The Arch-Druid: [SEPT. 



swollen with agony his mangled flesh scattered in fragments to the air ! 

 Still, notwithstanding his intense sufferings, neither by word, look, nor 

 gesture, would Caradoc acknowledge that he felt them. Though the 

 cold drops trickled down his brow ; though his nether lip was bit through 

 and through by his clenched teeth, his eagle eye quailed not, his coun- 

 tenance lost not one atom of its proud, unbending expression. But Car- 

 tismandua how terrible she looked ! A tranquil, sullen despair had 

 succeeded her former frightful impetuosity ; a smooth, almost a smiling 

 calmness, had spread itself over the surface of her passions j but beneath 

 that surface, still and moveless as it seemed, an earthquake was at work; 

 and it was only in the convulsive twitching of the lip, and the strange 

 glare of the red, dilated eye, that its tremendous energies could be 

 detected. 



For the space of one long protracted hour, she stood gazing with 

 apparent apathy, first on Sergius, then on Caradoc, then on the different 

 martial groups that surrounded her, turning her glance from one to 

 another, as if all were equally strange ; but no sooner had she seen her 

 almost lifeless husband removed from his place of torture, and clad in 

 the vile garb of a slave, than recognition at once returned j her woman's 

 frame could no longer support the shock, and she sank with a thrilling 

 scream senseless to the ground. 



No longer molested by the incessant hostility of Caradoc, Sergius 

 now continued his route triumphantly towards the sea, in the direction 

 of Aberavon, where he succeeded in establishing his head-quarters. 

 Before, however, he could arrange his plans for a more extensive con* 

 quest, the Emperor Claudius recalled him abruptly to Rome, concluded 

 a peace with the Silures, and appointed Nerva Coccoeius, praetor of 

 the army on the eastern provinces, his successor. 



It was on the evening of the day which preceded his departure from 

 Britain about six months subsequent to the incidents which we have 

 just related that Sergius, as he sat sullenly ruminating in his tent, was 

 interrupted by the entrance of a centurion, with information that a 

 young Roman was outside, and wished much to speak with him. Sup- 

 posing, as a matter of course, that the stranger bore some new message 

 from the emperor perhaps to countermand his recal- Sergius desired 

 him at once to be admitted. 



" Your name, young man ?" said the Dacian, as a youth of swarthy 

 features, and with a countenance furrowed by care and thought, entered 

 his tent. 



" Manlius," replied the stranger. " You depart to-morrow for Rome, 

 is it not so ?" 



" It is ; but why do you ask ?" 



" Because I am desirous of taking the opportunity of your escort. I 

 am an African by birth ; but my family, of high rank at Brundisium, 

 are well known throughout Rome ; and as I have now been some time 

 absent from them with the army in Caledonia, they are naturally anxious 

 for my return. Have I your consent to accompany you ?" 



Sergius gave no immediate reply to this abrupt request. He looked 

 at the stranger keenly, and not without distrust ; but being confronted 

 with an answering fixedness of expression, his scrutiny relaxed, and he 

 observed, " You are wholly unknown to me, young man, and are not 

 perhaps aware that in a wild, lawless country like this, where assassina- 

 tions are so frequent, the greatest caution is necessary." 



