He followed the same path down which Joan had led him the night before to the margin of the lake, and stood under the same trees where her loveliness first attracted his attention. Again he saw her half reclining against the tree, once more heard her sweet voice deriding his faith and mocking at the bondage it brought with it--"What, are you not free? Are you in bondage?" she had said; and the humiliation he had experienced by the taunting question still hurt his pride. He sought a bower near at hand, and stretching himself upon a seat beneath it, was soon lost in a fitful slumber. He was suddenly awakened by some one in a subdued but hurried tone calling his name. Shaking off his sleep at last, he was surprised and not a little troubled at seeing his brother Shiblon standing over him. "Wake, brother, wake and leave this horrible place!" The speaker was pale and evidently much excited. "Come brother, in the name of God shake off this slumber, and come with me before it is too late!" "Why Shiblon, what's amiss?" "Alas, I fear thou art amiss; and your bad deeds are like to bring trouble to us all. Your association with harlots in this place is the talk of the whole city, and everywhere we are threatened with violence--we can no longer preach to the people since they judge us all by your conduct, and condemn us all as hypocrites and bid us be gone. The other brethren have started to leave the city, but I came in search of you; now brother, come--in God's name come! Come, let us leave together; by a penitent life you may yet cancel this great sin--you are young--not yet hardened in vice; I pray you, come!" Corianton stood before his brother bewildered; to him his speech was incoherent--wild. "Shiblon," said he, "I have not associated with harlots, and though the revels of last night were indiscreet, I am free from such sin as you impute to me." "God grant that you are, and far be it from me to believe that you add the sin of falsehood to a grosser sin; but brother, the house of Seantum where you have lodged, is the worst den of infamy in all Antionum, and only last night you were seen in loving converse on the shores of this very lake with the harlot Isabel." "Isabel!" echoed Corianton, "I know and have seen no such woman. I walked through the grounds here last evening with Joan, niece of Seantum, and though of sprightly disposition yet modest, and I believe as virtuous as she is fair."