something will turn up. She's not in any hole at all,
but in a decent lodging. And you shall see her, and console her, and all
will be right."

"Yes, I will see her," said Agellius, in a sort of musing manner; "she is
either a Christian, or she is not. If she is a Christian ..." and his
voice faltered; "but if she is not, she shall live till she is."

"Well said!" answered Jucundus, "_till_ she is. She shall live _till_ she
is. Yes, I can get you to see her. You shall bring her out of prison; a
smile, a whisper from you, and all her fretfulness and ill-humour will
vanish, like a mist before the powerful burning sun. And we shall all be
as happy as the immortal gods."

"O my uncle!" said Agellius, gravely. The language of Jucundus had shocked
him, and brought him to a better mind. He turned away from Jucundus, and
leant his face against the wall. Then he turned round again, and said, "If
she _is_ a Christian, I ought to rejoice, and I do rejoice; God be
praised. If she is not a Christian, I ought at once to make her one. If
she has already the penalty of a Christian, she is surely destined for the
privilege. And how should I go," he said, half speaking to himself, "how
should I go to tell her that she is not yet a Christian, and bid her swear
by Jupiter, because that is her god, in order that she may escape
imprisonment and death? Am I to do the part of a heathen priest or infidel
sophist? O Caecilius, how am I forgetting your lessons! No; I will go on no
such errand. Go, I will, if I may, Jucundus, but I will go on no
conditions of yours. I go on no promise to try to get her out of prison
anyhow, poor child. I will not go to make her sacrifice to a false god; I
go to persuade her to stay in prison, by deserving to stay. Perhaps I am
not the best person to go; but if I go, I go free. I go willing to die
myself for my Lord; glad to make her die for Him."

Agellius said this in so determined a way, so calmly, with such a grasp of
the existing posture of affairs, and of the whole circumstances of the
case, that it was now Jucundus's turn to feel surprise and annoyance. For
a time he did not take in what Agellius meant, nor could he to the last
follow his train of feeling. When he saw what may be called the upshot of
the matter, he became very angry, and spoke with great violence. By
degrees he calmed; and then the strong feeling came on him again that it
was impossible, if a meeting took place between the two, that it co