Nilus had told her this. He who hoped to be forgiven by his neighbor
must also be ready to forgive. The great Augustine, even, had been no
model of virtue in his youth and yet he had become a shining light in the
Church; and now the son of the Mukaukas would tread in his father's
footsteps. He was a handsome, engaging man, who would be the joy of
their hearts yet, they might be very sure. Why, he had been as grave and
as solemn as a bishop to-day; perhaps he had already turned over a new
leaf. He himself had put her into his mother's chariot and desired the
charioteer to drive her hither: what would Paula say to that? Her things
were to be given over to her to-morrow morning, and packed under her own
eyes, and sent after her. Nilus, the treasurer, had come with her to
deliver a message to Paula; but he had gone first to the convent.

Paula desired the old woman to go thither and fetch him; as soon as
Perpetua had left the room, she exclaimed:

"There, you see, is some one who is quite of your opinion. What
creatures we are! Last evening my good Betta would have thought no pit
of hell too deep for our enemy, and now? To be led to a chariot by such
a fine gentleman in person is no doubt flattering; and how quickly the
old body has forgotten all her grievances, how soothed and satisfied she
is by the gracious permission to pack her precious and cherished
possessions with her own hands.--You told me once that the Jacobites had
made a Saint Orion out of the pagan god Osiris, and my old Betta sees a
future Saint Augustine in the governor's son. I can see that she already
regards him as her tutelary patron, and when we get back to Syria, she
will be begging me to join her in a pilgrimage to his shrine!"

"And you will perhaps consent," replied the physician, to whom Paula at
this moment, for the first time since his heart had glowed with love for