A thought then occurred to her which was sufficient excuse for disturbing the sick man's sleep.

If she delayed it, she would be making him guilty of a fresh crime by allowing two blameless men to perish in misery.
But she would first convince herself whether the time was pressing.
She looked out through the open window at the stars and across the open place lying at her feet.

The third hour after midnight was past, and the sun would rise before long.
Down below all was quiet.

Macrinus, the praetorian prefect, on hearing that the emperor had fallen into a refreshing sleep, in order that he might not be disturbed, had forbidden all loud signals, and ordered the camp to be closed to all the inhabitants of the city; so the girl heard nothing but the regular footsteps of the sentries and the shrieks of the owls returning to their nests in the roof of the Serapeum.

The wind from the sea drove the clouds before it across the sky, and the plain covered with tents resembled a sea tossed into high white waves.