THE EDITOR (turning pugnaciously) What!
FERROVIUS (on the border line between zeal and ferocity) Oh, don"t give way to pride and wrath, brother. I could do it so easily. I could--
They are separated by the Menagerie Keeper, who rushes in from the pa.s.sage, furious.
THE KEEPER. Here"s a nice business! Who let that Christian out of here down to the dens when we were changing the lion into the cage next the arena?
THE EDITOR. n.o.body let him. He let himself.
THE KEEPER. Well, the lion"s ate him.
Consternation. The Christians rise, greatly agitated. The gladiators sit callously, but are highly amused. All speak or cry out or laugh at once. Tumult.
LAVINIA. Oh, poor wretch! FERROVIUS. The apostate has perished.
Praise be to G.o.d"s justice! ANDROCLES. The poor beast was starving. It couldn"t help itself. THE CHRISTIANS. What! Ate him!
How frightful! How terrible! Without a moment to repent! G.o.d be merciful to him, a sinner! Oh, I can"t bear to think of it! In the midst of his sin! Horrible, horrible! THE EDITOR. Serve the rotter right! THE GLADIATORS. Just walked into it, he did. He"s martyred all right enough. Good old lion! Old Jock doesn"t like that: look at his face. Devil a better! The Emperor will laugh when he hears of it. I can"t help smiling. Ha ha ha!!!!!
THE KEEPER. Now his appet.i.te"s taken off, he won"t as much as look at another Christian for a week.
ANDROCLES. Couldn"t you have saved him brother?
THE KEEPER. Saved him! Saved him from a lion that I"d just got mad with hunger! a wild one that came out of the forest not four weeks ago! He bolted him before you could say Balbus.
LAVINIA (sitting down again) Poor Spintho! And it won"t even count as martyrdom!
THE KEEPER. Serve him right! What call had he to walk down the throat of one of my lions before he was asked?
ANDROCLES. Perhaps the lion won"t eat me now.
THE KEEPER. Yes: that"s just like a Christian: think only of yourself! What am I to do? What am I to say to the Emperor when he sees one of my lions coming into the arena half asleep?
THE EDITOR. Say nothing. Give your old lion some bitters and a morsel of fried fish to wake up his appet.i.te. (Laughter).
THE KEEPER. Yes: it"s easy for you to talk; but--
THE EDITOR (scrambling to his feet) Sh! Attention there! The Emperor. (The Keeper bolts precipitately into the pa.s.sage. The gladiators rise smartly and form into line).
The Emperor enters on the Christians" side, conversing with Metellus, and followed by his suite.
THE GLADIATORS. Hail, Caesar! those about to die salute thee.
CAESAR. Good morrow, friends.
Metellus shakes hands with the Editor, who accepts his condescension with bluff respect.
LAVINIA. Blessing, Caesar, and forgiveness!
CAESAR (turning in some surprise at the salutation) There is no forgiveness for Christianity.
LAVINIA. I did not mean that, Caesar. I mean that WE forgive YOU.
METELLUS. An inconceivable liberty! Do you not know, woman, that the Emperor can do no wrong and therefore cannot be forgiven?
LAVINIA. I expect the Emperor knows better. Anyhow, we forgive him.
THE CHRISTIANS. Amen!
CAESAR. Metellus: you see now the disadvantage of too much severity. These people have no hope; therefore they have nothing to restrain them from saying what they like to me. They are almost as impertinent as the gladiators. Which is the Greek sorcerer?
ANDROCLES (humbly touching his forelock) Me, your Worship.
CAESAR. My Worship! Good! A new t.i.tle. Well, what miracles can you perform?
ANDROCLES. I can cure warts by rubbing them with my tailor"s chalk; and I can live with my wife without beating her.
CAESAR. Is that all?
ANDROCLES. You don"t know her, Caesar, or you wouldn"t say that.
CAESAR. Ah, well, my friend, we shall no doubt contrive a happy release for you. Which is Ferrovius?
FERROVIUS. I am he.
CAESAR. They tell me you can fight.
FERROVIUS. It is easy to fight. I can die, Caesar.
CAESAR. That is still easier, is it not?
FERROVIUS. Not to me, Caesar. Death comes hard to my flesh; and fighting comes very easily to my spirit (beating his breast and lamenting) O sinner that I am! (He throws himself down on the steps, deeply discouraged).
CAESAR. Metellus: I should like to have this man in the Pretorian Guard.
METELLUS. I should not, Caesar. He looks a spoilsport. There are men in whose presence it is impossible to have any fun: men who are a sort of walking conscience. He would make us all uncomfortable.
CAESAR. For that reason, perhaps, it might be well to have him.
An Emperor can hardly have too many consciences. (To Ferrovius) Listen, Ferrovius. (Ferrovius shakes his head and will not look up). You and your friends shall not be outnumbered to-day in the arena. You shall have arms; and there will be no more than one gladiator to each Christian. If you come out of the arena alive, I will consider favorably any request of yours, and give you a place in the Pretorian Guard. Even if the request be that no questions be asked about your faith I shall perhaps not refuse it.
FERROVIUS. I will not fight. I will die. Better stand with the archangels than with the Pretorian Guard.
CAESAR. I cannot believe that the archangels--whoever they may be--would not prefer to be recruited from the Pretorian Guard.
However, as you please. Come: let us see the show.
As the Court ascends the steps, Secutor and the Retiarius return from the arena through the pa.s.sage; Secutor covered with dust and very angry: Retiarius grinning.
SECUTOR. Ha, the Emperor. Now we shall see. Caesar: I ask you whether it is fair for the Retiarius, instead of making a fair throw of his net at me, to swish it along the ground and throw the dust in my eyes, and then catch me when I"m blinded. If the vestals had not turned up their thumbs I should have been a dead man.
CAESAR (halting on the stair) There is nothing in the rules against it.