He won all hearts by his perfect modesty, but even more perhaps by a certain air of suffering and melancholy which protected the wealthy merchant against the envy of detractors.
In the course of her conversation with Karnis the old lady enquired particularly as to the antecedent history of Agne, for if there had been a stain on her character, or if she were by birth a slave, Gorgo could not of course be seen with her in public, and in that case Karnis would have to teach the lament of Isis to some freeborn singer.

Karnis in reply could only shrug his shoulders, and beg the ladies and Porphyrius to judge for themselves when he should have related the young girl's story.
Three years since, he said, he had been staying at Antioch at the time of a violent outbreak against the levying of certain taxes.

There had been much bloodshed, and he and his family had got out of the city as quickly as they could.

It was growing dusk when they turned into a wayside inn, where they found Agne and her little brother captives to a soldier.

During the night the girl had crept up to the little boy's bed, and to comfort and lull him had begun to sing him a simple song.