left in her charge had
accumulated. After paying to Father Seysen the sums for the masses, and
for the relief of the poor, there was a considerable residue, and Philip
had employed this in the purchase of more shares in the India Stock.

The subject of their conversation was not renewed. Philip was rather
averse to Amine practising those mystical arts, which, if known to the
priests, would have obtained for her in all probability the anathema of
the Church. He could not but admire the boldness and power of Amine's
reasonings, but still he was averse to reduce them into practice. The
third day had passed away, and no more had been said upon the subject.
Philip retired to bed, and was soon fast asleep; but Amine slept not.
So soon as she was convinced that Philip would not be awakened, she
slipped from the bed and dressed herself. She left the room, and in a
quarter of an hour returned, bringing in her hand a small brazier of
lighted charcoal, and two small pieces of parchment, rolled up and fixed
by a knot to the centre of a narrow fillet. They exactly resembled the
philacteries that were once worn by the Jewish nation, and were
similarly applied. One of them she gently bound upon the forehead of
her husband, and the other upon his left arm. She threw perfumes into
the brazier, and as the form of her husband was becoming indistinct,
from the smoke which filled the room, she muttered a few sentences,
waved over him a small sprig of some shrub which she held in her white
hand, and then closing the curtains and removing the brazier, she sat
down by the side of the bed.

"If there be harm," thought Amine, "at least the deed is not his--'tis
mine; they cannot say that he has practised arts that are unlawful and
forbidden by his priests. On my head be it!" And there was a
contemptuous curl on Amine's beautiful arched lip, which did not say
much for her devotion to her new creed.

Morning dawned, and Philip still slumbered. "'Tis enough," said Amine,
who had been watching the rising of the sun, as she beheld his upper
limb a pear above the horizon. Again she waved her arm over Philip,
holding the sprig in her hand, and cried, "Philip, awake!"

Philip started up, opened his eyes, and shut them again to avoid the
glare of the broad daylight, rested upon his elbow, and appeared to be
collecting his thoughts.

"Where am I?" exclaimed he. "In my own bed? Yes!" He passed his hand
across his forehead, and felt the