Part 9 (2/2)

Then he whose feet Heraklas had released, thanked him most heartily, and all said farewell.

Hours had gone by since Heraklas first came on board the s.h.i.+p.

Cautiously he and Timokles and the other Christian crept out of the hold. Every movement of their own affrighted them, though they knew a drunken stupor rested on some of the s.h.i.+p's company. One after another the three fugitives finally slipped into the water. Heraklas bore up Timokles, who swam but weakly. The third Christian was feeble, but he made headway, and in slow fas.h.i.+on they came at length to the docks of Alexandria.

By this time it was long past midnight. That Timokles or the third Christian, whose name was Philo, should enter the city was not to be thought of, since they would be recognized and retaken. After consultation it was agreed that Timokles and Philo should proceed along the edge of the sea in an easterly direction and hide themselves at a point agreed upon, on the coast, a distance from the city. Heraklas was to enter into Alexandria at the earliest dawn and was, if possible, to send a message to his mother. He was to obtain an amount of food, such as he could carry without exciting suspicion, and was to met his brother and Philo at the appointed place on the sea-sh.o.r.e. Then they were to flee.

Heraklas went with the others a little way. It seemed as if he could not part from Timokles. Who knew if they should ever meet again?

In the house where Heraklas' mother dwelt, a receiving-room for visitors looked upon the court, but a row of columns led inward to a private sitting-room, which, after the manner of the Egyptians, stood isolated in one of the pa.s.sages. In this isolated room, the mother sat on a stool of ebony, inlaid with ivory. Beside her lay a papyrus on which was written part of the Sacred Book of the Christians. The face of the proud woman was hidden in her hands.

Before her stood a messenger who had brought her the following writing from Heraklas:

”O my mother, forgive thy son! I have found Timokles! He is weak; nigh, I fear, to death. O my mother, I also am a Christian: Read, I pray thee, the papyrus I send. It is part of the Christians' Book.

We flee, with other Christians, from Alexandria, today. Farewell.”

The mother lifted her face, and her cry rang through the room, ”O my sons, my sons!”

She had execrated Timokles at times when she had spoken of him before Heraklas, and he had thought that the execration came from her heart. But she had longed, with pain unspeakable, to see Timokles once more. And now, when she knew that he had been in Alexandria, that he needed a mother's care, that Heraklas, also, had owned allegiance to the Christians' G.o.d--when she thought of Christians burned, beheaded, given to wild beasts--when she realized that perhaps she should never see again the face of Timokles or Heraklas, the heart of the mother broke within her, and she wailed, ”O my sons! My sons!”

”Hus.h.!.+” warned the messenger, quickly. ”Thy slaves will hear thee!”

The mother seized the messenger's arm.

”Tell me where my sons are,” she begged. ”I will go to them!”

The messenger looked piercingly at her. He, a Christian, had risked much to bring her this message. Dare he trust this woman, known to be a devout wors.h.i.+per of Egypt's G.o.ds? Would she not betray the fleeing Christians?

”What is it, my mother?” he asked gently.--See page 37.

”Tell me where my sons are!” besought the mother with tears. ”Oh, tell me! I cannot lose them! What is my home to me without them? I will not betray any Christian! Only tell me; and let me see my sons again!”

Then the messenger saw in the mother's eyes that she spoke truthfully, but he said, ”How can I trust thee?”

”I swear by Isis!” implored the mother.

”Nay,” returned, the messenger gravely, ”it is not meet that a Christian should bind any one by a heathen oath.”

The mother cried out, and besought him, declaring that she would depart from Alexandria, if her sons could not dwell there.

”They cannot, except they risk death,” stated the messenger ”Thou knowest Timokles' life is forfeit. Knowest thou not how many Christians have fled, and what torments Christians who have been brought here from all Egypt have suffered? Wouldst thou thy two sons should suffer in like manner?”

”I will go into exile with them,” answered the woman.

”How wilt thou leave this, thy beautiful home?” asked the messenger.

<script>