"Thou hast told me all? Communication none Between Paul and this soldier keeping him?" Straitly of Stephen the centurion asked, With eye askance on Shimei shrinking there. "With no one," Stephen answered, "spake Paul word, After that converse with his sister, till I met him face to face and changed good night." "Thou hadst some fancy other than thy fact," Said Julius now to Stephen, "some surmise As seemed concerning danger threatened Paul"-- But Shimei dimmed so visibly to worse Confession of dismay in countenance, That Julius checked the challenge on his lips, And, turning, said to Shimei: "Need we more? Or art unmasked to thy contentment, Jew? Shall I bid hither Paul, forsooth, and let Thee face the uncle, since the nephew so, Simply to see, thy gullet fills with gall, And twists thy wizened features all awry? Aye, for meseems it were a happy thought, Go, lad, and call thy kinsman hither straight. Stay, hast thou seen him since last night's farewell?" "Nay," answered Stephen. "Well!" the Roman said; "So tell him nothing now of what is here. Say only, 'The centurion wishes thee'; Haste, bring him." Stephen soon returned with Paul, Who wondered, knowing naught of all, to see What the encounter was, for him prepared. Not till now ever, since the fateful time When, buoyant with the sense of his reprieve Won for a season from the contact loathed Of Shimei, Paul rode forth Damascus-ward, Had they two in such mutual imminence met. Paul looked at Shimei now, not with regard That, like a bayonet fixed, thrust him aloof, Or icily transpierced him pitiless; But in a gentle pathos of surprise, With sorrow yearning to be sympathy-- Reciprocal forgiveness interchanged Between them, and all difference reconciled: A melting heaven of cloudless April blue Ready to weep suffusion of warm tears, The aspect seemed of Paul on Shimei turned. Good will, such wealth, expressed, must needs good will Responsive find, or, failing that, create! But Shimei did not take the look benign Of Paul, to feel its vernal power; downcast His eyes he dropped and missed the virtue shed-- Missed, yet not so as not some gracious force, Ungraciously, ill knowing, to admit.