arth. A hideous mob is rioting in the city, thirsting for
the blood of Christians; an accident may turn it in the direction of
Agellius. He is gone; where is he? Murderous outrages have already been
perpetrated; you remain."

"She who is so tender of Christians," answered the priest, "must herself
have some sparks of the Christian flame in her own breast."

Callista sat down half unconsciously upon the bench or stool near the
door; but she at once suddenly started up again, and said, "Away, fly!
perhaps they are coming; where is he?"

"Fear not," said Caecilius; "Agellius has been conveyed away to a safe
hiding-place; for me, I shall be taken care of; there is no need for
hurry; sit down again. But you," he continued, "you must not be found
here."

"They know _me_," she said; "I am well known here. I work for the temples.
I have nothing to fear. I am no Christian;" and, as if from an
inexplicable overruling influence, she sat down again.

"Not a Christian yet, you mean," answered Caecilius.

"A person must be born a Christian, sir," she replied, "in order to take
up the religion. It is a very beautiful idea, as far as I have heard
anything about it; but one must suck it in with one's mother's milk."

"If so, it never could have come into the world," said the priest.

She paused for a while. "It is true," she answered at length; "but a new
religion begins by appealing to what is peculiar in the minds of a few.
The doctrine, floating on the winds, finds its own; it takes possession of
their minds; they answer its call; they are brought together by that
common influence; they are strong in each other's sympathy; they create
and throw around them an external form, and thus they found a religion.
The sons are brought up in their fathers' faith; and what was the idea of
a few becomes at length the profession of a race. Such is Judaism; such
the religion of Zoroaster, or of the Egyptians."

"You will find," said the priest, "that the greater number of African
Christians at this moment, for of them I speak confidently, are converts
in manhood, not the sons of Christians. On the other hand, if there be
those who have left the faith, and gone up to the capitol to sacrifice,
these were Christians by hereditary profession. Such is my experience, and
I think the case is the same elsewhere."

She seemed to be speaking more for the sake of getting answers than of
objecting arguments. She paused again, and thought; then she s