Andivius Hedulio: Adventures of a Roman Nobleman in the Days of the Empire

by Edward Lucas White

  CHAPTER VIII

  THE WATER-GARDEN

  Just how long I was entirely unconscious I do not know. For after I beganto come to myself at intervals which grew shorter, for periods which grewlonger, I was too weak to move a muscle or to utter a syllable. I lay,flaccid, in my big, deep, soft bed, very dimly aware of Occo or ofAgathemer hovering about me, generally recalled to consciousness by aneggspoonful of hot spiced wine being forced through my slow-opening lipsand teeth.

  How many times I was sufficiently conscious to know that I was being fed,but too ill for any thoughts whatever, I cannot conjecture. When I beganto have mental feelings the first was one of dazed confusion of mind, ofgroping to recollect where I was and why and what had last happened to me.

  When I recalled my last waking experience I lay bathed in sleepycontentment. I could think connectedly enough to reason out, or myunthinking intuitions presented to me without my thinking, the convictionthat, if Vedia could recognize me in a big pool among scores of swimmers,if her perceptions in regard to me were acute enough and quick enough forher and her alone to notice that I had fainted in the water, if she caredenough for me and was sufficiently indifferent to what society might sayof her, for her to rescue me and sit down on the pavement of the_tepidarium_ and pillow my wet head on her wet thighs till I showed signsof life, I need not worry about whether Vedia cared for me or not. I waspermeated with the conviction that, however difficult it might be to gether to acknowledge it, however great or many might be the obstacles in theway of my marrying her, Vedia loved me almost as consumedly as I lovedher.

  In this frame of mind I convalesced steadily, if slowly, incurious of theflight of time, of news, of anything; content to get well whenever itshould please the gods and confident that happiness, even if longdeferred, was certain to follow my recovery.

  After I could talk to Occo and Agathemer and seemed to want to askquestions, which both of them discouraged, one morning, on wakening forthe second time, after a minute allowance of nourishment and a refreshingnap, I found Galen by my bedside.

  He looked me over and asked questions, as physicians invariably do,concerning my bodily sensations. After he seemed satisfied he asked:

  "My son, were you ever ill before you were hit on the head in your recentaffrays?"

  "Never that I remember," I answered.

  "I judge so," he said. "If you had not been blessed with the very bestphysique and constitution you would have died in your friend's litter onthe Salarian Highway. Thanks to your general strength and healthiness, andthanks, to some extent, to my care and that of my colleagues, you arealive and on the way to complete, permanent recovery and to long life withgood health. But you very nearly committed suicide when you went out andabout contrary to my orders. I say all this solemnly, for I want you toremember it. If you disobey again, you will, most likely, be soon buried.If you obey you have every chance of getting so well that you can safelyforget that you ever were ill.

  "But, until I tell you that you are well, do not forget that you are ill."

  "I shall remember," I said, "and I shall be scrupulously obedient."

  "Good !" he ejaculated. "I infer that you find life worth living."

  "Very well worth living," I rejoined devoutly.

  "Then listen to me," he said. "You must remain abed until I tell you toget up; when you first get up, it must be for only an hour or so. You mustnot attempt to go out until I give you permission. You must not riskeating such meals as you are used to. You must take small amounts ofspecified foods at stated intervals. Agathemer will see to all that, withOcco to help him. Do you promise to acquiesce?"

  "I promise," I said.

  "Remember," he cautioned me, "that the number, variety and severity of theblows rained on you in your two fights were so great that you were almostbeaten to death. You had no bones broken, but the injury to your musclesand ligaments was sufficient to kill a man only ordinarily strong, whilethe blows affecting your kidneys, liver and other internal organs were inthemselves, without the bruising of all your surface, enough to causedeath. I had you convalescing promptly and rapidly; you went out andoverstrained all your vitalities. Your recklessness almost ended you. Youwere far nearer death in your relapse than at first, and that is saying agreat deal. If you obey me you will certainly recover. If you disobey youwill probably kill yourself."

  "I shall take all that to heart," I said. "I have promised to be docile:I'll keep my word and obey my slaves as if every day were the Saturnalia."

  "Good!" he exclaimed. "You are getting better."

  He looked me over again and asked:

  "Is there anything you want?"

  "I want to see Tanno," I said.

  "You shall the day after tomorrow," he promised, "or perhaps tomorrow, ifI find you improving faster than I anticipate."

  Actually, after a brief visit from him the next day, Tanno was usheredinto my sick-room.

  My first question was about my tenants. Not one such tenant-farmer in amillion would ever have a chance of being personally presented to Caesar.They had been awestruck when I told them of their amazing good fortune.They had said almost nothing. But I knew that they were, all nine of them,as nearly rapt into ecstasy as Sabine farmers could be at the prospect ofpersonally saluting Caesar in his Palace, in his Audience Hall on histhrone. I had been too inert to worry about anything, but I almost worriedat the thought of their disappointment, through my relapse.

  Tanno told me that he, knowing the Emperor's character pretty well, hadtaken it upon himself to have them passed in with him as the Emperor hadordered, and had himself asked permission to present them and hadpresented them. The next day, he said, everyone of them had returned home.

  I heaved a deep sigh of relief: my tenants and my Sabine Estate were offmy mind; I might be entirely easy about all things in Sabinum.

  He then told me what a brilliant success Marcia was among the pleasure-loving, novelty-loving, luxurious high-living set in our city society.

  "Since the enforcement of the old-fashioned laws relaxed and became a deadletter and some were even repealed," he said, "not a few men of equestrianrank have married freed-women and such occurrences no longer cause anyscandal or much remark. But the results are not generally productive ofany social success for the ill-assorted pair.

  "I have known a few freedwomen married to men of wealth, and equestrianrank, who gained some vague approximation of social standing among thewives of their husbands' friends. But Marcia is the first freedwoman Iever knew or heard of to be treated, by everybody and at once, as if shehad been freeborn and since birth in her husband's class. Martius has notbrought this about, or aided much; he is a good enough fellow, but he hasno social qualities; for all the power he has of attracting friends hemight as well be an archaic statue. Marcia has done it all. She's awonder."

  Then he told me of Murmex: how he was already rated Rome's championswordsman; how the Palace Palaestra was jammed with notables eager to seehim fence, how magnates competed for invitations to such exhibitions, howMurmex was overwhelmed with attentions of all kinds from all sorts ofpeople, had had a furnished apartment put at his disposal by one admirer,a litter and bearers presented him by another, already saw his domicilecrowded with presents of statuary, paintings, furniture, flowers and allpossible gifts, how he was an immediate and brilliant success with allclasses, even the populace talking of him, crowding behind his litter, anddemanding him for the next public exhibition of gladiators.

  That such luck had befallen a man whom I had presented to Court auguredwell for me, indubitably.

  After I had been out of bed an hour or more for several consecutive daysGalen said to me:

  "You are almost well enough to be about, but not quite. If you go back toyour habitual hours of sleep you will fret and fidget indoors, and you arenot yet sufficiently recovered to resume your normal life. You need freshair. I have considered what is best and what is possible. I have talkedwith your friend Opsitius. Through him I have arranged for you to haveshort o
utings in this manner. On fair days if you feel like going out youmay call for your litter. In it you must keep the panels closed and thecurtains drawn. Agathemer will give your bearers directions. Nemestroniahas offered you the use of her lower garden. You are to have it all toyourself, whenever you want it, as long as my directions to Agathemerpermit you to remain in it; and you need not remain a moment unless youenjoy being there."

  I understood without asking any questions. Nemestronia's palace was one ofthe most desirable, magnificent and spacious abodes in Rome. Her father,who had been accustomed to say that he was too great a man to have to livein a fashionable neighborhood, that any neighborhood in which he settledwould thereby become fashionable, had bought a very generous plot of landnearly on the crest of the Viminal Hill and had there built himself adwelling which was at once noted among the dozen finest private dwellingsin the Eternal City. In one respect it was preeminent. From its loftyposition it had, down the slope of the hill, a wide view over the city andthis view was unobstructed, for below his palace Nemestronius had had laidout six separate gardens, two large and four small. Next the house theground fell away so sharply that he had been able to create a terracedgarden, the only private terraced garden in Rome, extending across theentire rear of his palace and with three terraces, from the uppermost ofwhich the view was almost as good as from the upper windows of themansion. Below this, each extending along but half the length of theterraces, was a grass-garden, where it was possible to play ball-games, itbeing a mere expanse of sward shut in by high walls covered with floweringvines; and a formal garden, in the fashionable style. Below the grass-garden was one of similar size, all flower-beds, to supply roses, lilies,violets and other staple blossoms for his banqueting-hall, below theformal garden was one called the wild-garden or shrubbery-garden, like thegrass-garden in being covered with sward almost from wall to wall, butunlike it, in that it had four shade trees, no two alike, and manyflowering shrubs of all kinds and sizes. Lastly below these two was thewater-garden, the same size as the terraced garden, taken up withfountains and pools, and all gay in season, with the flowers which thrivein or beside ponds and pools. It had also eight beautiful lotus trees.

  High walls, through which one might pass from one to the other only bygates generally shut fast, separated and enclosed these gardens, for theircreator's intention was to enjoy the peculiar charm of each undistractedby the contrasting charms of the others. From the upper gardens it waspossible to see, to some extent, into those lower down the hill; but, fromthe lower, one could see nothing of those above.

  One side of the property was flanked by a street, a mere narrow, walledlane on which no dwelling opened. Along this were posterns in the wall,giving access to or exit from the terrace-garden, the formal-garden, thewild-garden and the water-garden.

  I understood at once what I later heard from Agathemer. The water-gardenwas to be mine for my airings. I was to leave my litter at its postern inthe unfrequented lane and reenter my litter there.

  There I went next day and revelled in the beauty of the garden, in thesunshine, in the breeze and in the sensations of returning health andstrength which inundated me. There I went for some days in successionsimilarly.

  On the eighth day before the Kalends of August Galen came to see me, notearly in the morning, but about the bath-hour of the afternoon. He seemedwell pleased with his inspection of me and with my answers to hisquestions.

  "You are practically well," he said, "and much sooner than I anticipated.I am tempted to tell you to return to your normal routine of meals, eatingwhat you please; and to give you permission to resume your usual socialactivities But I think it better, in a case like yours, to wait a monthtoo long rather than to be a day too soon. So I shall enjoin an adherenceto your diet and a continuance of your long rest hours and brief outingsfor some days yet."

  He had me summon Agathemer and repeated to him much of what he had said tome.

  "He might go out at once," he said, "but we had best be cautious. Limithim to morning outings in Nemestronia's gardens. He may, however, seefriends, one at a time, according to his wishes and your directions. Andbe particular as to his diet. Give him more of each viand at each feeding.Feed him as soon as he wakes. Then time the feedings two hours apart. Areyour _clepsydras_ [Footnote: water-clocks] good?"

  "Of the best," I interjected. "My uncle was a fancier of time-keepers andhad one in every room, and no two alike in ornamentation, all beautifullydecorated."

  "The ornamentation doesn't matter," said Galen, impatiently. "Do they keeptime with anything approaching accuracy?"

  "As near accuracy," I said, "as any _clepsydras_ ever made."

  "Well," he said, "_clepsydras_ always work better when nearly full thanwhen nearly empty. When you feed him have a full _clepsydra_ handy andstart it when he begins to eat. Then by it feed him again after two hours.Keep to that interval and to the diet I have enjoined."

  Next day I spent over three hours in Nemestronia's water-garden, Tannowith me for most of the time. Twice, during the chat, Agathemer brought mea tray with the drink and food enjoined for that hour of the day. Eachtime I left not a drop or crumb: I was ravenous.

  The following morning Agathemer let in to me, in that same garden, MurmexLucro, who thanked me for my good offices with Commodus and narrated histriumphal progress of professional and social success ever since I hadseen him fence with the Emperor.

  Agathemer did not permit Murmex to linger long, saying that it was againstGalen's orders. After I was alone and had eaten what he brought I baskedand idled happily, thinking of Vedia, entirely unruffled by the fact thatI had had no missive or message from her, considering her silence merelydiscreet and judicious after her spectacular rescue of me in the_Tepidarium_, and confident of seeing her as soon as I was entirely well.

  While I was in this mood my hostess came to chat with me. Nemestronia, ateighty-odd, was as dainty and charming an old lady as the sun ever shoneon. And as lovable as any woman alive. I loved her dearly, as all Romeloved her dearly, and I ranked myself high among her countless honorarygrandsons, for her motherly ways made her seem an honorary grandmother toall young noblemen whom she favored.

  After a heart-warming chat she said:

  "I must go now, by Galen's orders. Before I go I want to ask you whetheryou are coming here tomorrow?"

  "Certainly!" I cried, looking about me with delight. "Could there, canthere, be in Rome a more Elysian spot in which to feel health beingrestored to one?"

  She beamed at me.

  "Be sure to be here," she said. "You will not regret coming."

  Between naps that afternoon and before I slept that night I soothed myselfwith the hope that I was, by Nemestronia's influence, to have an interviewwith Vedia.

  Next morning the weather was beautiful, the sky clear, the air neither toocool nor too warm, the breeze soft and steady. Nemestronia's water-gardenappeared to me even more delightful than the day before. I admired thelotus trees, the water-lily pads in the pools, the jets of the fountains,the bright strips of flowers along the pools, particularly some water-flags or some flowers resembling water-flags.

  I was idling in the sun on a cushion which Agathemer had arranged for meon a marble seat against the upper wall, nearly midway of the garden, butin sight of the postern gate by which I had entered. So idling anddreaming day dreams I let my eyes rove languidly about the scene beforeme. While meditating and staring at the pavement at my feet I heardfootsteps on the walk and looked up.

  To my amazement I saw Egnatius Capito approaching.

  No wonder I was amazed. I knew him but slightly. I should never havethought of asking to see him, as I had asked to be allowed to see severalof my semi-intimates. Agathemer had insisted that I postpone seeing them,because an interview with any of them was likely to overtire me. I knewthat no one could have entered that garden without Agathemer's knowledge.I could not conceive how Capito came to be there.

  He greeted me formally and asked permission to seat himself beside me. Igave i
t rather grudgingly.

  He asked after my health and I answered only less grudgingly.

  "I conjecture," he said, "that you are surprised to see me here?"

  "I am surprised," I said shortly.

  "Will you permit me to explain?" he asked courteously.

  I could not be less courteous than he and signified my assent.

  "Your secretary," he said, "is of the opinion that your illness, whilecaused by your injuries in the affrays into which you were entrapped, wasgreatly intensified by your chagrin at finding yourself embroiled withboth the Vedian and Satronian clans, and he also thinks that brooding overthe condition of affairs has delayed your recovery."

  "I assumed all that," I interrupted, "but I cannot conceive why he hastalked to you about it."

  Capito was always ingratiating. He gazed at me reproachfully, gently,winningly.

  "If I have your permission," he said, "I shall explain."

  "Explain!" I cried impatiently.

  "Agathemer," he went on, "has left no stone unturned to find some meansfor placating both clans and for reconciling you with both. In pursuit ofthis aim he has been cautious, discreet, tactful and secret. He hascovertly tried many plans of approach. It was intimated to him, truly,that I had on foot a scheme which promised to succeed in reconciling bothclans with each other and he rightly inferred that I might be able toarrange for reconciling both with you at the same time. I am confidentthat I can, as I told him when he tentatively approached me andunostentatiously sounded me on this matter. I told him that it was onlynecessary that I have an interview with you as soon as might be. Believingthat an early dissipation of your embroilment would conduce to your quickand complete recovery he arranged for me to meet you as I have."

  While he was saying this my eyes roved about the garden. To myastonishment I saw a man standing against the shut postern door, intentlyregarding us as we sat on the marble seat conferring. In my halfconvalescent state I had become used to acquiescence in anything andeverything, I was inert mentally and physically and my perceptivefaculties dulled and slow as were my intellectual processes. Whilehearkening to Capito I gazed at the man uncomprehendingly, only halfconscious. I thought him a queer-looking fellow to be in Capito's retinue;he did not look like a slave, but like a free man of the lowest class. Idid not recognize him, yet it seemed to me that I should; I did not likethe way he looked at us, yet I said nothing. He seemed to see me lookingat him, opened the postern, stepped through it and shut it after him. Ashe went I was shot through with the conviction that I had seen himsomewhere before.

  "If you have in you," I said to Capito, "any such supernatural powers asyou would need for success in what you aim at, if you have any reasons foranticipating success, Agathemer was fully justified in what he has done.If you can really accomplish what you seem to believe you can accomplish,I shall be grateful to you to the last breath I draw. But I am skeptical.Speak on. Convince me."

  "I must first," he said, "have your pledge of secrecy for what I am aboutto say."

  "What sort of secrecy?" I queried, repelled and suspicious.

  "If I am to disclose what I wish to disclose," he said, "you must give meyour word not to reveal by word, look, act or silence anything I may makeknown to you, from your pledge until the termination of our interview."

  I was uneasy, but curious. I gave my pledge as he asked.

  He looked about, warily. He leaned closer to me. He spoke in a subduedtone.

  "It must be known to you," he said, "that many of us nobles, many men ofequestrian rank, many senators, are gravely anxious concerning theRepublic, gravely dissatisfied with the character and behavior, I mightsay the misbehavior, of our present Prince."

  "I don't wonder that you pledged me to secrecy," I blurted out. "You aretalking treason."

  "Hear me to the end," he begged, "and you will find that I am talking nottreason but patriotism."

  I grunted and he went on.

  "Many of us are of the opinion that the Republic, which was never asprosperous as within the past eighty years, is in grave danger of losingmuch of its Empire, so gloriously extended by Trajan, so well maintainedby his three successors, if it continues to be neglected and mismanaged asit is. To save the commonwealth and retain its provinces we must have aCaesar competent, diligent, discreet and brave; and not one of theseepithets can be properly applied to the autocrat now in power. We feelthat he must be removed and that there must be substituted for him a rulerwho is all that the State needs and has the right to expect."

  "Fine words," I said. "Masking a conspiracy to assassinate our Emperor."

  He looked shocked and pained.

  "Hear me out," he pleaded.

  "I am curious, I confess," I admitted, "to learn what all this has to dowith reconciling Vedius and Satronius and regaining me the good graces ofboth. I ought to terminate the interview, but I am weak. Go on."

  "Naturally," he said, "both Vedius and Satronius resent what the Emperordid and said concerning your entanglement in their feud and they are bothinfuriated at their humiliation and at the effective means he took to tietheir hands as far as concerns you and to ensure your safety, as far asthey were concerned."

  "Commodus," I interrupted, "is not altogether a bungler when he gives hismind to the duties of his office."

  "May I go on?" Capito enquired, mildly, even reproachfully and, I mightsay, irresistibly. He was a born leader of a conspiracy, for few men couldbe alone with him and not fall under his influence.

  "Go on," I said. "I am consumed with curiosity to discover how their rageat the Emperor could lead to a reconciliation between them."

  "It is not obvious, I admit," he said, "but when I explain, you will seehow naturally, how inevitably a reconciliation might be expected toresult.

  "You have seen, perhaps often, a peasant or laborer beating his wife?"

  "Everybody has," I replied. "What has that to do with what you weretalking of?"

  "Be patient!" he pleaded. "You have seen some bystander interfere in sucha domestic fracas?"

  "Often," I agreed.

  "You have also seen," he continued, "not only the husband turn on theoutsider, but the wife join her spouse in attacking her would-be rescuer,have seen both trounce the interloper and in their mutual help forgettheir late antagonism."

  "Certainly," I agreed.

  "Well," he pursued, "human nature, male or female, low-life or high-life,is the same in essence. Vedius and Satronius are so incensed with Caesarfor balking their appetite for revenge on you that they are thirsting forrevenge on Caesar and ready to forget all their hereditary animosities andjoin in abasing him. In fact, they have joined the league of patriots ofwhich I am the leader. And they are so bent on their new purpose that theyare ready to be hearty friends to anyone sworn as our confederate. I canarrange to obliterate, even to annihilate forever, all trace of enmitybetween you and either of them, if you will but agree to let your naturalinherent patriotism overcome all other feelings in your heart and aid usto abolish the shame of our Republic and to safeguard the Commonwealth andthe Empire."

  All this while I had been half listening to him, half occupied in tryingto recall where I had seen the man who had stepped through the postern. Atthis instant, as Capito paused, I suddenly realized that he was theimmobile horseman whom we had twice passed in the rain by the roadside themorning I had started from my villa for Rome. His hooked nose wasunmistakable.

  Somehow this realization, along with the recollection of what Tanno hadsaid of the fellow, woke me to a sense of the danger to which I wasexposed by being with Capito and also to a sense of the craziness of hisideas and plans.

  I felt my face redden.

  "You have said enough!" I cut him short. "I perfectly understand. Youthink yourself the destined savior of Rome and the deviser of pricelessplans for Rome's future. You are not so much a conspirator as a lunatic.Your schemes are half idiocy, half moonshine. I have pledged you my wordto be secret as to what you have told me. My pledge holds if you now keepsile
nt, rise from this seat and walk straight out to your litter, by thesame way by which you came from it. If you utter another syllable to me,if you do not rise promptly, if you hesitate about going, if you linger onyour path, I'll call my litter, I'll go straight to the Palace, I'll askfor a private audience, I'll wait till I get one, I'll tell the Emperorevery word you have said to me. If you want protection for yourself frommy pledge, leave me. Go!"

  He gave one glance at me and went.