THE MOUNT OF THE MONK Basil rode with his own man apart from Venantius and the soldiers who guarded the conveyance in which sat Veranilda.

Venantius, for his part, would fain have lightened the way with friendly talk, but finding Basil irresponsive, he left him to his gloomy meditations.

And so they came to Aquinum, where they passed the night.
By way of precaution, the captain set a guard before the house in which his fellow-traveller slept, and at daybreak, as soon as he had risen, one of the soldiers thus employed reported to him that the young Roman had fallen into such distemper that it seemed doubtful whether he could continue the journey; a servant who had slept at Basil's door declared that all through the night his master had talked wildly, like one fever-frenzied.

Venantius visited the sick man, and found him risen, but plainly in poor case for travel.
'Why, you will never mount your horse,' he opined, after touching Basil's hand, and finding it on fire.

'This is what comes of a queasy conscience.