mmon like a baby in
his arms, and bearing him to the parapet, attempted to hurl him into the
canal below. But the active Greek had wound himself like a snake around
him, and held him by the throat with the strength of despair. Twice they
rolled and tottered on the parapet; and twice recoiled. A third fearful
lunge--the earthen wall gave way; and down to the dark depths, locked in
each other's arms, fell Goth and Greek.

Pelagia rushed to the brink, and gazed downward into the gloom, dumb and
dry-eyed with horror. Twice they turned over together in mid-air.... The
foot of the tower, as was usual in Egypt, sloped outwards towards the
water. They must strike upon that--and then! ....It seemed an eternity
ere they touched the masonry.... The Amal was undermost.... She saw his
fair floating locks dash against the cruel stone. His grasp suddenly
loosened, his limbs collapsed; two distinct plunges broke the dark
sullen water; and then all was still but the awakened ripple, lapping
angrily against the wall.

Pelagia gazed down one moment more, and then, with a shriek which rang
along roof and river, she turned, and fled down the stairs and out into
the night.

Five minutes afterwards, Philammon, dripping, bruised, and bleeding, was
crawling up the water-steps at the lower end of the lane. A woman rushed
from the postern door, and stood on the quay edge, gazing with clasped
hands into the canal. The moon fell full on her face. It was Pelagia.
She saw him, knew him, and recoiled.

'Sister!--my sister! Forgive me!'

'Murderer!' she shrieked, and dashing aside his outspread hands, fled
wildly up the passage.

The way was blocked with bales of merchandise: but the dancer bounded
over them like a deer; while Philammon, half stunned by his fall, and
blinded by his dripping locks, stumbled, fell, and lay, unable to rise.
She held on for a few yards towards the torch-lit mob, which was surging
and roaring in the main street above, then turned suddenly into a side
alley, and vanished; while Philammon lay groaning upon the pavement,
without a purpose or a hope upon earth.

Five minutes more, and Wulf was gazing over the broken parapet, at the
head of twenty terrified spectators, male and female, whom Pelagia's
shriek had summoned.

He alone suspected that Philammon had been there; and shuddering at the
thought of what might have happened, he kept his secret.

But all knew that Pelagia had been on the tower; all had seen the Ama