er from her purpose of giving up her young
life for Publius and Irene. She contemplated this resolve with affection
and pride as justifying her in looking up to herself as to some nobler
creature. She turned a deaf ear to the Roman's entreaty, and said in a
tone of which the softness surprised him:

"Be silent Publius, and hear me further. You too are noble, and
certainly you owe me some gratitude for having saved your life."

"I owe you much, and I will pay it," cried Publius, "as long as there is
breath in this body--but open the door, I beseech you, I implore you--"

"Hear me to the end, time presses; hear me out, Publius. My sister Irene
went away with you. I need say nothing about her beauty, but how bright,
how sweet her nature is you do not know, you cannot know, but you will
find out. She, you must be told, is as poor as I am, but the child of
freeborn and noble parents. Now swear to me, swear--no, do not interrupt
me--swear by the head of your father that you will never, abandon her,
that you will never behave to her otherwise than as if she were the
daughter of your dearest friend or of your own brother."

"I swear it and I will keep my oath--by the life of the man whose head
is more sacred to me than the names of all the gods. But now I beseech
you, I command you open this door, Klea--that I may not lose you--that I
may tell you that my whole heart is yours, and yours alone--that I love
you, love you unboundedly."

"I have your oath," cried the girl in great excitement, for she could
now see a shadow moving backwards and forwards at some distance in the
desert. "You have sworn by the head of your father. Never let Irene
repent having gone with you, and love her always as you fancy now, in
this moment, that you love me, your preserver. Remember both of you the
hapless Klea who would gladly have lived for you, but who now gladly
dies for you. Do not forget me, Publius, for I have never but this once
opened my heart to love, but I have loved you Publius, with pain and
torment, and with sweet delight--as no other woman ever yet revelled in
the ecstasy of love or was consumed in its torments." She almost shouted
the last words at the Roman as if she were chanting a hymn of triumph,
beside herself, forgetting everything and as if intoxicated.

Why was he now silent, why had he nothing to answer, since she had
confessed to him the deepest secret of her breast, and allowed him to
look into the inmost sanctuary o