onia crouched beneath a giant pine,
whose summit seemed to pierce the sky. Faint and shivering, she drew her
garments closely around her and fell asleep, only to be awakened by the
thunderings which seemed to break the universe in twain with echoes like
the voices of the gods in combat. A lightning flash flew down like a
haunted fiend and blasted her tree from top to base, but it hurt her
not.

And after hours had passed, and the furious winds had sailed out over
the deep, the rains descended and drenched her flimsy garment. The
stormy winds sank down to a melancholy wail, and played their dirge
amongst the branches of the cluster-pine, and the dawn came up from the
east and struggled between the dark-green foliage.

Saronia arose and staggered through the long wet grass, heeding not the
masses of yellow iris or the flaming poppies. When she arrived at the
confines of the grove the light had broken through the gray, and soon
she saw the sun, and knew it was her hour.

On she went, with her thin brown garments clinging to her lovely form.
For a moment, like a thief, she hung around the entrance gate, and with
a wild convulsive moan passed within--to sanctuary!

When the priests went by they saw the fallen form, and thought her dead.
They raised her tenderly and led her away.

* * * * *

'Who art thou?' said the chief of the priests.

The girl looked beseechingly at him, and said:

'I am the slave of the Roman Venusta, whose home is on the Mount
Coressus. Faithfully have I served her, and would have continued but for
her cruelty. Before I saw this city my home was Sidon, in Phoenicia.
There also I was a slave as far back as my memory serves me. Who I am I
know not----'

'What is thy name?'

'Saronia; and hither have I fled to throw myself on the mercy of the
goddess, with the hope that I may serve her.'

Then answered he of the Megalobyzi:

'Thou speakest plainly, and we will inquire into the matter;' and,
turning to a priestess standing near, he requested her to protect the
girl and give her food.

The young priestess was of exquisite beauty, and her face beamed with
rarest charity. Her voice was full of sweetness as she said:

'Maiden, lean on my arm, and let me lead thee to thy rest;' and Saronia
heard the chanting of the morning hymn, and felt she had reached her
goal--the dearest to her heart.

* * * * *

At Venusta's house, just after