"Silence!" said the attendant. "I am ordered to suffer none to speak to the slave who is called Pearl-Maiden. Move on, sir, move on."
The man lifted his head, and although in that gloom she could not see his face, Nehushta knew its shape. Still she was not sure, till presently he moved his right hand so that it came between her and the flame of one of the torches, and she perceived that the top joint of the first finger was missing.
"Caleb," she thought to herself, "Caleb, escaped and in Rome! So Domitian has another rival." Then she went back to the door-keeper and asked him the name of the man.
"A merchant of Alexandria named Demetrius," he said.
Nehushta returned to her place. In front of her two men, agents who bought slaves and other things for wealthy clients, were talking.
"More fit for a sale of dogs," said one, "after sunset when everybody is tired out, than for that of one of the fairest women who ever stood upon the block."
"Pshaw," answered the other, "the whole thing is a farce. Domitian is in a hurry, that"s all, so the auction must be held to-night."
"He means to buy her?"
"Of course. I am told that his factor, Saturius, has orders to go up to a thousand sestertia if need be," and he nodded towards a quiet man dressed in a robe of some rich, dark stuff, who stood in a corner of the place watching the company.
"A thousand sestertia! For one slave girl! Ye G.o.ds! a thousand sestertia!"
"The necklace goes with her, that is worth something, and there is property at Tyre."
"Property in Tyre," said the other, "property in the moon. Come on, let us look at something a little less expensive. As I wish to keep my head on my shoulders, I am not going to bid against the prince in any case."
"No, nor anyone else either. I expect he will get his fancy pretty cheap after all."
Then the two men moved away, and a minute afterwards Nehushta found that it was her turn to approach Miriam.
"Here comes a curious sort of buyer," said one of the attendants.
"Don"t judge the taste of the fruit by the look of the rind, young man,"
answered Nehushta, and at the sound of that voice for the first time Pearl-Maiden lifted her head, then dropped it quickly.
"She is well enough," Nehushta said aloud, "but there used to be prettier women when I was young; in fact, though dark, I was myself," a statement at which those within hearing, noting her gaunt and aged form bent beneath the heavy basket, t.i.ttered aloud. "Come, lift up your head, my dear," she went on, trying to entice the captive to consent by encouraging waves of her hand.
They were fruitless; still, had any thought of it there was meaning in them. On Nehushta"s finger, as it chanced, shone a ring which Miriam ought to know, seeing that for some years she had worn it on her own.
It would seem that she did know it, at any rate her bosom and neck grew red and a spasm pa.s.sed across her face which even the falling hair did not suffice to hide.
The ring told Miriam that Marcus lived and that Nehushta was his messenger. This suspense at least was ended.
Now the door-keeper called a warning and the buyers flocked from the building. Outside, the auctioneer, a smooth-faced, glib-tongued man, was already mounting the rostrum. Calling for silence he began his speech.
On this evening of festival, he said, he would be brief. The lots he had to offer to the select body of connoisseurs he saw before him, were the property of the Imperator t.i.tus, and the proceeds of the sale, it was his duty to tell them, would not go into Caesar"s pocket, but were to be equally divided between the poor of Rome and deserving soldiers who had been wounded or had lost their health in the war, a fact which must cause every patriotic citizen to bid more briskly. These lots, he might say, were unique, being nothing else than the fifteen most beautiful girls, believed all of them to be of n.o.ble blood, among the many thousands who had been captured at the sack of Jerusalem, the city of the Jews, especially selected to adorn the great conqueror"s Triumph.
No true judge, who desired a charming memento of the victory of his country"s arms, would wish to neglect such an opportunity, especially as he was informed that the Jewish women were affectionate, docile, well instructed in many arts, and very hard-working. He had only one more thing to say, or rather two things. He regretted that this important sale should be held at so unusual an hour. The reason was that there was really no place where these slaves could be comfortably kept without risk of their maltreatment or escape, so it was held to be best that they should be removed at once to the seclusion of their new homes, a decision, he was sure, that would meet the wishes of buyers. The second point was that among them was one lot of surpa.s.sing interest; namely, the girl who had come to be generally spoken of as Pearl-Maiden.
This young woman, who could not be more than three or four-and-twenty years of age, was the last representative of a princely family of the Jews. She had been found exposed upon one of the gates of the holy house of that people, where it would seem she was sentenced to perish for some offence against their barbarous laws. As the clamours of the populace that day had testified, she was of the most delicate and distinguished beauty, and the collar of great pearls which she wore about her neck gave evidence of her rank. If he knew anything of the tastes of his countrymen the price which would be paid for her must prove a record even in that ring. He was aware that among the vulgar a great, almost a divine name had been coupled with that of this captive. Well, he knew nothing, except this, that he was certain that if there was any truth in the matter the owner of the name, as became a n.o.ble and a generous nature, would wish to obtain his prize fairly and openly. The bidding was as free to the humblest there--provided, of course, that he could pay, and he might remark that not an hour"s credit would be given except to those who were known to him--as to Caesar himself. Now, as the light was failing, he would order the torches to be lit and commence the sale.
The beauteous Pearl-Maiden, he might add, was Lot No. 7.
So the torches were lit, and presently the first victim was led out and placed upon a stand of marble in the centre of the flaring ring. She was a dark-haired child of about sixteen years of age, who stared round her with a frightened gaze.
The bidding began at five sestertia and ran up to fifteen, or about 120 of our money, at which price she was knocked down to a Greek, who led her back into the receiving house, paid the gold to a clerk who was in attendance, and took her away, sobbing as she went. Then followed four others, who were sold at somewhat better prices. No. 6 was the dark and splendid Jewess who had kicked the greasy-curled Eastern in the face. As soon as she appeared upon the block, this brute stepped forward and bid twenty sestertia for her. An old grey-bearded fellow answered with a bid of twenty-five. Then some one bid thirty, which the Eastern capped with a bid of forty. So it went on till the large total of sixty sestertia was offered, whereon the Eastern advanced two more, at which price, amidst the laughter of the audience, she was knocked down to him.
"You know me and that the money is safe," he said to the auctioneer. "It shall be paid to you to-morrow; I have enough to carry without lading myself up with so much gold. Come on, girl, to your new home, where I have a little score to settle with you," and grasping her by the left wrist he pulled her from the block and led her unresisting through the crowd and to the shadows beyond.
Already No. 7 had been summoned to the block and the auctioneer was taking up his tale, when from out of these shadows rose the sound of a dreadful yell. Some of the audience s.n.a.t.c.hed torches from their stands and ran to the spot whence it came. There, on the marble pavement lay the Eastern dead or dying, while over him stood the Jewess, a red dagger, his own, which she had s.n.a.t.c.hed from its scabbard, in her hand, and on her stately face a look of vengeful triumph.
"Seize her! Seize the murdering witch! Beat her to death with rods,"
they cried, and at the command of the auctioneer slaves ran up to take her.
She waited till they were near, then, without a word or a sound, lifted her strong, white arm and drove the knife deep into her own heart. For a moment she stood still, till suddenly she stretched her hands wide and fell face downwards dead upon the body of the brute who had bought her.
The crowd gasped and was silent. Then one of them, a sickly looking patrician, called out:
"Oh! I did well to come. What a sight! What a sight! Blessings on you, brave girl, you have given Julius a new pleasure."
After this there was tumult and confusion while the attendants carried away the bodies. A few minutes later the auctioneer climbed back into his rostrum and alluded in moving terms to the "unfortunate accident"
which had just happened.
"Who would think," he said, "that one so beautiful could also be so violent? I weep when I consider that this n.o.ble purchaser, whose name I forget at the moment, but whose estate, by the way, is liable for the money, should have thus suddenly been transferred from the arms of Venus to that of Pluto, although it must be admitted that he gave the woman some provocation. Well, gentlemen, grief will not bring him to life again, and we who still stand beneath the stars have business to attend.
Bear me witness, all of you, that I am blameless in this affair, and, slaves, bring out that priceless gem, the Pearl-Maiden."
CHAPTER XXIV
MASTER AND SLAVE
Now a hush of expectancy fell upon the crowd, till presently two attendants appeared, each of them holding in his hand a flaming torch, and between them the captive Pearl-Maiden. So beautiful did she look as she advanced thus with bowed head, the red light of the torches falling upon her white robe and breast and reflected in a faint, shimmering line from the collar of pearls about her neck, that even that jaded company clapped as she came. In another moment she had mounted the two steps and was standing on the block of marble. The crowd pressed closer, among them the merchant of Egypt, Demetrius, and the veiled woman with the basket, who was now attended by a little man dressed as a slave and bearing on his back another basket, the weight of which he seemed to find irksome, since from time to time he groaned and twisted his shoulders. Also the chamberlain, Saturius, secure in the authority of his master, stepped over the rope and against the rule began to walk round and round the captive, examining her critically.
"Look at her!" said the auctioneer. "Look for yourselves. I have nothing to say, words fail me--unless it is this. For more than twenty years I have stood in this rostrum, and during that time I suppose that fifteen or sixteen thousand young women have been knocked down to my hammer.
They have come out of every part of the world; from the farthest East, from the Grecian mountains, from Egypt and Cyprus, from the Spanish plains, from Gaul, from the people of the Teutons, from the island of the Britons, and other barbarous places that lie still further north.
Among them were many beautiful women, of every style and variety of loveliness, yet I tell you honestly, my patrons, I do not remember one who came so near perfection as this maiden whom I have the honour to sell to-night. I say again--look at her, look at her, and tell me with what you can find fault.
"What do you say? Oh! yes, I am informed that her teeth are quite sound, there is no blemish to conceal, none at all, and the hair is all her own. That gentleman says that she is rather small. Well, she is not built upon a large scale, and to my mind that is one of her attractions.
Little and good, you know, little and good. Only consider the proportions. Why, the greatest sculptors, ancient or modern, would rejoice to have her as model, and I hope that in the interests of the art-loving public"--here he glanced at the Chamberlain, Saturius--"that the fortunate person into whose hands she pa.s.ses will not be so selfish as to deny them this satisfaction.
"Now I have said enough and must but add this, that by the special decree of her captor, the Imperator t.i.tus, the beautiful necklace of pearls worn by the maiden goes with her. I asked a jeweller friend of mine to look at it just now, and judging as well as he could without removing it from her neck, which was not allowed, he values it at least at a hundred sestertia. Also, there goes with this lot considerable property, situated in Tyre and neighbouring places, to which, had she been a free woman, she would have succeeded by inheritance. You may think that Tyre is a long way off and that it will be difficult to take possession of this estate, and, of course, there is something in the objection. Still, the t.i.tle to it is secure enough, for here I have a deed signed by t.i.tus Caesar himself, commanding all officials, officers and others concerned, to hand over without waste or deduction all property, real or personal, belonging to the estate of the late Benoni, the Jewish merchant of Tyre, and a member of the Sanhedrim--the lot"s grandfather, I am informed, gentleman--to her purchaser, who has only to fill in his own name in the blank s.p.a.ce, or any representatives whom he may appoint, which deed is especially declared to be indefeasible. Any one wish to see it? No? Then we will take it as read. I know that in such a matter, my patrons, my word is enough for you.
"Now I am about to come to business, with the remark that the more liberal your bidding the better will our glorious general, t.i.tus Caesar, be pleased; the better will the poor and the invalided soldiers, who deserve so well at your hands, be pleased; the better will the girl herself be pleased, who I am sure will know how to reward a generous appreciation of her worth; and the better shall I, your humble friend and servant, be pleased, because, as I may inform you in strict secrecy, I am paid, not by a fixed salary, but by commission.
"Now, gentlemen, what may I say? A thousand sestertia to begin with? Oh!
don"t laugh, I expect more than that. What! Fifty? You are joking, my friend. However, the acorn grows into the oak, doesn"t it? and I am told that you can stop the sources of the Tiber with your hat; so I"ll start with fifty. Fifty--a hundred. Come, bid up, gentlemen, or we shall never get home to supper. Two hundred--three, four, five, six, seven, eight--ah! that"s better. What are you stopping for?" and he addressed a hatchet-faced man who had thrust himself forward over the rope of the ring.
The man shook his head with a sigh. "I"m done," he said. "Such goods are for my betters," a sentiment that seemed to be shared by his rivals, since they also stopped bidding.
"Well, friend Saturius," said the auctioneer, "have you gone to sleep, or have you anything to say? Only in hundreds, now, gentlemen, mind, only in hundreds, unless I give the word. Thank you, I have nine hundred," and he looked round rather carelessly, expecting at heart that this bid would be the last.
Then the merchant from Alexandria stepped forward and held up his finger.
"A thousand, by the G.o.ds!"