and he felt that
could it embrace the whole world, could it ingraft on the world its love
and charity, an epoch would come recalling that in which not Jupiter,
but Saturn had ruled. He did not dare either to doubt the supernatural
origin of Christ, or His resurrection, or the other miracles. The
eye-witnesses who spoke of them were too trustworthy and despised
falsehood too much to let him suppose that they were telling things that
had not happened. Finally, Roman scepticism permitted disbelief in the
gods, but believed in miracles. Vinicius, therefore, stood before a
kind of marvellous puzzle which he could not solve. On the other hand,
however, that religion seemed to him opposed to the existing state of
things, impossible of practice, and mad in a degree beyond all others.
According to him, people in Rome and in the whole world might be bad,
but the order of things was good. Had Caesar, for example, been an honest
man, had the Senate been composed, not of insignificant libertines,
but of men like Thrasea, what more could one wish? Nay, Roman peace and
supremacy were good; distinction among people just and proper. But that
religion, according to the understanding of Vinicius, would destroy all
order, all supremacy, every distinction. What would happen then to the
dominion and lordship of Rome? Could the Romans cease to rule, or could
they recognize a whole herd of conquered nations as equal to themselves?
That was a thought which could find no place in the head of a patrician.
As regarded him personally, that religion was opposed to all his ideas
and habits, his whole character and understanding of life. He was simply
unable to imagine how he could exist were he to accept it. He feared
and admired it; but as to accepting it, his nature shuddered at that. He
understood, finally, that nothing save that religion separated him from
Lygia; and when he thought of this, he hated it with all the powers of
his soul.

Still he acknowledged to himself that it had adorned Lygia with that
exceptional, unexplained beauty which in his heart had produced, besides
love, respect, besides desire, homage, and had made of that same Lygia
a being dear to him beyond all others in the world. And then he wished
anew to love Christ. And he understood clearly that he must either love
or hate Him; he could not remain indifferent. Meanwhile two opposing
currents were as if driving him: he hesitated in thoughts, in feelings;
he knew not how to ch