, that threatened to wake Caesar," she replied,
seriously. "His sleeping could alone save me from watching by him the
whole night."

Alexander then felt sorry he had been so foolishly turbulent, and after
Melissa had told him in a few words what she had gone through in the
last few hours he informed her of what had brought him to visit the
emperor so late.

Johannes the lawyer, Berenike's Christian freedman, he began, had
visited their father in prison and had heard the order given to place
Heron and Philip as state prisoners and oarsmen on board a galley.

This had taken place in the afternoon, and the Christian had further
learned that the prisoners would be led to the harbor two hours before
sunset. This was the truth, and yet the infamous Zminis had assured the
emperor, at noon, that their father and Philip were already far on their
way to Sardinia. The worthless Egyptian had, then, lied to the emperor;
and it would most likely cost the scoundrel his neck. But for this,
there would have been time enough next day. What had brought him there
at so late an hour was the desire to prevent the departure of the
galley; for John had heard, from the Christian harbor-watch that the
anchor was not yet weighed. The ship could therefore only get out to sea
at sunrise; the chain that closed the harbor would not be opened till
then. If the order to stop the galley came much after daybreak, she
would certainly be by that time well under way, and their father and
Philip might have succumbed to the hard rowing before a swift trireme
could overtake and release them.

Melissa had listened to this information with mixed feelings. She had
perhaps precipitated her father and brother into misery in order to save
herself; for a terrible fate awaited the state-prisoners at the oars.
And what could she do, an ignorant child, who was of so little use?

Andreas had told her that it was the duty of a Christian and of every
good man, if his neighbor's welfare were concerned, to sacrifice his own
fortunes; and for the happiness and lives of those dearest to her--for
they, of all others, were her "neighbors"--she felt that she could do
so. Perhaps she might yet succeed in repairing the mischief she had done
when she had allowed the emperor to sleep without giving one thought to
her father. Instead of waking him, she had misused her new power over
her brother, and, by preventing his speaking, had perhaps frustrated the
rescue of her people.