rer with a tender home claim, to hear of the
wanderings of San Marco among those temples of Aphrodite; and his scorn
of the unholy worship kindled her soul as the Patriarch told how the
young Evangelist had not feared to curse the godless Cyprian city for
its idolatry--of the tumult that had been raised by his followers, as
they hurled the images of the Pagan gods from their pedestals, ruining
portions of the huge, unholy structure as they fell and killing some of
those who were taking part in the games. She would visit these vast
ruins in the ancient grove of Aphrodite, where giant-trees had grown
among the fallen columns, and wonderful vases of gold and silver and
alabaster, wrought like finest cameos, had been disinterred from mounds
of rubbish to decorate the palaces of patricians.

Of these, antique goblets, some flashing with an indescribable rainbow
lustre, delicate as an opal, had already been sent her among the rich
gifts of Janus. And so life took on new color for her--historic memories
and trifles of the day crossing each other at many points, linking the
old to the new, in unsuspected continuity.

"Our San Marco was a hero even then!" she cried; "an early Crusader
fighting for his faith!"

"Aye, daughter--as thou and I must fight," the Patriarch answered her
with tender approval in his eyes, a shadow of apprehension dimming them
before he withdrew his gaze--for of such tender stuff had martyrs been
made. "The story of those early days is for our guidance. If trials
should come," he added, "cleave but to thy faith and Heaven shall show
thee a way."

"I never thought before that one might _love_ San Marco!" Caterina said,
as she turned her glowing face frankly to the old man; "he was never a
person, but just a grotesque image to me."

"Symbols are for our race in its childhood, for with primitive peoples
imagination dominates reason," he answered her; "later we weave a more
enduring fabric out of the truth of history--still cherishing the
myth--the earlier impulse."

But it was Barnabas who was the true hero-saint of Cyprus; for he had
owned estates in his native island and had sold them and given all for
the propagation of the new faith; and when, after his cruel martyrdom
the fierce spirit of persecution had cooled, and his remains were found
interred in a grotto near the city--the divine revelation of St. Peter
clasped to his breast--the possession of so sacred a relic sufficed to
win great privilege