noble birth in spite of his poor clothing, and when she observed that his
checks were glowing, and that the hand in which he held the medicine
phial trembled, she understood that he was watching her, and that the
sight of her had stirred his youthful blood. A woman--still more a woman
who is pleased to please--forgives any sin that is committed for her
beauty's sake, and Sirona's voice had a friendly ring in it as she bid
Hermas good-morning and asked him how his father was, and whether the
senator's medicine had been of service. The youth's answers were short
and confused, but his looks betrayed that he would fain have said quite
other things than those which his indocile tongue allowed him to
reiterate timidly.

"Dame Dorothea was telling me last evening," she said kindly, "that
Petrus had every hope of your father's recovery, but that he is still
very weak. Perhaps some good wine would be of service to him--not
to-day, but to-morrow or the day after. Only come to me if you need it;
we have some old Falerman in the loft, and white Mareotis wine, which is
particularly good and wholesome."

Hermas thanked her, and as she still urged him to apply to her in all
confidence, he took courage and succeeded in stammering rather than
saying,--"You are as good as you are beautiful."

The words were hardly spoken when the topmost stone of an elaborately
constructed pile near the slaves' house fell down with a loud clatter.
Sirona started and drew back from the window, the grey-hound set up a
loud barking, and Hermas struck his forehead with his hand as if he were
roused from a dream.

In a few instants he had knocked at the senator's door; hardly had he