"
"I trust that it may be so," answered Marcus, "although in truth that
another man should die for me gives me no comfort. Rather would I that
he had left me to my doom."
"As God has willed so it has befallen, for 'man's goings are of the
Lord; how then can a man understand his own way?'" replied Cyril with a
sigh. "Now let us to other matters, for time is short and it comes upon
me that you will do well to be clear of Rome before Domitian finds that
Caleb fell in place of Marcus."
Nearly three more months had gone when, at length, one night as the sun
vanished, a galley crept wearily into the harbour of Alexandria and cast
anchor just as the light of Pharos began to shine across the sea. Her
passage through the winter gales had been hard, and for weeks at a time
she had been obliged to shelter in harbours by the way. Now, short of
food and water, she had come safely to her haven, for which mercy the
bishop Cyril with the Roman Marcus and such other Christians as were
aboard of her gave thanks to Heaven upon their knees in their little
cabin near the forecastle, for it was too late to attempt to land that
night. Then they went on deck and, as all their food was gone and they
had no drink except some stinking water, leaned upon the bulwarks and
looked hungrily towards the shore, where gleamed the thousand lights of
the mighty city.
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