of mobs, they melted off the way they came, by twos and threes, till
those of a contrary opinion began to find themselves left alone, and
having a strong dislike to Jewish daggers, were fain to follow the
stream.

With a panic or two, a cry of 'The Jews are on us!' and a general rush
in every direction (in which one or two, seeking shelter from the
awful nothing in neighbouring houses, were handed over to the watch
as burglars, and sent to the quarries accordingly), they reached the
Serapeium, and there found, of course, a counter-mob collected to inform
them that they had been taken in--that Alexander's church had never
been on fire at all--that the Jews had murdered a thousand Christians
at least, though three dead bodies, including the poor priest who lay
in the house within, were all of the thousand who had yet been seen--and
that the whole Jews' quarter was marching upon them. At which news
it was considered advisable to retreat into the archbishop's house as
quickly as possible, barricade the doors, and prepare for a siege--a
work at which Philammon performed prodigies, tearing woodwork from the
rooms, and stones from the parapets, before it struck some of the
more sober-minded that it was as well to wait for some more decided
demonstration of attack, before incurring so heavy a carpenter's bill of
repairs.

At last the heavy tramp of footsteps was heard coming down the street,
and every window was crowded in an instant with eager heads; while Peter
rushed downstairs to heat the large coppers, having some experience in
the defensive virtues of boiling water. The bright moon glittered on a
long line of helmets and cuirasses. Thank Heaven! it was the soldiery.

'Are the Jews coming?' 'Is the city quiet?''Why did not you prevent
this villainy?' 'A thousand citizens murdered while you have been
snoring!'--and a volley of similar ejaculations, greeted the soldiers as
they passed, and were answered by a cool--'To your perches, and sleep,
you noisy chickens, or we'll set the coop on fire about your ears.'

A yell of defiance answered this polite speech, and the soldiery, who
knew perfectly well that the unarmed ecclesiastics within were not to be
trifled with, and had no ambition to die by coping-stones and hot water,
went quietly on their way.

All danger was now past; and the cackling rose jubilant, louder than
ever, and might have continued till daylight, had not a window in
the courtyard been suddenly thrown op