Pearl-Maiden: A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem

by H. Rider Haggard

  It would seem that Caleb kept his word, for three days later the vessel_Luna_ sailed unmolested from the port of Ostia in the charge of theGreek captain Hector, having on board Miriam, Nehushta, Julia, andGallus.

  Within a week of this sailing Titus at length returned to Rome. Here indue course the case of Marcus was brought before him by the prisoner'sfriends, together with a demand that he should be granted a new and opentrial for the clearing of his honour. Titus, who for his own reasonsrefused to see Marcus, listened patiently, then gave his decision.

  He rejoiced, he said, to learn that his close friend and trusted officerwas still alive, since he had long mourned him as dead. He grieved thatin his absence he should have been put upon his trial on the charge ofhaving been taken captive, living, by the Jews, which, if Marcus uponhis arrival in Rome had at once reported himself to him, would not havehappened. He dismissed all accusations against his military honour andcourage as mere idle talk, since he had a hundred times proved him to bethe bravest of men, and knew, moreover, something of the circumstancesunder which he was captured. But, however willing he might be to do so,he was unable for public reasons to disregard the fact that he had beenduly convicted by a court-martial, under the Prince Domitian, of havingbroken the command of his general and suffered himself to be takenprisoner alive. To do so would be to proclaim himself, Titus, unjust,who had caused others to suffer for this same offence, and to offerinsult to the prince, his brother, who in the exercise of his discretionas commander in his absence, had thought fit to order the trial. Still,his punishment should be of the lightest possible. He commanded that onleaving his prison Marcus should go straight to his own house bynight, so that there might be no public talk or demonstration among hisfriends, and there make such arrangement of his affairs as seemed goodto him. Further, he commanded that within ten days he should leaveItaly, to dwell or travel abroad for a period of three years, unlessthe time should be shortened by some special decree. After the lapseof these three years he would be free to return to Rome. This was hisjudgment and it could not be altered.

  As it chanced, it was the chamberlain Saturius who first communicatedthe Imperial decree to Marcus. Hurrying straight from the palace to theprison he was admitted into the prisoner's chamber.

  "Well," said Marcus, looking up, "what evil tidings have you now?"

  "None, none," answered Saturius. "I have very good tidings, and that iswhy I run so fast. You are only banished for three years, thanks to mysecret efforts," and he smiled craftily. "Even your property is left toyou, a fact which will, I trust, enable you to reward your friends fortheir labours on your behalf."

  "Tell me all," and the rogue obeyed, while Marcus listened with a faceof stone.

  "Why did Titus decide thus?" he asked when it was finished. "Speakfrankly, man, if you wish for a reward."

  "Because, noble Marcus, Domitian had been with him beforehand and toldhim that if he reversed his public judgment it would be a cause of openquarrel between them. This, Caesar, who fears his brother, does not seek.That is why he would not see you, lest his love for his friend shouldovercome his reason."

  "So the prince is still my enemy?"

  "Yes, and more bitter than before, since he cannot find thePearl-Maiden, and is sure that you have spirited her away. Be advised byme and leave Rome quickly, lest worse things befall you."

  "Aye," said Marcus, "I will leave Rome quickly, for how shall I abidehere who have lost my honour. Yet first it may please your master toknow that by now the lady whom he seeks is far across the sea. Now getyou gone, you fox, for I desire to be alone."

  The face of Saturius became evil.

  "Is that all you have to say?" he asked. "Am I to win no reward?"

  "If you stay longer," said Marcus, "you will win one which you do notdesire."

  Then Saturius went, but without the door he turned and shook his fisttowards the chamber he had left.

  "Fox," he muttered. "He called me fox and gave me nothing. Well, foxesmay find some pickings on his bones."

  The chamberlain's road to the palace ran past the place of business ofthe merchant Demetrius. He stopped and looked at it. "Perhaps this onewill be more liberal," he said to himself, and entered.

  In his private office he found Caleb alone, his face buried in hishands. Seating himself he plunged into his tale, ending it with anapology to Caleb for the lightness of the sentence inflicted uponMarcus.

  "Titus would do no more," he said; "indeed, were it not for the fearof Domitian, he could have not have been brought to do so much, for heloves the man, who has been a prefect of his bodyguard, and was deeplygrieved that he must disgrace him. Still, disgraced he is, aye, and hefeels it; therefore I trust that you, most generous Demetrius, who hatehim, will remember the service of your servant in this matter."

  "Yes," said Caleb quietly, "fear not, you shall be well paid, for youhave done your best."

  "I thank you, friend," answered Saturius, rubbing his hands, "and, afterall, things may be better than they seem. That insolent fool let outjust now that the girl about whom there is all this bother has beensmuggled away somewhere across the seas. When Domitian learns that hewill be so mad with anger that he may be worked up to take a littlevengeance of his own upon the person of the noble Marcus, who has thuscontrived to trick him. Also Marcus shall not get the Pearl-Maiden,for the prince will cause her to be followed and brought back--to you,worthy Demetrius."

  "Then," answered Caleb, slowly, "he must seek for her, not across thesea, but in its depths."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean that I have tidings that Pearl-Maiden escaped in the ship _Luna_hard upon a month ago. This morning the captain and some mariners of thegalley _Imperatrix_ arrived in Rome. They report that they met agreat gale off Rhegium, and towards the end of it saw a vessel sink.Afterwards they picked up a sailor clinging to a piece of wood, who toldthem that the ship's name was _Luna_ and that she foundered with allhands."

  "Have you seen this sailor?"

  "No; he died of exhaustion soon after he was rescued; but I have seenthe men of the galley, who brought me note of certain goods consigned tome in her hold. They repeated this story to me with their own lips."

  "So, after all, she whom so many sought was destined to the armsof Neptune, as became a pearl," reflected Saturius. "Well, well, asDomitian cannot be revenged upon Neptune he will be the more wroth withthe man who sent her to that god. Now I go to tell him all these tidingsand learn his mind."

  "You will return and acquaint me with it, will you not?" asked Caleb,looking up.

  "Certainly, and at once. Our account is not yet balanced, most generousDemetrius."

  "No," answered Caleb, "our accounts are not yet balanced."

  Two hours later the chamberlain reappeared in the office.

  "Well," said Caleb, "how does it go?"

  "Ill, very ill for Marcus, and well, very well for those who hate him,as you and I do, friend. Oh! never have I seen my Imperial master soenraged. Indeed, when he learned that Pearl-Maiden had escaped and wasdrowned, so that he could have no hope of her this side the Styx, it wasalmost dangerous to be near to him. He cursed Titus for the lightness ofhis sentence; he cursed you; he cursed _me_. But I turned his wrathinto the right channel. I showed him that for all these ills Marcus, andMarcus alone, is to blame, Marcus who is to pay the price of them witha three years' pleasant banishment from Rome, which doubtless, will beremitted presently. I tell you that Domitian wept and gnashed his teethat the thought of it, until I showed him a better plan--knowing that itwould please you, friend Demetrius."

  "What plan?"

  Saturius rose, and having looked round to see that the door wasfastened, came and whispered into Caleb's ear.

  "Look you, after sunset to-night, that is within two hours, Marcus isto be put out of his prison and conducted to the side door of his ownhouse, that beneath the archway, where he is ordered to remain untilhe leaves Rome. In this house is no one except an old man, the stewardStephanus, and a slave w
oman. Well, before he gets there, certain trustyfellows, such as Domitian knows how to lay his hands upon, will haveentered the house, and having secured the steward and the woman, willawait the coming of Marcus beneath the archway. You can guess the rest.Is it not well conceived?"

  "Very well," answered Caleb. "But may there not be suspicion?"

  "None, none. Who would dare to suspect Domitian? A private crime,doubtless! The rich have so many enemies."

  What Saturius did not add was that nobody would suspect Domitian becausethe masked bravoes were instructed to inform the steward and the slavewhen they had bound and gagged them, that they were hired to do the deedof blood by a certain merchant named Demetrius, otherwise Caleb the Jew,who had an ancient quarrel against Marcus, which, already, he had triedto satisfy by giving false evidence before the court-martial.

  "Now," went on Saturius, "I must be going, for there are one or twolittle things which need attention, and time presses. Shall we balancethat account, friend Demetrius?"

  "Certainly," said Caleb, and taking a roll of gold from a drawer hepushed it across the table.

  Saturius shook his head sadly. "I laid it at twice as much," he said."Think how you hate him and how richly your hate will be fed. Firstdisgraced unjustly, he, one of the best soldiers and bravest captains inthe army, and then hacked to death by cutthroats in the doorway of hisown house. What more could you want?"

  "Nothing," answered Caleb. "Only the man isn't dead yet. Sometimes theFates have strange surprises for us mortals, friend Saturius."

  "Dead? He will be dead soon enough."

  "Good. You shall have the rest of the money when I have seen his body.No, I don't want any bungling and that's the best way to make certain."

  "I wonder," thought Saturius, as he departed out of the office andthis history, "I wonder how I shall manage to get the balance of myfee before they have my Jewish friend by the heels. But it can bearranged--doubtless it can be arranged."

  When he had gone, Caleb, who, it would seem, also had things whichneeded attention and felt that time pressed, took pen and wrote a shortletter. Next he summoned a clerk and gave orders that it was to bedelivered two hours after sunset--not before.

  Meanwhile, he enclosed it in an outer wrapping so that the address wasnot seen. This done, he sat still for a time, his lips moving, almost asthough he were engaged in prayer. Then, seeing that it was the hour ofsunset, he rose, wrapped himself in a long dark cloak, such as was wornby Roman officers, and went out.