good the whole of the property
in their hands in case of the other stopping payment. Nilus undertook
to procure legal sanction and the necessary sixteen witnesses to this
transaction.

The other half of her fortune was, by the advice of Philippus, to be
placed in the hands of a brother of Haschim's, the Arab merchant, who
had a large business as money changer in Fostat, the new town on
the further shore, in which the merchant himself was a partner. This
investment had the advantage of being perfectly safe, at any rate so
long as the Arabs ruled the land.

After all this was settled Nilus departed with that half of the money
which Orion was to hand over to the keeping of the Moslem money changer
on the following morning.

Paula, though she had taken no part in the men's discussion, had
been present throughout, and had expressed her grateful consent. The
clearness, gravity, and decision which Orion had displayed had not
escaped her notice; and though the treasurer's shrewd remarks, briefly
and modestly made, had in every case proved final, it was Orion's
reasoning and explanations that had most come home to her, for it
seemed to her that he was always prompted by loftier, wider, and more
statesmanlike considerations than the others.

When this was over she and Orion were left together, and neither she
nor the young man had been able to escape a few moments of anxious
heart-beating.

It was not till the governor's son had summoned up his courage and,
sinking on his knees, was imploring her pardon, that she recovered some
firmness and reminded him of the letter he had sent her. But her heart
drew her to him almost irresistibly, and in order not to yield to its
urgent prompts, she hastily enquired what he had meant by the exchange
he had written about.

At this he went up to her with downcast eyes, drew a small box out
of the breast of his robe, and took out the emerald with the damaged
setting. He held them towards her with a beseeching gesture, exclaiming,
with all the peculiar sweetness of his deep voice:

"It is your property! Take it and give me in return your confidence,
your forgiveness."

She drew back a little, looking first at him and then at the stone and
its setting--surprised, pleased, and deeply moved, with a bright light
in her eyes. The young man found it impossible to utter a single word,
only holding the jewel and the broken setting closer to her, and yet
closer, like some poor man who makes bold