im, began to weep; the child resumed very
softly its morning song, now addressing it to the wounded girl and now
to the dove.

At this moment Vetranio and the physician appeared on the scene. The
latter advanced to the couch, removed the child from it, and examined
Antonina intently. At length, partly addressing Numerian, partly
speaking to himself, he said: 'She has slept long, deeply, without
moving, almost without breathing--a sleep like death to all who looked
on it.'

The old man spoke not in reply, but the women answered eagerly in the
affirmative.

'She is saved,' pursued the physician, leisurely quitting the side of
the couch and smiling on Vetranio; 'be careful of her for days and days
to come.'

'Saved! saved!' echoed the child joyfully, setting the dove free in the
room, and running to Numerian to climb on his knees. The father
glanced down when the clear young voice sounded in his ear. The
springs of joy, so long dried up in his heart, welled forth again as he
saw the little hands raised towards him entreatingly; his grey head
drooped--he wept.

At a sign from the physician the child was led from the room. The
silence of deep and solemn emotion was preserved by all who remained;
nothing was heard but the suppressed sobs of the old man, and the
faint, retiring notes of the infant voice still singing its morning
song. And now one word, joyfully reiterated again and again, made all
the burden of the music--

'SAVED! SAVED!'

THE CONCLUSION. 'UBI THESAURUS IBI COR.'

Shortly after the opening of the provision markets outside the gates of
Rome, the Goths broke up their camp before the city and retired to
winter quarters in Tuscany. The negotiations which ensued between
Alaric and the Court and Government at Ravenna, were conducted with
cunning moderation by the conqueror, and with infatuated audacity by
the conquered, and ultimately terminated in a resumption of
hostilities. Rome was besieged a second and a third time by 'the
barbarians'. On the latter occasion the city was sacked, its palaces
were burnt, its treasures were seized; the monuments of the Christian
religion were alone respected.

But it is no longer with the Goths that our narrative is concerned; the
connection with them which it has hitherto maintained closes with the
end of the first siege of Rome. We can claim the reader's attention
for historical events no more--the march of our little pageant, arrayed
for his pleas