IN THE TOILS OF THE TEMPTER.
In his statement as to the accusation of the Empress before his
tribunal, Naso, after his manner, took counsel of his truculent desires
rather than of his cool reason. He had learned from his scapegrace son,
Calphurnius, that Isidorus had returned to town from executing a
commission for the Empress, the general purpose of which that hopeful
youth had extorted from the drunken maunderings of the inconstant and
unhappy Greek. Naso took it for granted, from his previous acquaintance
with human nature of the baser sort, that Isidorus was trying to serve
two masters, and that while acting as the agent of Valeria he would be
willing to betray her secrets. Unaware of his vacillation of character
and of his transient impulses toward Christianity, he further believed
that the supple Greek, in accordance with his compact, would act as
public accuser of the Christians. He had impressed upon Calphurnius, who
was very prompt to learn the lesson, that it was of the utmost
importance to bring the Greek under his personal influence and control,
and especially to induce him to come again to the tribunal of the
Prefect in the Forum.
"We must keep our thumb on him. We can use him to our advantage," said
the Prefect to his son.
"I think I have him under a screw that will extort from him whatever you
wish," replied the hopeful youth. "He owes me money, and he shall pay
good interest on the loan. He is not the material of which heroes are
made, like that young Christian who suffered martyrdom, as they call it,
a few weeks ago."
"Well, give your screw another turn," said Naso with a hideous chuckle.
"That's the way I do when I have them on the rack. Keep him in debt.
Lure him on. Make him lose money at dice and lend him more. We will
wring his heart-strings by-and-bye. If we can only secure the death of
Adauctus and some of his wealthy friends, their fair estates will help
to line our purses, for the Emperors cannot leave such a zealous servant
as the Prefect Naso unrewarded," and this well matched pair--the
offspring of the corruption and cruelty of the Empire--parted, each
intent on his purposes of evil.
The young scapegrace, Calphurnius--young in years, but old in
vice--followed only too successfully this Satanic advice. He attached
himself closely to Isidorus and became his very shadow--his other self.
He lured him on to ostentatious extravagance of expenditure, often
allowing him to win large sums at dice to replenish his depleted purse,
and again winning from him every sesterce, and binding the Greek's
fortunes more firmly to his own by lending him large sums, yet demanding
usurious interest. The easy, pleasure-loving nature of Isidorus, intent
on enjoying the passing hour and shrinking from suffering of body or
anxiety of mind, made this _descensus Averni_ all the more facile. He
was thus led to forget all his good resolutions and noble purposes, and
to plunge into the fashionable follies of the most corrupt society in
the world. From the maundering remarks which fell from his lips in his
fits of drunkenness, for he rapidly lapsed into this baneful vice,
Calphurnius constructed a monstrous story of treachery which he used to
create an utter rupture between the Greek and the Christians, alleging
that he had too irreparably betrayed them to be ever forgiven, and that
the only way of escaping the doom which menaced them was to throw
himself into the arms of the party in power. It was with feelings of
horror that in his rare moments of sober reflection Isidorus realized
how fast and how far he had drifted from the thoughts, and feelings, and
purposes of the hour when he knelt, in the Catacomb of Callixtus, at the
feet of the good presbyter Primitius; or since he returned from Milan
the restorer to the fair Callirhoë of her sire; or even since, a few
days before, he had conversed with Adauctus and beheld with admiration
his serenity of spirit under the shadow of persecution and death.
Calphurnius exhausted every art to wring from his lips a legal
accusation of the Christians, for even the ruthless persecutors wished
to observe some forms of law in the destruction of their destined
victims.
"You have already betrayed them beyond reparation," he said, "and you
may as well obtain the reward. You have told all about your employment
by Adauctus in a treasonable mission to the Christian sectaries at
Ravenna and Milan. You have been present at their assemblies at the
Villa Marcella and in the Catacombs. A short hand notary[34] has taken
down every word you said, and it shall be used against you unless you
turn evidence for the State, and save yourself by bringing its enemies
to justice."
"Wretch!" cried the exasperated Greek. "Cease to torment me! 'Tis you
who have tempted me to this perfidy, and now you seek to goad me to
perdition. The Christians are no traitors to the State, and you know
it."
"The edict of the Emperors declares that they are," said Calphurnius,
with a sneer, "perhaps you can persuade their Divine Majesties that they
are mistaken."
"What would you? What further infamy would you have me commit?"
exclaimed the tortured Isidorus.
"Only declare before the Prefect what you have already divulged to me.
By refusing you only imperil yourself," replied his tormentor.
"I consent," moaned the craven-hearted Greek, and he went on with a
shudder, "I am double-dyed in infamy already. I can acquire no deeper
stain."
"'Tut, man! don't be a fool! Rome can pay her servants well. You will
soon be well rewarded," and like an incarnate Diabolus, the accuser of
the brethren proceeded to earn, as another Judas, the wages of iniquity
by betraying innocent blood.
[Illustration]
FOOTNOTES:
[34] These tachugraphoi were in common employment in the courts, and the
sermons of Chrysostom were also reported by their skill.