"Do not laugh! I have to answer for your soul before the Eternal----"
"You ... for mine?"
"We are joined for ever."
"By what?"
"The sacrament of marriage."
"Religious marriage? But up till now we are strangers to one another,
Helena!"
"I fear for your soul, Julian," she repeated, fixing on him her
innocent eyes.
Placing his hand on her shoulder, he gazed mockingly at the pale face,
so cold in its chastity. The small and lovely mouth, with its rosy
lips half parted with an expression of fear and inquiry, was in
strange contrast to the rest of the face. Julian leaned towards her,
and before she had time to regain her presence of mind, kissed her on
the lips.
She started and rushed to a far corner of the room, hiding her face in
her hands. Then gazing at Julian, her eyes wild with fear, she hastily
crossed herself, murmuring--
"Away, away, O evil one! I know thee; thou art not Julian, but the
Devil. In the name of the most Holy Cross, I conjure thee ...
disappear!"
Anger seized Julian; he turned to the door and bolted it; then
approaching Helena with a smile he said--
"Be yourself, Helena; I am a man--I am your husband--and not the
Devil! The Church has blessed our union." He gazed upon her with
strangely warring emotions. She slowly drew her hands from her eyes.
"Forgive me ... it seemed to me ... you frightened me so, Julian.... I
know that you desire nothing evil ... but I have had visions.... Just
now I believed.... He haunts this place at night. Twice I have seen
him.... He said to me ill things about you. Since then I have been
afraid. He told me you bore on your face the mark of Cain.... Why do
you look at me so, Julian?"
She was trembling and leaning against the wall; he approached and put
his arm round her waist.
"What are you doing? Let me go, let me go!"
She tried to cry out, to call the servant.
"Eleutheria! Eleutheria!"
"Why are you calling? Am I not your husband?"
She began to weep bitterly.
"Brother, this must not be.... I am the bride of Christ!... I believed
that you...."
"The bride of the Roman Cæsar cannot be the bride of Christ!"
"Julian!... If you believe in Him...."
He smiled.
"I abhor the Galilean!"
In a supreme effort she strove to repulse him, exclaiming, "Away,
Devil!... Why hast thou abandoned me, Lord?"
With his impious hands he tore off the black vestment. His soul was
full of fear, but never before in his life had he known such
intoxication in evil-doing. Ironically, with a smile of defiance, the
Roman Cæsar gazed at the opposite corner of the cell, where in the
feeble flicker of the lamp-light hung the great black crucifix....