thers destined us to marry
each other, but we are too ill-matched in size, and not exactly made for
a pair in other ways."

Then, taking leave of them, he went to Nilus and informed him of his
decision. His request that the treasurer would make his excuses to
Rufinus, carry his greetings to Thomas' daughter, and make the most
of his reasons for remaining behind, sent the good man almost beside
himself for joy; and he so far forgot his modest reserve as to embrace
Orion as a son.

The young host sat with his visitors till nearly midnight: and when,
on the following morning, Martina first greeted her niece--who looked
peacefully happy though somewhat tired--she was able to tell her that
the two men had already gone across the Nile, and, she hoped, settled
everything with the Arab governor. Great was her disappointment when
presently Justinus and Orion came back to say that Amru, instead of
returning to Fostat from the review at Heliopolis, had gone straight
to Alexandria. He had engagements there for a few days, and would then
start for Medina.

The senator saw nothing for it but to follow him up, and Orion
volunteered to accompany him.

A faint attempt on Heliodora's part to detain him met with a decisive,
nay, stern refusal. This journey was indeed sheer flight from his own
weakness and from the beautiful creature who could never be anything to
him.

Early in the day he had found time to write to Paula; but he had cast
aside more than one unfinished letter before he could find the right
words. He told her that he loved her and her alone; and as his stylus
marked the wax he felt, with horror of himself, that in fact his heart
was Paula's, and his determination ripened to put an end once for all to
his connection with Heliodora, and not allow himself to see Paula again
till he had forever cut the tie that bound him to the young widow.

The two women went out to see the travellers start, and as they returned
to the house, hanging their heads like defeated warriors, in the
vestibule they met Katharina and her maid. Martina wanted to detain the
little girl, and to persuade her to go up to their rooms with them; but
Katharina refused, and appeared to be in a great hurry. She had just
come from seeing Anubis, who was in less pain to-day, and who had done
his best to tell her what he had overheard. That the flight was to be
northwards he was certain; but he had either misunderstood or forgotten
the name of the place whi