Part 31 (2/2)

'You would not have had me go?'

'No, boy. But how long hast thou learned to call thyself Hypatia's scholar, or to call it a degradation to visit the most sinful, if thou mightest thereby bring back a lost lamb to the Good Shepherd? Nevertheless, thou art too young for such employment-and she meant to tempt thee doubtless.'

'I do not think it. She seemed struck by my talking Athenian Greek, and having come from Athens.'

'And how long since she came from Athens?' said a.r.s.enius, after a pause. 'Who knows?'

'Just after it was sacked by the barbarians,' said the little porter, who, beginning to suspect a mystery, was peaking and peering like an excited parrot. 'The old dame brought her hither among a cargo of captive boys and girls.'

'The time agrees.... Can this Miriam be found?'

'A sapient and courteous question for a monk to ask! Do you not know that Cyril has expelled all Jews four months ago?'

'True, true.... Alas!' said the old man to himself, 'how little the rulers of this world guess their own power! They move a finger carelessly, and forget that that finger may crush to death hundreds whose names they never heard-and every soul of them as precious in G.o.d's sight as Cyril's own.'

'What is the matter, my father?' asked Philammon. 'You seem deeply moved about this woman....'

'And she is Miriam's slave?'

'Her freedwoman this four years past,' said the porter. 'The good lady-for reasons doubtless excellent in themselves, though not altogether patent to the philosophic mind-thought good to turn her loose on the Alexandrian republic, to seek what she might devour.'

'G.o.d help her! And you are certain that Miriam is not in Alexandria?'

The little porter turned very red, and Philammon did so likewise; but he remembered his promise, and kept it.

'You both know something of her, I can see. You cannot deceive an old statesman, sir!'-turning to the little porter with a look of authority-'poor monk though he be now. If you think fitting to tell me what you know, I promise you that neither she nor you shall be losers by your confidence in me. If not, I shall find means to discover.'

Both stood silent.

'Philammon, my son! and art thou too in league against-no, not against me; against thyself, poor misguided boy?'

'Against myself?'

'Yes-I have said it. But unless you will trust me, I cannot trust you.'

'I have promised.'

'And I, sir statesman, or monk, or both, or neither, have sworn by the immortal G.o.ds!' said the porter, looking very big.

a.r.s.enius paused.

'There are those who hold that an oath by an idol, being nothing, is of itself void. I do not agree with them. If thou thinkest it sin to break thine oath, to thee it is sin. And for thee, my poor child, thy promise is sacred, were it made to Iscariot himself. But hear me. Can either of you, by asking this woman, be so far absolved as to give me speech of her? Tell her-that is, if she be in Alexandria, which G.o.d grant-all that has pa.s.sed between us here, and tell her, on the solemn oath of a Christian, that a.r.s.enius, whose name she knows well, will neither injure nor betray her. Will you do this?'

'a.r.s.enius?' said the little porter, with a look of mingled awe and pity.

The old man smiled. 'a.r.s.enius, who was once called the Father of the Emperors. Even she will trust that name.'

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