Even in the street the wanderer had heard the dull buzz and roar which now met his ear as a loud medley of noises and voices, rising from hundreds of men who were encamped in the wide space before him—­in groups or singly, sleeping and snoring, or quarrelling, eating, talking and singing as they squatted on the ground which was strewn with straw.

The inn was full, and more than half of the humble guests were monks who, during the last two days, had flowed into the city from every Cenoby, Laura and hermitage in the desert, and from most of the monasteries in the surrounding district—­the ‘Nitriote Nome’.  Some of them had laid their heads close together for confidential whispering, others squabbled loudly, and a large group in the northern angle of the court had raised a psalm which mingled strangely with the “three,” “four,” “seven,” of the men who were playing ‘mora’, and the cry of the cook inviting purchasers to his stall spread with meat, bread, and onions.

At the end of the court furthest from the gateway there was a covered way, on to which a row of doors opened leading to the rooms devoted to families of women and children, each apartment being divided into two by a curtain across the middle.  The stranger made his way into one of these rooms, where he was warmly welcomed by a young man, who was occupied in cutting a Kopais reed into a mouth-piece for a double flute, and by a tall matronly woman.

The new-comer’s name was Karnis and he was the head of a family of wandering singers who had arrived in Alexandria only the day before from Rome.  His surroundings were poor and mean, for their ship had been attacked off the African coast by a band of pirates, and though they had saved their lives they had lost everything they possessed.  The young owner of the vessel, to whom he owed his safety, had procured him admission to this Xenodochium,—­[a refuge or inn]—­kept by his mother the Widow Mary; Karnis had, however, found it far from comfortable, and had gone forth at noon to seek other quarters.

“All in vain!” said he, as he wiped the heat drops from his forehead.  “I have hunted Medius half the city through and found him at last at the house of Posidonius the Magian, whose assistant he is.  There was singing behind a curtain—­wretched rubbish; but there were some old airs too with an accompaniment on the flutes, in the style of Olympus, and really not so bad.

“Then spirits appeared.  By Sirius a queer business altogether!  Medius is in the midst of it all.  I arranged the chorus and sang with them a little.  All I got for it was a little dirty silver—­there!  But as for a lodging—­free quarters!—­there are none to be found here for anything above an owl; and then there is the edict—­that cursed edict!”

During this speech the younger man had exchanged meaning glances with his mother.  He now interrupted Karnis, saying in a tone of encouragement: 

“Never mind, father; we have something good in view.”