“Come, my soul!  Come, light of my eyes!  Come, little sweetheart!  Come and be clad in the baptismal robes!”

He carried the child pressed to his breast.  Frightened and yet curious, Thais, her head out of the cloak, threw her arms round her friend’s neck, and he ran with her through the darkness.  They went down narrow, black alleys; they passed through the Jews’ quarter; they skirted a cemetery, where the osprey uttered its dismal cry; they traversed an open space, passing under crosses on which hung the bodies of victims, and on the arms of the crosses the ravens clacked their beaks.  Thais hid her head in the slave’s breast.  She did not dare to peep out all the rest of the way.  Soon it seemed to her that she was going down under ground.  When she reopened her eyes she found herself in a narrow cave, lighted by resin torches, on the walls of which were painted standing figures, which seemed to move and live in the flickering glare of the torches.  They were men clad in long tunics and carrying branches of palm, and around them were lambs, doves, and tendrils of vine.

Amongst these figures, Thais recognised Jesus of Nazareth, by the anemones flowering at his feet.  In the centre of the cave, near a large stone font filled with water, stood an old man clad in a scarlet dalmatic embroidered with gold, and on his head a low mitre.  His thin face ended in a long beard.  He looked gentle and humble, in spite of his rich costume.  This was Bishop Vivantius, an exiled dignitary of the Church of Cyrene, who now gained his livelihood by weaving common stuffs of goats’ hair.  Two poor children stood by his side.  Close by, an old negress unfolded a little white robe.  Ahmes set the child down on the ground, and kneeling before the Bishop, said—­

“Father, this is the little soul, the child of my soul.  I have brought her that you may, according to your promise, and if it please your holiness, bestow on her the baptism of life.”

At these words the Bishop opened his arms, and showed his mutilated hands.  His nails had been torn out because he had maintained the faith in the days of persecution.  Thais was frightened, and threw herself into the arms of Ahmes.  But the kind words of the priest reassured her.

“Fear nothing, dearly beloved little one.  Thou hast here a spiritual father, Ahmes, who is called Theodore amongst the faithful, and a kind mother in grace, who has prepared for thee, with her own hands, a white robe.”

And turning towards the negress—­

“She is called Nitida,” he added, “and is a slave in this world, but in heaven she will be a spouse of Jesus.”

Then he said to the child neophyte—­

“Thais, dost thou believe in God, the Father Almighty; and in His only Son, who died for our salvation; and in all that the apostles taught?”

“Yes,” replied together the negro and negress, who held her by each hand.