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204 DAEKNESS AND DAWN
and blessed him, and his whole soul seemed to thrill under
that holy touch.
'
And hast thou no word for me, my father '
? said Flavius
Clemens.
The Apostle turned towards him, and kindly laying his left
hand on the boy's dark curls, he said
'
I say to thee, as the Lord said to another, " And thou too,
my son, when thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself and
wentest whither thou wouldest ;
but when thou shalt be old
another shall gird thee and carry .thee whither thou wouldest
not." Thy life shall be prolonged, and thou shalt rise to great
things but thy heart shall be the Lord's, and many a year
;
hence thou too shalt be His witness. One of you shall see
my face no more, but the Angel of His Presence bless you
both.'
He spoke, and passed out of their sight into the gloom,
leaving in their hearts a sound as of angelic music, a light as
of purple wings. Neither of them spoke, or could speak. In
silence and haste they made their way back over the dark
flowing river to the house of Aulus Plautius. Flavius was
conducted home by faithful Christian slaves, while the escort
of the Empress accompanied her and her brother to the Palace,
which still rang with sounds of revelry. And that night Titus
wondered at the radiant serenity of the countenance of his
friend, and Britannicus slept as sweetly as a child ;
and as he
slumbered the spirits of the blessed dead seemed to keep
guard over him, and he smiled to hear strange snatches of
immortal melody.