his selfishness and hatred of Christians, he wasconsiderably affected as her case got more and more serious, and it becameevident that only one answer could be returned to the magistrates fromCarthage. He was quite easy about Agellius, who had, as he considered,successfully made off with himself, and he was reconciled to the thoughtof never seeing him again. Had it not been for this, one might havefancied that some lurking anxiety about the fate of his nephew might havekept alive the fidget which Callista's dismal situation gave him, for thephilosopher tells us, that pity always has something in it of self; but,under the circumstances, it would be rash judgment to have any suchsuspicion of his motives. He was not a cruel man: even the "hoary-headedFabian," or Cyprian, or others whom he so roundly abused, would havefound, when it came to the point, that his bluster was his worst weaponagainst them; at any rate he had enough of the "milk of human kindness" tofeel considerable distress about that idiotic Callista.
Yet what could he do? He might as well stop the passage of the sun, as themovements of mighty Rome, and a rescript would be coming to a certainty indue time from Carthage, and would just say one thing, which wouldforthwith be passing into the region of fact. He had no one to consult,and to tell the truth, Callista's fate was more than acquiesced in by thepublic of Sicca. Her death seemed a solution of various perplexities andtroubles into which the edict had brought them; it would be purchasing thepraise of loyalty cheaply. Moreover, there were sets of men actuallyhostile to her and her brother; the companies of statuaries, lapidaries,and goldsmiths, were jealous of foreign artists like them, who showedcontempt for Africa, and who were acquainted, or rather intimate, withmany of the higher classes, and even high personages in the place. Well,but could not some of those great people help her now? His mind glancedtowards Calphurnius, whom he had heard of as in some way or otherprotecting her on the evening of the riot, and to him he determined tobetake himself.
Calphurnius and the soldiery were still in high dudgeon with the populaceof Sicca, displeased with the magistrates, and full of sympathy forCallista. Jucundus opened his mind fully to the tribune, and persuaded himto take him to Septimius, his military superior, and in the presence ofthe latter many good words were uttered both by Calphurnius and Jucundus.Jucundus gave it as his opinion that it was a very great mistake to strikeat any but the leaders of the Christian sect; he quoted the story of KingTarquin and the poppies, and assured the great man that it was what he hadalways said and always prophesied, and that, depend upon it, it was agreat mistake not to catch Cyprianus.
"The strong arm of the law," he said, "should not, on the other hand, beput fort
h against such butterflies as this Callista, a girl who, he knewfrom her brother, had not yet seen eighteen summers. What harm could sucha poor helpless thing possibly do? She could not even defend herself, muchless attack anybody else. No," he continued, "your proper policy withthese absurd people is a smiling face and an open hand. Recollect thefable of the sun and the wind; which made the traveller lay aside hiscloak? Do you fall in with some sour-visaged, stiff-backed worshipper ofthe Furies? fill his cup for him, crown his head with flowers, bring inthe flute-women. Observe him--he relaxes; a smile spreads on hiscountenance; he laughs at a jest; 'captus est; habet:' he pours alibation. Great Jove has conquered! he is loyal to Rome; what can youdesire more? But beat him, kick him, starve him, turn him out of doors;and you have a natural enemy to do you a mischief whenever he can."
Calphurnius took his own line, and a simple one. "If it was some vileslave or scoundrel African," he said, "no harm would have been done; but,by Jupiter Tonans, it's a Greek girl, who sings like a Muse, dances like aGrace, and spouts verses like Minerva. 'Twould be sacrilege to touch ahair of her head; and we forsooth are to let these cowardly dogs ofmagistrates entrap Fortunianus at Carthage into this solecism."
Septimius said nothing, as became a man in office; but he came to anunderstanding with his visitors. It was plain that the Duumvirs of Siccahad no legal custody of Callista; in a criminal matter she might seem tofall under the jurisdiction of the military; and Calphurnius gained leaveto claim his right at the proper moment. The rest of his plan the tribunekept to himself, nor did Septimius wish to know it. He intended to march aguard into the prison shortly before Callista was brought out forexecution, and then to make it believed that she had died under thehorrors of the Barathrum. The corpse of another woman could withoutdifficulty be found to be her representative, and she herself would becarried off to the camp.
Callista : a Tale of the Third Century Page 36