ne day we had gone out in our gilded boats, and the Lesbian girl
Archidike had made ready a feast for us in her house, a feast such as
could scarcely be offered even in Rome.

"Since the taking of our city by Diocletian, after the insurrection of
Achilleus, the Imperial troops who came to Alexandria behaved insolently
enough. Between some of my friends, and certain of the young officers of
Roman patrician families, there had been a good deal of rough banter
for some months past, as to their horses, women--I know not what; and it
happened that we met these very gentry at the house of Archidike.

"Sharp speeches were made, which the soldiers replied to after their
fashion, and at last they came to insulting words, and as the wine
heated us and them, to loud threats.

"The Romans left the house of entertainment before we did. Crowned with
garlands, singing, and utterly careless, we followed soon after them,
and had almost reached the quay, when a noisy troop rushed out of a side
street, and fell upon us with naked weapons. The moon was high in the
heavens, and I could recognize some of our adversaries. I threw myself
on a tall tribune, throttled him, and, as he fell, I fell with him in
the dust. I am but dimly conscious of what followed, for sword-strokes
were showered upon me, and all grew black before my eyes. I only know
what I thought then, face to face with death."

"Well--?" asked Stephanus.

"I thought," said Paulus reddening, "of my fighting-quails at
Alexandria, and whether they had had any water. Then my dull heavy
unconsciousness increased; for weeks I lay in that state, for I was
hacked like sausage-meat; I had twelve wounds, not counting the slighter
ones, and any one else would have died of any one of them. You have
often wondered at my scars."

"And whom did the Lord choose then to be the means of your salvation?"

"When I recovered my senses," continued Paulus, "I was lying in a large,
clean room behind a curtain of light material; I could not raise myself,
but just as if I had been sleeping so many minutes instead of days, I
thought again directly of my quails. In their last fight my best cock
had severely handled handsome Nikander's, and yet he wanted to dispute
the stakes with me, but I would assert my rights! At least the quails
should fight again, and if Nikander should refuse I would force him to
fight me with his fists in the Palaestra, and give him a blue reminder
of his debt on the eye. My h