The Sisters, v1

led the forecourt, praying either with heads bent low or with uplifted arms or, if they were of Egyptian extraction, kneel

eir shafts crowned with gracefully curved flower calyxes, like stems supporting lilies, over her head she saw in the ceiling an image of the midnight sky with the bright, unresting and ev

her senses, which were rendered more acute by fasting and agitation, with a sort of intoxication. Her eyes were raised to heaven, her arms crossed over her bosom as she traversed this vast hall,

he went on to the holy of holies in spite of the injunction she had never yet broken, not to approach it. Filled with reverent awe she sank dow

seek a cause when we perceive an effect, to see when light visits the earth, or to hear when swelling waves of sound fall on our ear. Like every other gift, no doubt that of religious sensibility is bestowed in different degrees on diff

ctuary pushed aside, and the statue of Serapis with the Kalathos on his head, and a figure of Cerberus at his feet, visible in the half-light of the holy of holies; and a ray of light, flashing through the darkness a

ed each that was extinguished, and made life grow up out of death; who resuscitated the dead, lifting them up to b

ips she had never heard a single word that might not have beseemed the god himself. And, as she crouched closely in the dark angle by the holy of holies, she felt herself nearer to her father as well as to the god, and accused herself pitilessly, in that unmaidenly longings had stirred her heart, that she had been insincere to herself and Irene, nay in that if she could not succeed in tearing the image of the Roman from her heart she would be compelled either to deceive her sister or to

p me to become as I was before, so that I may look again in Irene's eyes without concealment, pure and true, and that I may be

of holies startled her from her devotions; she suddenly became fully conscious of the fac

ng to the door which led from the prosekos into the pillared hall, "no

ly into her hiding-place, which was perfectly dark when the brazen door of the room; which had no windows, was closed. She now perceived that the curtain and door were opened which closed the inmost sanctuary, s

the tools wielded by Krates; he was one of the oldest of the priests of Serapis, who was chief in charge of the sacred vessels, who was wont never to speak to any one but the high-

e his wrinkled face looked like a piece of rough cork-bark, and he was subject to a painful complaint in his feet which often prevented his walking; her fears had not vexed but only amused th

r, nor friend, and every human being so keenly desires that others should have so

ay to make a face for her, and he would do it and laugh when the little one, to his delight and her own, was terrified at it and ran away; and just lately when Irene, having hurt her foot,

assed between him and the high- priest. A

ervant, hidden here behind the altar, can now light or extinguish the lamps without the illusion

s he commands the night and it becomes day, and the extinguished taper and lo! it f

was suddenly extinguished when the high-priest sang: "Thus showest thou thyself as

ice which conveyed a desire t

open; then the Roman who has already assisted four times at the procession will accompany them, and if I judge him rightly he, like many of the nobles of his nation, is one of those who can trust themselves when it is necessary to be content with the old gods of their fathers; and as regards the marvels we are able to display to

?" asked Krates. "They believe nothing to

sensual. Now, open the door again and let us get out by the side door; do you, this time, undertake the task of cooperating with Serapis yourself. Consider that Philometor will not confirm the donation of the land unle

icks a nail into the hole above the bar, and any one can shut it inside who pushes the iron bolt. Send to call me before the performance with the lights begins; I will come

colleague. "We only present to short-sighted mortals the creative power

a side door; Krates opened the brazen door, and as he gathered together his tools he

is deceit, whether a god deceives

er the smith when he had left the hal

she observed the shabby colors on the walls, the damage the pillars ha

ssed by an old man who threw up his arms in fervent supp

within the last hour, and yet it looked as strange in her eyes as some landscape with which we have become familiar in all the beauty of spring, and see once more in winter with its

re to weeping; but as soon as she had repeated the stern verdict with her own lips her tears had ceased, and now she stood looking at the temple like a traveller who takes le

r was becoming intolerable. While she ate the dry morsel the child sat on her lap, following with his large eyes the motion of her hand and lips. The boy was about five years old, with legs so feeble that they could sc

and I could not spare it if Philo would eat like other children, but it seems as if it hurt him to swa

husband-" said the woman, pulling at her dress in some confusion. "The child was born on a good day and

g again!" exclaimed Klea

nted in th

,' and you 'mother,' and me by my name, and that he

u are teaching him to speak just as if he were a

and that you should be as glad as I am when you see his poor little dormant soul slowly waking up. If he go

ht, mil-mil-milk! to be sure, my tiny, it is milk. Now open your little mouth and say it prettily after me- once more-and again-say it twelve times quite right and I wi

rass gong called her away. As she turned to go the little one ran after her crying; she took him in her arms and carried him back to his mother, and then went on to h

s not till I set to work to loosen the tongue of the poor little child. Every pure spot, it seems to me, may be t

air carefully and stuck the pomegranate-flower in it

's dress, fastened on the ornaments, and proceeded to dress herself. While she was fastening her sandals Irene