ow her; he cautiously took off
his shoes, pushed them under the steep servants' stairs, and in a few
minutes was standing in the young girl's room. Paula at once opened a
chest, and took out a costly and beautifully-wrought necklace set with
pearls. This she handed to the Syrian, desiring him to wrench from
its setting a large emerald which hung from the middle. The freedman's
strong hand, with the aid of a knife, quickly and easily did the work;
and he stood weighing the gem, as it lay freed from the gold hemisphere
that had held it, larger than a walnut, shining and sparkling on his
palm, while Paula repeated the instructions she had already given him in
her nurse's room.

The faithful soul had no sooner left his beloved mistress than she
proceeded to unplait her long thick hair, smiling the while with happy
hope; but she had not yet begun to undress when she heard a knock. She
started, flew to the door and hastily bolted it, while she enquired:

"Who is there?"--preparing herself for the worst. "Hiram," was the
whispered reply. She opened the door, and he told her that meanwhile the
side door had been locked, and that he knew no other way out from the
great rambling house whither he rarely had occasion to come.

What was to be done? He could not wait till the door was opened again,
for he must carry out her commission quite early in the morning, and if
he were caught and locked up for only half the day the Nabathaean would
take some other engagement.

With swift decision she twisted up her hair, threw a handkerchief over
her head, and said: "Then come with me; the moon is still up; it would
not be safe to carry a lamp. I will lead the way and you must keep
behind me If only the kitchen is empty, we can reach the Viridarium
unseen. If the upper servants are still sitting in the court-yard the
great door will be open, for several of them sleep in the house. At any
rate you must go through the vestibule; you cannot miss your way out
of the viridarium. But stay! Beki generally lies in front of the
tablinum--the fierce dog from Herrionthis in Thebais; and he does not
know you, for he never goes out of the house, but he will obey me.

"When I lift my hand, hang back a little. He is quite quiet with his
masters, and does not hurt a stranger if they are by. Now, we must not
utter another word.--If we are discovered, I will confess the truth; if
you alone are seen, you can say--well, say you were waiting for Orion,
to sp