n she fastened the straps of her sandals, and went to look
down into the court-yard.

A smile played upon her lips as she perceived young Hermas, who had
already been for some time leaning motionless against the wall of the
house opposite, and devouring with his gaze the figure of the beautiful
young woman. She had a facile and volatile nature. Like the eye which
retains no impression of the disabling darkness so soon as the rays of
light have fallen on it, no gloom of suffering touched her so deeply
that the lightest breath of a new pleasure could not blow her troubles
to the winds. Many rivers are quite different in color at their source
and at their mouth, and so it was often with her tears; she began to
weep for sorrow, and then found it difficult to dry her eyes for sheer
overflow of mirth. It would have been so easy for Phoebicius to make her
lot a fair one! for she had a most susceptible heart, and was grateful
for the smallest proofs of love, but between him and her every bond was
broken.

The form and face of Hermas took her fancy; she thought he looked of
noble birth in spite of his poor clothing, and when she observed that
his checks were glowing, and that the hand in which he held the medicine
phial trembled, she understood that he was watching her, and that the
sight of her had stirred his youthful blood. A woman--still more a woman
who is pleased to please--forgives any sin that is committed for her
beauty's sake, and Sirona's voice had a friendly ring in it as she bid
Hermas good-morning and asked him how his father was, and whether the
senator's medicine had been of service. The youth's answers were short
and confused, but his looks betrayed that he would fain have said
quite other things than those which his indocile tongue allowed him to
reiterate timidly.

"Dame Dorothea was telling me last evening," she said kindly, "that
Petrus had every hope of your father's recovery, but that he is still
very weak. Perhaps some good wine would be of service to him--not
to-day, but to-morrow or the day after. Only come to me if you need it;
we have some old Falerman in the loft, and white Mareotis wine, which is
particularly good and wholesome."

Hermas thanked her, and as she still urged him to apply to her in all
confidence, he took courage and succeeded in stammering rather than
saying,--"You are as good as you are beautiful."

The words were hardly spoken when the topmost stone of an elaborately
construct