d Severus knoweth that right well. See!
He hath forbidden all public worship for the Christians. Their great
school here bath been scattered. And yet, Christians remain
Christians still! It is incredible! Thou didst speak without knowing
what hath happened. The Christians have already seen the ship. They
are on it! Not one bath recanted. But the ship saileth not for two
days yet, and now, the men on board make merry. Hearest thou not
their voices?"

A slave passed so near as almost to brush the speaker's apparel, yet
the man paid no heed.

But Athribis had heard. For what else but to hear had he this
morning stolen down to the docks? He knew of the little company of
Christians that had been brought captive to Alexandria, for a slave
belonging to another household had told Athribis secretly, "He who
was once thy young master--the Christian, Timokles--hath been
brought in from the desert and goeth on the ship!"

In his heart Athribis made answer, "The ship needeth another
passenger--my young master, the Christian, Heraklas!"

But, as yet, Athribis hardly dared say so, for he had no certain
proof to bring of Heraklas' Christianity. If only he could find
decisive proof, and bring it before the authorities, what a reward
he might hope to have given him!

Yet never, from the day when Heraklas spied Athribis watching the
reading of the roll, had the slave, with all his contriving, been
able again to catch sight of the papyrus. It was no longer kept in
its secret hole behind the bricks. Athribis had looked.

Where else had he not looked? He had hunted the house through as
thoroughly as he had been able, snatching a hasty opportunity here
and there. If only he could lay hands on that very papyrus! If he
could have time to show it to somebody who could read! Deeply had
Athribis regretted that he had not been more cautious in his first
spying. But now, what hope was there? Athribis had set some of the
other slaves of the house to watch, but they had discovered nothing
save the old papyri that bad been in the house for years. Some of
the slaves could read, and they were sure this was so.

Out on the docks, Athribis stared now at the large mast of the ship,
and at the ship's painted eye, and at the sculptured figure of the
goddess Isis on the visible side of the ship's bow, both eye and
figure, as Athribis knew, being duplicated on the bow's other side.
A small boat belonging to the large ship lay floating in the water,
bu