“But there were lions even in the temple of Solomon,” cried Dorothea.

“I urged that, and also that in the schools of the catechists, and in the educational history of animals which we possess and teach from, the Saviour himself is compared to a lion, and that Mark, the evangelist, who brought the doctrine of the gospel to Alexandria, is represented with a lion.  But he withstood me more and more violently, saying that Polykarp’s works were to adorn no sacred place, but the Caesareum, and that to him is nothing but a heathen edifice, and the noble works of the Greeks that are preserved there he calls revolting images by which Satan ensnares the souls of Christian men.  The other senators can understand his hard words, but they cannot follow mine; and so they vote with him, and my motion to construct the roadway was thrown over, because it did not become a Christian assembly to promote idolatry, and to smooth a way for the devil.”

“I can see that you must have answered them sharply!”

“Indeed I believe so,” answered Petrus, looking down.  “Many painful things were no doubt said, and it was I that suffered for them.  Agapitus, who was looking at the deacons’ reports, was especially dissatisfied with the account that I laid before them; they blamed us severely because you gave away as much bread to heathen households as to Christians.  It is no doubt true, but—­”

“But,” cried Dorothea eagerly, “hunger is just as painful to the unbaptized, and their Christian neighbors do not help them, and yet they too are our flesh and blood.  I should ill fulfil my office if I were to let them starve, because the highest comfort is lacking to them.”

“And yet,” said Petrus, “the council decided that, for the future, you must apply at the most a fourth part of the grain allotted to their use.  You need not fear for them; for the future some of our own produce may go to them out of what we have hitherto sold.  You need not withdraw even a loaf from any one of your proteges, but certainly may now be laid by the plans for the road.  Indeed there is no hurry for its completion, for Polykarp will now hardly be able to go on with his lions here among us.  Poor fellow! with what delight he formed the clay models, and how wonderfully he succeeded in reproducing the air and aspect of the majestic beasts.  It is as if he were inspired by the spirit of the old Athenian masters.  We must now consider whether in Alexandria—­”

“Rather let us endeavor,” interrupted Dorothea, “to induce him at once to put aside his models, and to execute other more pious works.  Agapitus has keen eyes, and the heathen work is only too dear to the lad’s heart.”

The senator’s brow grew dark at the last words, and he said, not without some excitement, “Everything that the heathen do is not to be condemned.  Polykarp must be kept busy, constantly and earnestly occupied, for he has set his eyes where they should not be set.  Sirona is the wife of another, and even in sport no man should try to win his neighbor’s wife.  Do you think, the Gaulish woman is capable of forgetting her duty?”