THEY went through the Vicus Patricius, along the Viminal to the former Visninal
gate, near the plain on which Diocletian afterward built splendid baths. They
passed the remains of the wall of Servius Tullius, and through places more and
more deserted they reached the Via Nomentana; there, turning to the left,
towards the Via Salaria, they found themselves among hills full of sand-pits, and
here and there they found graveyards.
Meanwhile it had grown dark completely, and since the moon had not risen yet, it
would have been rather difficult for them to find the road were it not that the
Christians themselves indicated it, as Chilo foresaw.
In fact, on the right, on the left, and in front., dark forms were evident, making
their way carefully toward sandy hollows. Some of these people carried lanterns,
-- covering them, however, as far as possible with mantles; others, knowing the
road better, went in the dark. The trained military eye of Vinicius distinguished, by
their movements, younger men from old ones, who walked with canes, and from
women, wrapped carefully in long mantles. The highway police, and villagers
leaving the city, took those night wanderers, evidently, for laborers, going to
sand-pits; or grave-diggers, who at times celebrated ceremonies of their own in
the night-time. In proportion, however, as the young patrician and his attendants
pushed forward, more and more lanterns gleamed, and the number of persons
grew greater. Some of them sang songs in low voices, which to Vinicius seemed
filled with sad-- ness. At moments a separate word or a phrase of the song struck
his ear, as, for instance, "Awake, thou that sleepest," or "Rise from the dead"; at
times, again, the name of Christ was repeated by men and women.
But Vinicius turned slight attention to the words, for it came to his head that one
of those dark forms might be Lygia. Some, passing near, said, "Peace be with
thee!" or "Glory be to Christ!" but disquiet seized him, and his heart began to beat
with more life, for it seemed to him that he heard Lygia's voice. Forms or
movements like hers deceived him in the darkness every moment, and only
when he had corrected mistakes made repeatedly did he begin to distrust his
own eyes.
The way seemed long to him. He knew the neighborhood exactly, but could not
fix places in the darkness. Every moment they came to some narrow passage, or
piece of wall, or booths, which he did not remember as being in the vicinity of the
city. Finally the edge of the moon appeared from behind a mass of clouds, and
lighted the place better than dim lanterns. Something from afar began at last to
glimmer like a ftre, or the flame of a torch. Vinicius turned to Chilo.
"Is that Ostrianum?" asked he.
Chio, on whom night, distance from the city, and those ghostlike forms made a
deep impression, replied in a voice somewhat uncertain, -- "I know not, lord; I
have never been in Ostrianum. But they might praise God in some spot nearer
the city."
