Part 13 (1/2)

”Why dost thou think me dead?” asked Johannes, regarding his disturbed countenance with a soul-piercing look.

”Not I--not I--but the Tribune wished”----

”I imagined so! What seekest thou here?”

”Safety! safety!” stammered the usurer; he again thought only of the danger that was following his steps. ”My slaves! All the slaves have revolted. The Judge's house is in flames.”

Then a bright light as of fire shone through the open windows of the church, and arms clashed in the distance.

”Hearest thou? They are seeking me! They come! Save me! Cover me with thy body. Here, all this gold”--he threw the heavy bag on the altar, it burst and single gold pieces ran clinking over the steps on to the marble pavement. ”Alas! it escapes from me faithlessly! All this gold--or the half--no--all, the whole will I give thee--no, not to _thee_. I know thou wilt devote it to St. Peter, to thy church, to the poor--only save me!”

And he threw himself at the priest's feet, carefully concealing the little purse of jewels in his bosom.

Johannes raised him.

”I _will_ save thee!--for Christ's sake, not for the sake of the gold.”

”Thou wilt stay with me,” cried Zeno with rising hope.

”That I cannot do. My place at this hour is on the battle-field, to attend on the wounded. My brethren I have already sent out. I was only deriving strength from a last prayer.”

”No, no, I will not let thee go!” cried Zeno, clinging to him.

But, with unlooked-for strength, Johannes freed himself.

”I must, I tell thee. The Lord calls me. Perhaps I may even check the slaughter. But thou--thy cruelty has so enraged the unhappy creatures, that some of them would not be restrained by the altar--by my intercession”----

”Yes, yes!” agreed Zeno.

He thought of Keix, the mad bull.

”Thou shalt be hidden where no one but G.o.d the Lord can find thee. See here!”

With these words he stooped down and raised a slab of the marble flooring near the altar; a short ladder was visible, which led into a dark, tolerably s.p.a.cious vault.

”Go down there. No one but myself knows of this old cave. Wait till I fetch thee out; I will come as soon as the danger is over.”

”But if--and if”----

”Thou meanest if I lose my life? See, thus can the roof-stone be lifted from below. Hasten!”

”It horrifies me--to be buried alive! Are the bones of the dead--skeletons----Pardon; are there relics in the vault?”

”Fear thou henceforth the living G.o.d, not dead men. Here, take the oil-lamp; and now away! Hearest thou? The tumult presses nearer.”

Then Zeno sprang down, lamp in hand. Johannes seized the money-bag, and threw it in after him; the miser noticed with agony that the priest had first taken out a handful of solidi. He replaced the stone, and then strewed the gold pieces from the princ.i.p.al door, of the church (which he bolted on the inside) up to the altar, and from there as far as, and over, the threshold of the door which led from the church into his own house. He then hastened through this door, and out of his house into the open air.

After a few minutes, Zeno heard, with a despairing heart, furious axe-blows thundering on the great door of the church.

It burst open and a great crowd of men--to judge from the voices and footsteps--crushed in. Zeno held his breath in an agony of fear; he pressed his ear to the slab, in order to hear better. He perceived first the voice of a woman.

”Do not kill him in the church!--in the sanctuary of the saints! He scourged me almost to death, and killed my child. But do not kill him in the church. Honour the house of the eternal G.o.d!”