ulders, and he felt as if his heart had ceased to beat. And again the
sweet woman's voice called, "Hermas, is it you? What brings you to us at
such a late hour?"

He stammered an incoherent answer, and "I do not understand; come a
little nearer." Involuntarily he stepped forward into the shadow of the
house and close up to her window. She wore a white robe with wide, open
sleeves, and her arms shone in the dim light as white as her garment.
The greyhound barked again; she quieted it, and then asked Hermas how
his father was, and whether he needed some more wine. He replied
that she was very kind, angelically kind, but that the sick man was
recovering fast, and that she had already given him far too much.
Neither of them said anything that might not have been heard by
everybody, and yet they whispered as if they were speaking of some
forbidden thing.

"Wait a moment," said Sirona, and she disappeared within the room, she
soon reappeared, and said solid and sadly, "I would ask you to come into
the house but Phoebicius has locked the door. I am quite alone, hold the
flask so that I may fill it through the open window."

With these words she leaned over with the large jar--she was strong, but
the wine-jar seemed to her heavier than on other occasions, and she said
with a sigh, "The amphora is too heavy for me."

He reached up to help her; again his fingers met hers, and again he
felt the ecstatic thrill which had haunted his memory day and night ever
since he first had felt it. At this instant there was a sudden noise in
the house opposite; the slaves were coming out from supper. Sirona knew
what was happening; she started and cried out, pointing to the senator's
door, "For all the gods' sake! they are coming out, and if they see you
here I am lost!"

Hermas looked hastily round the court, and listened to the increasing
noise in the other house, then, perceiving that there was no possible
escape from the senator's people, who were close upon him, he cried
out to Sirona in a commanding tone, "Stand back," and flung himself up
through the window into the Gaul's apartment. At the same moment the
door opposite opened, and the slaves streamed out into the yard.

In front of them all was Miriam, who looked all round the wide
space-expectant; seeking something, and disappointed. He was not there,
and yet she had heard him come in; and the gate had not opened and
closed a second time, of that she was perfectly certain. Some o