ndently of him, as a fresh proof of her dislike, and she must hold
herself responsible for the consequences. Justice must now take its
course with inexorable rigor.

The wrathful light in his eyes showed her what she had to expect from
him, and that he was prepared to fight her to the end. She saw that he
thought that she had broken the promise she had but just now given him;
but she had not commissioned Perpetua to interfere in the matter; on the
contrary, she had desired the woman to leave it to her to produce her
evidence only in the last extremity. Orion must believe that she had done
him a wrong; still, could that make him so far forget himself as to carry
out his threats, and sacrifice an innocent man--to divert suspicion from
himself, while he branded her as a false witness? Aye, even from that he
would not shrink! His flaming glance, his abrupt demeanor, his laboring
breath, proclaimed it plainly enough.--Then let the struggle begin! At
this moment she would have died rather than have tried to mollify him by
a word of excuse. The turmoil in his whole being vibrated through hers.
She was ready to throw herself at his feet and implore him to control
himself, to guard himself against further wrong-doing--but she maintained
her proud dignity, and the eyes that met his were not less indignant and
defiant than his own.

They stood face to face like two young eagles preparing to fight, with
feathers on end, arching their pinions and stretching their necks. She,
confident of victory in the righteousness of her cause, and far more
anxious for him than for herself; he, almost blind to his own danger,
but, like a gladiator confronting his antagonist in the arena, far more
eager to conquer than to protect his own life and limb.

While Nilus explained to her what, in part, she already knew, and
repeated their suspicion that she had been tempted to make a false
declaration to save the life of her servant, whose devotion, no doubt, to
his missing master had led him to commit the robbery; she kept her eye on
Orion rather than on the speaker. At last Nilus referred to the trunk,
which had been brought from Paula's room under her own eyes, informing
her that the assembly were ready to hear and examine into anything she
had to say in her own defence.

Orion's agitation rose to its highest pitch. He felt that the blood had
fled from his cheeks, and his thoughts were in utter confusion. The
council, the accused, his enemy Paula--