A genius thoroughly1 wicked--such was Demedes.
Quick to see the disgust the young men of Constantinople had fallen into for the disputes their elders were indulging about the Churches, he proposed that they should discard religion, and reinstate philosophy; and at their request he formulated3 the following:
"Nature is the lawgiver; the happiness of man is the primary object of Nature: hence for youth, Pleasure; for old age, Repentance4 and Piety5, the life hereafter being a respectable conjecture6."
The principles thus tersely7 stated were eagerly adopted, and going forward with his scheme, it may be said the Academy was his design, and its organization his work. In recognition of his superior abilities, the grateful Academicians elected him their High Priest.
We have seen how the public received the motto of the society. Patience, Courage, Judgment8 looked fair and disclosed nothing wrong; but there was an important reservation to it really the only secret observed. This was the motto in full, known only to the initiated--Patience, Courage, Judgment in the pursuit of Pleasure.
From the hour of his installation as High Priest, Demedes was consumed by an ambition to illustrate9 the motto in its entirety, by doing something which should develop the three virtues10 in connection with unheard of daring and originality12.
It is to be added here that to his own fortune, he had now the treasury13 of the Academy to draw upon, and it was full. In other words, he had ample means to carry out any project his judgment might approve.
He pondered the matter long. One day Lael chanced to fall under his observation. She was beautiful and the town talk. Here, he thought, was a subject worth studying, and speedily two mysteries presented themselves to him: Who was the Prince of India? And what was her true relationship to the Prince?
We pass over his resorts in unravelling14 the mysteries; they were many and cunning, and thoroughly tried the first virtue11 of the Academical motto; still the sum of his finding with respect to the Prince was a mere15 theory--he was a Jew and rich--beyond this Demedes took nothing for his pains.
He proceeded next to investigate Lael. She too was of Jewish origin, but unlike other Jewesses, wonderful to say, she had two fathers, the diamond merchant and the Prince of India.
Nothing better could be asked--so his judgment, the third virtue of the motto, decreed. In Byzantine opinion, Jews were socially outside decent regard. In brief, if he should pursue the girl to her ruin, there was little to fear from an appeal by either of her fathers to the authorities. Exile might be the extremest penalty of discovery.
He began operations by putting into circulation the calumny16, too infamous17 for repetition, with which we have seen him attempt to poison Sergius. Robbing the victim of character would deprive her of sympathy, and that, in the event of failure, would be a half defence for himself with the public.
He gave himself next to finding what to do with the little Princess, as he termed her. All his schemes respecting her fell short in that they lacked originality. At last the story of the Plague of Crime, stumbled on in the library of the St. James', furnished a suggestion novel, if not original, and he accepted it.
Proceeding18 systematically19, he first examined the cistern20, paddling through it in a boat with a flambeau at the bow. He sounded the depth of the water, counted the pillars, and measured the spaces between them; he tested the purity of the air; and when the reconnoissance was through, he laughed at the simplicity21 of the idea, and embodied22 his decision in a saying eminently23 becoming his philosophic24 character--the best of every new thing is that it was once old.
Next he reduced the affair to its elements. He must steal her--such was the deed in simplest term--and he must have assistants, but prudence25 whispered just as few of them as possible. He commenced a list, heading it with the keeper of the cistern, whom he found poor, necessitous, and anxious to better his condition. Upon a payment received, that worthy26 became warmly interested, and surprised his employer with suggestions of practical utility.
Coming then to the abduction, he undertook a study of her daily life, hoping it would disclose something available. A second name was thereupon entered in his list of accomplices27.
One day a beggar with sore eyes and a foot swollen28 with elephantiasis--an awful object to sight--set a stool in an angle of the street a few doors from Uel's house; and thenceforward the girl's every appearance was communicated to Demedes, who never forgot the great jump of heart with which he heard of the gorgeous chair presented her by the Prince, and of the visit she forthwith made to the wall of the Bucoleon.
Soon as he satisfied himself that the Bulgarians were in the Prince's pay, he sounded them. They too were willing to permit him to make them comfortable the remainder of their days, especially as, after the betrayal asked of them, they had only to take boat to the Turkish side of the Bosphorus, beyond pursuit and demand. His list of assistants was then increased to four.
Now indeed the game seemed secure, and he prepared for the hour which was to bring the Jewess to him.
The keeper of the cistern was the solitary29 occupant of a house built round a small court from which a flight of stone steps admitted to the darkened water. He had a felicitous31 turn for mechanics, and undertook the building of a raft with commodious32 rooms on it. Demedes went with him to select a place of anchorage, and afterward33 planned the structure to fit between four of the pillars in form thus:
[Illustration]
Seeing the design on paper, Demedes smiled--it was so like a cross; the part in lines being the landing, and the rest a room divisible at pleasure into three rooms. A boat was provided for communication, and to keep it hid from visitors, a cord was fixed34 to a pillar off in the darkness beyond ken30, helped though it might be by torches; so standing35 on the stone steps, one could draw the vessel36 to and fro, exactly as a flag is hoisted37 or lowered on a staff.
The work took a long time, but was at last finished. The High Priest of the Epicureans came meantime to have something akin38 to tender feeling for his intended victim. He indulged many florid dreams of when she should grace his bower39 in the Imperial Cistern; and as the time of her detention40 might peradventure extend into months, he vowed41 to enrich the bower until the most wilful42 spirit would settle into contentment.
Neither the money nor the time spent in this part of the preparation was begrudged43; on the contrary, Demedes took delight in the occupation; it was exercise for ingenuity44, taste, and judgment, always a pleasure to such as possess the qualities. In fact, the whole way through he likened himself to a bird building a nest for its mate.
After all, however, the part of the project most troublesome of arrangement by the schemer, was getting the Princess into the cistern keeper's house--that is, without noise, scuffle, witnesses, or a clew left behind. To this he gave more hours of reflection than to the rest altogether. The method we have seen executed was decided45 upon when he arrived at two conclusions; that the attempt was most likely to succeed in the garden of the Bucoleon, and that the Princess must be lured46 from her chair into another less conspicuous47 and not so well known. Greatly to his regret, but of necessity, he then saw himself compelled to increase his list of accessories to six. Yet he derived49 peace remembering none of them, with exception of the keeper, knew aught of the affair beyond their immediate50 connection with it. The porters, for instance, who dropped the unfortunate and fled, leaving her in the sedan to intents dead, had not the slightest idea of what was to become of her afterwards.
The conjunctions needful to success in the enterprise were numerous; yet the Greek accepted the waiting they put him to as a trial of the Patience to which the motto pledged him. He believed in being ready. When the house was built and furnished, he drilled the Bulgarians with such particularity that the scene in the garden may be said to have been literally51 to order. Probably the nearest approach to the mythical52 sixth sense is the power of casting one's mind forward to a coming event, and arranging its occurrence; and whether some have it a gift of nature, while others derive48 it from cultivation53, this much is certain--without it, no man will ever create anything originally.
Now, if the reader pleases, Demedes was too liberally endowed with the faculty54, trait or sense of which we have just spoken to permit the sedan to be broken; such an accident would have been very inconvenient55 at the critical moment succeeding the exchange of chairs. The prompter ever at the elbow of a bad man instructed him that, aside from what the Prince of India could not do, it was in his power to arouse the city, and set it going hue56 and cry; and then the carriage, rich, glittering, and known to so many, would draw pursuit, like a flaming torch at night. So it occurred to Demedes, the main object being to conceal57 the going to the cistern keeper's, why not use the sedan to deceive the pursuers? He scored the idea with an exultant58 laugh.
Returning now to the narrative59 of the enactment60, directly the strange porters moved out of the copse with their unsuspecting passenger, the Bulgarians slung61 the poles to their shoulders, and followed up the zigzag62 to the Y of the fourth terrace; there they turned, and retraced63 their steps to the promenade64; whence, after reaching Point Serail, they doubled on their track, descended65 the wall, traversed the garden, and, passing the gate by which they came, paraded their empty burden around the Hippodrome and down a thronged66 street. And again doubling, they returned to the wall, and finding it forsaken67, and the night having fallen, they abandoned the chair at a spot where the water on the seaward side was deep and favorable for whatever violence theory might require. In the course of this progress they were met by numberless people, many of whom stopped to observe the gay turnout, doubting not that the little Princess was within directing its movements. Finally, their task thoroughly done, the Bulgarians hurried to where a boat was in readiness, and crossing to Scutari, lost themselves in the growing dominions68 of their rightful Lord, the Sultan.
One casually69 reading this silhouette70 of a crime in act is likely to rest here, thinking there was nothing more possible of doing either to forward the deed or facilitate the escape of those engaged in it; yet Demedes was not content. There were who had heard him talk of the girl--who knew she had been much in his thought--to whom he had furnished ground for suspecting him of following her with evil intent--Sergius amongst others. In a word, he saw a necessity for averting71 attention from himself in the connection. Here also his wit was willing and helpful. The moment the myrmidon dropped from the portico72 with news that the Princess was out in her chair unattended, he decided she was proceeding to the wall.
"The gods are mindful of me!" he said, his blood leaping quick. "Now is the time ripe, and the opportunity come!"
Looking at the sun, he fixed the hour, and reflected:
"Five o'clock--she is on the wall. Six o'clock--she is still there. Half after six--making up her mind to go home. Oh, but the air will be sweet, and the sea lovely! Seven o'clock--she gives order, and the Bulgarians signal my men on the fourth terrace. Pray Heaven the Russian keep to his prayers or stay hearkening for my father's bell!... Here am I seen of these thousands. Later on--about the time she forsakes73 the wall--my presence shall be notorious along the streets from the Temple to Blacherne. Then what if the monk74 talks? May the fiend pave his path with stumbling-blocks and breaknecks! The city will not discredit75 its own eyes."
The Epicureans, returning from the Hippodrome, reached their Temple about half after five o'clock. The dispersal occupied another hour; shortly after, the regalia having been put away, and the tripods and banners stored, Demedes called to his mounted assistants:
"My brothers, we have worked hard, but the sowing has been bounteous76 and well done. Philosophy in flowers, religion in sackcloth--that is the comparison we have given the city. There will be no end to our harvest. To-morrow our doors open to stay open. To-day I have one further service for you. To your horses and ride with me to the gate of Blacherne. We may meet the Emperor."
They answered him shouting: "Live the Emperor!"
"Yes," cried Demedes, when the cheering was over, "by this time he should be tired of the priests; and what is that but the change of heart needful to an Epicurean?"
Laughing and joking, they mounted, eight of them, in flowers as when in the Hippodrome. The sun was going down, but the streets were yet bright with day. It was the hour when balconies overhanging the narrow thoroughfares were crowded with women and children, and the doors beset77 with servants--the hour Byzantine gossips were abroad filling and unfilling their budgets. How the wooden houses trembled while the cavalcade78 went galloping79 by! What thousands of bright eyes peered down upon the cavaliers, attracted by the shouting and laughter! Now and then some person would be a little late in attempting to cross before him; then with what grace Demedes would spur after him, his bow and bowstring for whip! And how the spectators shrieked80 with delight when he overtook the culprit, and wore the flowers out flogging him! And when a balcony was low, and illuminated81 with a face fairer than common, how the gallant82 young riders plucked roses from their helms and shields, and tossed them in shouting:
"Largesse83, Lady--largesse of thy smiles!"
"Look again! Another rose for another look!"
"From the brave to the fair!"
Thus to the gate of Blacherne. There they drew up, and saluted84 the officer of the guard, and cheered: "Live Constantine! To the good Emperor, long life!"
All the way Demedes rode with lifted visor. Returning through the twilight85, earlier in the close streets than in the open, he led his company by the houses of Uel and the Prince of India. Something might be learned of what was going on with the little Princess by what was going on there; and the many persons he saw in the street signified alarm and commotion86.
"Ho, here!" he shouted, drawing rein2. "What does this mean? Somebody dead or dying?"
"Uel, the master of the house, is afraid for his child. She should have been home before sundown. He is sending friends out to look for her."
There was a whole story in the answer, and the conspirator87 repressed a cry of triumph, and rode on.
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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formulated
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| v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示 | |
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repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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tersely
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| adv. 简捷地, 简要地 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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illustrate
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| v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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originality
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| n.创造力，独创性；新颖 | |
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treasury
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| n.宝库；国库，金库；文库 | |
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unravelling
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| 解开，拆散，散开( unravel的现在分词 )； 阐明； 澄清； 弄清楚 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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calumny
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| n.诽谤，污蔑，中伤 | |
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infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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systematically
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| adv.有系统地 | |
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cistern
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| n.贮水池 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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embodied
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| v.表现( embody的过去式和过去分词 )；象征；包括；包含 | |
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eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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philosophic
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| adj.哲学的，贤明的 | |
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prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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accomplices
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| 从犯，帮凶，同谋( accomplice的名词复数 ) | |
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swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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felicitous
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| adj.恰当的，巧妙的；n.恰当，贴切 | |
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commodious
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| adj.宽敞的；使用方便的 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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bower
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| n.凉亭，树荫下凉快之处；闺房；v.荫蔽 | |
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detention
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| n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下 | |
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vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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wilful
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| adj.任性的，故意的 | |
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begrudged
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| 嫉妒( begrudge的过去式和过去分词 )； 勉强做； 不乐意地付出； 吝惜 | |
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ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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lured
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| 吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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derive
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| v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自 | |
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derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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52
mythical
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| adj.神话的；虚构的；想像的 | |
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cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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inconvenient
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| adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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exultant
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| adj.欢腾的，狂欢的，大喜的 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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enactment
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| n.演出，担任…角色；制订，通过 | |
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slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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zigzag
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| n.曲折，之字形；adj.曲折的，锯齿形的；adv.曲折地，成锯齿形地；vt.使曲折；vi.曲折前行 | |
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retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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promenade
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| n./v.散步 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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thronged
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| v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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Forsaken
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| adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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dominions
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| 统治权( dominion的名词复数 )； 领土； 疆土； 版图 | |
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casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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silhouette
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| n.黑色半身侧面影，影子，轮廓；v.描绘成侧面影，照出影子来，仅仅显出轮廓 | |
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averting
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| 防止，避免( avert的现在分词 )； 转移 | |
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portico
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| n.柱廊，门廊 | |
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forsakes
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| 放弃( forsake的第三人称单数 )； 弃绝； 抛弃； 摒弃 | |
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monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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discredit
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| vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑 | |
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bounteous
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| adj.丰富的 | |
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77
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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78
cavalcade
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| n.车队等的行列 | |
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79
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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80
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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81
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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82
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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83
largesse
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| n.慷慨援助，施舍 | |
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84
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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85
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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86
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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conspirator
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| n.阴谋者，谋叛者 | |
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