Charles Kingsley's Works Author:Charles Kingsley Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. MIRIAM. Owe morning in the same week, Hypatia's favorite maid en, tered her chamber with a somewhat terrified face. " The old Jewess, madam,... more » — the hag who has been watching So often lately under the wall opposite. She frightened us all out of our senses last evening by peeping in. We all said she had the evil eye, if any one ever had " " Well, what of her ? " " She is below, madam, and will speak with you. Not that I sare for her ; I have my amulet on. I hope you have ?" " Silly girl! Those who have been initiated as I have in the mysteries of the gods, can defy spirits and command them. Do you suppose that the favorite of Pallas Athene will condescend to charms and magic ? Send her up." The girl retreated, with a look half of awe, half of doubt lit the lofty pretensions of her mistress, and returned with old Miriam, keeping, however, prudently behind her, in order to test as little as possible the power of her own amulet by avoiding the basilisk eye which had terrified her. Miriam came in, and, advancing to the proud beauty, who remained seated, made an obeisance down to the very floor, with- oul, however, taking her eyes for an instant off Hypatia's face. Her countenance was haggard and bony, with broad, sharp- cut lips, stamped with a strangely mingleil expression of strength and sensuality. But the feature about her which instantly fixed Hypatia's attention, and from which she could not in spite of herself withdraw it, was the dry, glittering, coal-black eye whichglared out from underneath the gray fringe of her swarthy brows, between black locks covered with gold coins. Hypatia could look at nothing but those eyes; and sLe reddened, and grew all but unphilosophically angry, as she saw that the old woman intended her to look at them, and ...« less