o.'

'What, is it not enough to be Count of Africa?'

'I suppose he sets off against that his services during the last three
years.'

'Well, he saved Africa.'

'And thereby Egypt also. And you too, as well as the emperor, may be
considered as owing him somewhat.'

'My good friend, my debts are far too numerous for me to think of paying
any of them. But what wages does he want?'

'The purple.'

Orestes started, and then fell into thought. Raphael sat watching him a
while.

'Now, most noble lord, may I depart? I have said all I have to say; and
unless I get home to luncheon at once, I shall hardly have time to find
old Miriam for you, and get through our little affair with her before
sunset.'

'Stay. What force has he?'

'Forty thousand already, they say. And those Donatist ruffians are with
him to a man, if he can but scrape together wherewith to change their
bludgeons into good steel.'

'Well, go.... So. A hundred thousand might do it,' said he, meditating,
as Raphael bowed himself out. 'He won't get them. I don't know,
though; the man has the head of a Julius. Well--that fool Attalus talked
of joining Egypt to the Western Empire.... Not such a bad thought either.
Anything is better than being governed by an idiot child and three
canting nuns. I expect to be excommunicated every day for some offence
against Pulcheria's prudery.... Heraclian emperor at Rome.... and I
lord and master on this side the sea. The Donatists pitted again fairly
against the orthodox, to cut each other's throats in peace.... no more
of Cyril's spying and tale-bearing to Constantinople.... Not such a
baddish of fare.... But then-it would take so much trouble!'

With which words, Orestes went into his third warm bath for that day.

CHAPTER III: THE GOTHS

For two days the young monk held on, paddling and floating rapidly down
the Nile-stream, leaving city after city to right and left with longing
eyes, and looking back to one villa after another, till the reaches of
the banks hid them from his sight, with many a yearning to know what
sort of places those gay buildings and gardens would look like on a
nearer view, and what sort of life the thousands led who crowded the
busy quays, and walked and drove, in an endless stream, along the great
highroads which ran along either bank. He carefully avoided every
boat that passed him, from the gilded barge of the wealthy landlord or
merchant, to the tiny raft buoyed up with empty jar