"Go find lord Felix, and, due worship paid, Pray him come hither for a need that waits," So Julius made his soldier messenger. "Grieving to trouble thee so far," he next To Felix, soon appearing, said: "I sent To ask thee of the Jew in presence here. Knowest thou aught of him that might resolve A doubt how much he be to trust for true?" Shimei shrank visibly, while Felix, glad To vent his hatred of the pander, spoke: "As many as his words, so many lies; Trust him thou mayest--to never speak the truth." Wherewith the haughty freedman on his heel Turned, as disdaining to use tongue or ear Further in such a cause, and disappeared. Julius in silence looked a questioning pause At Shimei, who risked parrying answer, thus: "Lord Felix is a disappointed man, Who, if so soured, is gently to be judged. Yet were it better he had stooped to speak By instance, named occasion, wherein I Had seemed to fail matching my words with deeds. I own I sought to serve him in his need; And if, forsooth, when he his hold on power Felt slipping from his hands, I undertook Freely, in succor of his fainting mind, Somewhat beyond my strength to bring to pass, In reconcilement of my countrymen Against his sway unwontedly aggrieved-- Why, I am sorry; but failed promises, Made in good faith, should not be reckoned lies."
There seemed to the centurion measure enough Of reason in what Shimei so inferred, If truly he inferred, to leave the doubt Still unresolved with which he was perplexed.
While the diversion of the incident With Felix, and of Shimei's parrying, passed, The soldier, so released to cast about At leisure, thought of Stephen standing up, In that so Sphinx-like silence, startlingly, Beside him, in the darkness on the deck, At just the fatal point of his own poise For the returnless plunge in the abyss; That Hebrew youth would doubtless testify To Shimei's damning;--to his own as well? That were to think of! What would Stephen say? Must it not cloud his own clear truth and faith, To have it told how he abode so long A hearkener to temptation; how he took Gold as for bribe, and greedy seemed of more? Why had he not been first to speak of that? Wisest it looked to him not to invoke A witness of so much uncertain power To bring his own behavior into doubt. And Shimei showed such master of his part, Equal to shifting all appearances This way or that, as best would serve himself, Promised so fair to make his side prevail, Were it not well to choose the chance with _him_? The soldier fixed to stake on Stephen naught.