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336 DAKKNESS AND DAWN
The multitude had far other intentions. They were not yet
sated with slaughter ; they had not yet gloated long enough
on faces convulsed with the death-agony ; they wanted to
see how the beautiful young Phrygian would look when an
opponent stood over him with a sword at his throat.
But the soul of Glanydon was filled with disgust and disdain.
He loathed those fat, shouting, comfortable burghers,
those hard-faced women, those finical dandies, of whom he
felt that he could have driven a score before him like sheep.
He strode to the barriers and set his back against them,
refusing to fight.
'
A yell of fury rose from the people. Kill him !
shouted. 'Kill him! scourge him! burn him! Why
'
they
is he
so afraid of cold steel ?
Why can't he die like a man ? Ho !
scourgers, lash the youth into the combat again, to make the
sides equal.'
The Briton stood as in a dream, and as his thoughts reverted
to his home and the maiden whom he loved, the amphitheatre
swam before his eyes. Five or six mastigophori came running
up to him, and he felt the curling lash of one of them
come stinging round his body. The agony aroused him.
With a cry as of a wounded lion he sprang on the scourger,
and with one buffet laid him senseless, while the others fled
in confusion before him. Then, witli the boldness of despair,
he strode under the podium, and, raising his clenched fist,
cursed the Emperor aloud.
'
Murderer of thy mother !' he cried '
thou ; infamy of manhood,
I will fight again. But think not that thou shalt escape.
Speedily the doom shall overtake thee, and thy death shall be
more shameful and horrible than mine.'
He had thundered forth so loudly his indignant words that
they rang through the whole amphitheatre, and the wildest
tumult arose. The Emperor cowered back in his seat, pale
with superstitious terror, yet almost suffocated with rage ;
and
his favourite page, springing up from the low stool at his feet,
began to sprinkle his face with perfume.
The Praetorians drew their swords, and in one moment
would have slain the criminal who thus dared to blaspheme
their human god. That a common gladiator a thing to flesh
men's swords upon should dare to curse the Emperor! It
was a portent
I But there was no time to interfere, for, with