"Do not insult the sacrificial priest. Rise, Gorgius, there is my hand; fear nothing. So long as I live, none shall do harm to you or to your little lad. You and I both came for the festival, both love the old gods. We will be friends and rejoice together at this feast of the Sun!" The psalms had meantime ceased. Frightened monks appeared coming up the alley of cypresses, deacons and superiors still in the sacerdotal dress and led by Hekobolis. The arch-priest, a fat man with a shining red face, walked swaying from side to side, much out of breath and wiping his brow. He saluted Augustus profoundly, reaching one finger to the ground, and said in a pleasant bass voice-- "May the humane Augustus pardon his unworthy servants!" He bowed lower yet, and two novices skilfully assisted him to rise again. One of them had forgotten to put away the censer, from which the incense was escaping in thin fillets of smoke. At the sight of the monks Hepherion fled. Julian said-- "Galileans, I order you to rid the sacred wood of Apollo of the relics of your co-religionist. We do not desire to use force against you, but if our will is not carried out, I must myself see that Helios is delivered from such sacrilege. I shall send here my soldiers, who will disinter the bones, burn them, and scatter the ashes to the winds." The arch-priest coughed, and finally said in a humble tone-- "Most merciful Cæsar, that is hard on us, for these relics have long rested here, in a place blessed by the will of Cæsar Gallus. But as it is a matter beyond our jurisdiction, we are forced to refer it to the bishop." A murmur ran through the crowd; an urchin hidden in a laurel bush shouted-- "The butcher comes With a big, big knife!" But he received such a buffet that he fled, howling. The arch-priest, feeling that decency obliged him to defend the relics, coughed again and began-- "If it pleases your High Wisdom to give this order on account of the idol..." he quickly corrected himself. "Of the Hellenic god, Helios...." The Emperor's eyes sparkled with rage.