violent emotion agitated her mind, she involuntarily sprang to her feet
prompted by the force of her passion, and had almost reached the door,
when the senator's voice brought her to a pause, and recalled her to the
consciousness of the impropriety of her behavior.

The sick man still lay with his inflamed wound and fever down in the
court, and she knew that she should escape blame if in answer to her
master's stern questioning she said that the patient needed her, but she
had never told a lie, and her pride forbade her even now to speak an
untruth. The other slaves stared with astonishment, as she replied,
"I wanted to get out; the supper is so long."

Petrus glanced at the window, and perceiving how high the moon stood, he
shook his head as if in wonder at his own conduct, then without blaming
her he offered a thanksgiving, gave the slaves the signal to leave the
room, and after receiving a kiss of "good-night" from each of his
children--from among whom Polykarp, the sculptor, alone was missing--he
withdrew to his own room. But he did not remain alone there for long: so
soon as Dorothea had discussed the requirements of the house for the next
day with Marthana and the steward, and had been through the sleeping-room
of her younger children, casting a loving glance on the peaceful
sleepers, arranging here a coverlet, and there a pillow--she entered her
husband's room and called his name.

Petrus stood still and looked round, and his grave eyes were full of
grateful tenderness as they met those of his wife. Dorothea knew the
soft and loving heart within the stern exterior, and nodded to him with
sympathetic understanding: but before she could speak, he said, "Come in,
come nearer to me; there is a heavy matter in hand, and you cannot escape
your share of the burden."