er
forcing his way through the throng, and gesticulating vehemently. The
farmer was telegraphing to the occupants of the carruca as well, and
when he at last reached Marcus he briefly explained to him that the
first thing to be done was to place Dada in safety.

Only too glad to be out of the crush and danger, the girl nimbly climbed
into the chariot, and, after hastily greeting the father and daughter,
signed to Marcus to follow her; but Demetrius held his brother back, and
it was hurriedly agreed that Dada should be sent for that evening to
the house of Porphyrius. Demetrius whispered a few words of enthusiastic
praise of the little singer into Gorgo's ear; then the carriage moved
on again. Many of the heathen who had collected round it recognized
Porphyrius, the noble friend of the great Olympius, and cleared a
passage for him, so that at last he got out of the gate uninjured, and
turned into the quieter street of Euergetes which led to the temple of
Isis, the ship-yard and the merchant's residence.

But few words were exchanged in the chariot, for it was only step by
step and with considerable difficulty that the horses could get along.
It was now quite dark and the mob had spread even into this usually
deserted quarter.

A flaring glow that tinged the temple, the wharf and the deep sky itself
with a gorgeous crimson glare, showed very plainly what the populace
were employed in doing. The monks had set fire to the temple of Isis
and the flames had been driven by the northwest wind down into the
ship-yard, where they had found ample food in the enormous timber stacks
and the skeletons of ships. Tall jets of rushing and crackling sparks
were thrown skywards to mingle with the paler stars. Porphyrius could
see what danger his house was in; but thanks to the old steward's
foresight and the indefatigable diligence of the slaves, it escaped the
conflagration.

The two brothers, meanwhile, had left the mob far behind them. Demetrius
was not alone, and as soon as he had introduced Marcus to his companion,
an abbot of friendly mien, the monk warmly expressed his pleasure at
meeting another son of Apelles, to whom he had once owed his life.
Demetrius then told his brother what his adventures had been during the
last few hours, and where he had met this worthy Father.

While taking Dada down into the arena to join Marcus, he had caught
sight of Anubis, the Egyptian slave who had been his father's companion
in his last me