ing the
street Janus, and the dwelling of Isaac. He was happily within, and
greeted us with heartiest welcome.

'Welcome, most noble Piso,' he cried, 'to the street Janus!'

'And,' I added, 'to the house of a poverty-pinched Jew! This resembles
it indeed!'

'Ah! are you there, Piso? Well, well, if I have seemed poor, thou
knowest why it has been, and for what. Welcome too, Princess! enter, I
pray you, and when you shall be seated I shall at once show you what you
have come to see, I doubt not--my assortment of diamonds. Ah! the news
of your arrival has spread, and they are before me--here, Piso, is the
woman of the desert, and the young Ishmael, and here, lady, are two
dark-eyed nymphs of Ecbatana. Children, this is the beautiful Princess
of Palmyra, whose name you have heard more than once.'

It was a pretty little circle, Fausta, as the eye need behold; and
gathered together here by how strange circumstances! The very sun of
peace and joy seemed breaking from the countenance of Isaac. He caressed
first one and then another, nor did he know how to leave off kissing and
praising them.

When we had thus sat, and made ourselves known all around to each other,
Julia said to Isaac, 'that she should hope often to see him and them in
the same way; but however often it might be, and at whatever other
times, she begged, that annually, on the Ides of January, she with Piso
might be admitted to his house and board, to keep with them all a feast
of grateful recollection. Whatever it is that makes the present hour so
happy to us all, we owe, Isaac, to you.'

'Lady! to the providence of the God of Abraham!'

'In you, Isaac, I behold his providence.'

'Lady, it shall be as you say--on the Ides of January, will we, as the
years go round, call up to our minds these dark and bloody times, and
give thanks for the great redemption. Were Probus but with you, and to
be with you, Piso, your cup were full. And he had been here, but for the
voice of one, who just as the third lion had been uncaged, fixed again
the wavering mind of Aurelian, who then, madman-like, set on him that
forest-full of beasts. At that moment, I found it, Piso, discreetest to
depart.'

'And was your hand in that too, Isaac? Were those lions of your
training? and that knave's lies of your telling?'

'Verily thou mayest say so.'

'But was that the part of a Jew?'

'No,' said Julia, 'it was only the part of Isaac.'

'Probus,' said Isaac, 'was the friend of