ibed every form of evil to the Melchite girl, would
have been satisfied with her death and have been ready to forgive the
son of the Mukaukas this crime--supposing him to have committed it. And
it was after the judges had agreed that it was impossible to decide by
whom the letter on the tablet had been written, and there had been a
great deal of argument on both sides, that the real discussion began.

It was long before the assembly could agree, and all the while Orion sat
now looking as though he had already been condemned to a cruel death,
and now exchanging glances with Paula, while he pressed his hand to his
heart as though to keep it from bursting. He perfectly understood her,
and her magnanimity upheld him. He had indeed persuaded himself to
accept her self-sacrifice, but he was fully determined that if she
must die he would follow her to the grave. "Non dolet,"--[It does not
hurt]--Arria cried to her lover Paetus, as she thrust the knife into her
heart that she might die before him; and the words rang in his ear; but
he said to himself that Paula would very likely be pardoned, and that
then he would be free and have a whole lifetime in which to thank her.

At last--at last. The Kadi announced the verdict: It was impossible to
find Orion worthy of death, and equally so to give up all belief in his
guilt; the court therefore declared itself inadequate to pronounce
a sentence, and left it to be decided by the Khaliff or by his
representative in Egypt, Amru. The court only went so far as to rule
that the prisoner was to be kept in close confinement, so that he might
be within reach of the hand of justice, if the supreme decision should
be "guilty!"

When the Kadi said that the matter was to be referred to the Khaliff or
his representative, the Vekeel cried out:

"I--I am Omar's vicar!" but a disapproving murmur from the judges, as
with one voice, rejected his pretensions, and at a proposal of the
Kadi it was resolved that the young man should be protected against any
arbitrary attack on the part of the Vekeel by a double guard; for many
grave accusations against Obada were already on their way to Medina. The
negro quitted the court, mad with rage, and concocting fresh indictments
against Paula with the old man.

When Paula returned to her cell old Betta thought that she must have
been pardoned; for how glad, how proud, how full of spirit she entered
it! The worst peril was diverted from her lover, and she and her