d upon the bolt, apparently inclined to dispute his
passage.

'Is she still within?'

'What if she be?'

'Let me pass into my own room.'

'Yours? Who has been paying the rent for you, these four months past?
You! What can you say to her? What can you do for her? Young pedant, you
must be in love yourself before you can help poor creatures who are in
love!'

But Philammon pushed past her so fiercely, that the old woman was
forced to give way, and with a sinister smile she followed him into the
chamber.

Pelagia sprang towards her brother.

'Will she?--will she see me?'

'Let us talk no more of her, my beloved,' said Philammon, laying his
hands gently on her trembling shoulders, and looking earnestly into
her eyes.... 'Better that we two should work out our deliverance for
ourselves, without the help of strangers. You can trust me?'

'You? And can you help me? Will you teach me?'

'Yes, but not here.... We must escape--Nay, hear me, one moment! dearest
sister, hear me! Are you so happy here that you can conceive of no
better place? And--and, oh, God! that it may not be true after all!--but
is there not a hell hereafter?'

Pelagia covered her face with her hands--'The old monk warned me of it!'

'Oh, take his warning....' And Philammon was bursting forth with
some such words about the lake of fire and brimstone as he had been
accustomed to hear from Pambo and Arsenius, when Pelagia interrupted
him-- 'Oh, Miriam! Is it true? Is it possible? What will become of me?'
almost shrieked the poor child.

'What if it were true?--Let him tell you how he will save you from it,'
answered Miriam quietly.

'Will not the Gospel save her from it--unbelieving Jew? Do not
contradict me! I can save her.'

'If she does what?'

'Can she not repent? Can she not mortify these base affections? Can
she not be forgiven? Oh, my Pelagia! forgive me for having dreamed one
moment that I could make you a philosopher, when you may be a saint of
God, a--'

He stopped short suddenly, as the thought about baptism flashed across
him, and in a faltering voice asked, 'Are you baptized?'

'Baptized?' asked she, hardly understanding the term.

'Yes--by the bishop--in the church.'

'Ah,' she said, 'I remember now.... When I was four or five years
odd.... A tank, and women undressing.... And I was bathed too, and an
old man dipped my head under the water three times.... I have forgotten
what it all meant--it was so long ago. I wore a wh