spose of Callista as he wished, with such a charge formally
uttered in the presence of his men. He knew how serious the question of
Christianity was at that moment, and how determined the Imperial
Government was on the eradication of its professors; he was a good
soldier, devoted to head-quarters, and had no wish to compromise himself
with his superiors, or to give bystanders an advantage over him, by
setting a prisoner at liberty without inquiry, who had been taken in a
Christian's house. He muttered an oath, and said to the soldiers, "Well,
my lads, to the Triumviri with her, since it must be so. Cheer up, my star
of the morning, bright beam of Hellas, it is only as a matter of form, and
you will be set at liberty as soon as they look on you." And with these
words he led the way to the _Officium_.

But the presiding genius of the _Officium_ was less accommodating than he
had anticipated. It might be that he was jealous of the soldiery, or of
their particular interference, or indignant at the butchery at the great
gate, of which the news had just come, or out of humour with the day's
work, and especially with the Christians; at any rate, Calphurnius found
he had better have taken a bolder step, and have carried her as a prisoner
to the camp. However, nothing was now left for him but to depart; and
Callista fell again into the hands of the city, though of the superior
functionaries, who procured her a lodging for the night, and settled to
bring her up for examination next morning.

The morning came, and she was had up. What passed did not transpire; but
the issue was that she was remanded for a further hearing, and was told
she might send to her brother, and acquaint him where she was. He was
allowed one interview with her, and he came away almost out of his senses,
saying she was bewitched, and fancied herself a Christian. What precisely
she had said to him, which gave this impression, he could hardly say; but
it was plain there must be something wrong, or there would not be that
public process and formal examination which was fixed for the third day
afterwards.

CHAPTER XXVI.

WHAT CAN IT ALL MEAN?

Were the origin of Juba's madness (or whatever the world would call it) of
a character which admitted of light writing about it, much might be said
on the surprise of the clear-headed, narrow-minded, positive, and
easy-going Jucundus, when he found one