“The Lord is mighty even to do this. But I say not that it will be done as thou desirest. Put thy trust in Him. Did Abraham withhold his son, his only son, when God demanded him?”
“But this is not God, it is Nemausus.”
“Nemausus is naught but a creature, a fountain, fed by God’s rains. It is the Lord’s doing that the [pg 15]lot has fallen thus. It is done to try thy faith, as of old the faith of Abraham was tried.”
The poor mother clasped her arms, and buried her head in them.
Then the girl thrust aside such as interposed and essayed to reach her mother. The priestesses laid hands on her, to stay her, but she said:
“Suffer me to kiss my mother, and to comfort her. Do not doubt that I will preserve a smiling countenance.”
“I cannot permit it,” said the high priestess. “There will be resistance and tears.”
“And therefore,” said the girl, “you put drops of oil or water into the ears of oxen brought to the altars, that they may nod their heads, and so seem to express consent. Let me console my mother, so shall I be able to go gladly to death. Otherwise I may weep, and thereby mar thy sacrifice.”
Then, with firmness, she thrust through the belt of priestesses, and clasped the almost fainting and despairing mother to her heart.
“Be of good courage,” she said. “Be like unto Felicitas, who sent her sons, one by one, to receive the crown, and who—blessed mother that she was—[pg 16]encouraged them in their torments to play the man for Christ.”