“Paulus!” cried the old man.  “The Lord be praised! pray look to my wound then.  The arrow head seeks to work some way out, and it burns fearfully.”

“The new comer, an anchorite, who for all clothing wore a shirt-shaped coat of brown undressed linen, and a sheep-skin, examined the wound carefully, and laid some herbs on it, murmuring meanwhile some pious texts.

“That is much easier,” sighed the old man.  “The Lord has mercy on me for your goodness’ sake.”

“My goodness?  I am a vessel of wrath,” replied Paulus, with a deep, rich; sonorous voice, and his peculiarly kind blue eyes were raised to heaven as if to attest how greatly men were deceived in him.  Then he pushed the bushy grizzled hair, which hung in disorder over his neck and face, out of his eyes, and said cheerfully:  “No man is more than man, and many men are less.  In the ark there were many beasts, but only one Noah.”

“You are the Noah of our little ark,” replied Stephanus.

“Then this great lout here is the elephant,” laughed Paulus.

“You are no smaller than he,” replied Stephanus.

“It is a pity this stone roof is so low, else we might have measured ourselves,” said Paulus.  “Aye! if Hermas and I were as pious and pure as we are tall and strong, we should both have the key of paradise in our pockets.  You were scourging yourself this night, boy; I heard the blows.  It is well; if the sinful flesh revolts, thus we may subdue it.”

“He groaned heavily and could not sleep,” said Stephanus.

“Aye, did he indeed!” cried Paulus to the youth, and held his powerful arms out towards him with clenched fists; but the threatening voice was loud rather than terrible, and wild as the exceptionally big man looked in his sheepskin, there was such irresistible kindliness in his gaze and in his voice, that no one could have believed that his wrath was in earnest.

“Fiends of hell had met him,” said Stephanus in excuse for his son, “and I should not have closed an eye even without his groaning; it is the fifth night.”

“But in the sixth,” said Paulus, “sleep is absolutely necessary.  Put on your sheep-skin, Hermas; you must go down to the oasis to the Senator Petrus, and fetch a good sleeping-draught for our sick man from him or from Dame Dorothea, the deaconess.  Just look! the youngster has really thought of his father’s breakfast—­one’s own stomach is a good reminder.  Only put the bread and the water down here by the couch; while you are gone I will fetch some fresh—­now, come with me.”

“Wait a minute, wait,” cried Stephanus.  “Bring a new jar with you from the town, my son.  You lent us yours yesterday, Paulus, and I must—­”

“I should soon have forgotten it,” interrupted the other.  “I have to thank the careless fellow, for I have now for the first time discovered the right way to drink, as long as one is well and able.  I would not have the jar back for a measure of gold; water has no relish unless you drink it out of the hollow of your hand!  The shard is yours.  I should be warring against my own welfare, if I required it back.  God be praised! the craftiest thief can now rob me of nothing save my sheepskin.”