to the
youth. "You are going your own way now," he said. "Do not forget the
Holy Mountain, and hear this: Of all sins three are most deadly: To
serve false gods, to covet your neighbor's wife, and to raise your hands
to kill; keep yourself from them. And of all virtues two are the
least conspicuous, and at the same time the greatest: Truthfulness and
humility; practise these. Of all consolations these two are the best:
The consciousness of wishing the right however much we may err and
stumble through human weakness, and prayer."

Once more he embraced the departing youth, then he went across the sand
of the shore back to the mountain without looking round.

Hermas looked after him for a long time greatly distressed, for his
strong friend tottered like a drunken man, and often pressed his hand to
his head which was no doubt as burning as his lips.

The young warrior never again saw the Holy Mountain or Paulus, but after
he himself had won fame and distinction in the army he met again with
Petrus' son, Polykarp, whom the emperor had sent for to Byzantium with
great honor, and in whose house the Gaulish woman Sirona presided as a
true and loving wife and mother.

After his parting from Hermas, Paulus disappeared. The other anchorites
long sought him in vain, as well as bishop Agapitus, who had learned
from Petrus that the Alexandrian had been punished and expelled in
innocence, and who desired to offer him pardon and consolation in his
own person. At last, ten days after, Orion the Saite found him in a
remote cave. The angel of death had called him only a few hours before
while in the act of prayer, for he was scarcely cold. He was kneeling
with his forehead against the rocky wall and his emaciated hands were
closely clasped over Magdalena's ring. When his companions had laid him
on his bier his noble, gentle features wore a pure and transfiguring
smile.

The news of his death flew with wonderful rapidity through the oasis and
the fishing-town, and far and wide to the caves of the anchorites,
and even to the huts of the Amalekite shepherds. The procession that
followed him to his last resting-place stretched to an invisible
distance; in front of all walked Agapitus with the elders and deacons,
and behind them Petrus with his wife and family, to which Sirona now
belonged. Polykarp, who was now recovering, laid a palm-branch in token
of reconcilement on his grave, which was visited as a sacred spot by the
many whose n