“What I have said, I have said,” retorted the other; then, when Phaon’s arms hung free, “See, on the strength of our fellowship in our both being Greeks, I have set you at large!”

Phaon again sank to his knees to proffer thanks.

“Hold!” cried Demetrius, with a menacing gesture.  “Don’t waste your gratitude.  Greek you pretend to be, more the shame!  Such as you it is that have brought Hellas under the heel of the oppressor; such as you have made the word of a Hellene almost valueless in the Roman courts, so that juries have to be warned to consider us all liars; such as you have dragged down into the pit many an honest man; ay, myself too!”

Phaon left off his thanks and began again to supplicate.

“Stop whining, hound!” roared Demetrius; “haven’t I said you are free?  Free, but on one condition!”

“Anything, anything, my lord,” professed the freedman, “money, service—­”

“On this condition,” and a broad, wicked smile over-spread the face of the pirate, “that you quit this ship instantly!”

“Gladly, gladly, merciful sir!” commenced Phaon again; “where is the boat?”

“Wretch!” shouted the other, “what did I say about a boat?  Depart—­depart into the sea!  Swim ashore, if the load on your legs be not too heavy.  Seize him and see that he sinks,”—­this last to Eurybiades and the seamen.

Phaon’s terror choked his utterance; he turned livid with mortal fright.  He pleaded for life; life on the terms most degrading, most painful, most joyless—­life, life and that only.  He cried out to Cornelia to save him, he confessed his villanies, and vowed repentance a score of times all in one breath.  But Cornelia lived in an age when the wisest and best—­whatever the philosophers might theorize—­thought it no shame to reward evil for evil, not less than good for good.  When Demetrius asked her, “Shall I spare this man, lady?” she replied:  “As he has made my life bitter for many days, why should I spare him a brief moment’s pain?  Death ends all woe!”

There was a dull splash over the side, a circle spreading out in the water, wider and wider, until it could be seen no more among the waves.

“There were heavy stones to his feet, Captain,” reported Eurybiades, “and the cords will hold.”

“It is well,” answered Demetrius, very grave....

Later in the day the boat returned from Puteoli, and with it sundry small round-bellied bags, which the pirate prince duly stowed away in his strong chest.  The ransomed captives were put on board a small unarmed yacht that had come out to receive them.  Demetrius himself handed the ladies over the side, and salaamed to them as the craft shot off from the flagship.  Then the pirates again weighed anchor, the great purple[171] square sail of each of the ships was cast to the piping breeze, the triple tiers of silver-plated oars[171] began to rise and fall in unison to the soft notes of the piper.  The land grew fainter and more faint, and the three ships sprang away, speeding over the broad breast of the sea.