at the mere thought. Now, as he was told by the warder, by the bishop,
and by Justinus, the day after to-morrow was fixed for the bridal of his
betrothed. In two days the bride, decked by base and mocking hands for
an atrocious and accursed farce, would be wreathed and wedded, not to
him, the bridegroom whom she loved, but to the Nile--the insensible,
death-dealing element. He rushed up and down his cell like a madman,
and tore his lute-strings when he tried to soothe his soul with music;
but then a calm, well-intentioned voice would come from the adjoining
room, exhorting him not to lose hope, to trust in God, not to forget his
duty and the task before him. And Orion would control himself
resolutely, pull himself together, and throw himself into his work again.

Day and night were alike to him. The senator had provided him with a
lamp and oil. When he was wearied out, he allowed himself no longer
sleep on his hard couch than human nature imperatively demanded; and as
soon as he had shaken it off he again became absorbed in maps and lists,
plied his pen, thought, sketched, calculated, and reflected. Then, if a
doubt arose in his mind or he could not trust his own memory and
judgment, he knocked at the wall, and his shrewd and experienced friend
was at all times ready to help him to the best of his knowledge and
opinion. The senator went to Arsinoe for him, to gain information as
to the seaboard from the archives preserved there; and so the work went
forward, approaching its end, strengthening and raising his sinking
spirit, bringing him the pleasures of success, and enabling him not
unfrequently to forget for hours that which otherwise might have brought
the bravest to despair.

The warder, the senator or his worthy wife, Dame Joanna or Eudoxia--who
twice had the pleasure of accompanying her--each time they visited him
had some message or note to carry to Paula, telling her how far his work