第17章
“Thenalieisrumoured，Olaf。YetitistruethatIamambitious，whoseefarandwouldbuildthistotteringempireupafresh。Olaf，itisabitterthingtohavebegottenafool。“
“Thenwhydoyounotmarryagainandbegetothers，whomightbenofools，Augusta？“Iaskedbluntly。
“Ah！why？“sheanswered，flashingacuriousglanceuponme。“Intruth，Idonotquiteknowwhy；butfromnolackofsuitors，since，wereshebutahideoushag，anempresswouldfindthese。Olaf，youmayhavelearnedthatIwasnotborninthepurple。IwasbutaGreekgirlofgoodrace，notevennoble，towhomGodgaveagiftofbeauty；andwhenIwasyoungIsawamanwhotookmyfancy，alsoofoldrace，yetbutamerchantoffruitswhichtheygrowinGreeceandsellhereandatRome。Iwishedtomarryhim，butmymother，afar-seeingwoman，saidthatsuchbeautyasmine——thoughlessthanthatofyourIdunatheFair，Olaf——wasworthmoneyorrank。Sotheysentawaymymerchantoffruits，whomarriedthedaughterofanothermerchantoffruitsandthroveverywellinbusiness。Hecametoseemesomeyearsago，fatasatub，hisfacescoredalloverwiththemarksofthespottedsickness，andwetalkedaboutoldtimes。IgavehimaconcessiontoimportdriedfruitsintoByzantium——thatiswhathecametoseemefor——andnowhe’sdead。Well，mymotherwasright，forafterwardsthispoorbeautyofminetookthefancyofthelateEmperor，and，beingverypious，hemarriedme。SotheGreekgirl，bythewillofGod，becameAugustaandthefirstwomanintheworld。“
“BythewillofGod？“Irepeated。
“Aye，Isupposeso，orelseallisrawchance。Atleast，I，whoto-daymighthavebeenbargainingoverdriedfruits，asIshouldhavedonehadIwonmywill，am——whatyouknow。Lookatthisrobe，“andshespreadherglitteringdressbeforeme。“Harktothetrampofthoseguardsbeforemydoor。Why，youaretheircaptain。Gointotheantechambers，andseetheambassadorswaitingthereinthehopeofawordwiththeRuleroftheEarth！Lookatmylegionsmusteredonthedrilling-grounds，andunderstandhowgreattheGreciangirlhasgrownbyvirtueofthefacewhichislessbeauteousthanthatof——IdunatheFair！“
“Iunderstandallthis，Augusta，“Ianswered。“Yetitwouldseemthatyouarenothappy。Didyounottellmejustnowthatyoucouldnotfindafriendandthatyouhadbegottenafool？“
“Happy，Olaf？Why，Iamwretched，sowretchedthatoftenIthinkthehellofwhichthepriestspreachishereonearth，andthatIdwellinitshottestfires。Unlesslovehidesit，whathappinessisthereinthislifeofours，whichmustendinblackestdeath？“
“Lovehasitsmiseriesalso，Augusta。ThatIknow，foronceIloved。“
“Aye，butthenthelovewasnottrue，forthisisthegreatestcurseofall——toloveandnottobebeloved。Forthesakeofaperfectlove，ifitcouldbewon——why，I’dsacrificeevenmyambition。“
“Thenyoumustkeepyourambition，Augusta，sinceinthisworldyou’llfindnothingperfect。“
“Olaf，I’mnotsosure。Thoughtshavecometome。Olaf，ItoldyouthatIhavenofriendinallthisglitteringCourt。Willyoubemyfriend？“
“Iamyourhonestservant，Augusta，andIthinkthatsuchaoneisthebestoffriends。“
“That’sso；andyetnomancanbetruefriendtoawomanunlessheis——morethanfriend。Naturehaswrititso。“
“Idonotunderstand，“Ianswered。
“Youmeanthatyouwillnotunderstand，andperhapsyouarewise。Whydoyoustareatthatpavement？There’sastorywrittenonit。Theoldgoddessofmypeople，Aphrodite，lovedacertainAdonis——sorunsthefable——buthelovednother，andthoughtonlyofhissports。Look，shewooshimthere，andherejectsher，andinherrageshestabshim。“
“Notso，“Ianswered。“OftheendofthestoryIknownothing，but，ifshehadmeanttokillhim，thedaggerwouldbeinherrighthand，notinherleft。“
“That’strue，Olaf；andintheenditwasFatewhichkilledhim，notthegoddesswhomhehadscorned。Andyet，Olaf，itisnotwisetoscorngoddesses。Oh！ofwhatdoItalk？You’llbefriendme，willyounot？“
“Aye，Augusta，tothelastdropofmyblood，asismyduty。DoInottakeyourpay？“
“ThenthusIsealourfriendshipandhere’sanearnestofthepay，“
Irenesaidslowly，and，bendingforward，shekissedmeonthelips。
Atthismomentthedoorsofthechamberwerethrownopen。Throughthem，precededbyheralds，thatatoncedrewbackagain，enteredthegreatministerStauracius，afat，oily-facedmanwithacunningeye，whoannouncedinahigh，thinvoice，“TheambassadorsofthePersianswaituponyou，Augusta，asyouappointedatthishour。“
Ireneturnedupontheeunuchasashe-lionturnsuponsomehunterthatdisturbsitfromitsprey。Notingtheangerinhereyes，hefellbackandprostratedhimself。Thereuponshespoketomeasthoughhisentryhadinterruptedherwords。
“Thosearetheorders，CaptainOlaf。Seethatyouforgetnoneofthem。
Evenifthisproudeunuch，whodarestoappearbeforemeunannounced，bidsyoutodoso，Ishallholdyoutoaccount。To-dayIleavethecityforawhilefortheBathswhitherIamsent。YoumustnotaccompanymebecauseofthedutyIhavelaiduponyouhere。WhenI
return，besureI’llsummonyou，“and，knowingthatStauraciuscouldnotseeherfromwherehelay，foramomentshelethersplendideyesmeetmyown。InthemtherewasamessageIcouldnotmistake。
“TheAugustashallbeobeyed，“Ianswered，saluting。“MaytheAugustareturninhealthandgloryandmorebeautifulthan——“
“IdunatheFair！“shebrokein。“Captain，youaredismissed。“
AgainIsaluted，retreatingfromthepresencebackwardsandstayingtobowateachthirdstep，aswasthecustom。Theprocesswassomewhatlong，andasIreachedthedoorIheardhersaytoStauracius，“Hearken，youdog。Ifeveryoudaretobreakinuponmethusagain，youshalllosetwothings——yourofficeandyourhead。What！MayInotgivesecretorderstomytrustedofficerandnotbespieduponbyyou？
Now，ceaseyourgrovellingsandleadinthesePersians，asyouhavebeenbribedtodo。“
Passingthroughthesilk-clad，bejewelledPersianswhowaitedinanantechamberwiththeirslavesandgifts，Igainedthegreatterraceofthepalacewhichlookeduponthesea。HereIfoundMartinaleaningontheparapet。
“HaveyoumoreoftheAugusta’spearlsaboutyou，Olaf？“sheaskedmockingly，speakingoverhershoulder。
“NotI，Martina，“Ianswered，haltingbesideher。
“Indeed。Icouldhaveswornotherwise，fortheyareperfumed，andI
seemedtocatchtheirodour。Whendidyoubegintousetheroyalscentuponthatyellowbeardofyours，Olaf？Ifanyofuswomendidso，itwouldmeanblowsandexile；butperchanceacaptainoftheguardmaybeforgiven。“
“Iusenoscents，girl，asyouknowwell。Yetitistruethattheseroomsreekofthem，andtheyclingtoarmour。“
“Yes，andstillmoretohair。Well，whatgifthadmymistressforyouto-day？“
“Acommissiontoguardcertainprisoners，Martina。“
“Ah！Haveyoureadityet？Whenyoudo，Ithinkyou’llfindthatitnamesyouGovernorofthejail，whichisahighoffice，carryingmuchpayandplace。Youareingoodfavour，Olaf，andIhopethatwhenyoucometogreatnessyouwillnotforgetMartina。ItwasIwhoputitintoacertainmindtogiveyouthiscommissionastheonlymanthatcouldbetrustedintheCourt。“
“Idonotforgetafriend，Martina，“Ianswered。
“Thatisyourreputation，Olaf。Oh！whataroadisopeningtoyourfeet。YetIdoubtyou’llnotwalkit，beingtoohonest；or，ifyoudo，thatitwillleadyou——nottoglory，butagrave。“
“Mayhap，Martina，andtospeaktruth，agraveistheonlyquietplaceinConstantinople。Mayhap，too，ithidestheonlyrealglory。“
“That’swhatweChristianssay。Itwouldbestrangeifyou，whoarenotaChristian，aloneshouldbelieveandkeepthesaying。Oh！“Shewentonwithpassion，“wearebutshamsandliars，whomGodmusthate。
Well，IgotomakereadyforthisjourneytotheBaths。“
“Howlongdoyoustaythere？“Iasked。
“Thecourseofwaterstakesamonth。LessthanthattimedoesnotservetocleartheAugusta’sskinandrestorehershapetothelinesofyouthwhichitbeginstoneed，thoughdoubtlessyoudonotthinkso。YouwerenamedtocomeasherofficerofthePerson；but，Olaf，thisotherbusinessroseupofanewgovernorforthejailinwhichtheC鎠arsand/Nobilissimi/areconfined。Isawachanceforyouinit，who，althoughyouhaveservedalltheseyears，havehadnorealadvancement，andmentionedyourname，atwhichtheAugustaleapt。Totellthetruth，Olaf，IwasnotsurethatyouwouldwishtobecaptainoftheguardattheBaths。WasIrightorwasIwrong？“
“Ithinkyouwereright，Martina。Bathsareidleplaceswherefolkdriftintotrouble，andIfollowduty。Martina——mayIsayittoyou？——
youareagoodwomanandakind。Ipraythatthosegodsofyourswhomyouworshipmayblessyou。“
“Youprayinvain，Olaf，forthattheywillneverdo。Indeed，Ithinkthattheyhavecursedme。“