d, Grant me my place among
the believers, and write down, that Magdalen, the Christian, refuses to
sacrifice.'

"My soul was deeply moved, and with joyful eagerness I cried out, 'Put
down my name too, and write, that Menander, the son of Herophilus, also
refuses.' The Roman did his duty.

"Time has not blotted out from my memory a single moment of that day.
There stood the altar, and near it the heathen priest on one side, and on
the other the emperor's officer. We were taken up two by two; Magdalen
and I were the last. One word now--one little word--would give us life
and freedom, another the rack and death. Out of thirty of us only four
had found courage to refuse to sacrifice, but the feeble hearted broke
out into lamentations, and beat their foreheads, and prayed that the Lord
might strengthen the courage of the others. An unutterably pure and lofty
joy filled my soul, and I felt, as if we were out of the body floating on
ambient clouds. Softly and calmly we refused to sacrifice, thanked the
imperial official, who warned us kindly, and in the same hour and place
we fell into the hands of the torturers. She gazed only up to heaven, and
I only at her, but in the midst of the most frightful torments I saw
before me the Saviour beckoning to me, surrounded by angels that soared
on soft airs, whose presence filled my eyes with the purest light, and my
ears with heavenly music. She bore the utmost torture without flinching,
only once she called out the name of her son Hermas; then I turned to
look at her, and saw her gazing up to Heaven with wide open eyes and
trembling lips-living, but already with the Lord--on the rack, and yet in
bliss. My stronger body clung to the earth; she found deliverance at the
first blow of the torturer.

"I myself closed her eyes, the sweetest eyes in which Heaven was ever
mirrored, I drew a ring from her dear, white, blood-stained hand, and
here under the rough sheepskin I have it yet; and I pray, I pray, I
pray--oh! my heart! My God if it might be--if this is the end--!"

Paulus put his hand to his head, and sank exhausted on the bed, in a deep
swoon. The sick man had followed his story with breathless interest. Some
time since he had risen from his bed, and, unobserved by his companion,
had sunk on his knees; he now dragged himself, all hot and trembling, to
the side of the senseless man, tore the sheep's fell from his breast, and
with hasty movement sought the ring; he found it, and fixi