"O thou, my keeper"--so to Julius Paul-- "Full courteous to thy prisoner often proved, Nay, more than courteous, kind--beseech thee now Beyond thy wont be courteously kind!" "What wilt thou, then?" said Julius. "Grant it me," Paul answered, "to reprieve, from chains, I ask not, But from his dungeon doom, to see the sun And breathe this vital air, the wretched man Whom, partly for my sake perhaps, thou keepest Immured in dismal dark duress below!" "Strange being thou!" said Julius answering Paul, Yet answering not, with wonder overpowered. "That wretch, that miscreant, craven, liar, proved Corrupter of the faith of men through bribe-- Nay, but assassin, only that he failed, Assassin disappointed in attempt-- On whose life but thine own?--such man accurst Do I now hear thee interceding for, Thee, prisoner thyself, and that--unless The story of his plot and traitorhood And band of forty sworn conspirators Against thee at Jerusalem, have been Falsely told me--aye, _that_ solely through him! I wonder at thee! Art thou mad? The day Thy countryman confronted by thee quailed, Convicted of his dastard perjury Which aimed to make _thee_ murderer of _him_-- Then, Paul, I thought thee sane enough, as thou With words launched like the thunderbolts of Jove Didst rive him to his rotten innermost! Yet then, even then, relenting strangely, thou Didst melt the hardness that became thee so-- Making thee almost Roman, as I thought-- Melt it into a softness like a woman's. And now again from thee this wanton whim And suit of pity for that damnable! I cannot make thee out--unless it be Thou art moonstruck, and maudlin-mindedness At times seize thee betraying thy manhood thus!" Paul did not answer the centurion's words With words again; instead--with look serene, Ascendant, irresistible--received, Absorbed, and overbore that other's look (Which, after the words spoken, rested on Paul's face in pity that was almost scorn) Quenching it as a shield a fiery dart; Till Julius, fain to yield yet somewhat save His pride in yielding, turned from Paul and said To Rachel, as in condescension dashed With banter: "Let thy sister if she will Go carry Shimei tidings of reprieve; A sister to a brother's murderer go And take him token of her love--and his!" A little softening, as he spoke, from sneer, At the sheer aspect of her loveliness, An aspect not of weakness, but wherein There mingled, with the lovely woman's charm, Something august of saintly matronhood, Remote from any hint of what could seem Defect of sane and saving self-control-- Thus wrought upon a little while he spoke, Julius to Rachel turning spoke such words.