“What is thy name, child?”
“Cæcilia.”
“It is a noble name; hast thou it from thy family?”
“No; I am not noble; except because my parents, though poor, died for Christ. As I am blind, those who took care of me called me Cæca,[153] and then, out of kindness, softened it into Cæcilia.”
“But now, give up all this folly of the Christians, who have kept thee only poor and blind. Honor the decrees of the divine emperors, and offer sacrifice to the gods; and thou shalt have riches, and fine clothes, and good fare; and the best physicians shall try to restore thee thy sight.”
“You must have better motives to propose to me than these; for the very things for which I most thank God and His Divine Son, are those which you would have me put away.”
“How dost thou mean?”
“I thank God that I am poor and meanly clad, and fare not daintily; because by all these things I am the more like Jesus Christ, my only Spouse.”
“Foolish girl!” interrupted the judge, losing patience a little; “hast thou learnt all these silly delusions already? at least thou canst not thank thy God that He has made thee sightless.”
“For that, more than all the rest, I thank Him daily and hourly with all my heart.”