FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142  
143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   >>   >|  
nity for your commandment. It shall not be forgotten." Mardonius bowed himself. Xerxes called for more wine. The feast lasted late and ended in an orgy. CHAPTER XVII THE CHARMING BY ROXANA Glaucon's longing for the old life ebbed and flowed. Sometimes the return of memory maddened him. Who had done it?--had forged that damning letter and then hid it with Seuthes? Themistocles? Impossible. Democrates?--"the friend with the understanding heart no less than a brother dear," as Homer said? More impossible. An unknown enemy, then, had stolen the fleet order from Themistocles? But what man had hated Glaucon? One answer remained,--unwittingly the athlete had offended some god, forgotten some vow, or by sheer good fortune had awakened divine jealousy. Poseidon had been implacable toward Odysseus, Athena toward Hector, Artemis toward Niobe,--Glaucon could only pray that his present welcome amongst the Persians might not draw down another outburst of Heaven's anger. More than all else was the keen longing for Hermione. He saw her in the night. Vainly, amidst the storms of the gathering war, he had sought a messenger to Athens. In this he dared ask no help from Mardonius. Then almost from the blue a bolt fell that made him wish to tear Hermione from his heart. A Carian slave, a trusted steward at the Athenian silver mines of Laurium, had loved his liberty and escaped to Sardis. The Persians questioned him eagerly, for he knew all the gossip of Athens. Glaucon met the runaway, who did not know then who he was, so many Greek refugees were always fluttering around the king's court. The Carian told of a new honour for Democrates. "He is elected strategus for next year because of his proud patriotism. There is talk, too, of a more private bit of good fortune." "What is it?" "That he has made successful suit to Hermippus of Eleusis for his daughter,--the widow of Glaucon, the dead outlaw. They say the marriage follows at the end of the year of mourning--Sir, you are not well!" "I was never better." But the other had turned ashen. He quitted the Carian abruptly and shut himself in his chamber. It was good that he wore no sword. He might have slain himself. Yet, he communed in his heart, was it not best? Was he not dead to Athens? Must Hermione mourn him down to old age? And whom better could she take than Democrates, the man who had sacrificed even
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142  
143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Glaucon

 

Carian

 

Democrates

 
Athens
 
Hermione
 

Themistocles

 

Persians

 

fortune

 
forgotten
 

Mardonius


longing
 

fluttering

 

refugees

 

honour

 

patriotism

 

commandment

 

elected

 

strategus

 
Athenian
 

silver


Laurium

 

steward

 

trusted

 

liberty

 

runaway

 

gossip

 

escaped

 

Sardis

 

questioned

 

eagerly


chamber

 

abruptly

 
turned
 

quitted

 

communed

 

sacrificed

 

Eleusis

 
Hermippus
 
daughter
 

successful


outlaw

 
mourning
 

marriage

 

private

 
answer
 
remained
 

ROXANA

 

stolen

 

unwittingly

 

athlete