ement.

She did not fear death; but to die without having seen her father once
more, without saying and proving to Orion that she was his alone, wholly
his and for ever--that was too hard to bear.

While she was wringing her hands, in a state verging on despair, the man
who had ruined the happiness, the peace, and the fortunes of so many
of his fellow-creatures was cantering through the streets of Memphis,
mounted on the finest horse in Orion's stable, and firmly determined
to make his defiant prisoner feel his power. When he reached the great
market-place in the quarter known as Ta-anch he was forced to bring his
steed to a quieter pace, for in front of the Curia--the senatehouse--an
immense gathering of people had collected. The Vekeel forced his way
through them with cruel indifference. He knew what they wanted and
paid no heed to them. The hapless crowd had for some time past met here
daily, demanding from the authorities some succor in their fearful need.
Processions and pilgrimages had had no result yesterday, so to-day they
besieged the Curia. But could the senate make the Nile rise, or stay
the pestilence, or prevent the dates dropping from the palm-trees? Could
they help, when Heaven denied its aid?

These were the questions which the authorities had already put at least
ten times to the shrieking multitude from the balcony of the town hall,
and each time the crowd had yelled in reply: "Yes--yes. You must!--it
is your duty; you take the taxes, and you are put there to take care of
us!"

Even yesterday the distracted creatures had been wholly unmanageable
and had thrown stones at the building: to-day, after the fearful
conflagration and the death of their bishop, they had assembled in vast
numbers, more furious and more desperate than ever. The senators sat
trembling on their antique seats of gilt ivory, the relics of departed
splendor imitated from those of the Roman senators, looking at each
other and shrugging their shoulders while they listened to a letter
which had just reached them from the hadi. This document required them,
in conformity with Obada's determination, to make known to the populace,
by public proclamation and declaration, that any citizen whose house had
been destroyed by the fire of the past night would be granted ground and
building materials without payment, at Fostat across the Nile, where he
might found a new home provided he would settle there and embrace Islam.

This degrading off