I am charged to arrest him before this evening, together with the principal leaders of his band. It is a vulgar constabulary measure, directed against sick men and vagrants, of a kind that has never yet been exacted of the legionaries.... It shall not take place; do not let us speak of it.... MARY MAGDALENE But why arrest him? What has he done? What is he accused of?... He is innocent, I know; besides, one need but see him to understand.... He brings a happiness that was not known before; and all those who come near him are happy, it seems, like children at their awaking.... I myself, who only caught a glimpse of him among the olive-trees, felt that gladness was rising in my soul like a sort of light that overtook my thoughts.... He fixed his eyes for but a moment on mine; and that will be enough for the rest of my life.... I knew that he recognized me without ever having seen me and I knew that he wished to see me again.... He seemed to choose me gravely, absolutely, for ever.... VERUS What does this mean? Are you speaking of him? What happened?... Have you seen him again?... I was told, for that matter, that he is an intriguer, ready for everything; but I should never have believed that he would have dared.... MARY MAGDALENE He has dared nothing.... I have not seen him again, I shall never see him again, now that we are about to leave everything, to be only we two alone.... VERUS (_clasping her more closely_) To be one alone, Magdalene, in a happier land, where everything encourages happiness, smiles upon lovers and blesses beauty.... MARY MAGDALENE (_bursting into convulsive sobs on VERUS’ breast_) I love you.... I know it.... VERUS Come, I know these tears that well at the same moment from our two hearts in our one joy.... But here, between the columns of the vestibule, come the greatest ornaments of that beautiful Rome which we shall soon astonish with our love.... I am right: it is our good Silanus, accompanied by the faithful Appius; led by the immortal gods, they descend the marble steps to hallow with their fraternal presence the first smiles of a happiness born under their eyes.... SCENE II THE SAME, SILANUS, APPIUS SILANUS It was said and it was written that, on this most propitious day, I should behold two marvels, not the lesser of which is to see thus promptly reunited two lovers who, according to love’s ancient custom, should have fled from each other the more obstinately the more they yearned to meet.... APPIUS