Here her speech was interrupted by a hoarse sound, borne upon the wind as of many voices blended into [pg 225]one and softened by the distance, but which, under the circumstances, neither of the parties to the above conversation had any difficulty in assigning to its real cause. “Dear father,” she said, “the enemy is upon you.”
CHAPTER XX.
HE SHALL NOT LOSE HIS REWARD.
There was no room for doubt or for delay. “What is to become of you, Callista?” he said; “they will tear you to pieces.”
“Fear nothing for me, father,” she answered; “I am one of them. They know me. Alas, I am no Christian! I have not abjured their rites! but you, lose not a moment.”
“They are still at some distance,” he said, “though the wind gives us merciful warning of their coming.” He looked about the room, and took up the books of Holy Scripture which were on the shelf. “There is nothing else,” he said, “of special value here. Agellius could not take them. Here, my child, I am going to show you a great confidence. To few persons not Christians would I show it. Take this blessed parchment; it contains the earthly history of our Divine Master. Here you will see whom we Christians love. Read it; keep it safely; surrender it, when you have the opportunity, into Christian keeping. My mind tells me I am not wrong in lending it to you.” He handed to her the Gospel of St. Luke, [pg 227]while he put the two other volumes into the folds of his own tunic.
“One word more,” she said; “your name, should I want you.”
He took up a piece of chalk from the shelf, and wrote upon the wall in distinct characters,