more pearls of Divine wisdom cast before swine. I have
sinned in divulging the secrets of the Immortals to the mob. Let them
follow their natures! Fool that I was, to fancy that my speech, my
plots, could raise them above that which the gods had made them!'

'Then you give up our lectures? Worse and worse! We shall be ruined
utterly!'

'We are ruined utterly already. Orestes? There is no help in him. I
know the man too well, my father, not to know that he would give us up
to-morrow to the fury of the Christians were his own base life--even his
own baser office--in danger.'

'Too true--too true! I fear,' said the poor old man, wringing his hands
in perplexity. 'What will become of us,--of you, rather? What matter
what happens to the useless old star-gazer? Let him die! To-day or next
year is alike to him. But you, you! Let us escape by the canal. We may
gather up enough, even without these jewels, which you refuse, to pay
our voyage to Athens, and there we shall be safe with Plutarch; he
will welcome you--all Athens will welcome you--we will collect a fresh
school--and you shall be Queen of Athens, as you have been Queen of
Alexandria!'

'No, father. What I know, henceforth I will know for myself only.
Hypatia will be from this day alone with the Immortal Gods!'

'You will not leave me?' cried the old man, terrified.

'Never on earth!' answered she, bursting into real human tears, and
throwing herself on his bosom. 'Never--never! father of my spirit as
well as of my flesh!--the parent who has trained me, taught me, educated
my soul from the cradle to use her wings!--the only human being who
never misunderstood me--never thwarted me--never deceived me!'

'My priceless child! And I have been the cause of your ruin!'

'Not you!--a thousand times not you! I only am to blame! I tampered with
worldly politics. I tempted you on to fancy that I could effect what I
so rashly undertook. Do not accuse yourself unless you wish to break
my heart! We can be happy together yet.--A palm-leaf hut in the desert,
dates from the grove, and water from the spring--the monk dares be
miserable alone in such a dwelling, and cannot we dare to be happy
together in it?'

'Then you will escape?'

'Not to-day. It were base to flee before danger comes. We must hold
out at our post to the last moment, even if we dare not die at it like
heroes. And to-morrow I go to the lecture-room,--to the beloved Museum,
for the last time, to take farewe