No. To the very last she would trust and hope. And wonderful to say!
Each time she had reached the very limits of her powers of endurance,
feeling she could certainly bear no more and must succumb, something came
to her to revive her faith or her courage: a message would be brought her
from Orion, or Dame Joanna or Pulcheria came to see her; the bishop
sought an interview, or her father's mind rallied and he could speak to
her in beautiful and stimulating words. Often the warder would announce
the senator and his wife, and their vigorous and healthy minds always hit
on the very thing she needed. Martina, particularly, with her subtle
motherly instinct, always understood whatever was agitating her; and
once she showed her a letter from Heliodora, in which she spoke of the
calmness she had won through nursing their dear invalid, and said how
thankful she was to see the reward of her care and toil. Narses was
already quite another man, and she could know no higher task than that of
reconciling the hapless man to life, nay, of making it dear to him again.
She no longer thought of Orion but as she might of a beautiful song she
once had heard in a delightful hour.

Thus time passed, even for the imprisoned maiden, till only two nights
remained before St. Serapis' day when the fearful marriage was to be
solemnized.

It was evening when the bishop came to visit Paula. He regarded it as
his duty to tell her that the execution of her sentence was fixed for the
day after to-morrow. He should hope and believe till the last, but his
own power over the misguided mob was gone from him. In any case, and if
the worst should befall, he would be at her side to protect her by the
dignity of his office. He had come now, so as to give her time to
prepare her self in every respect. The care of her noble father till his