She had greatly changed. Her hair alone had remained unaltered. It was still golden brown at its roots, and at its ends pale yellow, like honey standing in the sun. The eyelids trembled. She sighed. Before Julian's remembrance arose that proud body of the young Amazon bathed in light, dazzling as the mellow Parthenon marbles, and, with a gesture of irresistible love, Julian stretched out his arms to the nun sleeping under the shadow of the tall black cross. He murmured-- "Arsinoë!" The girl opened her eyes, and gazed at him without astonishment or fear, as if she had known he would come. But returning to herself, she shivered, and passed her hand over her forehead. He came near her-- "Fear nothing; at a word from you I will go away." "Why have you come?" "I wished to know if indeed...." "What matters it, Julian? We cannot understand each other." "Do you really believe in 'Him,' Arsinoë?" She made no answer and lowered her eyes. "Do you remember our night at Athens?" continued the Emperor. "Do you remember then how you tempted me, the Galilean monk, as now I am tempting you? The old pride, the old force, are still on your face, Arsinoë, and not humility, O slave of the Galilean! Tell me the truth." "I wish for power," she said in a low tone. "Power! Then you still remember our compact--our alliance?" exclaimed Julian joyfully. She shook her head, with a sad smile-- "Oh no! Power over the people is not worth the labour of obtaining it. _You_ have learned that!" "And this is why you go forth into the desert?" "Yes ... and for freedom's sake." "Arsinoë, as of old, you care only for yourself!" "I wish to love others as 'He' commands, but I cannot. I detest them, and I detest myself!" "Then it is better not to live!" "One must conquer oneself," she said slowly. "One must conquer in oneself not only the distaste for death but also distaste for life, which is very difficult, because a life like mine is much more terrible than death. But if one succeeds in self-conquest to the end, Life and Death become as nothing, and a greater liberty is gained!" Her fine brows were knit into a frown of indomitable will. Julian looked at her in despair. "What have they made of you?" he murmured. "You are all, all, executioners and martyrs! Why do you keep torturing yourselves? Do you not see that within your soul there is nothing but hate and despair?" She fixed on him eyes full of anger--