A lovely six year old maiden stretched up as far as she could to reach
the round white arm that held the play-thing; with her left hand, which
was free, she gaily pushed away three smaller children, who tried to
cling to her knees and exclaimed, still stepping backwards, "No, no; you
shall not have it till it has a new gown; it shall be as long and as gay
as the Emperors's robe. Let me go, Caecilia, or you will fall down as
naughty Nikon did the other day."

By this time she had reached the steps; she turned suddenly, and with
outstretched arms she stopped the way of the narrow stair on which Hermas
was standing, gazing open-mouthed at the merry scene above his head.
Just as Sirona was preparing to run down, she perceived him and started;
but when she saw that the anchorite from pure embarrassment could find no
words in which to answer her question as to what he wanted, she laughed
heartily again and called out: "Come up, we shall not hurt you--shall we
children?"

Meanwhile Hermas had found courage enough to give utterance to his wish
to speak with the senator, and the young woman, who looked with
complacency on his strong and youthful frame, offered to conduct him to
him.

Petrus had been talking to his grown up elder sons; they were tall men,
but their father was even taller than they, and of unusual breadth of
shoulder.

While the young men were speaking, he stroked his short grey beard and
looked down at the ground in sombre gravity, as it might have seemed to
the careless observer; but any one who looked closer might quickly