sible to have them both together under the same roof. And you
yourself--no, seriously; go in to them."

"Directly, directly.--But first look out of this window once more. Oh,
what a sun!--there, now it is too late. Only two minutes ago the
whole heaven was of the hue of my red Syrian cloak; and now it is all
dark!--The house and garden are beautiful, and everything is old and
handsome; just what I should have expected in the home of the rich
Mukaukas."

"And I too," replied Justinus. "But now, go. If they have come to an
understanding, Dora may certainly congratulate herself."

"I should think so! But she need not be ashamed even of her villa, and
they must spend every summer there, I will manage that. If that poor,
dear fellow Narses does not escape with his life--for two years of
slavery are a serious matter--then I should be able...."

"To alter your will? Not a bad idea; but there is no hurry for that; and
now, you really must go."

"Yes, yes, in a minute. Surely I may have time to speak.--I, for my
part, know of no one whom I would sooner put in the place of Narses...."

"Than Orion and Heliodora? Certainly, I have no objection; but now...."

"Well, perhaps it is wicked to think of a man who may still be alive as
numbered with the dead.--At any rate the poor boy cannot go back to his
legion...."

"On no consideration. But, Martina...."

"To-morrow morning Orion must urge our case on the Arab...."

"If he does not go away."

"Will you bet that she fails to keep him."

"I should be a fool for my pains," laughed Justinus. "Do you ever pay
me when I win?--But now, joking apart, you must go and see what they are
about."

And this time she obeyed. She would have won her bet; for Orion, who had
remained unmoved by his sister-in-law's letter, by the warning voice
of the faith of his childhood, by the faithful council of his honest
servant Nilus, or by the senator's convincing arguments--had yielded to
Heliodora's sweet blandishments.

How ardently had her loving heart flamed up, when she saw him so deeply
agitated at the sight of her! With what touching devotion had she sunk
into his arms; how humbly-half faint with sweet sorrow and sweeter
ecstasy--had she fallen at his feet, and clasped his knees, and
entreated him, with eyes full of tears of adoring rapture, not to leave
to-day, to wait only till tomorrow, and then, if he would, to tread her
in the dust. Now--now when she had just found him again after