him go yesterday again with the wine jar?

Sirona's husband, Phoebicius, as Miriam well knew, was upon the
mountain, and offering sacrifice by moonlight to Mithras with his fellow
heathen in a cave which she had long known. She had seen the Gaul quit
the court during the time of evening-prayer with a few soldiers, two of
whom carried after him a huge coffer, out of which rose the handle of a
mighty cauldron, and a skin full of water, and various vessels. She knew
that these men would pass the whole night in the grotto of Mithras, and
there greet "the young god"--the rising sun--with strange ceremonies;
for the inquisitive shepherdess had more than once listened, when she
had led her goats up the mountain before the break of day, and her
ear had detected that the worshippers of Mithras were performing their
nocturnal solemnities. Now it flashed across her mind, that Sirona was
alone, and that the late visit of Hermas probably concerned her, and not
the senator.

She started, there was quite a pain in her heart, and, as usual, when
any violent emotion agitated her mind, she involuntarily sprang to her
feet prompted by the force of her passion, and had almost reached the
door, when the senator's voice brought her to a pause, and recalled her
to the consciousness of the impropriety of her behavior.

The sick man still lay with his inflamed wound and fever down in the
court, and she knew that she should escape blame if in answer to her
master's stern questioning she said that the patient needed her, but
she had never told a lie, and her pride forbade her even now to speak an
untruth. The other slaves stared with astonishment, as she replied, "I
wanted to get out; the supper is so long."

Petrus glanced at the window, and perceiving how high the moon stood, he
shook his head as if in wonder at his own conduct, then without blaming
her he offered a thanksgiving, gave the slaves the signal to leave
the room, and after receiving a kiss of "good-night" from each of his
children--from among whom Polykarp, the sculptor, alone was missing--he
withdrew to his own room. But he did not remain alone there for long:
so soon as Dorothea had discussed the requirements of the house for
the next day with Marthana and the steward, and had been through the
sleeping-room of her younger children, casting a loving glance on the
peaceful sleepers, arranging here a coverlet, and there a pillow--she
entered her husband's room and called his name.