“Blessed be the name of the Lord!”

“Yea—­Blessed!” repeated Clemens emphatically but he passed his arm across his eyes.  “For thirty-two years hath He lent him to us; and in our hearts . . . .” and he struck his broad breast, “in here, he will never die for you or for me.  As for the rest—­and there was a deal of property of our own and of other folks in these wood-piles—­well, in time we shall get over that.  We may bless the Almighty for what we have left!”

Gorgo felt her lover’s hand grasp hers more tightly and she understood what he meant; she clung closer to him and whispered softly:  “Yes, that is grand—­that is the Truth.”

CHAPTER XXVIII.

In the great house in the Canopic street it was late ere all was quiet for the night.  Even Demetrius, in spite of his fatigue, broke through his rule of “early to bed”; he felt he must see the reaping of the harvest he had sown for his brother.

It had been no easy task to persuade Mary to accede to his importunities, but to his great joy he at last succeeded.

He would have met with a rough dismissal if he had begun by praising Dada and expressing his wish to see her married to Marcus; he had gained his point inch by inch, very quietly; but when he had explained to her that it was in his hands to secure the martyr’s crown for her husband she had turned suspicious and ironical, had made him swear that it was true, threatening him with punishments in this world and in the next; but he had let it all pass over his head, had solemnly sworn as she desired him, pledging not merely the salvation of his soul but his possessions in this world; till, at length, convinced that it really was in his power to gratify the dearest wish of her heart, she had yielded somewhat and altered her demeanor.  Still, he had not spoken a word to help her through her deliberations and bewilderment, but had left her to fight out the hard struggle with her own soul; not without some malicious enjoyment but also not without anxiety, till the first decisive question was put to him by his stepmother.

She had heard that Dada was quite resolved to be baptized, and having once more made sure of the fact that the girl was anxious to become a Christian, she next asked: 

“And it was Marcus who won her to the faith?”

“He alone.”

“And you can swear that she is a pure-minded and well-conducted girl?”

Certainly, with the firmest conviction.”

“I saw her in the arena—­she is pretty, uncommonly charming indeed—­and Marcus . . . ?”

“He has set his heart on the girl, and I am sure that his passion is sincere and unselfish.  On the other hand I need hardly remind you that in this city there are many women, even among those of the first rank, whose birth and origin are far more doubtful than those of your son’s little friend, for she, at any rate, is descended from free and respectable parents.  Her uncle’s connections are among the best families in Sicily; not that we need trouble ourselves about that, for the wife of Philip’s grandson would command respect even if she were only a freed-woman.”