r! cease, cease!' cried a woman's voice from the crowd.
'You know not what you say! Already have your harsh words put new
bitterness into Aurelian's heart. Forbear, as you love Christ and us.'

'Woman--' replied Macer, 'for such your voice declares you to be--I do
love both Christ and you, and it is because I love you that I aim to set
aside this faithless judgment of the Roman Christians. But when I say I
love you and the believers in Rome, I mean your souls, not your bodies.
I love not your safety, nor your peace, nor your outward comforts; your
houses, nor your wealth, nor your children, nor your lives, nor anything
that is yours which the eye can see or the hands handle. I love your
souls, and, beside them, nothing. And while it is them I love, and for
them am bound in the spirit as a minister of Christ, I may not hold my
peace, nor hide myself, for that there is a lion in the path! As a
soldier of the cross I will never flee. Though at the last day I hear no
other word of praise from Him the judge--and no other shall I hear, for
my Pagan sins weigh me down--down--help, Lord! or I perish!--' Macer's
voice here took the tone of deepest agony; he seemed for a time wholly
lost, standing still, with outstretched arms and uplifted eye. After a
long pause he suddenly resumed. 'What did I say?--It was this: though I
hear no other word of praise from my judge as I stand at his
judgment-seat, I trust I shall hear this, that I did not flee nor hide
myself, that I was no coward, but a bold and fearless soldier of the
cross, ready at any time and at all times to suffer for the souls of my
brethren.'

'Think not, Macer,' said Probus, 'that we shrink at the prospect of
danger. But we would be not only bold and unshrinking, but wise and
prudent. There is more than one virtue goes to make the Christian man.
We think it right and wise first to appeal to the Emperor's love of
justice. We think it might redound greatly to our advantage if we could
obtain a public hearing before Aurelian, so that from one of our own
side he, with all the nobility of Rome, might hear the truth in Christ,
and then judge whether to believe so was hurtful to the state, or
deserving of torture and death.'

'As well, Probus,' replied Macer, 'might you preach the faith of Christ
in the ear of the adder! to the very stones of the highways! Aurelian
turn from a settled purpose! ha! ha! you have not served, Probus, under
him in Gaul and Asia as others have. Ne