"We received none from others, but there is my own offering. Weve
eaten little for three days, Hepherion and I, to save the necessary
money. Look!"
He raised the lid of the basket. A tethered goose slid out its head,
cackling and trying to escape.
"Ha, ha, ha! is not that a victim?" asked the old man proudly.
"Although it isn't a fat young goose it is nevertheless a sacred bird!
Apollo ought to be glad of it just now. The gods consider geese a
delicacy."
"Have you long dwelt in this temple?" questioned Julian.
"For forty years and perhaps longer...."
"Is this your son?" asked Julian, pointing to Hepherion, who was
staring at him as if he were trying to follow the conversation.
"No. I have neither relatives nor friends. Hepherion helps me at the
hours for sacrifice."
"Who are his father and mother?"
"I do not know the father and I strongly suspect that no one knows who
he is. But his mother was the great sibyl Diotima, who long lived in
this temple. She would never speak nor raise her veil before men. She
was chaste as a vestal. When she brought this child into the world we
were all astonished, and at a loss what to think ... but a learned
centenarian, a magian told us...."
Gorgius, with a mysterious air, put his hand before his mouth and
muttered in Julian's ear as if he feared the child could catch his
words--
"The hierophant told us that he was no son of man, but a god come down
by night to the sibyl while she was asleep within the temple! See how
beautiful he is!"
"A deaf-mute son of a god?" murmured the Emperor, surprised.
"In times like ours if the son of the god and of the sibyl were not a
deaf-mute he would die of grief," answered Gorgius. "See how thin and
pale he is already!"
"Who knows," said Julian, with a sad smile, "but that you are right,
old man. In our days it is well for a prophet to be a deaf-mute."
Suddenly the child approached Julian and looking at him fixedly,
seized his hand and kissed it. A thrill ran through Julian.
"My son," said the old man, gravely, "may the Olympians shield you;
you must be a good man. That child never kisses the evil nor the
impious, and he flees from the monks as from the plague. I think he
sees and understands more than either of us but can utter nothing.
I've often surprised him sitting before the statue of Apollo for
hours, gazing at him with joy as if he were talking with the god."
The face of Hepherion grew dark and he went away.