presence. At length, after a considerable
pause, Arbaces thus spoke:

'Glaucus, we have been enemies. I come to thee alone and in the dead of
night--thy friend, perhaps thy saviour.'

As the steed starts from the path of the tiger, Glaucus sprang up
breathless--alarmed, panting at the abrupt voice, the sudden apparition
of his foe. Their eyes met, and neither, for some moments, had power to
withdraw his gaze. The flush went and came over the face of the
Athenian, and the bronzed cheek of the Egyptian grew a shade more pale.
At length, with an inward groan, Glaucus turned away, drew his hand
across his brow, sunk back, and muttered:

'Am I still dreaming?'

'No, Glaucus thou art awake. By this right hand and my father's head,
thou seest one who may save thy life. Hark! I know what thou hast done,
but I know also its excuse, of which thou thyself art ignorant. Thou
hast committed murder, it is true--a sacrilegious murder--frown
not--start not--these eyes saw it. But I can save thee--I can prove how
thou wert bereaved of sense, and made not a free-thinking and
free-acting man. But in order to save thee, thou must confess thy crime.
Sign but this paper, acknowledging thy hand in the death of Apaecides,
and thou shalt avoid the fatal urn.'

'What words are these?--Murder and Apaecides!--Did I not see him
stretched on the ground bleeding and a corpse? and wouldst thou persuade
me that I did the deed? Man, thou liest! Away!'

'Be not rash--Glaucus, be not hasty; the deed is proved. Come, come,
thou mayst well be excused for not recalling the act of thy delirium,
and which thy sober senses would have shunned even to contemplate. But
let me try to refresh thy exhausted and weary memory. Thou knowest thou
wert walking with the priest, disputing about his sister; thou knowest
he was intolerant, and half a Nazarene, and he sought to convert thee,
and ye had hot words; and he calumniated thy mode of life, and swore he
would not marry Ione to thee--and then, in thy wrath and thy frenzy,
thou didst strike the sudden blow. Come, come; you can recollect
this!--read this papyrus, it runs to that effect--sign it, and thou
art saved.'

'Barbarian, give me the written lie, that I may tear it! I the murderer
of Ione's brother: I confess to have injured one hair of the head of him
she loved! Let me rather perish a thousand times!'

'Beware!' said Arbaces, in a low and hissing tone; 'there is but one
choice--thy confes