The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-03-01

| Plancina smoothed her pale brows, which
| had been frowning; and continued with
| stern smile,
al am only giving you friends warning.
Your mother and brother have q suit to urge
at court. There exists pestilent Greek faction
which are all doomed to destruction tell your
mother that you must all beware of being
mixed up with them, and you will escape their
perdition. A Greek, like your mother, with
something to ask, is peculiarly liable to make
the mistake of seeking Greek friends. If she
do, she is utterly lost, however powerful may
seem the prince who patronizcs the accursed
cabal."
Agatha shrank and trembled, murmuring like
an echo Plancina's last adjective-accursed.
" Do not stare at me so, my little DEAR" con-
tinued Plancina. "There is the Prince Ger
manicus. Only for him-every body knows it,
and every body says it /; the thing is no secret
-Piso, my husband, would be now project of
Syria and like Crispus Sallust, when was o
little girl, would have recovered ten times the
fortune out of which he has been cheated at
dice. 1 am called q rash, violent and untama-
BILE woman. The moment, however, that any
body gives you airy information about court
parties and political factions, every thingI am
saying will be mentioned. l do not hide my
disgust. Foreign barbarians of all sorts swarm
they creep through postern doors; they pri-
vately influence all the destinies of that world
of which Romans have the name publicly of
being masters. We are trodden under the feet
of Greeks, Jews and Chaldeans; the first beat
rs by genius, by eloquence, and artistic skill,
by general intellectual force and subtlety; the
second by superstition inspired obstinscy, by
incredible and unspeakable importantly, by
steadfastness in sordd servility, by sorcery.
divnation, necromancy, and delusion; not all
delusion, grant you; for myself have
the demons of Thrasyllus, the Babylonish
Greek"
What" cried Agatha, " seen demons And
what does Babylonish Greek mean7'
ga Greek initiated in the Babylonish mys-
teries."
land who is Thrasyllus I"
GA magician"
"What is that ~ -
ga man who calls demons and spirits of the
air, you would call your pet birds, and they
come to him."
"May the unknown God love 1ue!' cried
Agatha, shuddering. "What are the demons
likei"
"Not like our sculptures, believe me-" an
swered Plancina. "Idare not tell you I have
seen what no words can say"
She paused, shrugged her shoulders, and
then added,
"Some forms were like the human, with red
fire in the veins instead of blood, and white
fire in the bones instead of marrow eyes they
possessed that had no comfort in them. They
had the air of being utterly without interest
in any thing, only that their eyes were filled
with fear; yet it seemed to me with knowledge,
too: unspeakable fear, immense knowledge;
| wells and pools they appeared, full of fear and
knowledge. When they glanced upon you,
there were pale rays of hatred strangely COM
bined with an expression of Indifference, fear,
knowledge and hatred If you looked at the
eyes, when they looked not at You, you saw
nothing but an expression of fear and know
ledge; but when they did look at you, you saw
| fear, knowledge, and hatred too. All these
faces Knocked without smiling, and scoffed
without enjoyment. Something, 1 thought,
was dripping down the wan cheeks, and there
was a look of fixed surprise long ago, of long
past astonishment-the trace left, and the
feeling gone. The emotion of boundless amaze
ment had once been there; the signs of it
were left all over the couutenance, but, if
may so speak, petrifed-an mmedicable scar,
| an inetfaceable vestige. The character of the
countenance was that of dead establishment
the establishment was dead ; it was no long
er active sentiment. 1t had been some
boundless wonder; the greatest which that
creature had ever experienced, and the event
which had caused it had apparently been the
most serious which that being had ever
known"
"What a truly tremendous description - ex,
claimed Agatha.
The other made no reply and before any
further conversation could occur betw cen
them, young man, in the dark-brown ha bill
ments of a slave, entered the garden from the
inn, and after hasty glance in various direc-
tions, approached the bower. His features
were very good he was we'll made, of pleas
ing address, and had look of uncommon
intelligence. He possessed, in a small degree
and humble way, that undefinable air of ele
gance which mental culture sheds over the
countenance; but with this advantage he be-
I'D rfof,,