'It is a pity they are not warriors,' returned Glaucus.
A singular thing it was to see the dainty and fastidious Lepidus, whom in a banquet a ray of daylight seemed to blind—whom in the bath a breeze of air seemed to blast—in whom Nature seemed twisted and perverted3 from every natural impulse, and curdled4 into one dubious5 thing of effeminacy and art—a singular thing was it to see this Lepidus, now all eagerness, and energy, and life, patting the vast shoulders of the gladiators with a blanched6 and girlish hand, feeling with a mincing7 gripe their great brawn8 and iron muscles, all lost in calculating admiration9 at that manhood which he had spent his life in carefully banishing10 from himself.
So have we seen at this day the beardless flutterers of the saloons of London thronging11 round the heroes of the Fives-court—so have we seen them admire, and gaze, and calculate a bet—so have we seen them meet together, in ludicrous yet in melancholy12 assemblage, the two extremes of civilized13 society—the patrons of pleasure and its slaves—vilest of all slaves—at once ferocious14 and mercenary; male prostitutes, who sell their strength as women their beauty; beasts in act, but baser than beasts in motive15, for the last, at least, do not mangle16 themselves for money!
'Ha! Niger, how will you fight?' said Lepidus: 'and with whom?'
'Sporus challenges me,' said the grim giant; 'we shall fight to the death, I hope.'
'He takes the sword, I the net and the trident: it will be rare sport. I hope the survivor18 will have enough to keep up the dignity of the crown.'
'Never fear, we'll fill the purse, my Hector,' said Clodius:
'let me see—you fight against Niger? Glaucus, a bet—I back Niger.'
'I told you so,' cried Niger exultingly19. 'The noble Clodius knows me; count yourself dead already, my Sporus.'
Clodius took out his tablet. 'A bet—ten sestertia. What say you?'
'So be it,' said Glaucus. 'But whom have we here? I never saw this hero before'; and he glanced at Lydon, whose limbs were slighter than those of his companions, and who had something of grace, and something even of nobleness, in his face, which his profession had not yet wholly destroyed.
'It is Lydon, a youngster, practised only with the wooden sword as yet,' answered Niger, condescendingly. 'But he has the true blood in him, and has challenged Tetraides.'
'He challenged me,' said Lydon: 'I accept the offer.'
'And how do you fight?' asked Lepidus. 'Chut, my boy, wait a while before you contend with Tetraides.' Lydon smiled disdainfully.
'Is he a citizen or a slave?' said Clodius.
'A citizen—we are all citizens here,' quoth Niger.
'Stretch out your arm, my Lydon,' said Lepidus, with the air of a connoisseur20.
The gladiator, with a significant glance at his companions, extended an arm which, if not so huge in its girth as those of his comrades, was so firm in its muscles, so beautifully symmetrical in its proportions, that the three visitors uttered simultaneously21 an admiring exclamation22.
'Well, man, what is your weapon?' said Clodius, tablet in hand.
'We are to fight first with the cestus; afterwards, if both survive, with swords,' returned Tetraides, sharply, and with an envious23 scowl24.
'With the cestus!' cried Glaucus; 'there you are wrong, Lydon; the cestus is the Greek fashion: I know it well. You should have encouraged flesh for that contest: you are far too thin for it—avoid the cestus.'
'I cannot,' said Lydon.
'And why?'
'I have said—because he has challenged me.'
'But he will not hold you to the precise weapon.'
'My honour holds me!' returned Lydon, proudly.
'I bet on Tetraides, two to one, at the cestus,' said Clodius; shall it be, Lepidus?—even betting, with swords.'
'If you give me three to one, I will not take the odds25, said Lepidus: 'Lydon will never come to the swords. You are mighty26 courteous27.'
'What say you, Glaucus?' said Clodius.
'I will take the odds three to one.'
'Ten sestertia to thirty.'
'Yes.'
Clodius wrote the bet in his book.
'Pardon me, noble sponsor mine,' said Lydon, in a low voice to Glaucus: 'but how much think you the victor will gain?'
'How much? why, perhaps seven sestertia.'
'You are sure it will be as much?'
'At least. But out on you!—a Greek would have thought of the honour, and not the money. O Italians! everywhere ye are Italians!'
'Do not wrong me, noble Glaucus; I think of both, but I should never have been a gladiator but for the money.'
'But I don't see Burbo; where is Burbo? I must talk with Burbo,' cried Clodius.
'And Stratonice, the brave old lass, where is she?' quoth Lepidus.
'Why, she was here just before you entered; but she heard something that displeased32 her yonder, and vanished. Pollux! old Burbo had perhaps caught hold of some girl in the back room. I heard a female's voice crying out; the old dame33 is as jealous as Juno.'
'Ho! excellent!' cried Lepidus, laughing. 'Come, Clodius, let us go shares with Jupiter; perhaps he has caught a Leda.'
At this moment a loud cry of pain and terror startled the group.
'Oh, spare me! spare me! I am but a child, I am blind—is not that punishment enough?'
'O Pallas! I know that voice, it is my poor flower-girl!' exclaimed Glaucus, and he darted34 at once into the quarter whence the cry rose.
He burst the door; he beheld35 Nydia writhing36 in the grasp of the infuriate hag; the cord, already dabbled37 with blood, was raised in the air—it was suddenly arrested.
'Fury!' said Glaucus, and with his left hand he caught Nydia from her grasp; 'how dare you use thus a girl—one of your own sex, a child! My Nydia, my poor infant!'
'Oh? is that you—is that Glaucus?' exclaimed the flower-girl, in a tone almost of transport; the tears stood arrested on her cheek; she smiled, she clung to his breast, she kissed his robe as she clung.
'And how dare you, pert stranger! interfere38 between a free woman and her slave. By the gods! despite your fine tunic39 and your filthy40 perfumes, I doubt whether you are even a Roman citizen, my mannikin.'
'Fair words, mistress—fair words!' said Clodius, now entering with Lepidus. 'This is my friend and sworn brother; he must be put under shelter of your tongue, sweet one; it rains stones!'
'Not if all your sister Furies could help you,' answered Glaucus. 'Fear not, sweet Nydia; an Athenian never forsook43 distress44!'
'Holla!' said Burbo, rising reluctantly, 'What turmoil45 is all this about a slave? Let go the young gentleman, wife—let him go: for his sake the pert thing shall be spared this once.' So saying, he drew, or rather dragged off, his ferocious help-mate.
'Methought when we entered,' said Clodius, 'there was another man present?'
'He is gone.'
For the priest of Isis had indeed thought it high time to vanish.
'Oh, a friend of mine! a brother cupman, a quiet dog, who does not love these snarlings,' said Burbo, carelessly. 'But go, child, you will tear the gentleman's tunic if you cling to him so tight; go, you are pardoned.'
Moved by her forlorn situation, her appeal to him, her own innumerable and touching47 graces, the Greek seated himself on one of the rude chairs. He held her on his knees—he wiped the blood from her shoulders with his long hair—he kissed the tears from her cheeks—he whispered to her a thousand of those soothing48 words with which we calm the grief of a child—and so beautiful did he seem in his gentle and consoling task, that even the fierce heart of Stratonice was touched. His presence seemed to shed light over that base and obscene haunt—young, beautiful, glorious, he was the emblem49 of all that earth made most happy, comforting one that earth had abandoned!
'Well, who could have thought our blind Nydia had been so honored!' said the virago, wiping her heated brow.
Glaucus looked up at Burbo.
'My good man,' said he, 'this is your slave; she sings well, she is accustomed to the care of flowers—I wish to make a present of such a slave to a lady. Will you sell her to me?' As he spoke50 he felt the whole frame of the poor girl tremble with delight; she started up, she put her disheveled hair from her eyes, she looked around, as if, alas51, she had the power to see!
'Sell our Nydia! no, indeed,' said Stratonice, gruffly.
Nydia sank back with a long sigh, and again clasped the robe of her protector.
'Nonsense!' said Clodius, imperiously: 'you must oblige me. What, man! what, old dame! offend me, and your trade is ruined. Is not Burbo my kinsman52 Pansa's client? Am I not the oracle53 of the amphitheatre and its heroes? If I say the word, break up your wine-jars—you sell no more. Glaucus, the slave is yours.'
Burbo scratched his huge head, in evident embarrassment54.
'The girl is worth her weight in gold to me.'
'Name your price, I am rich,' said Glaucus.
The ancient Italians were like the modern, there was nothing they would not sell, much less a poor blind girl.
'I paid six sestertia for her, she is worth twelve now,' muttered Stratonice.
'You shall have twenty; come to the magistrates55 at once, and then to my house for your money.'
'I would not have sold the dear girl for a hundred but to oblige noble Clodius,' said Burbo, whiningly56. 'And you will speak to Pansa about the place of designator at the amphitheatre, noble Clodius? it would just suit me.'
'Thou shalt have it,' said Clodius; adding in a whisper to Burbo, 'Yon Greek can make your fortune; money runs through him like a sieve57: mark to-day with white chalk, my Priam.'
'Dabitur,' answered Burbo.
'Then, then, I am to go with you—with you? O happiness!' murmured Nydia.
'Pretty one, yes; and thy hardest task henceforth shall be to sing thy Grecian hymns59 to the loveliest lady in Pompeii.'
The girl sprang from his clasp; a change came over her whole face, bright the instant before; she sighed heavily, and then once more taking his hand, she said:
'I thought I was to go to your house?'
'And so thou shalt for the present; come, we lose time.'
点击收听单词发音
1 doorway | |
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径 | |
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2 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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3 perverted | |
adj.不正当的v.滥用( pervert的过去式和过去分词 );腐蚀;败坏;使堕落 | |
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4 curdled | |
v.(使)凝结( curdle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5 dubious | |
adj.怀疑的,无把握的;有问题的,靠不住的 | |
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6 blanched | |
v.使变白( blanch的过去式 );使(植物)不见阳光而变白;酸洗(金属)使有光泽;用沸水烫(杏仁等)以便去皮 | |
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7 mincing | |
adj.矫饰的;v.切碎;切碎 | |
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8 brawn | |
n.体力 | |
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9 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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10 banishing | |
v.放逐,驱逐( banish的现在分词 ) | |
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11 thronging | |
v.成群,挤满( throng的现在分词 ) | |
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12 melancholy | |
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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13 civilized | |
a.有教养的,文雅的 | |
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14 ferocious | |
adj.凶猛的,残暴的,极度的,十分强烈的 | |
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15 motive | |
n.动机,目的;adv.发动的,运动的 | |
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16 mangle | |
vt.乱砍,撕裂,破坏,毁损,损坏,轧布 | |
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17 grunted | |
(猪等)作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 ); (指人)发出类似的哼声; 咕哝着说 | |
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18 survivor | |
n.生存者,残存者,幸存者 | |
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19 exultingly | |
兴高采烈地,得意地 | |
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20 connoisseur | |
n.鉴赏家,行家,内行 | |
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21 simultaneously | |
adv.同时发生地,同时进行地 | |
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22 exclamation | |
n.感叹号,惊呼,惊叹词 | |
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23 envious | |
adj.嫉妒的,羡慕的 | |
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24 scowl | |
vi.(at)生气地皱眉,沉下脸,怒视;n.怒容 | |
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25 odds | |
n.让步,机率,可能性,比率;胜败优劣之别 | |
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26 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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27 courteous | |
adj.彬彬有礼的,客气的 | |
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28 mantled | |
披着斗篷的,覆盖着的 | |
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29 miser | |
n.守财奴,吝啬鬼 (adj.miserly) | |
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30 haughtily | |
adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地 | |
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31 extremity | |
n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度 | |
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32 displeased | |
a.不快的 | |
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33 dame | |
n.女士 | |
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34 darted | |
v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔 | |
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35 beheld | |
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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36 writhing | |
(因极度痛苦而)扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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37 dabbled | |
v.涉猎( dabble的过去式和过去分词 );涉足;浅尝;少量投资 | |
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38 interfere | |
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰 | |
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39 tunic | |
n.束腰外衣 | |
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40 filthy | |
adj.卑劣的;恶劣的,肮脏的 | |
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41 shrieked | |
v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42 virago | |
n.悍妇 | |
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43 forsook | |
forsake的过去式 | |
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44 distress | |
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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45 turmoil | |
n.骚乱,混乱,动乱 | |
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46 forsake | |
vt.遗弃,抛弃;舍弃,放弃 | |
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47 touching | |
adj.动人的,使人感伤的 | |
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48 soothing | |
adj.慰藉的;使人宽心的;镇静的 | |
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49 emblem | |
n.象征,标志;徽章 | |
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50 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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51 alas | |
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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52 kinsman | |
n.男亲属 | |
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53 oracle | |
n.神谕,神谕处,预言 | |
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54 embarrassment | |
n.尴尬;使人为难的人(事物);障碍;窘迫 | |
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55 magistrates | |
地方法官,治安官( magistrate的名词复数 ) | |
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56 whiningly | |
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57 sieve | |
n.筛,滤器,漏勺 | |
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58 barter | |
n.物物交换,以货易货,实物交易 | |
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59 hymns | |
n.赞美诗,圣歌,颂歌( hymn的名词复数 ) | |
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