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She’s no Christian, we both agree. It’s certain, too, that she chooses to say she is, or something like it. There’s just one person who has influence with her, to make her tell the truth.” “Ha!” cried Agellius, starting as if an asp had bitten him. Jucundus kept silence, and let the poison of the said asp work awhile in his nephew’s blood.
“Oh!” groaned out Aristo; “I care not for top or bottom!—I care not for the whole world, or for anything at all but Callista! If you could have seen the dear, patient sufferer!” and the poor fellow burst into a flood of tears. “Bear up! bear up!” said Jucundus, who by this time was considerably better; “show yourself a man, my dear Aristo. These things must be;—they are the lot of human nature.
It was indeed as Jucundus had hinted; a new policy, a new era was coming upon Christianity, together with the new emperor. Christians had hitherto been for the most part the objects of popular fury rather than of imperial jealousy.
But all this while Jucundus had been conversing with him; and, unless we are quick about it, we shall lose several particulars which are necessary for those who wish to pursue without a break the thread of his history. His uncle had brought the conversation round to the delicate point which had occasioned his visit, and had just broken the ice.
Aristo rose too; and Jucundus, accompanying them to the entrance, paid the not uncommon penalty of his potations, for the wine mounted to his head, and he returned into the room, and sat him down again with an impression that Aristo was still at table.
“In what are we enemies to Rome, Jucundus?” said Agellius; “why will you always take it for granted?” “Take it for granted!” answered he, “is it not on the face of the matter? I suppose they are enemies to a state, whom the state calls its enemies. Besides, why a pother of words?
He walked on for a while in silence; then he said, “That seems a sharp child, Arnobius. Could he do me a service if I wanted it? Does he know Agellius?” “Know him?” answered the other; “yes, and his farm too. He has rambled round Sicca, many is the mile. And he knows the short cuts, and the blind ways, and safe circuits.” “What’s the boy’s name?” asked Jucundus.
I must profess and teach, for Rome is the only place for the law, and these city professorships are not to be despised.” “Whom are you attending here?” asked Jucundus, drily. “You are the only man in Sicca who needs to ask the question.
“A new time is coming, trust me,” said Jucundus, gravely. “Those popular commotions are all over. What happened two days ago is a sample of what will come of them; they have received their coup-de-grâce. The State is taking up the matter, Rome itself, thank the gods! a tougher sort of customer than these villain ratcatchers and offal-eaters, whom you had to do with two days since.
Heaven and earth! is it not monstrous?” he continued, with increasing fierceness. “Yes, Jucundus, my poor man, you may wake and find yourself a Christian, without knowing it, against your will. Ah! my friends, pity me! I may find myself a beast, and obliged to suck blood and live among the tombs as if I liked it, without power to tell you how I loathe it, all through their sorcery.
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