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How acutely he was suffering could be seen in his drawn mouth and sad eyes, but he would not allow himself to be interrupted, often as the abbess and the gardener entreated him to lay aside the stylus. At last, with a deep sigh of relief, he closed the tablets, handed them to the abbess, and said: "There! Close it fast. To Philippus the physician; into his own hand: You hear, Gibbus?"
But Gibbus firmly declined the offer, saying he wished to return to his old mistress.
Gibbus, however, contradicted him, praising the laborious and useful life of the sisters, in whose care he himself had once been. Meanwhile Philippus had read his friend's last letter. Greatly disturbed by it he turned hither and thither, paced the room with long steps, and finally paused in front of the gardener, exclaiming: "And what next? Who is to tell them the news?"
Joanna and the child they can come and visit me there. I have not much to leave; whatever that may cost. . . ." "That is my affair, or the convent's," cried the abbess. "Matters are not so bad as that," said the old man smiling. "I can pay for my own share of the business; your revenue belongs to the poor, noble Mother. You will find more than enough in this wallet, good Gibbus.
And as you pass by, just glance at our little garden; we grieved to see the fine old palm-tree perish; but now a young and vigorous shoot is growing from the root." "It has been drooping since yesterday and will die away," replied Philippus shrugging his shoulders. But the old man exclaimed: "Water it, Gibbus! the palm-tree must be watered at once."
How acutely he was suffering could be seen in his drawn mouth and sad eyes, but he would not allow himself to be interrupted, often as the abbess and the gardener entreated him to lay aside the stylus. At last, with a deep sigh of relief, he closed the tablets, handed them to the abbess, and said: "There! Close it fast. To Philippus the physician; into his own hand: You hear, Gibbus?"
"It is hard, it is hard, child!" replied the old man. "Still, it is your duty. Only consider if that man, as he stands before us now, were to appear before the women...." But Philippus broke in: "No, no, that would not do! And you, Gibbus this very day there has been an Arab again to see Joanna; and if they were to suspect that you had been with your master for you look strangely.
Now go to work. Our sturdy friend Krates will work for you dear Knakias until your finger is healed. When the bread is distributed remember, each of you, the children of our poor deceased brother Philammon. You, poor Gibbus, will find your labors bitter to-day.
"Capital!" cried Paula; and as Gibbus turned away, laughing to himself, the physician said: "One might almost envy the man his hump. But yet, fair Paula, I think we have some straight-limbed folks who can make use of such crooked phrases, too, when occasion serves."
The second messenger now open your ears wide it is I, I myself; but if you stand still again, you will really betray me. The long and short of it is, that as surely as I mean to save Paula, I mean to go forth to meet Amru, and if you refuse to go with me I will set out alone and try whether Gibbus the hunchback...."
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