登陆注册
5371300000124

第124章

WHEN the Thessalian found that Arbaces returned to her no more--when she was left, hour after hour, to all the torture of that miserable suspense which was rendered by blindness doubly intolerable, she began, with outstretched arms, to feel around her prison for some channel of escape; and finding the only entrance secure, she called aloud, and with the vehemence of a temper naturally violent, and now sharpened by impatient agony.

'Ho, girl!' said the slave in attendance, opening the door; art thou bit by a scorpion? or thinkest thou that we are dying of silence here, and only to be preserved, like the infant Jupiter, by a hullabaloo?'

'Where is thy master? and wherefore am I caged here? I want air and liberty: let me go forth!'

'Alas! little one, hast thou not seen enough of Arbaces to know that his will is imperial! He hath ordered thee to be caged; and caged thou art, and I am thy keeper. Thou canst not have air and liberty; but thou mayst have what are much better things--food and wine.'

'Proh Jupiter!' cried the girl, wringing her hands; 'and why am I thus imprisoned? What can the great Arbaces want with so poor a thing as I am?'

'That I know not, unless it be to attend on thy new mistress, who has been brought hither this day.'

'What! Ione here?'

'Yes, poor lady; she liked it little, I fear. Yet, by the Temple of Castor!

Arbaces is a gallant man to the women. Thy lady is his ward, thou knowest.'

'Wilt thou take me to her?'

'She is ill--frantic with rage and spite. Besides, I have no orders to do so; and I never think for myself. When Arbaces made me slave of these chambers, he said, "I have but one lesson to give thee--while thou servest me, thou must have neither ears, eyes, nor thought; thou must be but one quality--obedience."'

'But what harm is there in seeing Ione?'

'That I know not; but if thou wantest a companion, I am willing to talk to thee, little one, for I am solitary enough in my dull cubiculum. And, by the way, thou art Thessalian--knowest thou not some cunning amusement of knife and shears, some pretty trick of telling fortunes, as most of thy race do, in order to pass the time 'Tush, slave, hold thy peace! or, if thou wilt speak, what hast thou heard of the state of Glaucus?'

'Why, my master has gone to the Athenian's trial; Glaucus will smart for it!'

'For what?'

'The murder of the priest Apaecides.'

'Ha!' said Nydia, pressing her hands to her forehead; 'something of this Ihave indeed heard, but understand not. Yet, who will dare to touch a hair of his head?'

'That will the lion, I fear.'

'Averting gods! what wickedness dost thou utter?'

'Why, only that, if he be found guilty, the lion, or may be the tiger, will be his executioner.'

Nydia leaped up, as if an arrow had entered her heart; she uttered a piercing scream; then, falling before the feet of the slave, she cried, in a tone that melted even his rude heart:

'Ah! tell me thou jestest--thou utterest not the truth--speak, speak!'

'Why, by my faith, blind girl, I know nothing of the law; it may not be so bad as I say. But Arbaces is his accuser, and the people desire a victim for the arena. Cheer thee! But what hath the fate of the Athenian to do with thine?'

'No matter, no matter--he has been kind to me: thou knowest not, then, what they will do? Arbaces his accuser! O fate! The people--the people! Ah! they can look upon his face--who will be cruel to the Athenian!--Yet was not Love itself cruel to him?'

So saying, her head drooped upon her bosom: she sunk into silence; scalding tears flowed down her cheeks; and all the kindly efforts of the slave were unable either to console her or distract the absorption of her reverie.

同类推荐
  • 四童子三昧经

    四童子三昧经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 道德真经集义

    道德真经集义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 易林补遗

    易林补遗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Three Elephant Power

    Three Elephant Power

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Camille

    Camille

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 逆天双绝狂傲妃

    逆天双绝狂傲妃

    一朝穿越成废材,废柴也就算了,还是又丑又没人要的野种?野种又何妨?有实力就行!敢说她丑?那美给你看!过来找茬儿,打趴你算!可偏偏怎么就遇上了一个极尽难缠的家伙?推荐新文《全能王妃上线了》团宠爽文!推荐完结文《重生千金逆天下》、《驭兽女王超凶的》爆笑爽文!
  • 谁教出来的“问题孩子”

    谁教出来的“问题孩子”

    《谁教出来的“问题孩子”》内容简介:我们经常能碰到所谓的“问题孩子”。越来越多的教育工作者认识到,大多数“问题孩子”的成因应该归结到成年人身上,是成年人的“问题”导致了孩子的“问题”。《谁教出来的“问题孩子”》着眼于青少年教育、青少年心理健康,探讨了“‘问题孩子’问题何在”、“父母需要持证上岗”、“别戴‘有色眼镜’看顽童”、“警惕成功标签制造‘童年恐慌’”、“独生子女的孤独世界”、“孩子成长中的压力与困惑”等十余个热辣话题。针对每一话题,列举众多典型鲜活事例,从教师、学生、家长、专家多个视角进行深入解读,帮助当代父母矫正家庭教育思路,塑造全新的家庭教育观念。
  • 撩个鬼王当老公

    撩个鬼王当老公

    十二岁那年,我不小心打破家里的观音像,把封印在里面的厉鬼放出来了。我以为我会被死,可是厉鬼却对我说……--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 七年(上)

    七年(上)

    她与他互生情愫时,她是学校的风云人物,才艺双全,获奖无数。生得倾国倾城,身边从不缺喜欢她的男生,她就像众星捧月的月亮,明明被很多人围着,看上去却那么孤独。十九岁的他,也许就是因为她身上散发出的孤独气质,那种若即若离的神秘感使得他像得了魔怔一样不由自主地爱上她。而她的心,也在他的温暖下逐渐柔软。他们约定,如果在初雪那天走在大街上能遇到的话,那么就在一起吧。然而,她却突然消失了。再次相见,已是七年后了。他还是单身,而她成为了知名设计师,身边还有一个完美的男人守护,并且那个人的妹妹也爱上了他,多角关系即将上演,面对接踵而至的难题,他们将何去何从?
  • 盲弈

    盲弈

    袁会东神情专注地和我对弈的时候,橘黄色的阳光漫进了屋里。猛然间,一只呆头呆脑的小麻雀,扑棱棱地飞进来,发出啾啾的心无城府的欢叫。
  • 千手千眼观自在菩萨广大圆满无碍

    千手千眼观自在菩萨广大圆满无碍

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 天龙八部(全五册)(纯文字新修版)

    天龙八部(全五册)(纯文字新修版)

    《天龙八部》一书以北宋、辽、西夏、大理并立的历史为宏大背景,将儒释道、琴棋书画等中国传统文化融会贯通其中,书中人物繁多,个性鲜明,情节离奇,尽显芸芸众生百态。丐帮帮主乔峰与大理国王子段誉、少林弟子虚竹结为兄弟。他身为大宋武林第一大帮帮主,发现自己竟是契丹人,虽受尽中原武林人士唾弃而不肯以怨报怨;他身为辽国南院大王,却甘愿背上叛族罪名,最终以悲壮的自杀来阻止辽国发兵攻宋,不愧为顶天立地的大英雄。
  • 最强榜单

    最强榜单

    每天早上7点,最强榜单准时向全球用户推送排名。叮,亲爱的【雷布斯排行榜】榜单用户涛哥您好,您以250元的总资产,在全球排名第62亿7322万名!在朋友圈中排名倒数第二,总排名比昨天上升3299名,请继续努力,再接再厉!叮,用户尼古拉赵5您好,您的颜值在全球男性中排名第29.4563亿名,比昨天下降8000名!系统为您推荐了三家专业美容医院……叮,用户方二哥您好,您以月入32万的要饭能力在全球乞丐中排名第一,丐帮帮主已经给您发来了offer和打狗棒,请注意查收。叮,用户您好,本书前期慢热慢热很慢热,接着火热,看后便知。叮,用户你好,已有400万字完本精品《仙界网络直播间》,节操有保障,放心入坑。(新书《重生晚点没事吧》已经发布,这是关于雷总邻居大佬的故事,求关注)
  • 懒妃当宠之权色天下

    懒妃当宠之权色天下

    她前世是特工,一个跟头栽下去成了几个月大的婴儿,从此只能衣来伸手饭来张口;她懒惰无比,需要动心思的事情,她从来都是简单粗暴的解决;她是新月王朝尊贵无比的郡主,却是传闻中命不久矣的病秧子;她是江湖中令人闻风丧胆的毒医,救人杀人只凭一念之间。传闻中如此不堪的她,却不知不觉便招来一朵朵掐不死的桃花,深不可测的王爷,温柔的皇子,火爆的宗门少主,这可把她的三个哥哥忙坏了,而她却在一边清闲看戏,偶尔添一两把火,小日子过得有滋有味。【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 草堂诗话

    草堂诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。