ld have gone on thus for ever, even to
destruction; and, in fact, they were still sinking--she felt the water
rising breast high, but she cared not. Not a word had either of them
spoken. Suddenly she felt urged to break the silence, and as if she could
not help it she asked: "Am I the other?" At this the waves surged down on
them from all sides; a whirlpool dragged away the horse, spinning him
round, and with him Orion and herself, a shrill blast swept past them,
and then the current and the waves, the roaring of the whirlpool, the
howling of the storm--all at once and together, as with one voice, louder
than all else and filling her ears, shouted: "Thou!"--Only Orion remained
speechless. An eddy caught the horse and sucked him under, a wave carried
her away from him, she was sinking, sinking, and stretched out her arms
with longing.--A cold dew stood on her brow as she slept, and the nurse,
waking her from her uneasy dream, shook her head as she said:

"Why, child? What ails you? You have been calling Orion again and again,
at first in terror and then so tenderly.--Yes, believe me, tenderly."

CHAPTER XX.

In the neat rooms which Rufinus' wife had made ready for her sick guests
perfect peace reigned, and it was noon. A soft twilight fell through the
thick green curtains which mitigated the sunshine, and the nurses had
lately cleared away after the morning meal. Paula was moistening the
bandage on the Masdakite's head, and Pulcheria was busy in the adjoining
room with Mandane, who obeyed the physician's instructions with
intelligent submission and showed no signs of insanity.

Paula was still spellbound by her past dream. She was possessed by such
unrest that, quite against her wont, she could not long remain quiet, and
when Pulcheria came to her to tell her this or that, she listened with so
little attention and sympathy that the humble-minded girl, fearing to
disturb her, withdrew to her patient's bed-side and waited quietly till
her new divinity called her.

In fact, it was not without reason that Paula gave herself up to a
certain anxiety; for, if she was not mistaken, Orion must necessarily
present himself to hand over to her the remainder of her fortune; and
though even yesterday, on her way from the cemetery, she had said to
herself that she must and would refuse to meet him, the excitement
produced by Katharina's story and her subsequent dream had confirmed her
in her determination.

Perpetua awaited