him, like a fish stranded on the beach. All this, however, did
not trouble his audience, for the hatred that inspired his language, and
the terror of the immediate future which betrayed itself in every word
exactly reflected their feelings. Dada alone was moved to mirth; the
longer she looked at him the more she felt inclined to laugh; besides,
the day was so bright--a pigeon on the wall pattered round his mate,
nodding and wriggling after the funny manner of pigeons in love--and,
above all, her heart beat so high and she had such a happy instinctive
feeling that all was ordered for the best, that the world seemed to
her a beautiful and fairly secure dwelling-place, in spite of the dark
forebodings of the zealous preacher. On the eve of destruction the earth
must surely look differently from this; and it struck her as highly
improbable that the gods should have revealed their purpose to such a
queer old driveller as this priest, and have hidden it from other men.
The very fact that this burly personage should prophesy evil with such
conviction made her doubt it; and presently, when the plumes of three
or four helmets became visible behind the speaker, and a pair of strong
hands grasped his thick ankles and suddenly dragged him down from his
eminence and back into the temple, she could hardly keep herself from
laughing outright.

Now, however, there was more real cause for alarm a trumpet-blast was
heard, and a maniple of the twenty-second legion marched down in close
order on the crowd who fled before them. Medius was one of the first to
make off; Dada kept close to his side, and when, in his alarm, he fairly
took to his heels, she did the same; for, in spite of the reception she
apprehended, she felt that the sooner she could rejoin her own people
the better. Never till now had she known how dear they were to her.
Herse might scold; but her sharpest words were truer and better than
the smooth flattery of Medius. It was a joy to think of seeing them
again--Agne, too, and little Papias--and she felt as though she were
about to meet them after years of separation.

By this time they were at the ship-yard, which was divided only by a
lane from the Temple-grove; there lay the barge. Dada pulled off her
veil and waved it in the air, but the signal met with no response.
They were at the house, no doubt, for some men were in the very act of
drawing up the wooden gangway which connected the vessel with the land.
Medius hurried