feet the spirits were shown of those who were neither altogether cursed
nor altogether blessed, vanishing in humble silence into a dusky grove.
The pure enjoyed the gifts of paradise in peace and contentment.--All
this was explained to me by a priest of the Fire-worshippers. Here, you
see, is a huge bunch of grapes which one of the happy ones is about to
pluck; the hand is uninjured--the arm unfortunately is cut through; but
here is a splendid fragment of the wreath of fruit and flowers which
framed the whole. That emerald forming a bud--how much do you think it
is worth?"

"A magnificent stone!" cried Orion. "Even Heliodora has nothing to equal
it.--Well, father, what do you say is its value?"

"Great, very great," replied the Mukaukas. "And yet the whole
unmutilated work would be too small an offering for Him to whom I
propose to offer it."

"To the great general, Amru?" asked Orion.

"No child," said the governor decidedly. "To the great, indivisible and
divine Person of Jesus Christ and his Church."

Orion looked down greatly disappointed; the idea of seeing this splendid
gem hidden away in a reliquary in some dim cupboard did not please him:
He could have found a much more gratifying use for it.

Neither his father nor his mother observed his dissatisfaction, for
Neforis had rushed up to her husband's couch, and fallen on her knees
by his side, covering his cold, slender hand with kisses, as joyful as
though this determination had relieved her of a heavy burden of dread:
"Our souls, our souls, George! For such a gift--only wait--you will be
forgiven all, and recover your lost peace!"

The governor shrugged his shoulders and said nothing; the hanging was
rolled up and locked into the tablinum by Orion; then the Mukaukas bid
the chamberlain show the Arab and his followers to quarters for the
night.

CHAPTER VI.

Pangs of soul and doubtings of conscience had, in fact, prompted the
governor to purchase the hanging and he therefore might have been glad
if it had cost him still dearer. The greater the gift the better founded
his hope of grace and favor from the recipient! And he had grounds
for being uneasy and for asking himself whether he had acted rightly.
Revenge was no Christian virtue, but to let the evil done to him by the
Melchites go unpunished when the opportunity offered for crushing them
was more than he could bring himself to. Nay, what father whose two
bright young sons had been murdered,