“Amen!” said the Patriarch.  “Where two such as you dwell together there the Lord is third in the bond.”  “Give us your disciple Marcianus to be our travelling-companion,” said Titianus.

“Willingly,” said Eumenes.  “Shall he come to visit you when I leave you?”

“Not immediately,” replied Julia.  “I have this morning an important and at the same time pleasant business to attend to.  You know Paulina, the widow of Pudeus.  She took into her keeping a pretty young creature—­”

“And Arsinoe has run away from her.”

“We took her in here,” said Titianus.  “Her protectress seems to have failed in attracting her to her, or in working favorably on her nature.”

“Yes,” said the Patriarch.  “There was but one key to her full, bright heart—­Love—­but Paulina tried to force it open with coercion and persistent driving.  It remained closed—­nay, the lock is spoiled.—­But, if I may ask, how came the girl into your house?”

“That I can tell you later, we did not make her acquaintance for the first time yesterday.”

“And I am going to fetch her lover to her,” cried the prefect’s wife.

“Paulina will claim her of you,” said the Patriarch.  “She is having her sought for everywhere; but the child will never thrive under her guidance.”

“Did the widow formally adopt Arsinoe?” asked Titianus.

“No; she proposed doing so as soon as her young pupil—­”

“Intentions count for nothing in law, and I can protect our pretty little guest against her claim.”

“I will fetch her,” said Julia.  “The time must certainly have seemed very long to her already.  Will you come with me, Eumenes?”

“With pleasure,” replied the old man, “Arsinoe and I are excellent friends; a conciliatory word from me will do her good, and my blessing cannot harm even a heathen.  Farewell, Titianus, my deacons are expecting me.”

When Julia returned to the sitting-room with her protegee, the child’s eyes were wet with tears, for the kind words of the venerable old man had gone to her heart and she knew and acknowledged that she had experienced good as well as evil from Paulina.

The matron found her husband no longer alone.  Wealthy old Plutarch with his two supporters was with him, and in black garments, which were decorated with none but white flowers, instead of many colored garments; he presented a singular appearance.  The old man was discoursing eagerly to the prefect; but as soon as he saw Arsinoe he broke off his harangue, clapped his hands and was quite excited with the pleasure of seeing once more the fair Roxana for whom he had once visited in vain all the gold-workers’ shops in the city.

“But I am tired,” cried Plutarch, with quite youthful vivacity, “I am quite tired of keeping the ornaments for you.  There are quite enough other useless things in my house.  They belong to you, not to me, and this very day I will send them to the noble Julia, that she may give them to you.  Give me your hand, dear child; you have grown paler but more womanly.  What do you think, Titianus, she would still do for Roxana; only your wife must find a dress for her again.  All in white, and no ribband in your hair!—­like a Christian.”