free
when born anew from the womb of death. His love was a sacred love, a
pure and perfect one, and he was happy amidst all the mazes of the
circumstances by which he had made it known to Saronia.

CHAPTER XV

AT VENUSTA'S HOUSE

Day after day passed, and the friends of Chios were wont to note his
thoughtfulness. It did not amount to moroseness; he was preoccupied, and
his mind abstracted.

It was while he was in one of his deepest moods that Varro called,
accosting the Greek in a pleasant way:

'How fares the world with thee, noble artist? Thou art in one of thy
best humours--or art thou sad?'

'Neither,' replied he.

'Ah! I know: thou art grieving after Nika.'

'Nika?'

'Yes, Nika. Thou surely must have heard I wooed and won her?'

'Indeed, I have not; but I congratulate thee, my lucky fellow.'

'That is from thy heart and true, Chios?'

'It is.'

'Then we may be the fastest friends.'

'And what say Lucius and Venusta?'

'Delighted.'

'Good, very good!'

'And--yet another bit of news for you, Chios, for it seems thou art not
a fruitful newsmonger.'

'What is it?'

'The sudden death of the High Priestess of Artemis.'

'Is it so?' and a deathly pallor spread over the face of Chios.

'Art thou ill?'

'No.'

'But I have not finished.'

'What more--not of gloom, I hope?'

'No; a sudden freak of fortune, if rumour speaks correctly.'

'Speak out.'

'Well, just this: it is commonly reported that the dark-eyed slave of
Venusta will be elected to fill the place of the Arch-Priestess.'

'What! Saronia?'

'Yes, Saronia. Thou art her friend. True, her time as priestess has been
very brief, but for that strange being it seems mortals suspend their
laws just like the gods did theirs for the Hebrew, when the sun stood
still that he might slay. Look at her! Just awhile since a slave. One
fine day she took it into her head to run for sanctuary to the Temple,
and got there--was received--commenced her studies. From this, in a most
unprecedented way, bounded into the priesthood, and already, I am told,
she stands out with fearful power and wonderful knowledge, inasmuch as
the priestesses longest in the service stand back in awe and say: "She
is the fittest to serve in chief the goddess, and command her servants."
A High Priestess she will be, mark my words. There is a great destiny
before that girl. I hear of her power from Nika. Somehow,