Her innocent talk was to Marcus the greatest marvel of this day of miracles.  The soul which he had dreamed that he was called to save had, of its own accord, turned to walk in the path of salvation; he went on to tell her of the things which he felt to be most sublime and glorious in his creed, and at length he confessed that, though he had always loved his neighbor for Christ’s sake, never till now had true and perfect love been revealed to him.  No power on earth could now part him from her, and when she should have been baptized there would be no further difficulty; their love might last till, and beyond, death, through all the ages of eternity.  And she listened to him, perfectly content; and said that she was his, wholly his, now, and for ever and ever.

There were to-day but few people in the garden which was usually full in the afternoon, of idlers, and of children with their nurses; but the disturbance in the streets had kept these at home, and the idlers had found more to attract them at the Hippodrome and in the crowded roads.  This favored the lovers, who could sit hand in hand, looking into each other’s eyes; and when old Phabis, who had lost sight of them long since, at length discovered them in the park, he could see from his lurking-place as he crept closer, that his young master, after glancing cautiously round, pressed a kiss on the little singer’s hair, and then on her eyes and at last on her lips.

The hours flew fast between serious talk and delightful dalliance, and when they tore themselves away from their quiet retreat it was already dusk.  They soon found themselves in the Canopic way, in the thick of the crowd which they were now occasionally obliged to meet, for those who were making homewards had long since dispersed, and thousands were still crowding to the Hippodrome where a brisk fight was still going on.  As they passed his mother’s house Marcus paused and, pointing it out to Dada, told her that the day was not far distant when he should bring her home hither.  But the girl’s face fell.

“Oh no!” she exclaimed, in a low voice.  “Not here-not to this great palace in a street.  Let us live in a little house, quite quietly, by ourselves.  A house with a garden, and a seat in the shade.  Your mother lives here!”

And then she blushed scarlet and looked down.  He guessed, however, what was passing in her mind, and bid her only to have patience, for as soon as she was a baptized Christian Eusebius would intercede for her.  And he spoke warmly of his mother’s piety and virtues, and asked Dada if she had seen her at the races.

“Yes,” she replied timidly; and when he went on to ask her if she had not thought Mary very handsome and dignified, she answered frankly:  “Yes—­very; but then she is so tall and grand-looking-she must wish for a daughter-in-law very different from a poor, forsaken orphan like me—­a mere singer, looked down upon by every one!  It is different with you; you are satisfied with me as