a melancholy gaze at the image in
the polished metal, then she sighed again; she picked up the little
greyhound that lay at her feet, and placing it in her lap, showed the
animal its image in the mirror.

"There, poor Iambe," she said, "if we two, inside these four walls, want
to see anything like a pleasing sight we must look at ourselves."

Then she went on, turning to the slave. "How the poor little beast
trembles! I believe it longs to be back again at Arelas, and is afraid
we shall linger too long under this burning sky. Give me my sandals."

The black woman reached her mistress two little slippers with gilt
ornaments on the slight straps, but Sirona flung her hair off her face
with the back of her hand, exclaiming, "The old ones, not these. Wooden
shoes even would do here."

And with these words she pointed to the court-yard under the window,
which was in fact as ill contrived, as though gilt sandals had never yet
trodden it. It was surrounded by buildings; on one side was a wall
with a gateway, and on the others buildings which formed a sharply bent
horseshoe.

Opposite the wing in which Sirona and her husband had found a home stood
the much higher house of Petrus, and both had attached to them, in the
background of the court-yard, sheds constructed of rough reddish
brown stones, and covered with a thatch of palm-branches; in these the
agricultural implements were stored, and the senator's slaves lived.
In front lay a heap of black charcoal, which was made on the spot by
burning the wood of the thorny sajala species of acacia; and there too
lay a goodly row of well smoothed mill-stones, which were shaped in the
quarry, and exported to Egypt. At this early hour the whole unlovely
domain lay in deep shadow, and was crowded with fowls and pigeons.
Sirona's window alone was touched by the morning sun. If she could have
known what a charm the golden light shed over her figure, on her rose
and white face, and her shining hair, she would have welcomed the
day-star, instead of complaining that it had too early waked her from
sleep--her best comfort in her solitude.

Besides a few adjoining rooms she was mistress of a larger room, the
dwelling room, which look out upon the street.

She shaded her eyes with her hand, exclaiming, "Oh! the wearisome sun.
It looks at us the first thing in the morning through the window; as if
the day were not long enough. The beds must be put in the front room; I
insist upon it."