CHAPTER XXIII - IN THE COIL OF THE TEMPTRESS

The arrest of Casca was neither a matter of surprise nor suspicion. It was very exceptional for a man in Sahama to indulge himself to the extent the chamberlain had gone that night, but at the festival such relapses did occasionally take place, and it had become a recognised duty of the guard to take charge of any such until they recovered themselves. So it was that Glarces attached no importance to the authority of the officer, but allowed him to lead the garrulous eunuch away as a matter of course.

The revels sped on with a whirl of pleasure in which the incident of Vedrona had been most effectually obliterated from the minds of many. She had not yet become a recognised part of an established institution, and though her presence was hailed with delight, it necessarily exercised a certain restraint which passed away with her retirement, and allowed the old freedom and spontaneity to return.

As for Lais, she was always seen at her best on such occasions. Never for a moment forgetting she was the Queen's representative, she was equally mindful that it was customary to observe a gracious condescension for the time, and this rule she never failed to interpret with a Babylonian freedom, if not in the actual sanction and encouragement, at least in the permission of certain phases of sociability to which Sahama had hitherto been a stranger. She was a queenly hostess, with perhaps a trifle less of the former than latter quality.

Midnight had long passed before she and Glarces met again. If they had seen each other, it was only at a distance, and her duties, equally with her design, prevented her speaking to him. When her time came they met accidentally, of course - just when and how she had predetermined. She was seeking a brief respite of rest, and was studiously careful that he should see her weariness.

“Have I discovered you at last? Surely this must be a mistake, my sister!” he remarked, in half-amused remonstrance, not suspecting the net she had spread for his capture. “I thought the night would end before we met again.”

“And would that have been so great a loss as to have caused you sorrow?” she enquired.

“Does it need that I should tell you so in order that you should know it? In the midst of such a great success - the which I wish Vedrona was here to see - should I be worthy of myself if I did not seek to express my gratitude?” “Does it please you, Glarces?”

“Please me, my sister? Why, Velia never saw such a festival before.”

“Then, so far as I have had anything to do with it, I am more than satisfied. Now let me run away, for we must not spoil it at the finish.”

“Not so, Lais. It is too late to speak of failure now and you must rest - must take some meed of pleasure from so much enjoyment. Come with me, and see the performance of these wondrous dancing girls you have brought from Ind.”

“And so neglect my duty. No, Glarces, much as I would like to be with you - much as I should like to see those girls - I cannot do that.”

“Your duty has been more than admirably performed towards our guests, now let me crave a little for myself. Your company, dear, will increase my own enjoyment. Come with me.”

“Are you so very lonely? Am I to be so highly honoured as to be requested to take Vedrona's place with Glarces for the remainder of the night?”

“Not Vedrona's, dear; but the next place with me has always been your own.”

“Has it really?” “You know it has.” “But suppose I crowd Vedrona out.” Glarces looked at her with playful confidence. “Do you think you could?”

“I don't know,” she answered archly; “no one knows what they can do till they try.”

“Well, you have my permission, and I am sure she would not object to your making the attempt.”

“Then with that understanding I will go with you to see the dance. But I caution you I go only as Vedrona's representative.”

“I understand.”

They retired to an alcove reserved for Lais overlooking the platform, from which they could watch the performance in comparative seclusion.

“Now let some refreshment be brought,” he entreated. “No, thank you; I will try and content myself with my companion and the entertainment for the present. Yet, I don't know,” she added as an afterthought, “but that a sip of wine would relieve me.”

As soon as the slave left to bring the wine, Lais - who had thrown herself upon the lounge with Glarces by her side in the usual position he assumed when sitting with Vedrona - turned to him and said, with a voice full of sudden melancholy

“Forgive me for the mischievous remark I made about Vedrona.” “What remark?”

“About my displacing her. I ought not to have made it, but it has taken its revenge already! It has awakened a memory and destroyed all my pleasure for the rest of the night.”

“No, no! that must not be; here is the wine - taste it, then you will be better.”

With a heavy sigh she took the cup and touched the liquor with her lips. Then, offering it to him, she asked doubtfully

“You will not join me, will you.”

It was a deadly move, carefully planned and executed with consummate skill. Towards this apparently accidental and undesigned request the whole events of the night had been directed with the firm, cool grip of a master hand, but its purpose was so cleverly disguised as to defy detection. It was the time-worn sheath - the most unsuspiciously powerful and audacious hell has been able to press into service - friendship and sympathy - in which the dagger of the traitoress waited to do its work. It was the fore-gleam of the kiss of Jupas, robed in a garb of inconsolable sorrow even the arch-traitor would have hesitated to assume.

His generous heart had trusted, loved and defended her; his pure soul had refused to recognise the clouds of suspicion others had so plainly and so often seen in the firmament of her conduct; his noble loyalty had been her tower of refuge and defence; his fidelity had been her shield and protection in which she had confidently perfected the plans for his destruction she was now about to bring into play.

Into such an extremity of impotent helplessness are the innocent driven at times by the machinations of remorseless fiends, and in the presence of the triumph of wrong over right there are men and women who doubt the existence of a court of inexorable justice. But let us not deceive ourselves; the very force of logic, the inherent insistence of truth, the insuperable demands of morality cry out against such an inhumanity, and the ten thousand times ten thousand tongues of past experience affirm the declaration of nature – “Be sure your sins will find you out.” The human vision oftentimes has only range sufficiently wide at present to behold the seeming triumph of the seed-sowing; in other scenes and more just surroundings we shall be enabled to watch the harvesting. Ye gods! what a revelation that will be!

The outpost of Glarces' objection to the wine had already been carried away, and the specious argument by which it had been effected was not altogether the thought of his sister, but also deference to the superstition of the guests. This latter now assumed a significance he had not before anticipated if he refused the request of Lais. She could turn upon him with the enquiry, whether, the superstition of the people were more to him than herself, after all she had done for the success of the festival, not to mention his profession that she stood next to Vedrona in his affection. Again, the conversation he had encouraged in reference to Vedrona had unintentionally aroused some memory of sorrow, and to refuse her suggestion would only further add to the pain. Glarces could never do that, especially at such a moment. Under the exceptional circumstances he had already seen it advisable to suspend his rule in regard to strong wine for the night. It was not over yet. With the morning the singular claim would be past, and he would naturally resume his old position, but for the night it was impossible for him to make the invidious distinction Lais might draw from his refusal.

With such a process of reasoning, which only caused him to waver for an instant, he took the cup and pledged is love to Lais.

It was not a craught so deep as that in which he had drank to Vedrona, but its effect was greater, because the wine was older and more potent. Lais kissed his hand as she took the cup and passed it to her slave, but she did not speak. He dropped his head, for the wine had fired his blood and he felt unsteady.

She ran her fingers lightly through his golden hair, and tenderly caressed him while watching the dance begin. Another world of strangely pleasant and fascinating sensations was opening before him. He saw the dancers; felt the caressing hand of Lais, but they were part of the overpowering cream to which he wished to yield himself. It was a kind of somnolent ecstacy, in which he neither cared to think, remember or move - his only wish was to enjoy, and the longer it continued the more accentuated did the desire become. Only once was he conscious of a definite thought, and then he asked himself whether this condition was that to which Lais had so often referred as being love according to her own idea. If so she was quite right in her contention - she had understood it better than himself.

This thought, together with the cessation of the dance and music, aroused him, and he turned towards his cousin, who lay with her eyes closed, and but for the playful twisting of her fingers through his hair might have been asleep. “You are tired, dear.”

“No, not particularly so,” she replied; “but there was a certain melancholy strain in the music, growing restfully upon me, and I closed my eyes under its influence.” Then, with more animation, she added, “But I must rouse myself now, for I understand this next part of the dance is something extraordinary. Zosine!”

“I am here, lady,” answered the slave.

“Did not Machaon send me some remedy against fatigue?”

“I asked my lady to take it long ago,” she replied, producing Meshrac's philtre.

“Silence, girl. How is it to be taken?” “A small quantity in a cup of wine.”

“There are but a few drops in the whole phial,” she answered, examining the bottle as if she had not seen it before. “Divide its contents in two cups of wine, and the Prince will join me.”

“No! I have had sufficient already.”

“With this dance the revels come to an end. We must pledge each other before we part, and this potion of the wise Machaon will chase away fatigue. You have to see Vedrona yet. Nay - don't deny me! I have heard all about it, and I desire that she shall see how well I have looked after her interests in all respects. Come, now,” handing him the cup, in which the slave had emptied the whole contents of the philtre, “we will pledge each other and Vedrona's future happiness.”

“Do you insist on it?” “Most assuredly I do.”

There was already more of willing consent than opposition in his enquiry. The memory of the pleasant dream from which he was but half awake wooed him too seductively to need the definite tone of her reply for submission. He drained the cup, only to discover it was more in the nature of liquid fire than wine coursing through his veins carrying him, in the fury of the passion it excited, past all self-restraint into the maddening intoxication of animal desire.

She watched the effect with a gleam of triumphant satisfaction, and quietly closed the curtains.

“Leave us, girl!” she commanded, then under her breath she murmured, “Now, oh, my beautiful sister, the sweet moment of my revenge has come! Now the model man is mine, and when I have done with him, you shall be welcome to what is left. Oh, ye mighty gods, such a sacrifice of myself is sweet, for it shall bring me possession of the incomparable Glarces when he wakes to know what has transpired. I have waited long for this, but the success is sweeter than even I anticipated. Come to me, Glarces - come, and let us drink our fill of love!”

He was bewildered in his frenzy, neither heeding her nor apparently conscious of her presence till she threw her arms around him in a wild, amorous embrace. Then he started back as if alarmed at her, and looking over her, cried, “See - see! What is that? Who calls me from the darkness?”

Then a shudder like a blast of ague swept over him. His eyes glared! His jaw fell! His hands clutched at space. “What is it, Glarces?” she cried, “I am here - do you not know me? Come, let me console and quiet your excitement.”

He only pushed her back, passed his hand across his face as if to clear the mist from his eyes to enable him to see the imaginary vision in the gloom.

His condition and appearance was indescribably awful. Even Lais shrank away in terror. She had been too successful. Five drops of the elixir would have served her purpose well, the half was enough to kill him, but the whole, while for a time it reduced him to a confused state of madness, practically destroyed her hopes.