And Gremion, retiring with the two men, left Genevieve alone. It was now no longer the tender and merciful words of Jesus that came to the mind of the slave, as they had come to her before her punishment. It was the words of vengeance and of curses which he had also p.r.o.nounced the same morning against the wicked and the oppressors.
During the long hours she pa.s.sed alone, with the remembrance of her shame, she made to herself an oath, that if ever the G.o.ds willed that she should be a mother, and that she could keep her child with her, she would strive to inspire in him a horror of slavery, and a hatred to the Romans, instead of allowing to degenerate in his young mind these proud resentments, as they had degenerated in her husband, Fergan, whom she loved so, despite the weakness of his character, he who had descended, nevertheless, from the powerful and untameable race of Joel, the brenn of the haughty tribe of Karnak.
Genevieve had been for three days confined in the underground room of the house, where Gremion, her master, had brought her every morning a little food, when one night very late, the door of the slave"s prison opened; she saw her mistress, Aurelia, enter, holding a lamp in one hand, and with the other a packet, which she deposited on the steps of the staircase.
"Poor woman! you have greatly suffered on my account," said Aurelia, whose eyes were moistened with tears, on approaching Genevieve. The latter, despite the kindness of her mistress, could not help saying to her with bitterness:
"If you had a daughter, and men had stripped her of her clothes to beat her with a whip, by order of a master, what would you then say of slavery?"
"Genevieve, you accuse me, and I am not the cause of these cruelties!"
"It is not you I accuse; it is slavery; you are kind to me. But still, look how I have been treated."
"In vain, for the last three days, have I sought your pardon from my husband," said Aurelia, her voice full of compa.s.sion.
"He has refused me: I have entreated him to allow me to see you; he was deaf to my prayers; besides, he always carries the keys of the prison about him."
"And how have you obtained possession of it to-night?"
"He had placed it under his pillow; I profited by his sleep, and I am come."
"I have suffered much more of shame than of pain," continued Genevieve, overcome by the grief of her mistress; "but your kind words console me!"
"Listen, Genevieve, I am not here simply to console you; you can fly from this house and render a great service to the young man of Nazareth, perhaps even save his life."
"What say you, my dear mistress?" exclaimed Genevieve; thinking less of her liberty than of the service she might render to the Nazarene.
"Oh! speak; my life, if necessary, for him who said that "one day the chains of the slave shall be broken!""
"Since the night we pa.s.sed listening to the predictions of Jesus, Jane and I have not met; the Seigneur Chusa had prevented her from leaving her house to come here; to-night, however, yielding to her prayer, he brought her here, and whilst he was conversing with my husband, do you know what Jane told me?"
"About the young man of Nazareth?"
"Yes."
"Alas! some new persecution!"
"He is betrayed! They will arrest him this very night, and kill him!"
"Betrayed! he! and by whom?"
"By one of his disciples."
"Ah! the infamous wretch!"
"Then Chusa, already triumphing in the death of this poor Nazarene, has revealed every thing this evening to Jane, to enjoy maliciously the affliction this sad news will cause her; this then is what pa.s.sed; the pharisees, doctors of law, senators, and high priests, all exasperated by the last (those we heard), a.s.sembled at the house of the high priest Caiphus, and sought for means to surprise the Nazarene; but fearing a popular rising if they arrested him yesterday, a holiday in Jerusalem, they have deferred till to-night the execution of their wicked designs."
"What! to-night? This very night?"
"Yes, a traitor, one of his disciples, named Judas, is to betray him into their hands."
"One of those who, the other night, accompanied him to the tavern of the "Wild a.s.s.""
"The one whose gloomy and treacherous figure you remarked. Judas then went to the high priests and the doctors of law, and said to them: "Give me money, and I will deliver the Nazarene to you.""
"The wretch!"
"He has agreed for thirty pieces of silver from the pharisees; and at the present moment perhaps the poor young man, who suspects nothing, is a victim of the treason."
"Alas! if such is the case, what service can I render him?"
"Listen again, this is what Jane said to me to-night: "It was whilst repairing to your house, dear Aurelia, that my husband informed me, with a cruel joy, of the evil with which Jesus is threatened. Knowing that, watched as I am, I have no means of warning him, for our servants so much fear the Seigneur Chusa, that despite my prayers and offers of gold, none dared leave the house to find Jesus and apprise him of the danger; besides, the night advances, an idea struck me; your slave Genevieve appears to have as much courage as devotedness. Could she not serve us on this occasion?"
"I immediately informed Jane of the cruel vengeance that my husband had exercised towards you; but Jane, far from renouncing her project, asked me where Gremion placed the key of the prison: "Under his pillow," I answered her."
"Endeavor to take it whilst he sleeps," said Jane to me. "If you succeed in getting possession of it, go and release Genevieve; it will be easy for you afterwards to get her out of the house; she will soon arrive at the tavern of the "Wild a.s.s," and there, perhaps, they will tell her where the young man may be found."
"Oh! dear mistress!" exclaimed Genevieve, "I shall never forget the confidence you and your friend place in me; try at once to open the door of the prison."
"Wait a moment, for before deciding we must think of the rage of my husband. It is not for myself I fear, but for you. When you return here, poor Genevieve, judge from what you have suffered what you will still have to suffer!"
"Think not of me!"
"We have thought of it, on the contrary. Listen again: the nurse of my friend lives near the Judicial gate; she sells woolen cloths and her name is Veronica, the wife of Samuel: shall you remember these names?"
"Yes, yes, Veronica, wife of Samuel, cloth vendor, near the Judicial gate. But, dear mistress, let us haste, the hour advances; every hour lost might be fatal to the young man. Oh! I entreat you, try to open the street door."
"No, not at least until I have told you where you may find refuge; it will be impossible for you to return here, for I tremble at the treatment to which my husband would subject you."
"What! quit you forever?"
"Would you rather submit to an infamous punishment again, and perhaps worse tortures?"
"I would much rather prefer death to such disgrace!"
"My husband will not kill you because you are worth money. This separation is therefore indispensable; it costs me dear, because never, perhaps, shall I find a slave in whom I have such confidence as you; but what would you? Since I have listened to the words of this young man, I share the enthusiasm he has inspired in Jane; and will try to save him...."
"Can you doubt it, dear mistress?"
"No, I know your devotedness and your courage. This, then, is what you must do; if you succeed in finding the young man of Nazareth, you will apprise him that he is betrayed by Judas, one of his disciples, and that he has only to fly from Jerusalem to escape the pharisees; they have sworn his death! Jane thinks that by retiring to Galilee, his native country, Mary"s son will be saved, for his cowardly enemies would not dare to follow him there."
"But, dear mistress, even here, at Jerusalem, he has only to-night to call the people to his defence, his disciples, by whom he is adored, will put themselves at the head of the revolt, and all the pharisees in the world would not be able to arrest him!"
"Jane had also thought of this plan; but that he might raise the people in his favor, either Jesus or his disciples must be apprised of the danger which menaces him."
"Consequently, dear mistress, we have not a moment to lose."
"Listen once more, poor Genevieve: you forget the perils that surround you! When, therefore, you have warned the young man, or one of his disciples, you will repair to Veronica"s, Samuel"s wife; you will tell her that you came from Jane, and as a proof of the truth you will give her this ring, which my friend drew from her finger; you will beg Veronica to conceal you in her house, and go immediately to Jane"s, who will instruct her as to what she and I intend doing for you.