ssible, accepting
an indemnification from Mary herself. To the widow's threats of seeking
the intervention of the law, she had retorted that they were not public
singers but free citizens who performed for their own enjoyment; to the
anxious mother's complaints that Dada was doing all she could to attract
Marcus, she had answered promptly and to the point that her niece's good
name would certainly out-weigh anything that could be said against a
young man to whom so much license was allowed in Alexandria. She would
find some means of protecting her own sister's child. Mary had replied
that Herse would do well to remember that she--Mary--had means at her
command of bringing justice down on those who should attempt to entrap a
Christian youth, and tempt him into the path of sin.

This had closed the interview. Herse had found her husband and son
waiting for her at the door of Mary's house and had at once returned
with them to the ship. There an unpleasant surprise awaited them; they
had found no one on board but the Egyptian slave, who told them that
Dada had sent her on shore to procure her some sandals; on her return
the girl had vanished. The woman at the same time declared that she had
seen Agne and her brother leave the garden and make for the high-road.

So far as the Christian girl was concerned Herse declared there would
be no difficulty; but Dada, her own niece, had always clung to them
faithfully, and though Alexandria was full of sorcerers and Magians
they could hardly succeed in making away with a fullgrown, rational, and
healthy girl. In her inexperience she had, no doubt, gone at the bidding
of some perfidious wretch, and the Egyptian witch, the brown slave had,
of course, had a finger in the trick. She would accuse no one, but she
knew some people who would be only too glad if Dada and that baby-faced
young Christian got into trouble and disgrace together. She delivered
herself of this long story with tears of rage and regret, angrily
refusing to admit any qualifying parentheses from her husband, to whose
natural delicacy her rough and vociferous complaints were offensive in
the presence of the high-bred ladies of the house. Old Damia, however,
had listened attentively to her indignant torrent of words, and had only
shrugged her shoulders with a scornful smile at the implied accusation
of herself.

Porphyrius, to whom the whole business was simply revolting, questioned
Herse closely and when the facts were