solemnly with the
cross as he slowly ascended the steps; fixed his unflinching eyes on
the madman, who glared back on him in return; and called aloud in a
harsh, steady voice: 'Man or demon! in the name of Christ, whom thou
deniest, stand back!'

For an instant, as the priest approached him, the Pagan averted his
eyes and looked on the concourse of people and the armed soldiers
rapidly advancing. His fingers closed round the hilt of Goisvintha's
knife, which he had hitherto held loosely in his hand, as he exclaimed
in low, concentrated tones, 'Aha! the siege--the siege of Serapis!'
The priest, now standing on the same step with him, stretched out his
arm to thrust him back, and at that moment received the stroke of the
knife. He staggered, lifted his hand again to sign his forehead with
the cross, and, as he raised it, rolled back dead on the pavement of
the street.

The soldier, standing motionless with superstitious terror a few feet
from the corpse, called to his companions for help. Hurling his bloody
weapon at them in defiance, as they ran in confusion to the base of the
temple steps, Ulpius entered the building, and locked and chained the
gates.

Then the assembled people thronging round the corpse of the priest,
heard the madman shouting in his frenzy, as if to a great body of
adherents round him, to pour down the molten lead and the scorching
sand; to hurl back every scaling ladder planted against the walls; to
massacre each prisoner who was seized mounting the ramparts to the
assault; and as they looked up to the building from the street, they
saw at intervals, through the bars of the closed gates, the figure of
Ulpius passing swift and shadowy, his arms extended, his long grey hair
and white robes streaming behind him, as he rushed round and round the
temple reiterating his wild Pagan war-cries as he went. The enfeebled,
superstitious populace trembled while they gazed--a spectre driven on a
whirlwind would not have been more terrible to their eyes.

But the priest among the crowd, roused to fury by the murder of one of
their own body, revived the courage of those around them. Even the
shouts of Ulpius were now overpowered by the sound of their voices,
raised to the highest pitch, promising heavenly and earthly
rewards--salvation, money, absolution, promotion--to all who would
follow them up the steps and burst their way into the temple. Animated
by the words of the priests, and growing gradually