e had won through nursing their dear invalid, and said how
thankful she was to see the reward of her care and toil. Narses was
already quite another man, and she could know no higher task than that of
reconciling the hapless man to life, nay, of making it dear to him again.
She no longer thought of Orion but as she might of a beautiful song she
once had heard in a delightful hour.

Thus time passed, even for the imprisoned maiden, till only two nights
remained before St. Serapis' day when the fearful marriage was to be
solemnized.

It was evening when the bishop came to visit Paula. He regarded it as his
duty to tell her that the execution of her sentence was fixed for the day
after to-morrow. He should hope and believe till the last, but his own
power over the misguided mob was gone from him. In any case, and if the
worst should befall, he would be at her side to protect her by the
dignity of his office. He had come now, so as to give her time to prepare
her self in every respect. The care of her noble father till his last
hour on earth he would take upon himself as a dear and sacred duty.

Though she had believed herself surely prepared long since for the worst,
this news fell on her like a thunderbolt. What lay before her seemed so
monstrous, so unexampled, that it was impossible that she ever could look
forward to it firmly and calmly.

For a long time she could not help clinging desperately to her faithful
Betta, and it was only by degrees that she so far recovered herself as to
be able to speak to the bishop, and thank him. He, however, could only
lament his inability to earn her fullest gratitude, for the patriarch's
reply to his complaint of those who promised rescue to the people by the
instrumentality of a heathen abomination--a document on which he had
founded his highest hopes for her--had had a different result from that
which he had expected. The patriarch, to be sure, condemned the
abominable sacrifice, but he did it in a way which lacked the force
necessary to terrify and discourage the misled mob. However, he would try
what effect it might have on the people, and a number of scribes were at
work to make copies of it in the course of the night. These would be sent
to the Senators next morning, posted up in the market-place and public
buildings, and distributed to the people; but he feared all this would
have no effect.

"Then help me to prepare for death," said Paula gloomily. "You are not a
priest