y draped in a woollen cloak, and they seemed to talk
together of love and philosophy; the expression of her face was sweet
and noble. The rain of fire which fell on them was as a refreshing dew,
and their feet pressed the burning soil as though it had been tender
grass. At this sight Paphnutius was filled with fury.

"Strike him, O God! strike him!" he cried. "It is Nicias! Let him weep!
let him groan! let him grind his teeth! He sinned with Thais!"

And Paphnutius woke in the arms of a sailor, as strong as Hercules, who
cried--

"Quietly! quietly! my friend! By Proteus, the old shepherd of the seals,
you slumber uneasily. If I had not caught hold of you, you would have
tumbled into the Eunostos. It is as true as that my mother sold salt
fish, that I saved your life."

"I thank God," replied Paphnutius.

And, rising to his feet, he walked straight before him, meditating on
the vision which had come to him whilst he was asleep.

"This vision," he said to himself, "is plainly an evil one; it is an
insult to divine goodness to imagine hell is unreal. The dream certainly
came from the devil."

He reasoned thus because he knew how to distinguish between the dreams
sent by God and those produced by evil angels. Such discernment is
useful to the hermit, who lives surrounded by apparitions, and who,
in avoiding men, is sure to meet with spirits. The deserts are full of
phantoms. When the pilgrims drew near the ruined castle, to which the
holy hermit, Anthony, had retired, they heard a noise like that which
goes up from the public square of a large city at a great festival. The
noise was made by the devils, who were tempting the holy man.

Paphnutius remembered this memorable example. He also called to mind
St. John the Egyptian, who for sixty years was tempted by the devil.
But John saw through all the tricks of the demon. One day, however, the
devil, having assumed the appearance of a man, entered the grotto of the
venerable John, and said to him, "John, you must continue to fast until
to-morrow evening." And John, believing that it was an angel who spoke,
obeyed the voice of the demon, and fasted the next day until the vesper
hour. That was the only victory that the Prince of Darkness ever gained
over St. John the Egyptian, and that was but a trifling one. It was
therefore not astonishing that Paphnutius knew at once that the vision
which had visited him in his sleep was an evil one.

Whilst he was gently remonstrat