e,--

"Woe to thee, murderer of wife and brother! woe to thee, Antichrist. The
abyss is opening beneath thee, death is stretching its hands to thee,
the grave is waiting for thee. Woe, living corpse, for in terror shalt
thou die and be damned to eternity!"

Unable to tear his hand from the cross, Crispus strained awfully. He was
terrible,--a living skeleton; unbending as predestination, he shook his
white beard over Nero's podium, scattering, as he nodded, rose leaves
from the garland on his head.

"Woe to thee, murderer! Thy measure is surpassed, and thy hour is at
hand!"

Here he made one more effort. It seemed for a moment that he would free
his hand from the cross and hold it in menace above Caesar; but all at
once his emaciated arms extended still more, his body settled down, his
head fell on his breast, and he died.

In that forest of crosses the weakest began also the sleep of eternity.

Chapter LVIII

"LORD," said Chilo, "the sea is like olive oil, the waves seem to sleep.
Let us go to Achaea. There the glory of Apollo is awaiting thee, crowns
and triumph are awaiting thee, the people will deify thee, the gods will
receive thee as a guest, their own equal; but here, O lord--"

And he stopped, for his lower lip began to quiver so violently that his
words passed into meaningless sounds.

"We will go when the games are over," replied Nero. "I know that even
now some call the Christians innoxia corpora. If I were to go, all would
repeat this. What dost thou fear?"

Then he frowned, but looked with inquiring glance at Chilo, as if
expecting an answer, for he only feigned cool blood. At the last
exhibition he himself feared the words of Crispus; and when he had
returned to the Palatine, he could not sleep from rage and shame, but
also from fear.

Then Vestinius, who heard their conversation in silence, looked around,
and said in a mysterious voice,--

"Listen, lord, to this old man. There is something strange in those
Christians. Their deity gives them an easy death, but he may be
vengeful."

"It was not I who arranged the games, but Tigellinus," replied Nero,
quickly.

"True! it was I," added Tigellinus, who heard Caesar's answer, "and I
jeer at all Christian gods. Vestinius is a bladder full of prejudices,
and this valiant Greek is ready to die of terror at sight of a hen with
feathers up in defence of her chickens."

"True!" said Nero; "but henceforth give command to cut the tongues out