Once our beloved Aphtanides paid us a visit. He said he had been longing to see us somuch; and he remained with us two whole happy days. A month afterwards he came again towish us good-bye， and brought with him a large fish for my mother. He told us he was goingin a ship to Corfu and Patras， and could relate a GREat many stories， not only about thefishermen who lived near the gulf of Lepanto， but also of kings and heroes who had oncepossessed Greece， just as the Turks possess it now.
I have seen a bud on a rose-bush gradually， in the course of a few weeks， unfold itsleaves till it became a rose in all its beauty; and， before I was aware of it， I beheld itblooming in rosy loveliness. The same thing had happened to Anastasia. Unnoticed by me，she had gradually become a beautiful maiden， and I was now also a stout， strong youth. Thewolf-skins that covered the bed in which my mother and Anastasia slept， had been taken fromwolves which I had myself shot.
Years had gone by when， one evening，Aphtanides came in. He had grown tall and slenderas a reed， with strong limbs， and a dark， brownskin. He kissed us all， and had so much to tell ofwhat he had seen of the GREat ocean， of thefortifications at Malta， and of the marvelloussepulchres of Egypt， that I looked up to him with akind of veneration. His stories were as strange asthe legends of the priests of olden times.
“How much you know!” I exclaimed， “and whatwonders you can relate?”
“I think what you once told me， the finest of all，” he replied; “you told me of a thing thathas never been out of my thoughts—of the good old custom of 'the bond of friendship，'—acustom I should like to follow. Brother， let you and I go to church， as your father andAnastasia's father once did. Your sister Anastasia is the most beautiful and most innocent ofmaidens， and she shall consecrate the deed. No people have such grand old customs as weGREeks.”
Anastasia blushed like a young rose， and my mother kissed Aphtanides.
At about two miles from our cottage， where the earth on the hill is sheltered by a fewscattered trees， stood the little church， with a silver lamp hanging before the altar. I put onmy best clothes， and the white tunic fell in graceful folds over my hips. The red jacket fittedtight and close， the tassel on my Fez cap was of silver， and in my girdle glittered a knife andmy pistols. Aphtanides was clad in the blue dress worn by the GREek sailors; on his breasthung a silver medal with the figure of the Virgin Mary， and his scarf was as costly as thoseworn by rich lords. Every one could see that we were about to perform a solemn ceremony.When we entered the little， unpretending church， the evening sunlight streamed through theopen door on the burning lamp， and glittered on the golden picture frames. We knelt downtogether on the altar steps， and Anastasia drew near and stood beside us. A long， whitegarment fell in graceful folds over her delicate form， and on her white neck and bosomhung a chain entwined with old and new coins， forming a kind of collar. Her black hair wasfastened into a knot， and confined by a headdress formed of gold and silver coins which hadbeen found in an ancient temple. No Greek girl had more beautiful ornaments than these. Hercountenance glowed， and her eyes were like two stars. We all three offered a silent prayer，and then she said to us， “Will you be friends in life and in death?”
“Yes，” we replied.
“Will you each remember to say， whatever may happen， 'My brother is a part of myself;his secret is my secret， my happiness is his; self-sacrifice， patience， everything belongsto me as they do to him?' ”
And we again answered， “Yes.” then she joined out hands and kissed us on the forehead，and we again prayed silently. After this a priest came through a door near the altar， andblessed us all three. Then a song was sung by other holy men behind the altar-screen， andthe bond of eternal friendship was confirmed. When we arose， I saw my mother standing bythe church door， weeping.
How cheerful everything seemed now in our little cottage by the Delphian springs! On theevening before his departure， Aphtanides sat thoughtfully beside me on the slopes of themountain. His arm was flung around me， and mine was round his neck. We spoke of thesorrows of GREece， and of the men of the country who could be trusted. Every thought of oursouls lay clear before us. Presently I seized his hand： “Aphtanides，” I exclaimed， “there isone thing still that you must know，—one thing that till now has been a secret between myselfand Heaven. My whole soul is filled with love，—with a love stronger than the love I bear to mymother and to thee.”
“And whom do you love?” asked Aphtanides. And his face and neck GREw red as fire.
“I love Anastasia，” I replied.
then his hand trembled in mine， and he became pale as a corpse. I saw it， I understoodthe cause， and I believe my hand trembled too. I bent towards him， I kissed his forehead，and whispered， “I have never spoken of this to her， and perhaps she does not love me.Brother， think of this; I have seen her daily， she has grown up beside me， and has becomea part of my soul.”
“And she shall be thine，” he exclaimed; “thine! I may not wrong thee， nor will I do so. Ialso love her， but tomorrow I depart. In a year we will see each other again， but then you willbe married; shall it not be so? I have a little gold of my own， it shall be yours. You must andshall take it.”
We wandered silently homeward across the mountains. It was late in the evening when wereached my mother's door. Anastasia held the lamp as we entered; my mother was not there.She looked at Aphtanides with a sweet but mournful expression on her face. “To-morrow youare going to leave us，” she said. “I am very sorry.”
“Sorry!” he exclaimed， and his voice was troubled with a grief as deep as my own. Icould not speak; but he seized her hand and said， “Our brother yonder loves you， and is henot dear to you? His very silence now proves his affection.”
Anastasia trembled， and burst into tears. then I saw no one， thought of none， but her.I threw my arms round her， and pressed my lips to hers. As she flung her arms round myneck， the lamp fell to the ground， and we were in darkness， dark as the heart of poorAphtanides.
Before daybreak he rose， kissed us all， and said “Farewell，” and went away. He had givenall his money to my mother for us. Anastasia was betrothed to me， and in a few daysafterwards she became my wife.