y be doing?" said she quietly, bending her beautiful head.
"Well, they are good: the holy ones are with them. The sun is now set
behind Vindelicia. But in the forest the sweet bird still sings his
evening song: how peaceful! how quiet! I will go to the bed of my
little one. I can wait there most calmly; Fulvius will come back before
night. For he loves us--yes, he loves us much, my little son!"

She then entered the house.

CHAPTER V.

But Fulvius did not come back that night.

When he and Crispus had passed through the Porta Vindelica, and had
turned into the Via Augustana, in which stood the church of Saint Peter
and the little house of the priest, they noticed Zeno, who was knocking
at the door of a magnificent building at the other end of the street.
It was the house of the Judge.

"He is using despatch," said Crispus. "It is well that we are already
here." And he touched the knocker, which in shape like a cross hung on
the small door of the priest's house.

"He will manage all through the Judge, who is his son-in-law," said
Fulvius, anxiously.

"And deeply indebted to the usurer. That holds everything together,
like sticky mud."

The door was opened, and a slave led them through a long, narrow
passage, dimly lighted by an oil lamp in a little niche in the wall, to
the room of the priest; drew back the curtain, and ushered in the two
guests.

The half-dark room was almost void of furniture: the lid of a large
chest served as a table, on it stood writing materials; on the walls
one saw a lamb, a fish, a dove, very roughly sketched and painted a red
colour.

Johannes, although in conversation with two priests, immediately turned
towards them; a meagre form, upright, in spite of his seventy years, by
the force of a strong, enthusiastic will; a gray Capuchin dress, tied
round the loins with a cord, was all his attire; a silver ring of white
hair, which shone like a nimbus, encircled his head. A long white beard
fell low on his breast.

"A moment's patience, dear friends," said he. "The business of my
brothers here is urgent; you see, they have the traveller's hat and
staff--but it will soon be concluded. Thou, Timotheus, wilt return
to-night to thy post. It is well that thou hast given the warning; but
only the hireling forsakes his flock, the good shepherd remains
constant to it."

"I go," said the one addressed, a young subdeacon, blushing quite
abashed: "I certa