s she spoke, but Irene did not
observe it, for--delighted to make up for her evil doings by performing
some little service--she ran to fetch the water-jar; while Klea filled
and emptied her wooden bowl she said, gracefully lifting a small foot,
to show to her sister:

"Look, the cut is almost healed and I can wear my sandal again. Now
I shall tie it on and go and ask Serapion for some bread for you and
perhaps he will give us a few dates. Please loosen the straps for me
a little, here, round the ankle, my skin is so thin and tender that a
little thing hurts me which you would hardly feel. At mid-day I will go
with you and help fill the jars for the altar, and later in the day I
can accompany you in the procession which was postponed from yesterday.
If only the queen and the great foreigner should come again to look
on at it! That would be splendid! Now, I am going, and before you have
drunk the last bowl of water you shall have some bread, for I will coax
the old man so prettily that he can't say 'no.'"

Irene opened the door, and as the broad sunlight fell in it lighted up
tints of gold in her chestnut hair, and her sister looking after her
could almost fancy that the sunbeams had got entangled with the waving
glory round her head. The bunch of violets was the last thing she took
note of as Irene went out into the open air; then she was alone and she
shook her head gently as she said to herself: "I give up everything to
her and what I have left she takes from me. Three times have I met the
Roman, yesterday he gave me the violets, and I did want to keep those
for myself--and now--" As she spoke she clasped the bowl she still held
in her hand closely to her and her lips trembled pitifully, but only for
an instant; she drew herself up and said firmly: "But it is all as it
should be."

Then she was silent; she set down the water-jar on the chest by her
side, passed the back of her hand across her forehead as if her head
were aching, then, as she sat gazing down dreamily into her lap, her
weary head presently fell on her shoulder and she was asleep.

CHAPTER II.

The low brick building of which the sisters' room formed a part, was
called the Pastophorium, and it was occupied also by other persons
attached to the service of the temple, and by numbers of pilgrims. These
assembled here from all parts of Egypt, and were glad to pass a night
under the protection of the sanctuary.

Irene, when she quitted her sister,