She scanned the faces of the crowd, finding pity in a few, curiosity in more, but in most gross admiration if they were men, or scorn of her misfortune and jealousy of her loveliness if they were women.

Not from among these did that consolation flow.

She looked up to the sky, half expecting to see there that angel of the Lord into whose keeping the bishop, Cyril, had delivered her.

But the skies were empty and brazen as the faces of the Roman crowd; not a cloud could be seen in them, much less an angel.
As her eyes sank earthwards their glance fell upon one of the windows of the marble house to her left.

If she remembered right some few minutes before the shutters of that window had been closed, now they were open, revealing two heavy curtains of blue embroidered silk.