foris with an incredulous
shrug. "For the future, at any rate, under similar circumstances
you need not be so prompt. How long, pray, have young girls trusted
themselves alone when murder is cried?"

"If you had but armed yourself, fair daughter of heroes!" added Orion;
but he had no sooner spoken than he bitterly regretted it. What a glance
Paula cast at him! It was more than she could bear to hear him address
her in jest, almost in mockery: him of all men, and at this moment for
the first time--and to be thus reminded of her father! She answered
proudly and with cutting sharpness: "I leave weapons to fighting men and
murderers!"

"To fighting men, and murderers!" repeated Orion, pretending not to
understand the point of her words. He forced a smile; but then, feeling
that he must make some defence, he added bitterly: "Really, that sounds
like the utterance of a feeble-hearted damsel! But let me beg you to
come closer and be calm. These pitiable gashes on the poor creature's
shoulder--I care more about her than you do, take my word for it--were
inflicted by a four-footed assassin, whose weapons were given by nature.
Yes, that is what happened. Rough old Beki keeps watch at the door of
the tablinum. What brought the poor child here I know not, but he caught
scent of her and pulled her down."

"Or nothing of the kind!" interrupted Neforis, picking up a pair of
man's shoes which lay on the ground by the sufferer.

Orion turned as pale as death and hastily took the shoes from his
mother's hand; he would have liked to fling them up and away through the
open roof. How came they here? Whose were they? Who had been here this
night? Before going into the tablinum he had locked the outer door on
that side, and had returned subsequently to open it again for the people
in the court-yard. It was not till after he had done this that the crazy
girl had rushed upon him; she must have been lurking somewhere about
when he first went through the atrium but had not then found courage
enough to place herself in his way. When she had thrown herself upon
him, the dog had pulled her down before he could prevent it: he would
certainly have sprung past her and have come to the rescue but that he
must thus have betrayed his visit to the tablinum.

It had required all his presence of mind to hurry to his room, fling on
his night garments, and rush back to the scene of disaster. When Paula
had first called for help he was already on his way,