Their forebodings
were aggravated by the fact that three times Arab officials had come
to the house to enquire about the master and his continued absence. All
that the women told them was written down, and Dame Joanna, whose lips
had never yet uttered a lie, had found herself forced to give a false
clue by saying that her husband had gone to Alexandria on business,
and might perhaps have to proceed to Syria.--What could these enquiries
forebode? Did they not indicate that Rufinus' complicity in the rescue
of the nuns was known at Fostat?

The authorities there were, in fact, better informed than the women
could suspect. But they kept their knowledge a secret, for it would
never do to let the oppressed people know that a handful of Egyptians
had succeeded in defeating a party of Arab soldiers; so the Memphites
heard no more than a dark rumor of what had occurred.

Philippus had known nothing of the old man's purpose till he had gone
too far to be dissuaded; and it was misery to him now to reflect that
his dear old friend, and his whole household, might come to ruin for
the sake of the sisterhood who were nothing to them; for he had received
private information that there had been a skirmish between the Moslems
and the deliverers of the nuns, which had cost the lives of several
combatants on both sides.

And Paula! If only he could have seen her happy--But she was pale;
and that which robbed the young girl--healthy as she was in mind and
body--of her proud, frank, independent bearing was not the heat, which
tormented all creation, but a secret, devouring sorrow; and this sorrow
was the work of one alone--of him on whom she had set her heart, and who
made, ah! what a return, for the royal gift of her love.

Philippus had frequent business at the governor's residence, and a
fortnight since he had plainly perceived what it was that had brought
Neforis into this strange state. She was taking the opium that her
husband had had, taking it in excessive quantities; and she could easily
procure more through some other physician. However, her piteous prayer
that Philippus would not abandon her to her fate had prevailed to induce
him to continue to see her, in the hope of possibly restricting her use
of the drug.

The senator's wife, Martina, also required his visits to the palace. She
was not actually ill, but she suffered cruelly from the heat, and she
had always been wont to see her worthy old house-physician every day,
to