THE CHARMED WINE
There was great excitement in the city of Ephesus, so strong had the
power of the Christians become.
The story of the demoniac also filled the minds of the people, and a
great crowd had gathered in the Agora, it being rumoured that converts
to the new faith would at noon openly burn their mystic books and
publicly renounce their magical rites.
When the multitude of onlookers saw a vast concourse advancing, bearing
symbols of the cross, all looked forward to unpleasant proceedings.
As the Christians drew nigh in regular procession, many leading men and
women were observed amongst them. They came on, singing hymns to their
God and His Messiah, with heads uncovered in the presence of the sacred
emblems.
Judah was amongst them, leading a number of men carrying aged
manuscripts--manuscripts on Asian magic, written by some of the
cleverest men of ancient times.
The books were piled together, each man laying down his load. A torch
was applied, and the smoke went up against the cloudless sky. Volumes
were thrown upon burning volumes, the flames leaped high, rising into a
pyramid of fire, till the whole were consumed.
Judah stood forward, and, bending over the blackened ashes, cried:
'Thus may error die everywhere down the line of centuries, until good
shall reign supreme! One God, one Lord, and His Christ, for ever and
ever!'
Amongst the spectators were Venusta, Nika, and the Proconsul; but they
were not on the side of the Christians. Their policy was one of
silence--silence mixed with scorn.
There was, however, amongst that hated sect one whom they well
knew--Chios the Greek; he saw them and passed greeting.
All would have passed off peacefully but for a traitor Ephesian who had
mixed himself amongst the Christians, and, to raise the ire of the
populace, cried out:
'Down with Diana of the Ephesians!'
The mob rushed frantically upon the crowd of book-destroyers, and would
have torn them to pieces but for the intervention of the law,
represented by an Asiarch who was present. He calmed the tumult, and
laughed to scorn the idea of a few misguided men and women trying to
eclipse the goddess whom all the known world worshipped.
From that hour Chios was a marked man amongst his fellows. They were
somewhat indifferent as to how the rabble moved, backward or forward,
but with the Greek it was different--he, the greatest artist of Ephesus,
whose inspirations had gone to build up the faith! Had he not painted
Saronia, the High Priestess? and did not the picture hang prominently
within the sacred precincts of the mighty Temple?
No, he must be watched, secured. If a true charge could not be made
against him, then a false one must be born. Better for him to go to the
lions and die than live to embody with his great genius the principles
of a false faith. Thus did he stand on a volcano of hate.
As the crowd dispersed Chios joined Nika and her friends, and was
greeted with a covert sneer.
'Did we not see thee amongst the unclean? Shame, good man, to be in such
doubtful company! Soon thou wilt be at their midnight orgies, and come
forth an advocate for this pernicious fraud. And who may say but that
thou mayest be baptized and paint the Christian martyr in the throes of
death by fire or sword, or caged beasts, eh?--and sign thy name "Chios
the Christian" also?'
'Come, Chios, put away this melancholy. Come with us; we will cheer
thee--make thee Chios again. Thou shalt drown thy sorrows in good Ionian
wine.'
'Yes,' said Nika, 'thou shalt have a draught of rare old Chian wine.'
And to herself she murmured: 'It shall be rose-coloured, and this day
shall be the last he shall think of faith or Saronia. Ah! he shall love
madly, and I shall win him.'
Chios made no retaliation, but smilingly said:
'I will accompany you to your lovely home. Come, sweet Nika, let me sail
by you. And you, Roman, escort the Lady Venusta. Do not be jealous if I
make your Nika happy.'
And they walked the shaded way, passing the stately marble edifices,
until they ascended the side of Mount Coressus, the tall pines nodding
gracefully as their foliage danced on the breeze.
'Dost thou believe much in this magic?' said the girl. 'I would like thy
honest opinion.'
'Well, yes, I cannot say I do not believe in it. Undoubtedly, during the
ages man has accumulated knowledge which enables him to consort with the
unseen; but at the beginning it was not so, and even now it is unholy to
do so.'
'That is quite different to what I expected from thee. I expected thy
hand raised emphatically, and "Nonsense! Childish fancies!" to have been
thy reply.'
'No, Nika; I search after truth and goodness. Mark ye, all that is true
is not good; and truth oftentimes is wrapped in error--wrapped in lies.
I take the wheat and throw aside the chaff! I believe it is true. Man by
certain peculiar laws may familiarize himself with spirits deeper sunk
in misery than himself, and may work with them. Believing this, I do not
practise it. It is not good to do so. 'Tis fraught with direst evil, for
the spirit here who mixes with such wandering ones sinks to their level
and joins them when he passes over the boundary. Men--yea, women!--are
like unto their familiar companions; if not so at the outset, will
gradually and surely become so. Understand, Nika?'
'Yes, and should feel very timid to move within the magic circle. Thy
teaching, thou knowest, is law to me. Therefore I promise I never
shall. But was it not a pity to burn all those beautiful books?'
'No; burn the old creed and start with the new, if the new be better.
Burn a world if it be vile, and start with a new earth, peopled with a
few who know what it is to live well.'
'But tell me quickly, Chios, how wouldst thou screen Saronia? She is the
mightiest sorceress in the land! Wilt thou condemn her also?'
'I condemn no one--I condemn creeds which pilot men to evil, and I press
forward to gain the purer light. Let each one do the same.'
They passed into the house of Venusta, and, once within the open court,
all was changed. On the cool, perfumed air floated the softest strains,
flowing like rippling water from cithara, lute and lyre.
'Nika, dear girl, wilt thou arrange that fruit and wine may be set? Give
order to thy slave; bid them be brought.'
'Nay, mother, I will see to it all myself. The rich juice of choicest
grape stands yonder. Let me fetch it--let me be serving-maid to such
noble guests.'
'Wayward child! A whim of thine, I suppose. Go thy way;' and the girl
danced off on the lightest foot to the Golden Room.
She grasped the goblets of gold, poured into them the rarest essence of
the vine, and looked down into their rosy depths, and saw mirrored there
the consummation of her hopes.
'One thing is needful,' said she, 'to complete the chain. Link after
link have I forged it, and now for the last to form a chain of love so
strong, so powerful as to bind the Greek to me for _ever_!'
She placed her hand within her girdle of rubies, and drew forth two
phials--one azure, the other rose. She held them aloft, one in each
jewelled hand. The sunlight came through the windows of coloured marble,
and the phials sparkled like the jewels round her waist.
She gazed on them, a smile lighting up her face. On them hung her life's
joy--if such a thing as joy could ever warm the heart of Nika, the Roman
girl.
Yes, if she were doomed, she would be damned beneath the shelter of
Chios.
The goblets lay on the ivory table. One had a serpent around its base,
emblem of eternity; into that she poured the contents of the
rose-coloured phial.
'This for Chios,' said she.
The other vessel had a chaste design of lilies, into which she poured
the liquid from the azure phial.
'This for the Roman. Eternity for Chios--the fading flowers for Varro!'
On a golden plate begemmed with emeralds she placed them, and went forth
from the Golden Room bearing the charmed wine.
'Drink!' said Nika. 'Drink joy to the house of Venusta and Lucius!'
And they pledged themselves in Ionian wine.