To all this Decius listened with wonder and
with sympathy. He had no difficulty in crediting Petronilla with
such a plot, but thought she could scarce have executed it without
the help of some one in authority. Such a person, he added
cautiously, as a deacon of the Roman Church. Hereupon Basil
exclaimed that he and Marcian had had the same suspicion.
'I will find her,' he cried, 'if it cost me my life! And I will be
revenged upon those who have robbed me of her. She may at this
moment be in Rome. The ship that carried. her off was large enough,
they say, to make the voyage, and winds have been favourable. My
good Decius, I am so overcome with misery that I forget even to ask
how you sped on the sea.'
'A smooth and rapid voyage. I had only time to reperuse with care
the _Silvae_ of Statius--his Epicedion being appropriate to my
mood. Arrived at Portus, I sent a post to those who awaited the
ship's coming, and the remains of Maximus were brought with all due
honour to their resting place.'
'Was the deacon Leander here to receive you?' asked Basil.
'I learnt that he had not yet been heard of.
Pages:
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196