ew days and on all that had
occurred, it almost seemed as though she herself had been the cause of
the misfortunes of her family.

On the way to see Selene she could shed no tears, but she could not help
softly moaning to herself now and then. A woman, who for some distance
had kept pace with her, thought she must be suffering some severe bodily
pain, and when the girl passed her, she looked after her with sincere
compassion, the wailing of the desolate young creature had sounded so
piteous.

True, midway, Arsinoe had suddenly stopped and had thought that instead
of going to Selene for advice, she would turn round and seek Pollux and
ask him to help her. The thought of her lover forced its way through all
her sorrow and anxiety, through the reproaches she heaped upon herself
and the vague plans floating in the air which her brain--unaccustomed to
any serious thought, vainly tried to sketch for the future. He was kind,
and would certainly be ready to help her; but maidenly modesty held
her back from seeking him at so late an hour; besides, how could she
discover him or his parents?

The place where her sister was she was now familiar with, and no one
could judge of their position better or give sounder counsel than
prudent Selene. So she had not turned round, but had hurried on to reach
her destination as soon as possible; and now she was standing before
the little house in the garden. Before opening the door she once more
considered in what way she could prepare Selene and tell her terrible
news, and, as all that happened stood vividly before her mind's eye, she
began to weep once more.

In front of her, and following her, men and veiled women, singly or in
couples or in larger groups, passed into Paulina's garden. They came
from workshops and writing-rooms, from humble houses in narrow lanes,
and from the handsomest and largest in the main street. Each and all,
from the wealthy merchant down to the slave who could not call the
coarse tunic or scanty apron that he wore, his own, walked gravely and
with a certain dignified reserve. All who met within that gate greeted
each other as friends; the master gave a brotherly kiss to the servant,
the slave to his owner; for the congregation to which they all belonged
was as one body, animated and dwelt in by Christ, so that each member
was esteemed as equal to the others however different their gifts of
body or mind might be, or the worldly possessions with which they
were