The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-15

| As Pelagia finished her dance an | elephant, excited by the sight of blood | that oozed up from where the Ethio- plans had been killed. caught her in his trunk and would have killed her had not Philammon, unable to stand | the strain longer. burst through the | crowd and rescued her.
 | The Goths arose in their seats. As | Philammon bore the girl away they joined him, and the party made for | Pelagia's house. A mob was there, mob shouting: Down with the Ariansl | Down with Pelagia!" The monks of Ntria and the whole population of ! Alexandria seemed to be afoot, for Cyril had at last given out the real news. ! Heraclian had been defeatedl He was | fugitive and the vengeance of Hon | orius would fall upon the rash pre- feet who had proclaimed himself Elm l peror of Africa.
 The door of every church In Alex | andria was placarded with the news. The Jews had deceived the prefect. It was only by the use of their swords and not by dog whips this time that the Goths forced their way into the house. Come to the little postern gate by the canal tomorrow night said old Wulf to Philammon, "and Pe- lagia will be delivered to you. Take her to some place of safety She herself desires it."
 | As soon as the crowd had somewhat melted away from the streets before Pelagia's house, Philammon went back to his lodgings in the house of the little porter. Meantime Miriam had sought Hypatia--had forced her way into the presence of the humiliated 1 and distracted lady. So much had the fair philosopher endured for the cause of the gods and now 1t was all in vain. Only the shame of the amphitheatre and what she had been forced to wit
 ness remained with her. Vainly she tried to put from her the words of Jul Han: 'sThou hast conquered, oh Cali l lean." Now came Miriam with her wiles and promised that if Hypatia would but visit her house that night | she would show her, in truth, one or the gods. The gods had appeared to people in the old days. It was worth the trial. If he appeared he would give counsel. And Hypatia promised. | Philammon found old Miriam walt ing for him when he came home. Many | things she had to say to him. She told him that Pelagia was indeed his sis- ter. She sat him at a table, where she piled him with wine and rich food and induced him to put off his monk
 garb, so that he stood In while
 tunie, looking, indeed, like Greek as | he should, he the son, as Miriam told
 him. of Greek noble, a descendant l of Hercules. Then, while the boy s
 brain was flushed with wine and with [ the intoxication of Miriams words, the | Jewess suddenly left him, blowing out
 the light as she went, He sprang to
 his feet and looked about to see soft
 radiance beginning to glow through | a gauge veil that covered the door to l another room.
 There was a sound of soft, but state ly. music, and a smell of incense. The
 veil was withdrawn, leaving him stand
 ing behind an altar on which a lire
 burned. and before the altar knelt Fly patia, who hailed him as god
 Recovering his wits, Philammon
 spoke a few words which undeceiVed
 her. Angrily she sprang to her rect | then fafnted. But, recovering qulck-
 ly. she charged him with being in
 league with Miriam to cheat her, and
 then fed
 Angry and perplexed Philammon re-
 tired to his room while the JeWess,
 who had appeared while Hypatia was
 in a faint hugged to her bosom the
 long-sought half of a carnelan amulet
 which she had footed while the naldeh
 swooned This had been given to ny
 patia by Raphael. and Miriam ascrlbed
 strange powers to 1t. mystic name
 was ascribed on it that filled the old
 Jewess with mingled daring and dread
 She had the other half; and to gain
 nossession of what Hypatia held had
 haen the sole reason for the masquer-
 ade.
 "It is for Raphael' said the old wo-
 man; flor my Raphael. None can
 harm him now. He will not give It to
 the Gentle woman again.
 When Philammon went out into the street gain he found all Alexandra Tn q tumult Crowds were ilocking to-
 ward the Caesareum. On all sides ne heard that Cyril was to visit the former
 heathen temple, now turned into
 Christian church, to address the peo-
 ple. He followed the crowd ana al last stood in the temple.
 , Cyril. being in the right now and
 Orestes in the wrong, put Into the ser mon not only that genius which ehapiea !, him to remain so long the ruler or Alexandria, but also the teachings or his religion which he, too often for- !, got. It was forgiveness that he
 preached and he preached 1t with an aioouence that went to Philammon's
 soul. With the passionate and impul-
 sive nature of the Greek he burst for
 ward through the crowd, and, never stopping until he found himself at the
 foot of Cyril's pulpit, he threw him
 self on his face on the pavement:
 snread out his arms in the form of a cross and lay motionless pelore the feet of the multitude.
 From behi the pulpit an old man
 snrang forth and clasped the youth around the neck, while he sopbed' My son." It was Arsenius.
 slave as well as son." replied Phll- ammon. "I have but one more thing to do in Alexandria and then Dack to the Laura forever"
 At about 10 o'clock the next morning Hvpatia. worn out with sleepless sor- row was trying to arrange her thoughts for the farewell lecture which . she had decided to deliver that day Tn inc museum in the face of aroused Alexandria, at the peril of her lire and despite the entreaties of her friends. A man demanded to see her. It was Raphael returned from his Italian tourney. He told her that he had prom ised that if he found "a man" he would } come back and tell her. He had found in Christ both q man and God. lie had
 become a Christian and was about to marry a Christian maiden, the daugh- ! ter of one of Heraclian's officers, with whom. after the defeat of the , Count of Africa, he had escaped 70 l cvrene. He the cynica had round 5 peace. Why could not Hypatia ma l peace also and cast the anchor or her 5 soul in a sure haven?
 9 "come again." said Hypatia, finally - "I will hear more. My pride Is gone = come this afternoon. At noon lec- I ture-take my farewell forever from l the schools"
 , As Raph ael went out he saw Philam-