‘Yes,’ she went on to herself, as soon as she had recovered her equanimity. ‘Were this Galilean superstition content to take its place humbly among the other “religiones licitas” of the empire, one might tolerate it well enough, as an anthropomorphic adumbration of divine things fitted for the base and toiling herd; perhaps peculiarly fitted, because peculiarly flattering to them. But now—’
‘There is Miriam again,’ said Philammon, ‘right before us!’
‘Miriam?’ asked Hypatia severely. ‘You know her then? How is that?’
‘She lodges at Eudaimon’s house, as I do,’ answered Philammon frankly. ‘Not that I ever interchanged, or wish to interchange, a word with so base a creature.’
‘Do not! I charge you!’ said Hypatia, almost imploringly. But there was now no way of avoiding her, and perforce Hypatia and her tormentress met face to face.
‘One word! one moment, beautiful lady,’ began the old woman, with a slavish obeisance. ‘Nay, do not push by so cruelly. I have—see what I have for you!’ and she held out with a mysterious air, ‘The Rainbow of Solomon.’
‘Ah! I knew you would stop a moment—not for the ring’s sake, of course, nor even for the sake of one who once offered it to you.—Ah! and where is he now? Dead of love, perhaps! at least, here is his last token to the fairest one, the cruel one.... Well, perhaps she is right.... To be an empress—an empress!.... Far finer than anything the poor Jew could have offered.... But still.... An empress need not be above hearing her subject’s petition....’
All this was uttered rapidly, and in a wheedling undertone, with a continual snaky writhing of her whole body, except her eye, which seemed, in the intense fixity of its glare, to act as a fulcrum for all her limbs; and from that eye, as long as it kept its mysterious hold, there was no escaping.
‘What do you mean? What have I to do with this ring?’ asked Hypatia, half frightened.
‘He who owned it once, offers it to you now. You recollect a little black agate—a paltry thing..... If you have not thrown it away, as you most likely have, he wishes to redeem it with this opal.... a gem surely more fit for such a hand as that.’