ceased to sing. Then he took her by the hand, and led her into the house, and tried to recall her thoughts to herself, and her future life. She told him that her name was Claudia, and that her family were among the rich and great of Alexandria; but she firmly refused to tell their names, far less to permit Alypius to go to them on her behalf, as he proposed to do. She said that she did not require pecuniary assistance at present, as Portia had bequeathed to her all her humble possessions; but she thanked Alypius warmly and gratefully for his kind sympathy, and assured him that it had calmed and comforted her, and that she would gladly see him at her lonely dwelling whenever he would visit her there. So he left her in solitude; but his mind was filled with plans for her future comfort and safety, which he lost no time in endeavouring to carry out. CHAPTER V. HE feeling of interest and compassion which had been awakened in the breast of Alypius did not die away. He was resolved to rescue the lonely Claudia from her state of misery, which he feared would end in insanity. Her mind had evidently been violently shaken; and if allowed to prey upon itself in solitude, might probably become hopelessly deranged. He was long at a loss as to the course he should pursue to save her from such a fate. He had no one whom he could consult on the subject, for he knew that Julius would ridicule his benevolent feelings, and consider his schemes for the welfare of a mere stranger as enthusiastic folly. He also feared to take any step which might compromise the poor woman, and betray her as a companion of those who had been so cruelly put to death. In this dilemma, he resolved to apply to his mother, who, though not herself a Christian, had too much respect for the religion of her friend Monica, not to feel an interest in the trials and sufferings of Claudia. He therefore dispatched a letter to Calanthe, in which he gave her a full account of all that had occurred at the Circus, and of his meeting with Claudia. He told her the story of the unhappy woman's life and sufferings, and he dwelt upon her present lonely and even perilous position; and he concluded by entreating his mother to receive her into her own peaceful home at Tagaste, and give her, at least for a time, an asylum, and a refuge from danger and persecution. As a sort of bribe to Calanthe, he promised that if she consented to his proposition, he would himself conduct his poor friend to Tagaste, and remain there for some time before resuming his studies at Alexandria. The mind of Alypius was troubled. His thoughts and opinions were greatly disturbed; and the eager enjoyment which he had hitherto found in the pursuit of learning and the acquirement of knowledge of every kind, had vanished away. He felt that it would be a relief to him to leave the schools of philosophy for a time, and to repose in the society of his mother and his many friends at Tagaste. He therefore waited anxiously for the reply of Calanthe; and meanwhile his thoughts often reverted to Medora; and he longed, yet feared, to look on her sweet face again. Once he ventured—remembering her mother's words at parting at the Circus door to call at her home, accompanied by Julius. He was politely welcomed by Marcella, who received him in an apartment fitted up much more in the Egyptian style than in that usually adopted by the Greek or Roman inhabitants of Alexandria; and had to Alypius a strange, and somewhat mysterious appearance. But he had no time to examine the objects that surrounded him; for a heavy embroidered curtain, which covered a doorway at the end of the apartment, was withdrawn, showing for a moment the black smiling face and ivory teeth of a little Nubian slave; and then Medora entered. A look of mingled sadness and pleasure animated her features |