, till she turned suddenly into a
chamber door. Philammon paused. A few feet above him the open sky showed
at the stair-head. They were close then to the roof! One moment more,
and the hag darted out of the room again, and turned to flee upward
still. Philammon caught her by the arm, hurled her back into the empty
chamber, shut the door upon her; and with a few bounds gained the roof,
and met Pelagia face to face.

'Come!' gasped he breathlessly. 'Now is the moment! Come, while they are
all below!' and he seized her hand.

But Pelagia only recoiled.

'No, no,' whispered she in answer, 'I cannot, cannot--he has forgiven me
all, all! and I am his for ever! And now, just as he is in danger, when
he may be wounded--ah, heaven! would you have me do anything so base as
to desert him?'

'Pelagia, Pelagia, darling sister!' cried Philammon, in an agonised
voice, 'think of the doom of sin! Think of the pains of hell!'

'I have thought of them this day: and I do not believe you! No--I do
not! God is not so cruel as you say! And if He were:--to lose my love,
that is hell! Let me burn hereafter, if I do but keep him now!'

Philammon stood stupefied and shuddering. All his own early doubts
flashed across him like a thunderbolt, when in the temple-cave he had
seen those painted ladies at their revels, and shuddered, and asked
himself, were they burning for ever and ever?

'Come!' gasped he once again; and throwing himself on his knees before
her, covered her hands with kisses, wildly entreating: but in vain.

'What is this?' thundered a voice; not Miriam's, but the Amal's. He was
unarmed but he rushed straight upon Philammon.

'Do not harm him!' shrieked Pelagia; 'he is my brother--my brother of
whom I told you!'

'What does he here?' cried the Amal, who instantly divined the truth.

Pelagia was silent.

'I wish to deliver my sister, a Christian, from the sinful embraces of
an Arian heretic; and deliver her I will, or die!'

'An Arian?' laughed the Amal. 'Say a heathen at once, and tell the
truth, young fool! Will you go with him, Pelagia, and turn nun in the
sand-heaps?'

Pelagia sprang towards her lover: Philammon caught her by the arm for
one last despairing appeal: and in a moment, neither knew how, the Goth
and the Greek were locked in deadly struggle, while Pelagia stood in
silent horror, knowing that a call for help would bring instant death to
her brother.

It was over in a few seconds. The Goth lifted Phila