ARACHNE By Georg Ebers Translated from the German by Mary J. Safford BOOK 1. CHAPTER I. Deep silence brooded over the water and the green islands which roselike oases from its glittering surface. The palms, silver poplars, andsycamores on the largest one were already casting longer shadows as theslanting rays of the sun touched their dark crowns, while its glowingball still poured a flood of golden radiance upon the bushes along theshore, and the light, feathery tufts at the tops of the papyrus reeds inthe brackish water. More than one flock of large and small waterfowl flew past beneath thesilvery cloudlets flecking the lofty azure vault of heaven; here andthere a pelican or a pair of wild ducks plunged, with short calls whichceased abruptly, into the lush green thicket, but their cackling andquacking belonged to the voices of Nature, and, when heard, soondied away in the heights of the tipper air, or in the darkness of theunderbrush that received the birds. Very few reached the little city ofTennis, which now, during the period of inundation in the year 274 B. C. , was completely encircled by water. From the small island, separated from it by a channel scarcely threearrow-shots wide, it seemed as though sleep or paralysis had fallen uponthe citizens of the busy little industrial town, for few people appearedin the streets, and the scanty number of porters and sailors who wereworking among the ships and boats in the little fleet performed theirtasks noiselessly, exhausted by the heat and labour of the day. Columns of light smoke rose from many of the buildings, but the sunbeamsprevented its ascent into the clear, still air, and forced it to spreadover the roofs as if it, too, needed rest. Silence also reigned in the little island diagonally opposite to theharbour. The Tennites called it the Owl's Nest, and, though for noespecial reason, neither they nor the magistrates of King Ptolemy IIever stepped upon its shores. Indeed, a short time before, the latterhad even been forbidden to concern themselves about the pursuits of itsinhabitants; since, though for centuries it had belonged to a familyof seafaring folk who were suspected of piracy, it had received, twogenerations ago, from Alexander the Great himself, the right of asylum, because its owner, in those days, had commanded a little fleet whichproved extremely useful to the conqueror of the world in the siegeof Gaza and during the expedition to Egypt. True, under the reign ofPtolemy I, the owners of the Owl's Nest were on the point of beingdeprived of this favour, because they were repeatedly accused of piracyin distant seas; but it had not been done. Yet for the past two yearsan investigation had threatened Satabus, the distinguished head of thefamily, and during this period he, with his ships and his sons, hadavoided Tennis and the Egyptian coast. The house occupied by the islanders stood on the shore facing the littlecity. It had once been a stately building, but now every part of itseemed to be going to ruin except the central portion, which presenteda less dilapidated appearance than the sorely damaged, utterly neglectedside wings. The roof of the whole long structure had originally consisted of palmbranches, upon which mud and turf had been piled; but this, too, was nowin repair only on the central building. On the right and left wings therain which often falls in the northeastern part of the Nile Delta, nearthe sea, had washed off the protecting earth, and the wind had borne itaway as dust. Once the house had been spacious enough to shelter a numerous family andto store a great quantity of goods and provisions, but it was now longsince the ruinous chambers had been occupied. Smoke rose only from theopening in the roof of the main building, but its slender column showedfrom what a very scanty fire it ascended. The purpose which this was to serve was readily discovered, for infront of the open door of the dwelling, that seemed far too large andon account of the pillars at the entrance, which supported a triangularpediment--also too stately for its sole occupant, sat an old woman, plucking three ducks. In front of her a girl, paying no heed to her companion, stood leaningagainst the trunk of the low, wide-branching sycamore tree near theshore. A narrow boat, now concealed from view by the dense growth ofrushes, had brought her to the spot. The beautiful, motherless young creature, needing counsel, had come toold Tabus to appeal to her art of prophecy and, if she wanted them, to render her any little services; for the old dame on the islandwas closely bound to Ledscha, the daughter of one of the principalship-owners in Tennis, and had once been even more closely united to thegirl. Now, as the sun was about to set, the latter gave herself up to a wildtumult of sweet memories, anxious fears, and yearning expectation. Not until a cool breath from the neighbouring sea fanned her brow didshe throw down the cord and implement with which she had been adding afew meshes to a net, and rising, gaze sometimes across the water at alarge white house in the northern part of the city, sometimes at thelittle harbour or the vessels on the horizon steering toward Tennis, among which her keen eyes discovered a magnificent ship with bright-huedsails. Drawing a long breath, she enjoyed the coolness which precedes thedeparture of the daystar. But the effect of this harbinger of night upon her surroundings waseven more powerful than upon herself, for the sun in the western horizonscarcely began to sink slowly behind the papyrus thicket on the shoreof the straight Tanite arm of the Nile, dug by human hands, than one newand strange phenomenon followed another. First a fan, composed of countless glowing rays which spread in dazzlingradiance over the west, rose from the vanishing orb and for severalminutes adorned the lofty dome of the deep-blue sky like the tail ofa gigantic peacock. Then the glitter of the shining plumes paled. Thelight-giving body from which they emanated disappeared and, in itsstead, a crimson mantle, with gold-bordered, crocus-yellow edges, spreaditself over the space it had left until the gleaming tints merged intothe deeper hues of the violet. But the girl paid no heed to this splendid spectacle. Perhaps shenoticed how the fading light diffused a delicate rose-hued veil overthe light-blue sails, embroidered with silver vines, of the approachingstate galley, making its gilded prow glitter more brightly, and saw onefishing boat after another move toward the harbour, but she gave thewhole scene only a few careless glances. Ledscha cared little for the poor fishermen of Tennis, and theglittering state galley could scarcely bring or bear away anything ofimportance to her. The epistrategus of the whole province was daily expected. But of whatconsequence to the young girl were the changes which it was rumouredhe intended to introduce into the government of the country, concerningwhich her father had expressed such bitter dissatisfaction before he setout on his last trip to Pontus? A very different matter occupied her thoughts, and as, pressing her handupon her heart, she gazed at the little city, gleaming with crimson huesin the reflection of the setting sun, a strange, restless stir pervadedthe former stillness of Nature. Pelicans and flamingoes, geese andducks, storks and herons, ibises and cranes, bitterns and lapwings, flew in dark flocks of manifold forms from all directions. Countlessmultitudes of waterfowl darkened the air as they alighted upon theuninhabited islands, and with ear-splitting croaking and cackling, whistling and chirping, clapping and twittering, dropped into the sedgesand bushes which concealed their nests, while in the city the doors ofthe houses opened, and men, women, and children, after toiling at theloom and in the workshop, came out to enjoy the coolness of the eveningin the open air. One fishing boat after another was already throwing a rope to the shore, as the ship with the gay sails approached the little roadstead. How large and magnificent it was! None of the king's officials had ever used such a galley, not even theepistrategus of the Delta, who last year had given the banking and theoil trade to new lessees. Besides, the two transports that had followedthe magnificent vessel appeared to belong to it. Ledscha had watched the ships indifferently enough, but suddenly hergaze--and with it the austere beauty of her face--assumed a differentexpression. Her large black eyes dilated, and with passionate intentness she lookedfrom the gaily ornamented galley to the shore, which several men inGreek costume were approaching. The first two had come from the large white house whose door, sincesunset, had been the principal object of her attention. It was Hermon, the taller one, for whom she was waiting with old Tabus. He had promised to take her from the Owl's Nest, after nightfall, for alonely row upon the water. Now he was not coming alone, but with his fellow-artist, thesculptor Myrtilus, the nomarch and the notary--she recognised bothdistinctly--Gorgias, the rich owner of the second largest weavingestablishment in Tennis, and several slaves. What did it mean? A sudden flush crimsoned her face, now slightly tanned, to the brow, andher lips were compressed, giving her mouth an expression of repellent, almost cruel harshness. But the tension of her charming features, whose lines, though sharp, were delicately outlined, soon vanished. There was still plenty oftime before the darkness would permit Hermon to join her unnoticed. Areception, from which he could not be absent, was evidently about totake place. Yes, that was certainly the case; for now the magnificent galley hadapproached as near the land as the shallow water permitted, and thewhistle of the rowers' flute-player, shouts of command, and the barkingof dogs could be heard. Then a handkerchief waved a greeting from the vessel to the men onshore, but the hand that held it was a woman's. Ledscha would haverecognised it had the twilight been far deeper. The features of the new arrival could no longer be distinguished; butshe must be young. An elderly woman would not have sprung so nimbly intothe skiff that was to convey her to the land. The man who assisted her in doing so was the same sculptor, Hermon, forwhom she had watched with so much longing. Again the blood mounted into Ledscha's cheeks, and when she saw thestranger lay her hand upon the shoulder of the Alexandrian who, onlyyesterday, had assured the young girl of his love with ardent vows, andallow him to lift her out of the boat, she buried her little white teethdeeply in her lips. She had never seen Hermon in the society of a woman of his own class, and, full of jealous displeasure; perceived with what zealous assiduityhe who bowed before no one in Tennis, paid court to the stranger no lesseagerly than did his friend Myrtilus. The whole scene passed like a shadow in the dusk before Ledscha's eyes, half dimmed by uneasiness, perplexity, and suddenly inflamed jealousy. The Egyptian twilight is short, and when Hermon disappeared with thenew-comer it was no longer possible to recognise the man who entered thevery boat in which she was to have taken the nocturnal voyage with herlover, and which was now rowed toward the Owl's Nest. Surely it would bring her a message from Hermon; and as the stranger, who was now joined by a number of other women and two packs of barkingdogs, with their keepers, vanished in the darkness, the skiff alreadytouched the shore close at her side. CHAPTER II. In spite of the surrounding gloom, Ledscha recognised the man who leftthe boat. The greeting he shouted told her that it was Hermon's slave, Pias, aBiamite, whom she had met in the house of some neighbours who were hisrelatives and had sharply rebuffed when he ventured to accost her morefamiliarly than was seemly for one in bondage. True, in his childhood this man had lived near Tennis as the son ofa free papyrus raiser, but when still a lad was sold into slavery inAlexandria with his father, who had been seized for taking part in aninsurrection against the last king. In the service of Areluas, his present master's uncle, who had given himto his nephew, and as the slave of the impetuous yet anything but cruelsculptor, Hermon, he had become accustomed to bondage, but was still farmore strongly attached to his Biamite race than to the Greek, to whom, it is true, his master belonged, but who had robbed him and his familyof freedom. The man of forty did not lack mother wit, and as his hard fate renderedhim thoughtful and often led him to use figurative turns of speech, which were by no means intended as jests, he had been called by hisfirst master "Bias" for the sage of Priene. In the house of Hermon, who associated with the best artists inAlexandria, he had picked up all sorts of knowledge and gladly welcomedinstruction. His highest desire was to win esteem, and he often did so. Hermon prized the useful fellow highly. He had no secrets from him, andwas sure of his silence and good will. Bias had managed to lure many a young beauty in Alexandria, in whom thesculptor had seen a desirable model, to his studio, even under the mostdifficult circumstances; but he was vexed to find that his master hadcast his eye upon the daughter of one of the most distinguished familiesamong his own people. He knew, too, that the Biamites jealouslyguarded the honour of their women, and had represented to Hermon whata dangerous game he was playing when he began to offer vows of love toLedscha. So it was an extremely welcome task to be permitted to inform her thatshe was awaiting his master in vain. In reply to her inquiry whether it was the aristocrat who had justarrived who kept Hermon from her, he admitted that she was right, butadded that the gods were above even kings, and his master was obliged toyield to the Alexandrian's will. Ledscha laughed incredulously: "He--obey a woman!" "He certainly would not submit to a man, " replied the slave. "Artists, you must know, would rather oppose ten of the most powerful men thanone weak woman, if she is only beautiful. As for the daughter ofArchias--thereby hangs a tale. " "Archias?" interrupted the girl. "The rich Alexandrian who owns thegreat weaving house?" "The very man. " "So it is his daughter who is keeping Hermon? And you say he is obligedto serve her?" "As men serve the Deity, to the utmost, or truth, " replied the slaveimportantly. "Archias, the father, it is true, imposed upon us the debtwhich is most tardily paid, and which people, even in this country, call'gratitude. ' We are under obligations to the old man--there's no denyingit--and therefore also to his only child. " "For what?" Ledscha indignantly exclaimed, and the dark eyebrows whichmet above her delicate nose contracted suspiciously. "I must know!" "Must!" repeated the slave. "That word is a ploughshare which suits onlyloose soil, and mine, now that my master is waiting for me, can not betilled even by the sharpest. Another time! But if, meanwhile, you haveany message for Hermon----" "Nothing, " she replied defiantly; but Bias, in a tone of the most eagerassent, exclaimed: "One friendly word, girl. You are the fairest amongthe daughters of the highest Biamite families, and probably the richestalso, and therefore a thousand times too good to yield what adorns youto the Greek, that it may tickle the curiosity of the Alexandrian apes. There are more than enough women in the capital to serve that purpose. Trust the experience of a man not wholly devoid of wisdom, my girl. Hewill throw you aside like an empty wine bottle when he has used you fora model. " "Used?" interrupted Ledscha disdainfully; but he repeated with firmdecision: "Yes, used! What could you learn of life, of art and artists, here in the weaver's nest in the midst of the waves? I know them. Asculptor needs beautiful women as a cobbler wants leather, and thecharms he seeks in you he does not conceal from his friend Myrtilus, atleast. They are your large almond-shaped eyes and your arms. They makehim fairly wild with delight by their curves when, in drawing water, youhold the jug balanced on your head. Your slender arched foot, too, is awelcome morsel to him. " The darkness prevented Bias from seeing Ledscha's features, but itwas easy to perceive what was passing in her mind as, hoarse withindignation, she gasped: "How can I know the object of your accusations?but fie upon the servant who would alienate from his own kind masterwhat his soul desires!" Then Bias changed not only his tone of voice, but his language, and, deeply offended, poured forth a torrent of wrath in the dialect of hispeople: "If to guard you, and my master with you, from harm, my wordshad the power to put between you and Hermon the distance which separatesyonder rising moon from Tennis, I would make them sound as loud asthe lion's roar. Yet perhaps you would not understand them, for you gothrough life as though you were deaf and blind. Did you ever even askyourself whether the Greek is not differently constituted from the sonsof the Biamite sailors and fishermen, with whom you grew up, and to whomhe is an abomination? Yet he is no more like them than poppy juice islike pure water. He and his companions turn life upside down. There isno more distinction between right and wrong in Alexandria than we herein the dark can make between blue and green. To me, the slave, who isalready growing old, Hermon is a kind master. I know without youraid what I owe him, and serve him as loyally as any one; but where hethreatens to lead to ruin the innocent daughter of the race whose bloodflows in my veins as well as yours, and in doing so perhaps finallydestroy himself too, conscience commands me to raise my voice as loudas the sentinel crane when danger threatens the flock. Beware, girl, Irepeat! Keep your beauty, which is now to be degraded to feast the eyesof gaping Greeks, for the worthiest husband among our people. ThoughHermon has vowed, I know not what, your love-dallying will very soon beover; we shall leave Tennis within the next few days. When he has gonethere will be one more deceived Biamite who will call down the curseof the gods upon the head of a Greek. You are not the only one who willexecrate the destiny that brought us here. Others have been caught inhis net too. " "Here?" asked Ledscha in a hollow tone; and the slave eagerly answered:"Where else? And that you may know the truth--among those who visitedHermon in his studio is your own young sister. " "Our Taus? That child?" exclaimed the girl, stretching her hands towardthe slave in horror, as if to ward off some impending disaster. "That child, who, I think, has grown into a very charming girl--and, before her, pretty Gula, the wife of Paseth, who, like your father, isaway on his ship. " Here, in a tone of triumphant confidence, the answer rang from theBiamite's lips: "There the slanderer stands revealed! Now you aredetected, now I perceive the meaning of your threat. Because, miserableslave, you cherish the mad hope of beguiling me yourself, you do yourutmost to estrange me from your master. Gula, you say, visited Hermonin his studio, and it may be true. But though I have been at home onlya short time, Tennis is too full of the praises of the heroic Greekwho, at the risk of his own life, rescued a child from Paseth's burninghouse, for the tale not to reach my ears from ten or a dozen differentquarters. Gula is the mother of the little girl whose life was savedby Hermon's bold deed, and perhaps the young mother only knocked at herbenefactor's door to thank him; but you, base defamer--" "I, " Bias continued, maintaining his composure with difficulty, "I sawGula secretly glide into our rooms again and again to permit her child'spreserver to imitate in clay what he considered beautiful. To seek yourlove, as you know, the slave forbade himself, although a man no moreloses tender desires with his freedom than the tree which is encircledby a fence ceases to put forth buds and blossoms. Eros chooses theslave's heart also as the target for his arrows; but his aim at yourswas better than at mine. Now I know how deeply he wounds, and so, assoon as yonder ship in the harbour bears our visitor away again, I shallsee you, Schalit's daughter, Ledscha, standing before Hermon's modellingtable and behold him scan your beauty to determine what seems worthcopying. " The Biamite, panting for breath, had listened to the end. Then, raisingher little clinched hand menacingly, she muttered through her set teeth:"Let him try even to touch my veil with his fingers! If I had not beenobliged to go away, this would not have happened to my Taus and lucklessGula. " "Scarcely, " replied Bias calmly. "If the chicken runs into the water, the hen can not save it. For the rest--I grew up as a boy in freedomwith the husband of your sister, who summoned you to her aid. Hisfather's brick-kiln was next to our papyrus plantation. Then we faredlike so many others--the great devour the small, the just cause isthe lost one, and the gods are like men. My father, who drew thesword against oppression and violence, was robbed of liberty, and yourbrother-in-law, in payment for his honest courage, met an early death. Is the story which is told of you here true? I heard that soon after thepoor fellow's burial the slaves in the brick-kiln refused to obey hiswidow. There were a dozen rebellious brick-moulders, and you--one canforgive you much for it--you, the weak girl----" "I am not weak, " interrupted Ledscha proudly. "I could have taught threetimes twelve of the scoundrels who was master. Now they obey my sister, and yet I wish I had stayed in Tennis. Our Taus, " she continued in amore gentle tone, "is still so young, and our mother died when she wasa little child; but I, fool, who should have warned her, left her alone, and if she yielded to Hermon's temptations the fault is mine, whollymine. " During this outburst the light of the fire, which old Tabus had fed withfresh straw and dry rushes, fell upon the face of the agitated girl. Itrevealed her thoughts plainly enough, and, pleased with the success ofhis warning, Bias exclaimed: "And Ledscha, you, too, will not grant himthat from which you would so gladly have withheld your sister. So I willgo and tell my master that you refuse to give him another appointment. " He had confidently expected an assent, and therefore started indignantlyat her exclamation: "I intend to do just the contrary. " Yet she eagerlyadded, as if in explanation: "He must give me an account of himself, nomatter where, and, since it can not be to-day, to-morrow at latest. " The slave, disappointed and anxious, now tried to make her understandhow foolish and hard to accomplish her wish was, but she obstinatelyinsisted upon having her own way. Bias angrily turned his back upon her and, in the early light of themoon, walked toward the shore, but she hastened after him, seized hisarm and, with imperious firmness, commanded: "You will stay! I mustfirst know whether Hermon really means to leave Tennis so soon. " "That was his intention early this morning, " replied the other, releasing himself from her grasp. "What are we to do here longer, nowthat his work is as good as finished?" "But when is he going?" she urged with increased eagerness. "Day after to-morrow, " was the reply, "in five, or perhaps even in sixdays, just as it suits him. Usually we do not even know to-day whatis to be done to-morrow. So long as the Alexandrian remains, he willscarcely leave her, or Myrtilus either. Probably she will take bothhunting with her, for, though a kind, fair-minded woman, she loves thechase, and as both have finished their work, they probably will not bereluctant to go with Daphne. " He stepped into the boat as he spoke, but Ledscha again detained him, asking impatiently: "And 'the work, ' as you call it? It was coveredwith a cloth when I visited the studio, but Hermon himself termed it thestatue of a goddess. Yet what it represents--Does it look like my sisterTaus--enough like her, I mean, to be recognised?" A half-compassionate, half-mocking smile flitted over the Biamite'scopper-coloured visage, and in a tone of patronizing instruction assumedby the better informed, he began: "You are thinking of the face? Why no, child! What that requires can be found in the countenance of no Biamite, hardly even in yours, the fairest of all. " "And the goddess's figure?" asked Ledscha eagerly. "For that he first used as a model the fair-haired Heliodora, whomhe summoned from Alexandria, and as the wild cat could endure theloneliness only a fortnight, the sisters Nico and Pagis came together. But Tennis was too quiet for them too. The rabble can only be contentedamong those of their own sort in the capital. But the great preliminarywork was already finished before we left Alexandria. " "And Gula--my sister?" "They were not used for the Demeter, " said the slave, smiling. "Justthink, that slender scarcely grown creature, Taus, and the matronlypatroness of marriage. And Gula? True, her little round face is freshand not ill-looking--but the model of a goddess requires something more. That can only be obtained in Alexandria. What do not the women there dofor the care of the body! They learn it in the Aphrodision, as the boysstudy reading and writing. But you! What do you here know even aboutcolouring the eyelids and the lips, curling the hair, and treating thenails on the hands and feet? And the clothes! You let them hang just asyou put them on, and my master's work is full of folds and little linesin the robe and the peplos--But I have staid too long already. Do youreally insist upon meeting Hermon again? "I will and must see him, " she eagerly declared. "Well, then, " he answered harshly. "But if you cast my warning to thewinds, pity will also fly away with it. " "I do not need it, " the girl retorted in a contemptuous tone. "Then let Fate take its course, " said the slave, shrugging his shouldersregretfully. "My master shall learn what you wish. I shall remain athome until the market is empty. There are plenty of servants at yourfarm. Your messenger shall bring you Hermon's answer. " "I will come myself and wait for it under the acacia, " she criedhastily, and went toward the house, but this time it was Bias who calledher back. Ledscha reluctantly fulfilled his wish, but she soon regretted it, forthough what he had to say was doubtless kindly meant, it contained afresh and severe offence: the slave represented to her the possibilitythat, so long as the daughter of Archias remained his guest, Hermonmight rebuff her like a troublesome beggar. Then, as if sure of her cause, she indignantly cut short his words: "Youmeasure him according to your own standard, and do not know what dependsupon it for us. Remind him of the full moon on the coming night and, though ten Alexandrians detained him, he would escape from them to hearwhat I bring him. " With these words Ledscha again turned her back upon him, but Bias, witha low imprecation, pushed the boat from the shore and rowed toward thecity. CHAPTER III. When Ledscha heard the strokes of the oars she stopped again and, withglowing cheeks, gazed after the boat and the glimmering silver furrowwhich it left upon the calm surface of the moonlit water. Her heart was heavy. The doubts of her lover's sincerity which the slavehad awakened tortured her proud soul. Was Hermon really only trifling mischievously with her affection? Surely it was impossible. She would rather endure everything, everything, than this torturinguncertainty. Yet she was here on the Owl's Nest to seek the aid of old Tabus's magicarts. If any one could give her satisfaction, it was she and the demonswho obeyed her will, and the old woman was glad to oblige Ledscha; shewas bound to her by closer ties than most people in Tennis knew. Ledscha had no cause to be ashamed of her frequent visits to the Owl'sNest, for old Tabus had no equal as a leech and a prophetess, and thecorsair family, of which she was the female head, stood in high reputeamong the Biamites. People bore them no ill-will because they practisedpiracy; many of their race pursued the same calling, and the sailorsmade common cause with them. Ledscha's father, too, was on good terms with the pirates, and whenAbus, a handsome fellow who commanded his father's second ship and hadwon a certain degree of renown by many a bold deed, sought the handof his oldest daughter, he did not refuse him, and only imposed thecondition that when he had gained riches enough and made Ledscha hiswife, he would cease his piratical pursuits and, in partnership withhim, take goods and slaves from Pontus to the Syrian and Egyptianharbours, and grain and textiles from the Nile to the coasts of theBlack Sea. Young Abus had yielded to this demand, since his grandmother on theOwl's Nest thought it wise to delay for a time the girl's marriage tohim, the best beloved of her grandsons; she was then scarcely beyondchildhood. Yet Ledscha had felt a strong affection for the young pirate, inwhom she saw the embodiment of heroic manhood. She accompanied himin imagination through all his perilous expeditions; but she had beenpermitted to enjoy his society only after long intervals for a few days. Once he remained absent longer than usual, and this very voyage was tohave been his last on a pirate craft--the peaceful seafaring life was tobegin, after his landing, with the marriage. Ledscha had expected her lover's return with eager longing, but weekafter week elapsed, yet nothing was seen or heard of the ships owned bythe Owl's Nest family; then a rumour spread that this time the corsairswere defeated in a battle with the Syrian war-galleys. The first person who received sure tidings was old Tabus. Her grandsonHanno, who escaped with his life, at the bidding of his father Satabus, who revered his mother, had made his way to her amid great perils toconvey the sorrowful news. Two of the best ships in the family hadbeen sunk, and on one the brave Abus, Ledscha's betrothed husband, whocommanded it, had lost his life; on the other the aged dame's oldest sonand three of her grandchildren. Tabus fell as if struck by lightning when she heard the tidings, andsince that time her tongue had lost its power of fluent speech, her earits sharpness; but Ledscha did not leave her side, and saved her life bytireless, faithful nursing. Neither Satabus, the old woman's second son, who now commanded thelittle pirate fleet, nor his sons, Hanno and Labaja, had been seen inthe neighbourhood of Tennis since the disaster, but after Tabus hadrecovered sufficiently to provide for herself, Ledscha returned toTennis to manage her father's great household and supply the mother'splace to her younger sister, Taus. She had not recovered the careless cheerfulness of earlier years, but, graver than the companions of her own age, she absented herself fromthe gaieties of the Biamite maidens. Meanwhile her beauty had increasedwonderfully, and, attracting attention far and wide, drew many suitorsfrom neighbouring towns to Tennis. Only a few, however, had made offersof marriage to her father; the beautiful girl's cold, repellent mannerdisheartened them. She herself desired nothing better; yet it secretlyincensed her and pierced her soul with pain to see herself at twentyunwedded, while far less attractive companions of her own age had longbeen wives and mothers. The arduous task which she had performed a short time before for herwidowed sister had increased the seriousness of her disposition tosullen moroseness. After her return home she often rowed to the Owl's Nest, for Ledschafelt bound to old Tabus, and, so far as lay in her power, underobligation to atone for the injury which the horror of her lover'ssudden death had inflicted upon his grandmother. Now she had at last been subjugated by a new passion--love for the Greeksculptor Hermon, who did his best to win the heart of the Biamite girl, whose austere, extremely singular beauty attracted his artist eyes. To-day Ledscha had come to the sorceress to learn from her what awaitedher and her love. She had landed on the island, sure of favourablepredictions, but now her hopes lay as if crushed by hailstones. If Bias, who was superior to an ordinary slave, was right, she was to bedegraded to a toy and useful tool by the man who had already provedhis pernicious power over other women of her race, even her own youngsister, whom she had hitherto guarded with faithful care. It had by nomeans escaped her notice that the girl was concealing something fromher, though she did not perceive the true cause of the change. The bright moonbeams, which now wove a silvery web over everysurrounding object, seemed like a mockery of her darkened soul. If the demons of the heights and depths had been subject to her, as tothe aged enchantress she would have commanded them to cover the heavenswith black clouds. Now they must show her what she had to hope or tofear. She shook her head slightly, as if she no longer believed in afavourable turn of affairs, pushed the little curls which had escapedfrom the wealth of her black hair back from her forehead with herslender hand, and walked firmly to the house. The old dame was crouching beside the hearth in the middle room, turningthe metal spit, on which she had put the ducks, over the freshly kindledfire. The smoke hurt her eyes, which were slightly inflamed, yet they seemedto serve their purpose better than her half-dulled ear, for, after aswift glance at Ledscha, she stammered in her faltering speech: "Whathas happened? Nothing good, certainly. It is written on your face. " The girl nodded assent, pointed with a significant gesture to her eyesand the open air, and went down to the shore again to convince herselfthat no other vessel was approaching. What she had to confide to Tabus was intended for her alone, andexperience taught how far spoken words could be heard at night over thewater. When she had returned to the hut, she bent down to the old woman's earand, holding her curved hand to her lips, cried, "He is not coming!" Tabus shrugged her shoulders, and the smile of satisfaction whichflitted over her brown, wrinkled face showed that the news was welcome. For her murdered grandson's sake the girl's confession that she hadgiven her heart to a Greek affected her painfully; but Tabus also hadsomething else on her mind for her beautiful darling. Now she only intimated by a silent nod that she understood Ledscha, andher head remained constantly in motion as the latter continued: "True, I shall see him again to-morrow, but when we part, it will hardly bein love. At any rate--do you hear, grandmother?--to-morrow must decideeverything. Therefore--do you understand me?--you must question thecords now, to-night, for to-morrow evening what they advised might betoo late. " "Now?" repeated Tabus in surprise, letting her gaze rest inquiringlyupon the girl. Then she took the spit from the fire, exclaiming angrily:"Directly, do you mean? As if that could be! As if the stars obeyedus mortals like maids or men servants! The moon must be at the full tolearn the truth from the cords. Wait, child! What is life but waiting?Only have patience, girl! True, few know how to practise this art atyour age, and it is alien to many all their lives. But the stars! Fromthem, the least and the greatest, man can learn to go his way patiently, year by year. Always the same course and the same pace. No deviationeven one hair's breadth, no swifter or slower movement for the unrestingwanderers. No sudden wrath, no ardent desire, no weariness or aversionurges or delays them. How I love and honour them! They willingly submitto the great law until the end of all things. What they appoint forthis hour is for it alone, not for the next one. Everything in the vastuniverse is connected with them. Whoever should delay their course amoment would make the earth reel. Night would become day, the riverswould return to their sources. People would walk on their headsinstead of their feet, joy would be transformed to sorrow and power toservitude. Therefore, child, the full moon has a different effect fromthe waxing or waning one during the other twenty-nine nights of themonth. To ask of one what belongs to another is to expect an answer fromthe foreigner who does not understand your language. How young you are, child, and how foolish! To question the cords for you in the moonlightnow is to expect to gather grapes from thorns. Take my word for that!" Here she interrupted the words uttered with so much difficulty, andwith her blackish-blue cotton dress wiped her perspiring face, strangelyflushed by the exertion and the firelight. Ledscha had listened with increasing disappointment. The wise old dame was doubtless right, yet before she ventured to thesculptor's workshop the next day she must know at every cost how mattersstood, what she had to fear or to hope from him; so after a briefsilence she ventured to ask the question, "But are there only the starsand the cords which predict what fate holds in store for one who is sonearly allied to you?" "No, child, no, " was the reply. "But nothing can be clone about lookinginto the future now. It requires rigid fasting from early dawn, and Iate the dates you brought me. I inhaled the odor of the roasting ducks, too, and then--it must be done at midnight; and at midnight your peoplewill be anxious if you are not at home by that time, or perhaps send aslave to seek you here at my house, and that--that must not be done--Imust prevent it. " "So you are expecting some one, " Ledscha eagerly replied. "And I knowwho it is. Your son Satabus, or one of your grandsons. Else why are theducks cooked? And for what is the wine jar which I just took from itshiding place?" A vehement gesture of denial from Tabus contradicted the girl'sconjecture; but directly after she scanned her with a keen, searchingglance, and said: "No, no. We have nothing to fear from you, surely. Poor Abus! Through him you will always belong to us. In spite of theGreek, ours you are and ours you will remain. The stars confirm it, and you have always been faithful to the old woman. You are shrewd andsteadfast. You would have been the right mate for him who was also wiseand firm. Poor, dear, brave boy! But why pity him? Because the saltwaves now flow over him? Fools that we are! There is nothing better thandeath, for it is peace. And almost all of them have found it. Of ninesons and twenty grandsons, only three are left. The others are allcalm after so much conflict and danger. How long ago it is since sevenperished at once! The last three their turn will come too. How I envythem that best of blessings, only may they not also go before me!" Here she lowered her voice, and in a scarcely audible whisper murmured:"You shall know it. My son Satabus, with his brave boys Hanno andLabaja, are coming later in the evening. About midnight--if ye protectthem, ye powers above--they will be with me. And you, child, I know yoursoul to its inmost depths. Before you would betray the last of Abus'skindred--" "My hand and tongue should wither!" Ledscha passionately interrupted, and then, with zealous feminine solicitude, she asked whether the threeducks would suffice to satisfy the hunger of these strong men. The old woman smiled and pointed to a pile of fresh leaves heaped oneabove another, beneath which lay several fine shad. They were not to becooked until the expected visitors arrived, and she had plenty of breadbesides. In the presence of these proofs of maternal solicitude the morose, wrinkled countenance of the old sorceress wore a kind, almost tenderexpression, and the light of joyous anticipation beamed upon her youngguest from her red-rimmed eyes. "I am to see them once more!" cried Tabus in an agitated tone. "Thelast--and all three, all! If they--But no; they will not set to work sonear Pelusium. No, no! They will not, lest they should spoil the meetingwith the old woman. Oh, they are kind; no one knows how kind my roughSatabus can be. He would be your father now, girl, if we could have keptour Abus--he was the best of all--longer. It is fortunate that you arehere, for they must see you, and it would have been hard for me to fetchthe other things: the salt, the Indian pepper, and the jug of Pelusinianzythus, which Satabus is always so fond of drinking. " Then Ledscha went into the ruinous left wing of the house, where shetook from a covered hole in the floor what the old woman had kept forthe last of her race, and she performed her task gladly and with rareskill. Next she prepared the fish and the pan, and while her hands were movingbusily she earnestly entreated the old woman to gratify her wish andlook into the future for her. Tabus, however, persisted in her refusal, until Ledscha again called her"grandmother, " and entreated her, by the heads of the three beloved oneswhom she expected, to fulfil her desire. Then the old dame rose, and while the girl, panting for breath, took theroasted ducks from the spit, the former, with her own trembling hands, drew from the little chest which she kept concealed behind a heap of dryreeds, branches, and straw, a shining copper dish, tossed the gold coinswhich had been in it back into the box, and moistened the bottom withthe blackish-red juice of the grape from the wine jar. After carefully making these preparations she called Ledscha andrepeated that the cords possessed the power of prophecy only on nightswhen the moon was full, and that she would use another means of lookinginto the future. Then she commanded the girl to let her hands rest now and to think ofnothing except the questions whose answer she had at heart. Lastly, she muttered into the vessel a series of incantations, which Ledscharepeated after her, and gazed as if spellbound at the dark liquid whichcovered the bottom. The girl, panting for breath, watched every movement of the sorceress, but some time elapsed ere the latter suddenly exclaimed, "There he is!"and then, without removing her eyes from the bottom of the vessel, shewent on, with faltering accents, as though she was describing a sceneclose before her eyes. "Two young men-both Greeks, if the dress does notdeceive--one is at your right hand, the other at your left. The formeris fair-haired; the glance of his eyes is deep and constant. It is he, I think--But no! His image is fading, and you are turning your back uponhim. You do it intentionally. No, no, you two are not destined for eachother. You think of the one with the waving black hair and beard--of himalone. He is growing more and more distinct--a handsome man, and how hisbrow shines! Yet his glance--it sees more than that of many others, but, like the rest of his nature, it lacks steadfastness. " Here she paused, raised her shaking head, looked at Ledscha's flushedface, and in a grave, warning tone, said: "Many signs of happiness, butalso many dark shadows and black spots. If he is the one, child, youmust be on your guard. " "He is, " murmured the girl softly, as if speaking to herself. But the deaf old crone had read the words from her lips, and whilegazing intently at the wine, went on impatiently: "If the picture wouldonly grow more distinct! As it was, so it has remained. And now! Theimage of the fair man with the deep-blue eyes melts away entirely, and agray cloud flutters between you and the other one with the black beard. If it would only scatter! But we shall never make any progress in thisway. Now pay attention, girl. " The words had an imperious tone, and with outstretched head andthrobbing heart Ledscha awaited the old woman's further commands. They came at once and ordered her to confess, as freely and openly asthough she was talking to herself, where she had met the man whom sheloved, how he had succeeded in snaring her heart, and how he repaid herfor the passion which he had awakened. These commands were so confused and mingled in utterance that any oneless familiar with the speaker would scarcely have comprehended whatthey required of her, but Ledscha understood and was ready to obey. CHAPTER IV. This reserved, thoroughly self-reliant creature would never havebetrayed to any human being what moved her soul and filled it some timeswith inspiring hope, sometimes with a consuming desire for vengeance;but Ledscha did not shrink from confiding it to the demons who were tohelp her to regain her composure. So, obeying a swift impulse, she threw herself on her knees by the oldwoman's side. Then, supporting her head with her hands, she gazed at thestill glimmering fire, and, as if one memory after another received newlife from it, she began the difficult confession: "I returned from my sister's brick-kiln a fortnight ago, " she commenced, while the sorceress leaned her deaf ear nearer to her lips. "During my absence something--I know not what it was--had saddened thecheerful spirits of my young sister Taus. At the recent festival ofAstarte she regained them, and obtained some beautiful bright flowersto make wreaths for herself and me. So we joined the procession of theTennis maidens and, as the fairest, they placed us directly behind thedaughters of Hiram. "When we were about to go home after the sacrifice, two young Greeksapproached us and greeted Hiram's daughters and my sister also. "One was a quiet young man, with narrow shoulders and light, curlinghair; the other towered above him in stature. His powerful figure wasmagnificently formed, and he carried his head with its splendid blackbeard proudly. "Since the gods snatched Abus from me, though so many men had wooed me, I had cared for no one; but the fair-haired Greek with the sparklinglight in his blue eyes and the faint flush on his cheeks pleased me, andhis name, 'Myrtilus, ' fell upon my ear like music. I was glad when hejoined me and asked, as simply as though he were merely inquiring theway, why he had never seen me, the loveliest among the beauties in thetemple, in Tennis. "I scarcely noticed the other. Besides, he seemed to have eyes onlyfor Taus and the daughters of Hiram. He played all sorts of pranks withthem, and they laughed so heartily that, fearing the strangers, of whomthere was no lack, might class them with the Hieroduli who followedthe sailors and young men in the temple grottoes, I motioned to Taus torestrain herself. "Hermon--this was the name of the tall, bearded man--noticed it andturned toward me. In doing so his eyes met mine, and it seemed as thoughsweet wine flowed through my veins, for I perceived that my appearanceparalyzed his reckless tongue. Yet he did not accost me; but Myrtilus, the fair one, entreated me not to lessen for the beautiful children thepleasure to which we are all born. "I thought this remark foolish--how much sorrow and how little pleasureI had experienced from childhood!--so I only shrugged my shouldersdisdainfully. "Then the black-bearded man asked if, young and beautiful as I was, Ihad forgotten to believe in mirth and joy. My reply was intended to tellhim that, though this was not the case, I did not belong to those whospent their lives in loud laughing and extravagant jests. "The answer was aimed at the black-bearded man's reckless conduct; butthe fair-haired one parried the attack in his stead, and retorted that Iseemed to misunderstand his friend. Pleasure belonged to a festival, aslight belonged to the sun; but usually Hermon laboured earnestly, andonly a short time before he had saved the little daughter of Gula, thesailor's wife, from a burning house. "The other did not let Myrtilus finish, but exclaimed that this wouldonly confirm my opinion of him, for this very leap into the flames hadafforded him the utmost joy. "The words fell from his bearded lips as if the affair was very simple, a mere matter of course, yet I knew that the bold deed had nearly costhim his life--I said to myself that no one but our Abus would have doneit, and then I may have looked at him more kindly, for he cried out thatI, too, understood how to smile, and would never cease doing so if Iknew how it became me. "As he spoke he turned away from the girls to my side, while Myrtilusjoined them. Hermon's handsome face had become grave and thoughtful, andwhen our eyes met I could have wished that they would never part again. But on account of the others I soon looked down at the ground and wewalked on in this way, side by side, for some distance; but as hedid not address a word to me, only sometimes gazed into my face as ifseeking or examining, I grew vexed and asked him why he, who had justentertained the others gaily enough, had suddenly become so silent. "He shook his head and answered--every word impressed itself firmly uponmy memory: 'Because speech fails even the eloquent when confronted witha miracle. ' "What, except me and my beauty, could be meant by that? But he probablyperceived how strangely his words confused me, for he suddenly seizedmy hand, pressing it so firmly that it hurt me, and while I tried towithdraw it he whispered, 'How the immortals must love you, that theylend you so large a share of their own divine beauty!'" "Greek honey, " interposed the sorceress, "but strong enough to turn sucha poor young head. And what more happened? The demons desire to hearall--all--down to the least detail--all!" "The least detail?" repeated Ledscha reluctantly, gazing into vacancyas if seeking aid. Then, pressing her hand on her brow, she indignantlyexclaimed: "Ah, if I only knew myself how it conquered me so quickly! IfI could understand and put it into intelligible words, I should needno stranger's counsel to regain my peace of mind. But as it is! I wasdriven by my anxiety from temple to temple, and now to you and yourdemons. I went from hour to hour as though in a burning fever. If Ileft the house firmly resolved to bethink myself and, as I had bidden mysister, avoid danger and the gossip of the people, my feet still led meonly where he desired to meet me. Oh, and how well he understood how toflatter, to describe my beauty! Surely it was impossible not to believein it and trust its power!" Here she hesitated, and while gazing silently into vacancy a sunnylight flitted over her grave face, and, drawing a long breath, she beganagain: "I could curse those days of weakness and ecstasy which now--atleast I hope so--are over. Yet they were wonderfully beautiful, andnever can I forget them!" Here she again bowed her head silently, but the old dame noddedencouragingly, saying eagerly; "Well, well! I understand all that, andI shall learn what more is coming, for whatever appears in the mirrorof the wine is infallible--but it must become still more distinct. Letme--first conjure up the seventy-seven great and the seven hundred andseventy-seven little demons. They will do their duty, if you open yourheart to us without reserve. " This demand sounded urgent enough, and Ledscha pressed her head againstthe old woman's shoulder as if seeking assistance, exclaiming: "I cannot--no, I can not! As if the spirits who obey you did not know alreadywhat had happened and will happen in the future! Let them search thedepths of my soul. There they will see, with their own eyes, what Ishould never, never succeed in describing. I could not tell evenyou, grandmother, for who among the Biamites ever found such lofty, heart-bewitching words as Hermon? And what looks, what language he hadat command, when he desired to put an end to my jealous complaints!Could I still be angry with him, when he confessed that there were otherbeauties here whom he admired, and then gazed deep into my eyes and saidthat when I appeared they all vanished like the stars at sunrise? Thenevery reproach was forgotten, and resentment was transformed into doublyardent longing. This, however, by no means escaped his keen glance, which detects everything, and so he urged me with touching, ardententreaties to go with him to his studio, though but for one poor, briefhour. " "And you granted his wish?" Tabus anxiously interrupted. "Yes, " she answered frankly, "but it was the evening of the day beforeyesterday--that was the only time. Secrecy--nothing, Grand mother, wasmore hateful to me from childhood. " "But he, " the old woman again interrupted, "he--I know it--he praised itto you as the noblest virtue. " A silent nod from Ledscha confirmed this conjecture, and she addedhesitatingly: "'Only far from the haunts of men, ' he said, 'when thelight had vanished, did we hear the nightingale trill in thedark thickets. Those are his own words, and though it angers you, Grandmother, they are true. " "Until the secrecy is over, and the sun shines upon misery, " thesorceress answered in her faltering speech, with menacing severity. "And beneath the tempter's roof you enjoyed the lauded secret love untilthe cock roused you?" "No, " replied Ledscha firmly. "Did I ever tell you a lie, that you lookat me so incredulously?" "Incredulously?" replied the old woman in protest. "I only trembled atthe danger into which you plunged. " "There could be no greater peril, " the girl admitted. "I foresaw itclearly enough, and yet--this is the most terrible part of it--yet myfeet moved as if obeying a will of their own, instead of mine, and whenI crossed his threshold, resistance was silenced, for I was receivedlike a princess. The lofty, spacious apartment was brilliantlyilluminated, and the door was garlanded with flowers. "It was magnificent! Then, in a manner as respectful as if welcoming anillustrious guest, he invited me to take my place opposite to him, thathe might form a goddess after my model. This was the highest flattery ofall, and I willingly assumed the position he directed, but he lookedat me from every side, with sparkling eyes, and asked me to let down myhair and remove the veil from the back of my head. Then--need I assureyou of it?--my blood boiled with righteous indignation; but instead ofbeing ashamed of the outrage, he raised his hand to my head and pulledthe veil. Resentment and wrath suddenly flamed in my soul, and before hecould detain me I had left the room. In spite of his representations andentreaties, I did not enter it again. " "Yet, " asked the sorceress in perplexity, "you once more obeyed hissummons?" "Yesterday also I could not help it, " Ledscha answered softly. "Fool!" cried Tabus indignantly, but the girl exclaimed, in a tone ofsincere shame: "You do well to call me that. Perhaps I deserve stillharsher names, for, in spite of the sternness with which I forbade himever to remind me of the studio by even a single word, I soon listenedto him willingly when he besought me, if I really loved him, not torefuse what would make him happy. If I allowed him to model my figure, his renown and greatness would be secured. And how clearly he made meunderstand this! I could not help believing it, and at last promisedthat, in spite of my father and the women of Tennis, I would grant all, all, and accompany him again to the work room if he would have patienceuntil the night of the next day but one, when the moon would be at thefull. " "And he?" asked Tabus anxiously. "He called the brief hours which I required him to wait an eternity, "replied the girl, "and they seemed no less long to me--but neitherentreaties nor urgency availed; what you predicted for me from thecords last year strengthened my courage. I should wantonly throw away--Iconstantly reminded myself--whatever great good fortune Fate destinedfor me if I yielded to my longing and took prematurely what was alreadyso close at hand; for--do you remember?--at that time it was promisedthat on a night when the moon was at the full a new period of theutmost happiness would begin for me. And now--unless everything deceivesme--now it awaits me. Whether it will come with the full moon ofto-morrow night, or the next, or the following one, your spiritsalone can know; but yesterday was surely too soon to expect the newhappiness. " "And he?" asked the old dame. "He certainly did not make it easy for me, " was the reply, "but asI remained firm, he was obliged to yield. I granted only his earnestdesire to see me again this evening. I fancy I can still hear himexclaim, with loving impetuosity, that he hated every day and everynight which kept him from me. And now? Now? For another's sake he letsme wait for him in vain, and if his slave does not lie, this is only thebeginning of his infamous, treacherous game. " She had uttered the last words in a hoarse cry, but Tabus answeredsoothingly: "Hush, child, hush! The first thing is to see clearly, ifI am to interpret correctly what is shown me here. The demons are tobe fully informed they have required it. But you? Did you come to hearwhether the spirits still intend to keep the promise they made then?" Ledscha eagerly assented to this question, and the old woman continuedurgently: "Then tell me first what suddenly incenses you so violentlyagainst the man whom you have so highly praised?" The girl related what had formerly been rumoured in Tennis, and whichshe had just heard from the slave. He had lured other women--even her innocent young sister--to his studio. Now he wanted to induce Ledscha to go there, not from love, but merelyto model her limbs so far as he considered them useful for his work. He was in haste to do so because he intended to return to the capitalimmediately. Whether he meant to leave her in the lurch after using herfor his selfish purposes, she also desired to learn from the sorceress. But she would ask him that question herself to-morrow. Woe betide him ifthe spirits recognised in him the deceiver she now believed him. Hitherto Tabus had listened quietly, but when she closed her passionatethreats with the exclamation that he also deserved punishment foralienating Gula, the sailor's wife, from her absent husband, theenchantress also lost her composure and cried out angrily: "If thatis true, if the Greek really committed that crime--then certainly. Theforeigners destroy, with their laughing levity, much that is good amongus. We must endure it; but whoever broke the Biamite's marriage bond, from the earliest times, forfeited his life, and so, the gods bethanked, it has remained. This very last year the fisherman Phabiskilled with a hammer the Alexandrian clerk who had stolen into hishouse, and drowned his faithless wife. But your lover--though you shouldweep for sorrow till your eyes are red--" "I would denounce the traitor, if he made himself worthy of death, "Ledscha passionately interrupted, with flashing eyes. "What portionof the slave's charge is true will appear at once--and if it provescorrect, to morrow's full moon shall indeed bring me the greatest bliss;for though, when I was younger and happier, I contradicted Abus when hedeclared that one thing surpassed even the raptures of love--satisfiedvengeance--now I would agree with him. " A loud cry of "Right! right!" from the old crone's lips expressed thegray-haired Biamite's pleasure in this worthy daughter of her race. Then she again gazed at the wine in the vessel, and this time she did sosilently, as if spellbound by the mirror on its bottom. At last, raising her aged head, she said in a tone of the most sincerecompassion: "Poor child! Yes, you would be cruelly and shamefullydeceived. Tear your love for this man from your heart, like poisonoushemlock. But the full moon which is to bring you great happiness isscarcely the next, perhaps not even the one which follows it, but surelyand certainly a later one will rise, by whose light the utmost blissawaits you. True, I see it come from another man than the Greek. " The girl had listened with panting breath. She believed as firmly in theinfallibility of the knowledge which the witch received from the demonswho obeyed her as she did in her own existence. All her happiness, all that had filled her joyous soul with freshlyawakened hopes, now lay shattered at her feet, and sobbing aloud shethrew herself down beside the old woman and buried her beautiful face inher lap. Completely overwhelmed by the great misfortune which had come upon her, without thinking of the vengeance which had just made her hold her headso proudly erect, or the rare delight which a later full moon was tobring, she remained motionless, while the old woman, who loved her andwho remembered an hour in the distant past when she herself had beendissolved in tears at the prediction of another prophetess, laid hertrembling hand upon her head. Let the child weep her fill. Time, perhaps vengeance also, cured many a heartache, and when they hadaccomplished this office upon the girl who had once been betrothed toher grandson, perhaps the full moon bringing happiness, whose appearancefirst the cords, then the wine mirror in the bottom of the vessel hadpredicted, would come to Ledscha, and she believed she knew at whoseside the girl could regain what she had twice lost--satisfaction for theyoung heart that yearned for love. "Only wait, wait, " she cried at last, repeating the consoling wordsagain and again, till Ledscha raised her tear-stained face. Impulse urged her to kiss the sufferer, but as she bent over the mournerthe copper dish slipped from her knees and fell rattling on the floor. Ledscha started up in terror, and at the same moment the Alexandrian'spacks of hounds on the shore opposite to the Owl's Nest began to barkso loudly that the deaf old woman heard the baying as if it came from agreat distance; but the girl ran out into the open air and, returningat the end of a few minutes, called joyously to the sorceress from thethreshold, "They are coming!" "They, they, " faltered Tabus, hurriedly pushing her disordered gray hairunder the veil on the back of her head, while exclaiming, scarcely ableto use her voice in her joyous excitement: "I knew it. He keeps hisword. My Satabus is coming. The ducks, the bread, the fish, girl! Good, loyal heart. " Then a wide, long shadow fell across the dimly lighted room, and fromthe darkened threshold a strangely deep, gasping peal of laughter rangfrom a man's broad breast. "Satabus! My boy!" the witch's shriek rose above the peculiar sound. "Mother!" answered the gray-bearded lips of the pirate. For one short moment he remained standing at the door with outstretchedarms. Then he took a step toward the beloved being from whom he had beenseparated more than two years, and suddenly throwing himself down beforeher, while his huge lower limbs covered part of the floor, he stretchedhis hands toward the little crooked old woman, who had not strengthto rise from her crouching posture, and seizing her with lovingimpetuosity, lifted her as if she were a child, and placing her on hisknees, drew her into a close embrace. Tabus willingly submitted to this act of violence, and passing herthin left arm around her son's bull neck with her free hand, patted hisbearded cheeks, wrinkled brow, and bushy, almost white hair. No intelligible words passed the lips of either the mother or the sonat this meeting; nothing but a confused medley of tender and uncouthnatural sounds, which no language knows. Yet they understood each other, and Ledscha, who had moved silentlyaside, also comprehended that these low laughs, moans, cries, andstammers were the expressions of love of two deeply agitated hearts, andfor a moment an emotion of envy seized her. The gods had early bereft her of her mother, while this savage fighteragainst the might of the waves, justice, law, and their pitiless, too powerful defenders, this man, already on the verge of age, stillpossessed his, and sunned his rude heart in her love. It was some time before the old pirate had satisfied his yearning foraffection and placed his light burden down beside the fire. Tabus now regained the power to utter distinct words, and, difficultas it was for her half paralyzed tongue to speak, she poured a flood oftender pet names and affectionate thanks upon the head of her rude son, the last one left, who had grown gray in bloody warfare; but with theeyes of her soul she again saw in him the little boy whom, with warmmaternal love, she had once pressed to her breast and cradled in herarms. When, in his rough fashion, he warmly returned her professions oftenderness, her eyes grew wet with tears, and at the question what hecould still find in her, a withered, good-for-nothing little creaturewho just dragged along from one day to another, an object of pityto herself, he again burst into his mighty laugh, and his deep voiceshouted: "Do you want to know that? But where would be the lime thatholds us on the ships if you were no longer here? The best capturewouldn't be worth a drachm if we could not say, 'Hurrah! how pleased theold mother will be when she hears it!' And when things go badly, whenmen have been wounded or perished in the sea, we should despair ofour lives if we did not know that whatever troubles our hearts theold mother feels, too, and we shall always get from her the kind wordsneeded to press on again. And then, when the strait is sore and life isat stake, whence would come the courage to cast the die if we did notknow that you are with us day and night, and will send your spirits tohelp us if the need is great? Hundreds of times they rushed to our aidjust at the right time, and assisted us to hew off the hand of the foewhich was already choking us. But that is only something extra, which wecould do without, if necessary. That you are here, that a man stillhas his dear mother, whose heart wishes us everything good and our foesdeath and destruction, whose aged eyes will weep if anything harms us, that, mother dear, that is the main thing!" He bent his clumsy figure over her as he spoke, and cautiously, as if hewere afraid of doing her some injury, kissed her head with tender care. Then, rising, he turned to Ledscha, whom he always regarded as his deadson's betrothed bride, and greeted her with sincere kindness. Her great beauty strengthened his plan of uniting her to his oldest son, and when the latter entered the house he cast a searching glance at him. The result was favourable, for a smile of satisfaction flitted over hisscarred features. The young pirate's stately figure was not inferior in height to theold one's, but his shoulders were narrower, his features less broad andfull, and his hair and beard had the glossy raven hue of the blackbird'splumage. The young man paused on the threshold in embarrassment, and gazed atLedscha with pleased surprise. When he saw her last his grandmother hadnot been stricken by paralysis, and the girl was the promised wife ofhis older brother, to whom custom forbade him to raise his eyes. He had thought of her numberless times as the most desirable of women. Now nothing prevented his wooing her, and finding her far more beautifulthan memory had showed her, strengthened his intention of winning her. This purpose had matured in the utmost secrecy. He had concealed it evenfrom his father and his brother Labaja, who was still keeping watch onthe ships, for he had a reserved disposition, and though obliged to obeyhis father, wherever it was possible he pursued his own way. Though Satabus shared Hanno's wish, it vexed him that at this meeting, after so long a separation, his son should neglect his beloved andhonoured mother for the sake of a beautiful girl. So, turning his backon Ledscha, he seized the young giant's shoulder with a powerful grip todrag him toward the old woman; but Hanno perceived his error, and now, in brief but affectionate words, showed his grandmother that he, too, rejoiced at seeing her again. The sorceress gazed at her grandson's stalwart figure with a pleasantsmile, and, after welcoming him, exclaimed to Ledscha: "It seems as ifAbus had risen from the grave. " The girl vouchsafed her dead lover's brother a brief glance, and, whilepouring oil upon the fish in the pan, answered carelessly: "He is alittle like him. " "Not only in person, " remarked the old pirate, with fatherly pride, andpointing to the broad scar across the young man's forehead, visibleeven in the dim light, he added by way of explanation: "When we tookvengeance for Abus, he bore away that decoration of honour. The blownearly made him follow his brother, but the youth first sent the soulsof half a dozen enemies to greet him in the nether world. " Then Ledscha held out her hand to Hanno, and permitted him to detain ittill an ardent glance from his black eyes met hers, and she withdrewit blushing. As she did so she said to Tabus: "You can put them on thefire, and there stands whatever else you need. I must go home now. " In taking leave of the men she asked if she could hope to find them hereagain the next day. "The full moon will make it damnably light, " repliedthe father, "but they will scarcely venture to assail the right ofasylum, and the ships anchored according to regulation at Tanis, with acargo of wood from Sinope. Besides, for two years people have believedthat we have abandoned these waters, and the guards think that if weshould return, the last time to choose would be these bright nights. Still, I should not like to decide anything positively about the morrowuntil news came from Labaja. " "You will find me, whatever happens, " Hanno declared after his fatherhad ceased speaking. Old Tabus exchanged a swift glance with her son, and Satabus said: "He is his own master. If I am obliged to go--whichmay happen--then, my girl, you must be content with the youth. Besides, you are better suited to him than to the graybeard. " He shook hands with Ledscha as he spoke, and Hanno accompanied her toher boat. At first he was silent, but as she was stepping into the skiff herepeated his promise of meeting her here the following night. "Very well, " she answered quickly. "Perhaps I may have a commission togive you. " "I will fulfil it, " he answered firmly. "To-morrow, then, " she called, "unless something unexpected prevents. " But when seated on the thwart she again turned to him, and asked: "Doesit need a long time to bring your ship, with brave men on board, to thisplace?" "We can be here in four hours, and with favourable winds still sooner, "was the reply. "Even if it displeases your father?" "Even then, and though the gods, many as there are, should forbid--ifonly your gratitude will be gained. " "It will, " she answered firmly, and the water plashed lightly under thestrokes of her oars. CHAPTER V. In the extreme northern portion of the little city of Tennis a large, perfectly plain whitewashed building stood on an open, grass-grownsquare. The side facing the north rested upon a solid substructure of hardblocks of hewn stone washed by the waves. This protecting wall extended along both sides of the long, plainedifice, and prevented the water from overflowing the open space whichbelonged to it. Archias, the owner of the largest weaving establishment in Tennis, thefather of the Alexandrian aristocrat who had arrived the evening before, was the owner of the house, as well as of the broad plain on whichhe had had it built, with the indestructible sea wall, to serve as astorehouse to receive the supplies of linen, flax, and wool which weremanufactured in his factories. It was favourably situated for this purpose, for the raw materials couldbe moved from the ships which brought them to Tennis directly into thebuilding. But as the factories were at a considerable distance, thetransportation required much time and expense, and therefore Archias hadhad a canal dug connecting the workshops with the water, and at its enderected a new storehouse, which rendered a second transportation of theships' cargoes unnecessary. The white mansion had not yet been devoted to any other purpose when theowner determined to offer the spacious empty rooms of the ware house tohis nephews, the sculptors Hermon and Myrtilus, for the productionof two works with whose completion he associated expectations of goodfortune both for the young artists, who were his nephews and wards, andhimself. The very extensive building which now contained the studios and spaciousliving apartments for the sculptors and their slaves would also haveafforded ample room for his daughter and her attendants, but Daphnehad learned from the reports of the artists that rats, mice, and otherdisagreeable vermin shared the former storehouse with them, so she hadpreferred to have tents pitched in the large open space which belongedit. True, the broad field was exposed to the burning sun, and its soil wascovered only with sand and pitiably scorched turf, but three palm trees, a few sunt acacias, two carob trees, a small clump of fig trees, and thesuperb, wide-branched sycamore on the extreme outer edge had won for itthe proud name of a "garden. " Now a great change in its favour had taken place, for Daphne's beautifultent, with walls and top of blue and white striped sail-cloth, and thesmall adjoining tents of the same colours, gave it a brighter aspect. The very roomy main tent contained the splendidly furnished sitting anddining rooms. The beds occupied by Daphne and her companion, Chrysilla, had been placed in an adjoining one, which was nearly as large, and thecook, with his assistants, was quartered in a third. The head keeper, the master of the hounds, and most of the slavesremained in the transports which had followed the state galley. Somehad slept under the open sky beside the dog kennel hastily erected forDaphne's pack of hounds. So, on the morning after the wholly unexpected arrival of the owner'sdaughter, the "garden" in front of the white house, but yesterday adesolate field, resembled an encampment, whose busy life was varied andnoisy enough. Slaves and freedmen had been astir before sunrise, for Daphne was upbetimes in order to begin the hunt in the early hour when the birds lefttheir secret nooks on the islands. Her cousins, the young sculptors, to please her, had gone out, too, butthe sport did not last long; for when the market place of Tennis, justbetween the morning and noontide hours, was most crowded, the littleboats which the hunters had used again touched the shore. With them and Daphne's servants seafaring men also left theboats--Biamite fishermen and boatmen, who knew the breeding places andnests of the feathered prey--and before them, barking loudly and shakingtheir dripping bodies, the young huntress's brown and white spotted dogsran toward the tents. Dark-skinned slaves carried the game, which had been tied in buncheswhile in the boats, to the white house, where they laid three rows oflarge water fowl, upon the steps leading to the entrance. Daphne's arrows were supposed to have killed all these, but the masterof the hunt had taken care to place among his mistress's booty some ofthe largest pelicans and vultures which had been shot by the others. Before retiring to her tent, she inspected the result of the shootingexpedition and was satisfied. She had been told of the numbers of birds in this archipelago, butthe quantity of game which had been killed far exceeded her greatestexpectations, and her pleasant blue eyes sparkled with joy as she beganto examine the birds which had been slaughtered in so short a time. Yet, ere she had finished the task, a slight shadow flitted over herwell-formed and attractive though not beautiful features. The odour emanating from so many dead fowls, on which the sun, alreadyhigh in the heavens, was shining, became disagreeable to her, and astrong sense of discomfort, whose cause, however, she did not seek, madeher turn from them. The movement with which she did so was full of quiet, stately grace, andthe admiring glance with which Hermon, a tall, black-bearded young man, watched it, showed that he knew how to value the exquisite symmetry ofher figure. The somewhat full outlines of her form and the self-possession of herbearing would have led every one to think her a young matron rather thana girl; but the two artists who accompanied her on the shooting partyhad been intimate with her from childhood, and knew how much modesty andgenuine kindness of heart were united with the resolute nature of thismaiden, who numbered two and twenty years. Fair-haired Myrtilus seemed to pay little heed to the game which Gras, Archias's Bithynian house steward, was counting, but black-beardedHermon had given it more attention, and when Daphne drew back he noddedapprovingly, and pointing to the heap of motionless inhabitants of theair, exclaimed with sincere regret: "Fie upon us human wretches! Wouldthe most bloodthirsty hyena destroy such a number of living creatures ina few hours? Other beasts of prey do not kill even one wretchedsparrow more than they need to appease their hunger. But we and you, tender-hearted priestess of a gracious goddess--leading us friends ofthe Muse--we pursue a different course! What a mound of corpses! Andwhat will become of it? Perhaps a few geese and ducks will go into thekitchen; but the rest--the red flamingoes and the brave pelicans whofeed their young with their own blood? They are only fit to throw away, for the Biamites eat no game that is shot, and your black slaves, too, would refuse to taste it. So we destroy hundreds of lives for pastime. Base word! As if we had so many superfluous hours at our disposal ere wedescend into Hades. A philosopher among brutes would be entitled to cryout, 'Shame upon you, raging monster!'" "Shame on you, you perpetual grumbler, " interrupted Daphne in anoffended tone. "Who would ever have thought it cruel to test the steadyhand and the keen eye upon senseless animals in the joyous chase? Butwhat shall we call the fault-finder, who spoils his friend's innocentenjoyment of a happy morning by his sharp reproaches?" Hermon shrugged his shoulders, and, in a voice which expressed farmore compassion than resentment, answered: "If this pile of dead birdspleases you, go on with the slaughter. You can sometimes save the arrowsand catch the swarming game with your hands. If your lifeless victimsyonder were human beings, after all, they would have cause to thank you;for what is existence?" "To these creatures, everything, " said Myrtilus, the Alexandrian'sother cousin, beckoning to Daphne, who had summoned him to her aid bya beseeching glance, to draw nearer. "Gladly as I would always andeverywhere uphold your cause, I can not do so this time. Only look here!Your arrow merely broke the wing of yonder sea eagle, and he is justrecovering from the shock. What a magnificent fellow! How wrathfully andvengefully his eyes sparkle! How fiercely he stretches his brave headtoward us in helpless fury, and--step back!--how vigorously, spite ofthe pain of his poor, wounded, drooping pinion, he flaps the other, andraises his yellow claws to punish his foes! His plumage glistens andshines exquisitely where it lies smooth, and how savagely he puffsout the feathers on his neck! A wonderful spectacle! The embodimentof powerful life! And the others by his side. We transformed the poorcreatures into a motionless, miserable mass, and just now they werecleaving the air with their strong wings, proclaiming by proud, gladcries to their families among the reeds their approach with an abundantstore of prey. Every one was a feast to the eyes before our arrowsstruck it, and now? When Hermon, with his pitying heart, condemns thiskind of hunting, he is right. It deprives free, harmless creatures oftheir best possession--life--and us thereby of a pleasant sight. Ingeneral, a bird's existence seems to me also of little value, butbeauty, to me as to you, transcends everything else. What wouldexistence be without it? and wherever it appears, to injure it isinfamous. " Here a slight cough interrupted the young artist, and the moist glitterof his blue eyes also betrayed that he was suffering from an attack ofsevere pain in his lungs; but Daphne nodded assent to him, and to Hermonalso, and commanded the steward Gras to take the birds out of her sight. "But, " said the Bithynian, "our mistress will doubtless allow us atleast to take the hard lower part of the pelicans' beaks, and the wingfeathers of the flamingoes and birds of prey, to show our master on ourreturn as trophies. " "Trophies?" repeated the girl scornfully. "Hermon, you are better thanI and the rest of us, and I see that you are right. Where game fliestoward us in such quantities, hunting becomes almost murder. Andsuccesses won by so slight an exertion offer little charm. The secondexpedition before sunset, Gras, shall be given up. The master of thehounds, with his men and the dogs, will return home on the transportsthis very day. I am disgusted with sport here. Birds of prey, and thoseonly when brought down from the air, would probably be the right game inthis place. " "Those are the very ones to which I would grant life, " said Hermon, smiling, "because they enjoy it most. " "Then we will at least save the sea eagle, " cried Daphne, and orderedthe steward, who was already having the dead fowl carried off, to carefor the wounded bird of prey; but when the latter struck furiously withhis beak at the Biamite who attempted to remove it, Hermon again turnedto the girl, saying: "I thank you in the eagle's name for your goodwill, you best of women; but I fear even the most careful nursing willnot help this wounded creature, for the higher one seeks to soar, themore surely he goes to destruction if his power of flight is broken. Mine, too, was seriously injured. " "Here?" asked Daphne anxiously. "At this time, which is of such greatimportance to you and your art?" Then she interrupted herself to ask Myrtilus's opinion, but as he hadgone away coughing, she continued, in a softer tone: "How anxious youcan make one, Hermon! Has anything really happened which clouds yourpleasure in creating, and your hope of success?" "Let us wait, " he answered, hastily throwing back his head, with itsthick, waving raven locks. "If, in leaping over the ditch, I should fallinto the marsh, I must endure it, if thereby I can only reach the shorewhere my roses bloom!" "Then you fear that you have failed in the Demeter?" asked Daphne. "Failed?" repeated the other. "That seems too strong. Only the work isnot proving as good as I originally expected. For the head we both useda model--you will see--whose fitness could not be surpassed. But thebody! Myrtilus knows how earnestly I laboured, and, without looking tothe right or the left, devoted all my powers to the task of creation. True, the models did not remain. But even had a magic spell doubled myability, the toil would still have been futile. The error is there; yetI am repairing it. To be sure, many things must aid me in doing so, forwhich I now hope; who knows whether it will not again be in vain? Youare acquainted with my past life. It has never yet granted me any great, complete success, and if I was occasionally permitted to pluck a flower, my hands were pricked by thorns and nettles!" He pursed up his lips as if to hiss the unfriendly fate, and Daphne feltthat he, whose career she had watched from childhood with the interestof affection, and to whom, though she did not confess it even toherself, she had clung for years with far more than sisterly love, needed a kind word. Her heart ached, and it was difficult for her to assume the cheerfultone which she desired to use; but she succeeded, and her voice soundedgay and careless enough as she exclaimed to the by no means happy artistand Myrtilus, who was just returning: "Give up your foolish opposition, you obstinate men, and let me see what you have accomplished during thislong time. You promised my father that you would show your work to noone before him, but believe my words, if he were here he would giveyou back the pledge and lead me himself to the last production of yourstudy. Compassion would compel you disobliging fellows to yield, if youcould only imagine how curiosity tortures us women. We can conquer itwhere more indifferent matters are concerned. But here!--it need notmake you vainer than you already are, but except my father, you aredearest in all the world to me. And then, only listen! In my characteras priestess of Demeter I hereby release you from your vow, and thusfrom any evil consequences of your, moreover, very trivial guilt; for afather and daughter who live together, as I do with your uncle, arejust the same as one person. So come! Wearied as I am by the miserablehunting excursion which caused me such vexation, in the presence of yourworks--rely upon it--I shall instantly be gay again, and all my lifewill thank you for your noble indulgence. " While speaking, she walked toward the white house, beckoning to theyoung men with a winning, encouraging smile. It seemed to produce the effect intended, for the artists looked ateach other irresolutely, and Hermon was already asking himself whetherDaphne's arguments had convinced Myrtilus also, when the latter, ingreat excitement, called after her: "How gladly we would do it, but wemust not fulfil your wish, for it was no light promise--no, your fatherexacted an oath. He alone can absolve us from the obligation of showinghim, before any one else, what we finish here. It is not to be submittedto the judges until after he has seen it. " "Listen to me!" Daphne interrupted with urgent warmth, and began toassail the artists with fresh entreaties. For the second time black-bearded Hermon seemed inclined to give up hisresistance, but Myrtilus cried in zealous refusal: "For Hermon's sake, I insist upon my denial. The judges must not talk about the work untilboth tasks are completed, for then each of us will be as good as certainof a prize. I myself believe that the one for Demeter will fall to me. " "But Hermon will succeed better with the Arachne?" asked Daphne eagerly. Myrtilus warmly assented, but Hermon exclaimed: "If I could only relyupon the good will of the judges!" "Why not?" the girl interrupted. "My father is just, the king is anincorruptible connoisseur, and certainly yesterday evening you, too, believed the others to be honest men; as for your fellow-candidateMyrtilus, he will no more grudge a prize to you than to himself. " "Why should he?" asked Hermon, as if he, too, was perfectly sure of hisfriend. "We have shared many a bit of bread together. When we determinedupon this competition each knew the other's ability. Your fathercommissioned us to create peaceful Demeter, the patroness ofagriculture, peace, marriage, and Arachne, the mortal who was the mostskilful of spinners; for he is both a grain dealer and owner of spinningfactories. The best Demeter is to be placed in the Alexandrian temple ofthe goddess, to whose priestesses you belong; the less successful onein your own house in the city, but whose Demeter is destined for thesanctuary, I repeat, is now virtually decided. Myrtilus will add thisprize to the others, and grant me with all his heart the one for theArachne. The subject, at any rate, is better adapted to my art than tohis, and so I should be tolerably certain of my cause. Yet my anxietyabout the verdict of the judges remains, for surely you know how muchthe majority are opposed to my tendency. I, and the few Alexandrianswho, following me, sacrifice beauty to truth, swim against the streamwhich bears you, Myrtilus, and those who are on your side, smoothlyalong. I know that you do it from thorough conviction, but withother acknowledged great artists and our judges, you, too, demandbeauty--always beauty. Am I right, or wrong? Is not any one who refusesto follow in the footsteps left by the ancients of Athens as certain ofcondemnation as the convicted thief or murderer? But I will not followthe lead of the Athenians, inimitably great though they are in theirown way, because I would fain be more than the ancients of Ilissus: adisciple and an Alexandrian. " "The never-ending dispute, " Myrtilus answered his fellow-artist, with acordiality in which, nevertheless, there was a slight accent of pity. "Surely you know it, Daphne. To me the ideal and its embodimentwithin the limits of the natural, according to the models of Phidias, Polycletus, and Myron is the highest goal, but he and his co-workersseek objects nearer at hand. " "Or rather we found them, " cried Hermon, interrupting his companionwith angry positiveness. "The city of Alexandria, which is growing withunprecedented vigour, is their home. There, the place to which everyrace on earth sends a representative, the pulse of the whole world isthrobbing. There, whoever does not run with the rest is run over; there, but one thing is important--actual life. Science has undertaken tofathom it, and the results which it gains with measures and numbers isof a different value and more lasting than that which the idle sport ofthe intellects of the older philosophers obtained. But art, her noblersister, must pursue the same paths. To copy life as it is, to reproducethe real as it presents itself, not as it might or must be, is the taskwhich I set myself. If you would have me carve gods, whom man can notrepresent to himself except in his own form, allow me also to representthem as reality shows me mortals. I will form them after the models ofthe greatest, highest, and best, and also, when the subject permits, inpowerful action in accordance with my own power, but always as real menfrom head to foot. We must also cling to the old symbols which thosewho order demand, because they serve as signs of recognition, and myDemeter, too, received the bundle of wheat. " As the excited artist uttered this challenge a defiant glance restedupon his comrade and Daphne. But Myrtilus, with a soothing gesture ofthe hand, answered: "What is the cause of this heat? I at least watchyour work with interest, and do not dispute your art so long as it doesnot cross the boundaries of the beautiful, which to me are those ofart. " Here the conversation was interrupted; the steward Gras brought a letterwhich a courier from Pelusium had just delivered. Thyone, the wife of Philippus, the commander of the strong borderfortress of Pelusium, near Tennis, had written it. She and her husbandhad been intimate friends of Hermon's father, who had served under theold general as hipparch, and through him had become well acquainted withhis wealthy brother Archias and his relatives. The Alexandrian merchant had informed Philippus--whom, like all theworld, he held in the highest honour as one of the former companionsof Alexander the Great--of his daughter's journey, and his wife nowannounced her visit to Daphne. She expected to reach Tennis that eveningwith her husband and several friends, and mentioned especially heranticipation of meeting Hermon, the son of her beloved Erigone and herhusband's brave companion in arms. Daphne and Myrtilus received the announcement with pleasure; butHermon, who only the day before had spoken of the old couple with greataffection, seemed disturbed by the arrival of the unexpected guests. Toavoid them entirely appeared impossible even to him, but he declaredin an embarrassed tone, and without giving any reason, that he shouldscarcely be able to devote the entire evening to Daphne and thePelusinians. Then he turned quickly toward the house, to which a signal from hisslave Bias summoned him. CHAPTER VI. As soon as Hermon had disappeared behind the door Daphne begged Myrtilusto accompany her into the tent. After taking their seats there, the anxious exclamation escaped herlips: "How excited he became again! The stay in Tennis does not seem toagree with you--you are coughing, and father expected so much benefit toyour ailment from the pure moist air, and to Hermon still more fromthe lonely life here in your society. But I have rarely seen him morestrongly enlisted in behalf of the tendency opposed to beauty. " "Then your father must be satisfied with the good effect which ourresidence here has exerted upon me, " replied Myrtilus. "I know thathe was thinking of my illness when he proposed to us to complete hiscommissions here. Hermon--the good fellow!--could never have beeninduced to leave his Alexandria, had not the hope of thereby doing me akindness induced him to follow me. I will add it to the many for whichI am already indebted to his friendship. As for art, he will go hisown way, and any opposition would be futile. A goddess--he perceives ithimself--was certainly the most unfortunate subject possible for his--" "Is his Demeter a complete failure?" asked Daphne anxiously. "Certainly not, " replied Myrtilus eagerly. "The head is even one of his very best. Only the figure awakens gravedoubts. In the effort to be faithful to reality, the fear of makingconcessions to beauty, he lapsed into ungraceful angularity and asturdiness which, in my opinion, would be unpleasing even in a mortalwoman. The excess of unbridled power again makes it self visible in thewonderfully gifted man. Many things reached him too late, and others toosoon. " Daphne eagerly asked what he meant by these words, and Myrtilus replied:"Surely you know how he became a sculptor. Your father had intended himto be his successor in business, but Hermon felt the vocation to becomean artist--probably first in my studio--awake with intense force. WhileI early placed myself under the instruction of the great Bryaxis, he wasbeing trained for a merchant's life. When he was to guide the reed inthe counting-house, he sketched; when he was sent to the harbour todirect the loading of the ships, he became absorbed in gazing at thestatues placed there. In the warehouse he secretly modelled, insteadof attending to the bales of goods. You are certainly aware what asad breach occurred then, and how long Hermon was restrained before hesucceeded in turning his back upon trade. " "My father meant so kindly toward him, " Daphne protested. "He wasappointed guardian to you both. You are rich, and therefore he aided inevery possible way your taste for art; but Hermon did not inherit fromhis parents a single drachm, and so my father saw the most seriousstruggles awaiting him if he devoted himself to sculpture. And, besides, he had destined his nephew to become his successor, the head of one ofthe largest commercial houses in the city. " "And in doing so, " Myrtilus responded, "he believed he had made the bestprovision for his happiness. But there is something peculiar in art. I know from your father himself how kind his intentions were when hewithdrew his assistance from Hermon, and when he had escaped to theisland of Rhodes, left him to make his own way during the first periodof apprenticeship through which he passed there. Necessity, he thought, would bring him back to where he had a life free from anxiety awaitinghim. But the result was different. Far be it from me to blame theadmirable Archias, yet had he permitted his ward to follow his truevocation earlier, it would have been better for him. " "Then you think that he began to study too late?" asked Daphne eagerly. "Not too late, " was the reply, "but with his passionate struggle toadvance, an earlier commencement would have been more favourable. Whilethe companions of his own age were already doing independent work, hewas still a student, and so it happened that he began for himself toosoon. " "Yet, " Daphne answered, "can you deny that, directly after Hermonproduced his first work which made his talent undeniable, my fatheragain treated him like his own son?" "On the contrary, " replied Myrtilus, "I remember only too well howArchias at that time, probably not entirely without your intercession, fairly showered gold upon his nephew, but unfortunately this abundancewas by no means to his advantage. " "What do you mean?" asked Daphne. "Were not you, at that very time, in full possession of the great wealth inherited from your father andmother, and yet did you not work far beyond your strength? Bryaxis--Iheard him--was full of your praises, and yet entreated my father to useall his influence, as guardian, to warn you against overwork. " "My kind master!" cried Myrtilus, deeply moved. "He was as anxious aboutme as a father. " "Because he perceived that you were destined for great achievements. " "And because it did not escape his penetration how much I needed care. My lungs, Daphne, my lungs--surely you know how the malicious diseasebecame fatal to my clear mother, and to my brother and sister also. Allthree sank prematurely into the grave, and for years the shades of myparents have been beckoning to me too. When the cough shakes my chest, Isee Charon raise his oar and invite me also to enter his sable boat. " "But you just assured me that you were doing well, " observed the girl. "The cough alone makes me a little anxious. If you could only see foryourself what a beautiful colour the pure air has given your cheeks!" "This flush, " replied Myrtilus gravely, "is the sunset of life's closingday, not the dawn of approaching convalescence. But let us drop thesubject. I allude to these sorrowful things only to prevent your praisesof me at Hermon's expense. True, even while a student I possessed wealthfar beyond my needs, but the early deaths of my brother and sister hadtaught me even then to be economical of the brief span of life allottedto me. Hermon, on the contrary, was overflowing with manly vigour, andthe strongest among the Ephebi in the wrestling school. After threenights' revel he would not even feel weary, and how difficult the womenmade it for the handsome, black-bearded fellow to commence his workearly! Did you ever ask yourself why young steeds are not broken inflowery meadows, but upon sand? Nothing which attracts their attentionand awakens their desires must surround them; but your father's goldled Hermon, ere the season of apprenticeship was over, into the mostluxuriant clover fields. Honour and respect the handsome, hot-bloodedyouth that, nevertheless, he allowed himself to be diverted from workonly a short time and soon resumed it with ardent zeal, at first insuperabundance, and then amid fresh need and privation. " "O Myrtilus, " the girl interrupted, "how terribly I suffered in thosedays! For the first time the gods made me experience that there areblack clouds, as well as bright sunshine, in the human soul. For weeksan impassable gulf separated me from my father, with whom I had alwayshad one heart and soul. But I never saw him as he was then. The firstprize had been awarded to you for your Aphrodite, radiant in marvellousbeauty, and your brow had also been already crowned for your statue ofAlexander, when Hermon stepped forward with his works. They were at thesame time the first which were to show what he believed to be the truemission of art--a hideous hawker, hide in hand, praising his wares withopen mouth, and the struggling Maenads. Surely you know the horriblewomen who throw one another on the ground, tearing and rending withbestial fury. The spectacle of these fruits of the industry of one dearto me grieved me also, and I could not understand how you and the otherssaw anything to admire in them. And my father! At the sight of thesethings the colour faded from his cheeks and lips, and, as if by virtueof his guardianship he had a right to direct Hermon in the paths ofart also, he forbade his ward to waste any more time in such horriblescarecrows, and awaken loathing and wrath instead of gratification, exultation, and joy. You know the consequences, but you do not know howmy heart ached when Hermon, frantic with wounded pride and indignation, turned his back upon my father and severed every tie that united him tous. In spite of his deep vexation and the unbridled violence with whichthe nephew had allowed himself to address his uncle, my father did notdream of withholding his assistance from him. But Hermon no longercame to our house, and when I sent for him to bring him to reason, hepositively declared that he would not accept another obolus from myfather--he would rather starve than permit any one to dictate to himin the choice of his subjects. Liberty was worth more than his uncle'sgold. Yet my father sent him his annual allowance. " "But he refused it, " added Myrtilus. "I remember that day well, how Itried to persuade him, and, when he persisted in his intention, besoughthim to accept from my abundance what he needed. But this, too, heresolutely refused, though at that time I was already so deeply in hisdebt that I could not repay him at all with paltry money. " "You are thinking of the devotion with which he nursed you when you wereso ill?" asked Daphne. "Certainly; yet not of that alone, " was the reply. "You do not know howhe stood by me in the worst days. Who was it that after my first greatsuccesses, when base envy clouded many an hour of my life, rejoiced withme as though he himself had won the laurel? It was he, the ambitiousartist, though recognition held even farther aloof from his creationsthan success. And when, just at that time, the insidious diseaseattacked me more cruelly than ever, he devoted himself to me like aloving brother. While formerly, in the overflowing joy of existence, hehad revelled all day and caroused all night, how often he paused in therush of gaiety to exchange the festal hall for a place beside my couch, frequently remaining there until Eos dyed the east, that he mighthold my fevered hand and support my shaken frame! Frequently too, whenalready garlanded for some gay banquet, he took the flowers from hishead and devoted the night to his friend, that he might not leave him tothe attendance of the slaves. It is owing to him, and the care and skillof the great leech Erasistratus, that I am still standing before youalive and can praise what my Hermon was and proved himself to me inthose days. Yet I must also accuse him of a wrong; to this hour I bearhim a grudge for having, in those sorrowful hours, refused to share myproperty with me fraternally. What manly pride would have cheerfullypermitted him to accept was opposed by the defiant desire to show me, your father, you, the whole world, that he would depend upon himself, and needed assistance neither from human beings nor even the gods. Inthe same way, while working, he obstinately rejected my counsel andmy help, though the Muse grants me some things which he unfortunatelylacks. Great as his talent is, firmly as I believe that he will yetsucceed some day in creating something grand, nay, perhaps somethingmighty, the unbelieving disciple of Straton lacks the power ofcomprehending the august dignity, the superhuman majesty of the divinenature, and he does not succeed in representing the bewitching charmof woman, because he hates it as the bull hates a red rag. Only oncehitherto has he been successful, and that was with your bust. " Daphne's cheeks suddenly flamed with a burning flush, and feeling itshe raised her feather fan to her eyes, and with forced indifferencemurmured: "We were good friends from our earliest childhood. And, besides, how small is the charm with which the artist who chooses me fora model has to deal!" "It is rather an unusually fascinating one, " Myrtilus assertedresolutely. "I have no idea of flattering you, and you are certainlyaware that I do not number you among the beauties of Alexandria. Butinstead of the delicate, symmetrical features which artists need, thegods bestowed upon you a face which wins all hearts, even those ofwomen, because it is a mirror of genuine, helpful, womanly kindness, asincere disposition, and a healthy, receptive mind. To reproduce such aface, not exactly beautiful, and yet bewitching, is the hardest possibletask, and Hermon, I repeat it, has succeeded. You are the only one ofyour noble sex who inspires the motherless man with respect, and forwhom he feels more than a fleeting fancy. What does he not owe you?After the bridge which united him to his uncle and paternal friend hadbeen so suddenly broken, it was you who rebuilt it. Now, I think, it isstronger than ever. I could not imagine anything that would induce himto give you up; and all honour to your father, who, instead of bearingthe insubordinate fellow a grudge, only drew him more warmly to hisheart, and gave us two commissions which will permit each to do hisbest. If I see clearly, the daughter of Archias is closely connectedwith this admirable deed. " "Of course, " replied Daphne, "my father discussed his intention with me, but the thought was entirely his own. True, Hermon's Street-Boy eatingFigs was not exactly according to his taste, but it pleased him betterthan his former works, and I agree with Euphranor, it is remarkably trueto nature. My father perceived this too. Besides, he is a merchant whosets a high value upon what he has earned, and Hermon's refusal of hisgold startled him. Then the good man also saw how nobly, in spite of hiswild life, his obstinacy, and the work so unpleasing to him, his nephewalways showed the noble impulses inherited from his brave father, andthus Hermon gained the day. " "But what would have become of him last year, after the mortifyingrejection of his model of The Happy Return Home for the harbour ofEunostus, " asked Myrtilus, "if you and your encouragement had notcheered him?" "That verdict, too, was abominable!" exclaimed Daphne indignantly. "Themother opening her arms to the returning son was unlovely, it is true, and did not please me either; but the youth with the travelling hat andstaff is magnificent in his vigour and natural action. " "That opinion, as you know, is mine also, " replied Myrtilus. "In themother the expression was intended to take the place of beauty. For thereturning son, as well as for the fig-eater, he found a suitable model. True, the best was at his disposal for his Demeter. " Here he hesitated; but Daphne so urgently asked to know what he, who hadalready denied her admission to the studios, was now again withholdingfrom her, that, smiling indulgently, he added: "Then I must probablyconsent to tell in advance the secret with which you were to besurprised. Before him, as well as before me, hovered--since you wishto know it--in Alexandria, when we first began to model the head ofthe goddess, a certain charming face which is as dear to one as to theother. " Daphne, joyously excited, held out her hand to the artist, exclaiming:"Oh, how kind that is! Yet how was it possible, since I posed neither tohim nor to you?" "Hermon had finished your bust only a short time before, and youpermitted me to use your head for my statue of the goddess of Peace, which went down with the ship on the voyage to Ostia. This was at thedisposal of us both in three or four reproductions, and, besides, ithovered before our mental vision clearly enough. When the time to showyou our work arrives, you will be surprised to discover how differentlytwo persons see and copy the same object. " "Now that I know so much, and have a certain share in your works, Iinsist upon seeing them!" cried Daphne with far greater impetuosity thanusual. "Tell Hermon so, and remind him that I shall at any rate expecthim to meet the Pelusinian guests at the banquet. Threaten him seriouslywith my grave displeasure if he persists in leaving it speedily. " "I will not fail to do my part, " replied Myrtilus; "but as to your wishto see the two Demeters--" "That will come to pass, " interrupted Daphne, "as soon as we three aretogether again like a clover leaf. " She returned the sculptor's farewellgreeting as she spoke, but before he reached the entrance to the tentshe again detained him with the exclamation: "Only this one thing more:Does Hermon deceive himself when he hopes so confidently for successwith the weaver, Arachne?" "Hardly--if the model whom he desires does not fail him. " "Is she beautiful, and did he find her here in Tennis?" asked Daphne, trying to assume an indifferent manner; but Myrtilus was not deceived, and answered gaily: "That's the way people question children to find outthings. Farewell until the banquet, fair curiosity!" CHAPTER VII. The slave Bias had not gone to the hunting party with his master. He hadnever been fit for such expeditions, since the Egyptian guard who tookhim to the slave market for sale crippled the arch-traitor's son's leftleg by a blow, but he was all the more useful in the house, and even thekeenest eye could scarcely now perceive the injury which lessened hiscommercial value. He had prepared everything his master would need to shoot the birds veryearly in the morning, and after helping the men push the boats into thewater, he, too, remained out of doors. The old Nubian doorkeeper's little badger dog ran to meet him, as usual, barking loudly, and startled a flock of sparrows, which flew up directlyin front of Bias and fluttered to and fro in confusion. The slave regarded this as an infallible omen, and when Stephanion, Daphne's maid, who had grown gray in the household of Archias, andthough a freed woman still worked in the old way, came out of the tent, he called to her the gay Greek greeting, "Rejoice!" pointed to thesparrows, and eagerly continued: "How one flies above another! how theyflutter and chirp and twitter! It will be a busy day. " Stephanion thought this interpretation of the ordinary action of thebirds very consistent with Bias's wisdom, which was highly esteemed inthe household of Archias, and it also just suited her inclination tochat with him for a while, especially as she had brought a great deal ofnews from Alexandria. By way of introduction she mentioned the marriages and deaths in theircircle of acquaintances, bond and free, and then confided to the slavewhat had induced her mistress to remain so long absent from her father, whom she usually left alone for only a few hours at the utmost. Archias himself had sent her here, after young Philotas, who was nowapparently wooing her with better success than other suitors, hadspoken of the enormous booty which one of his friends had brought from ashooting expedition at Tennis, and Daphne had expressed a wish to emptyher quiver there too. True, Philotas himself had been eager to guide the hunting party, butDaphne declined his escort because--so the maid asserted--she cared farmore about meeting her cousins, the sculptors, than for the chase. Hermistress had frankly told her so, but her father was delighted to hearher express a wish, because for several months she had been so quiet andlistless that she, Stephanion, had become anxious about her. Meanwhile, Daphne had tried honestly to conceal her feelings from the old man, but such games of hide and seek were useless against the master's keenpenetration. He spared no pains in the preparations for the journey, and the girl now seemed already transformed. This was caused solely bymeeting her cousins again; but if any one should ask her whether Daphnepreferred Myrtilus or Hermon, she could not give a positive answer. "Cautious inquiry saves recantation, " replied Bias importantly. "Yet youmay believe my experience, it is Myrtilus. Fame inspires love, and whatthe world will not grant my master, in spite of his great talent, itconceded to the other long ago. And, besides, we are not starving; butMyrtilus is as rich as King Croesus of Sardis. Not that Daphne, who isstifling in gold herself, would care about that, but whoever knows lifeknows--where doves are, doves will fly. " Stephanion, however, was of a different opinion, not only because Daphnetalked far more about the black-bearded cousin than the fair one, butbecause she knew the girl, and was seldom mistaken in such matters. She would not deny that Daphne was also fond of Myrtilus. Yet probablyneither of the artists, but Philotas, would lead home the bride, for hewas related to the royal family--a fine, handsome man; and, besides, her father preferred him to the other suitors who hovered around her asflies buzzed about honey. Of course, matters would be more favourableto Philotas in any other household. Who else in Alexandria would consultthe daughter long, when he was choosing her future husband? But Archiaswas a white raven among fathers, and would never force his only child todo anything. Marrying and loving, however, were two different affairs. If Eros hadthe final decision, her choice might perhaps fall on one of the artists. Here she was interrupted by the slave's indignant exclamation: "Whatcontradictions! 'Woman's hair is long, but her wit is short, ' says theproverb. 'Waiting is the merchant's wisdom, ' I have heard your mastersay more than once, and to obey the words of shrewd people is the bestplan for those who are not so wise. Meanwhile, I am of the opinion thatcuriosity alone brought Daphne--who, after all, is only a woman--to thisplace. She wants to see the statues of Demeter which her father orderedfrom us. " "And the Arachne?" asked the maid. This was an opportune question to theslave--how often he had heard the artists utter the word "Arachne!"--andhis pride of education had suffered from the consciousness that he knewnothing about her except the name, which in Greek meant "the spider. " Some special story must surely be associated with this Arachne, forwhich his master desired to use his young countrywoman, Ledscha, asa model, and whose statues Archias intended to place in his house inAlexandria and in the great weaving establishment at Tennis beside thestatue of Demeter. Stephanion, a Greek woman who grew up in a Macedonian household, mustknow something about her. So he cautiously turned the conversation to the spinner Arachne, andwhen Stephanion entered into it, admitted that he, too, was curious tolearn in what way the sculptors would represent her. "Yes, " replied the maid, "my mistress has more than once racked herbrains over that, and Archias too. Perhaps they will carve her as a girlat work in the house of her father Idmon, the purple dyer of Colophon. " "Never, " replied Bias in a tone of dissent. "Just imagine how the loomwould look wrought in gold and ivory!" "I thought so too, " said Stephanion, in apology for the foolish idea. "Daphne thinks that the two will model her in different ways: Myrtilus, as mistress in the weaving room, showing with proud delight a piece justcompleted to the nymphs from the Pactolus and other rivers, who soughther at Colophon to admire her work; but Hermon, after she aroused thewrath of Athene because she dared to weave into the hangings the loveadventures of the gods with mortal women. " "Father Zeus as a swan toying with Leda, " replied Bias as confidentlyas if Arachne's works were before his eyes, "and in the form of abull bearing away Europa, the chaste Artemis bending over the sleepingEndymion. " "How that pleases you men!" interrupted the maid, striking him lightlyon the arm with the duster which she had brought from the tent. "Butought the virgin Athene to be blamed because she punished the weaverwho, with all her skill, was only a mortal woman, for thus exposing herdivine kindred?" "Certainly not, " replied Bias, and Stephanion went on eagerly: "Andwhen the great Athene, who invented weaving and protects weavers, condescended to compete with Arachne, and was excelled by her, surelyher gall must have overflowed. Whoever is just will scarcely blameher for striking the audacious conqueror on the brow with the weaver'sshuttle. " "It is that very thing, " replied Bias modestly, "which to ashort-sighted fool like myself--may the great goddess not bear me agrudge for it!--never seemed just in her. Even the mortal who succumbsin a fair fight ought not to be enraged against the victor. At least, soI was taught. But what, I ask myself, when I think of the stones whichwere flung at Hermon's struggling Maenads, could be less suited forimitation than two women, one of whom strikes the other?" "The woman who in her desperation at that blow desires to hang herself, must produce a still more horrible impression, " replied Stephanion. "Probably she will be represented as Athene releases her from the nooserather than when, as a punishment for her insolence, she transformsArachne into a spider. " "That she might be permitted, in the form of an insect, to make artisticwebs until the end of her life, " the slave, now sufficiently wellinformed, added importantly. "Since that transformation, as you know, the spider has been called by the Greeks Arachne. Perhaps--I alwaysthought so--Hermon will represent her twisting the rope with which sheis to kill herself. You have seen many of our works, and know that welove the terrible. " "Oh, let me go into your studio!" the maid now entreated no lessurgently than her mistress had done a short time before, but her wish, too, remained ungratified. "The sculptors, " Bias truthfully asserted, "always kept their workroomscarefully locked. " They were as inaccessible as the strongest fortress, and it was wise, less on account of curious spectators, from whom therewas nothing to fear, than of the thievish propensities of thepeople. The statues, by Archias's orders, were to be executed inchryselephantine work, and the gold and ivory which this required mightonly too easily awaken the vice of cupidity in the honest and frugalBiamites. So nothing could be done about it, not to mention the factthat he was forbidden, on pain of being sold to work in a stone quarry, to open the studio to any one without his master's consent. So the maid, too, was obliged to submit, and the sacrifice was renderedeasier for her because, just at that moment, a young female slave calledher back to the tent where Chrysilla, Daphne's companion, a matron whobelonged to a distinguished Greek family, needed her services. Bias, rejoicing that he had at last learned, without exposing his ownignorance, the story of the much-discussed Arachne, returned to thehouse, where he remained until Daphne came back from shooting withher companions. While the latter were talking about the birds they hadkilled, Bias went out of doors; but he was forced to give up his desireto listen to a conversation which was exactly suited to arrest hisattention, for after the first few sentences he perceived behind thethorny acacias in the "garden" his countrywoman Ledscha. So she was keeping her promise. He recognised her plainly, in spite ofthe veil which covered the back of her head and the lower portion of herface. Her black eyes were visible, and what a sinister light shone inthem as she fixed them sometimes on Daphne, sometimes on Hermon, whostood talking together by the steps! The evening before Bias had caught a glimpse of this passionatecreature's agitated soul. If anything happened here that incensed orwounded her she would be capable of committing some unprecedented actbefore the very master's honoured guest. To prevent this was a duty to the master whom he loved, and against whomhe had only warned Ledscha because he was reluctant to see a free maidenof his own race placed on a level with the venal Alexandrian models, but still more because any serious love affair between Hermon and theBiamite might bring disastrous consequences upon both, and thereforealso on himself. He knew that the free men of his little nation wouldnot suffer an insult offered by a Greek to a virgin daughter of theirlineage to pass unavenged. True, in his bondage he had by no means remained free from all the badqualities of slaves, but he was faithfully devoted to his master, whohad imposed upon him a great debt of gratitude; for though, during thetrying period of variance with his rich and generous uncle, Hermon hadoften been offered so large a sum for him that it would have relievedthe artist from want, he could not be induced to yield his "wise andfaithful Bias" to another. The slave had sworn to himself that he wouldnever forget this, and he kept his oath. Freedmen and slaves were moving to and fro in the large open squarebefore him, amid the barking of the dogs and the shouts of the male andfemale venders of fruit, vegetables, and fish, who hoped to dispose oftheir wares in the kitchen tent of the wealthy strangers. The single veiled woman attracted no attention here, but Bias kept hisgaze fixed steadily upon her, and as she curved her little slender handabove her brow to shade her watchful eyes from the dazzling sunlight, and set her beautifully arched foot on a stone near one of the trees inorder to gain a better view, he thought of the story of the weaver whichhe had just heard. Though the stillness of the hot noontide was interrupted by many sounds, it exerted a bewitching influence over him. Ledscha seemed like the embodiment of some great danger, and when shelowered one arm and raised the other to protect herself again from theradiance of the noonday sun, he started; for through the brain of theusually fearless man darted the thought that now the nimble spider-legswere moving to draw him toward her, entwine him, and suck his heart'sblood. The illusion lasted only a few brief moments, but when it vanished andthe girl had regained the figure of an unusually slender, veiled Biamitewoman, he shook his head with a sigh of relief, for never had such avision appeared to him in broad noonday and while awake, and it musthave been sent to warn him and his master against this uncanny maiden. It positively announced some approaching misfortune which proceeded fromthis beautiful creature. The Biamite now advanced hesitatingly toward Hermon and Daphne, who werestill a considerable distance from her. But Bias had also quitted hispost of observation, and after she had taken a few steps forward, barredher way. With a curt "Come, " he took her hand, whispering, "Hermon is joyouslyexpecting your visit. " Ledscha's veil concealed her mouth, but the expression of her eyes madehim think that it curled scornfully. Yet she silently followed him. At first he led her by the hand, but on the way he saw at the edge ofher upper veil the thick, dark eyebrows which met each other, and herfingers seemed to him so strangely cold and tapering that a shudder ranthrough his frame and he released them. Ledscha scarcely seemed to notice it, and, with bowed head, walkedbeside him through the side entrance to the door of Hermon's studio. It was a disappointment to her to find it locked, but Bias did notheed her angry complaint, and led her into the artist's sitting room, requesting her to wait for his master there. Then he hurried to the steps, and by a significant sign informed thesculptor that something important required his attention. Hermon understood him, and Bias soon had an opportunity to tell theartist who it was that desired to speak to him and where he had takenLedscha. He also made him aware that he feared some evil from her, and that, in an alarming vision, she had appeared to him as a hideousspider. Hermon laughed softly. "As a spider? The omen is appropriate. We willmake her a woman spider--an Arachne that is worth looking at. But thisstrange beauty is one of the most obstinate of her sex, and if I let hercarry out her bold visit in broad daylight she will get the better ofme completely. The blood must first be washed from my hands here. Thewounded sea eagle tore the skin with its claw, and I concealed thescratch from Daphne. A strip of linen to bandage it! Meanwhile, letthe impatient intruder learn that her sign is not enough to open everydoor. " Then he entered his sitting room, greeted Ledscha curtly, invited her togo into the studio, unlocked it, and left her there alone while hewent to his chamber with the slave and had the slight wound bandagedcomfortably. While Bias was helping his master he repeated with sincere anxiety hiswarning against the dangerous beauty whose eyebrows, which had growntogether, proved that she was possessed by the demons of the netherworld. "Yet they increase the austere beauty of her face, " assented the artist. "I should not want to omit them in modelling Arachne while the goddessis transforming her into a spider! What a subject! A bolder one wasscarcely ever attempted and, like you, I already see before me thecoming spider. " Then, without the slightest haste, he exchanged the huntsman's chitonfor the white chlamys, which was extremely becoming to his long, wavingbeard, and at last, exclaiming gaily, "If I stay any longer, she willtransform herself into empty air instead of the spider, " he went to her. CHAPTER VIII. While waiting in the studio Ledscha had used the time to satisfy hercuriosity. What was there not to be seen! On pedestals and upon the boards of the floor, on boxes, racks, andalong the wall, stood, lay, or hung the greatest variety of articles:plaster casts of human limbs and parts of the bodies of animals, maleand female, of clay and wax, withered garlands, all sorts of sculptor'stools, a ladder, vases, cups and jars for wine and water, a frame overwhich linen and soft woollen materials were spread, a lute and a zither, several seats, an armchair, and in one corner a small table with threedilapidated book rolls, writing tablets, metal styluses, and reed pens. All these articles were arranged haphazard, and showed that Biaspossessed more wisdom than care in the use of duster and broom. It would have been difficult to count the number of things broughttogether here, but the unusually long, wide room was by no meanscrowded. Ledscha cast a wondering glance sometimes at one object, sometimes atanother, but without understanding its meaning or its use. The huge figure on the pedestal in the middle of the studio, upon whichthe full glare of light fell through the open windows, was certainlythe statue of the goddess on which Hermon was working; but a large graycloth concealed it from her gaze. How tall it was! When she looked at it more closely she felt small and oppressed bycomparison. A passionate longing urged her to remove the cloth, but the boldnessof the act restrained her. After she had taken another survey ofthe spacious apartment, which she was visiting for the first time bydaylight, the torturing feeling of being neglected gained possession ofher. She clinched her white teeth more firmly, and when there was a noise atthe door that died away again without bringing the man she expected, shewent up to the statue which she had already walked past quietly severaltimes and, obeying an impatient impulse, freed it from its covering. The goddess, now illumined by the sunlight, shone before her in gleamingyellow gold and snowy ivory. She had never seen such a statue, and drew back dazzled. What a master was the man who had deceived her trusting heart! He had created a Demeter; the wheat in her hand showed it. How beautiful this work was--and how valuable! It produced a powerfulimpression upon her mind, wholly unaccustomed to the estimate of suchthings. The goddess before her was the very one whose statue stood in the templeof Demeter, and to whom she also sacrificed, with the Greeks in Tennis, when danger threatened the harvest. Involuntarily she removed the lowerveil from her face and raised her hand in prayer. Meanwhile she gazed into the pallid face, carved from ivory, of theimmortal dispenser of blessings, and suddenly the blood crimsoned hercheeks, the nostrils of her delicate, slightly arched nose rose andfell more swiftly, for the countenance of the goddess--she was notmistaken--was that of the Alexandrian whom she had just watched sointently, and for whose sake Hermon had left her in the lurch theevening before. Now, too, she remembered for what purpose the sculptor was said to havelured Gula, the sailor's wife, and her own young sister Taus, to hisstudio, and in increasing excitement she drew the cloth also from thebust beside the Demeter. Again the Alexandrian's face--the likeness was even more unmistakablethan in the goddess. The Greek girl alone occupied his thoughts. Hermon had disdained tomodel the Biamite's head. What could the others, or she herself, be to him, since he loved therich foreigner in the tent outside, and her alone? How firmly her imagemust have been impressed upon his soul, that he could reproduce thefeatures of the absent one with such lifelike fidelity! Yet with what bold assurance he had protested that his heart belongedsolely to her. But she thought that she now perceived his purpose. Ifthe slave was right, it was done that she might permit him to modelwhat he admired in her figure, only not the head and face, whose beauty, nevertheless, he praised so extravagantly. Had he attracted Gula and her sister with similar sweet flatteries?Had the promise to bestow their charms upon a goddess been made to themalso? The swift throbbing of her indignant heart made it impossible for her tothink calmly, but its vehement pulsation reminded her of the object ofher presence here. She had come to obtain a clear understanding between him and herself. She stood here as a judge. She must know whether she had been betrayed or deceived. He should confess what his intentions toward her were. The next momentsmust decide the fate of her life, and she added, drawing a long breath, perhaps of his also. Suddenly Ledscha started. She had not heard Hermon enter the studio, andwas now startled by his greeting. It was not positively unkind, but certainly not a lover's. Perhaps the words might have been warmer, but for his annoyance at theinsolent boldness with which she had removed the coverings from hisworks. He restrained himself from openly blaming her, it is true, but heexclaimed, with a tinge of gay sarcasm: "You seem to feel very much athome here already, fairest of the fair. Or was it the goddess herselfwho removed the curtain from her image in order to show herself to hersuccessor upon this pedestal?" But the question was to remain unanswered, for under the spell of theresentment which filled her heart, and in the effort not to lose sightof the object that brought her here, Ledscha had only half understoodits meaning, and pointing her slender forefinger at the face of hiscompleted work, she demanded to know whom she recognised in this statue. "The goddess Demeter, " he answered quietly; "but if it pleases youbetter, as you seem to be on the right track, also the daughter ofArchias. " Then, angered by the wrathful glance she cast at him, he added moresternly: "She is kind-hearted, free from disagreeable whims and thedisposition to torture others who are kindly disposed toward her. So Iadorned the goddess with her pleasant features. " "Mine, you mean to say, " Ledscha answered bitterly, "would be lesssuitable for this purpose. Yet they, too, can wear a differentexpression from the present one. You, I think, have learned this. Only Ishall never acquire the art of dissimulation, not even in your society. " "You seem to be angry on account of my absence yesterday evening?"Hermon asked in an altered tone, clasping her hand; but Ledscha snatchedit from him, exclaiming: "The model of the Demeter, the daughter of thewealthy Archias, detained you, you were going to tell me, and you thinkthat ought to satisfy the barbarian maiden. " "Folly!" he answered angrily. "I owe a debt of gratitude to her father, who was my guardian, and custom commands you also to honour a guest. Butyour obstinacy and jealousy are unbearable. What great thing is it thatI ask of your love? A little patience. Practise it. Then your turn willcome too. " "Of course, the second and third will follow the first, " she answeredbitterly. "After Gula, the sailor's wife, you lured my innocent youngsister, Taus, to this apartment; or am I mistaken in the order, and wasGula the second?" "So that's it!" cried Hermon, who was surprised rather than alarmed bythis betrayal of his secret. "If you want confirmation of the fact, verywell--both were here. " "Because you deluded them with false vows of love. " "By no means. My heart has nothing what ever to do with these visits. Gula came to thank me because I rendered her a service--you knowit--which to every mother seems greater than it is. " "But you certainly did not underestimate it, " Ledscha impetuouslyinterrupted, "for you demanded her honour in return. " "Guard your tongue!" the artist burst forth angrily. "The woman visitedme unasked, and I let her leave me as faithful or as unfaithful to herhusband as she came. If I used her as a model--" "Gula, whom the sculptor transforms into a goddess, " Ledschainterrupted, with a sneering laugh. "Into a fish-seller, if you wish to know it, " cried Hermon indignantly. "I saw in the market a young woman selling shad. I took the subject, andfound in Gula a suitable model. Unfortunately, she ventured here far tooseldom. But I can finish it with the help of the sketch--it stands inyonder cupboard. " "A fish-seller, " Ledscha repeated contemptuously. "And for what did myTaus, poor lovely child, seem desirable?" "Over opposite, " Hermon answered quickly, as if he wished to get rid ofa troublesome duty, pointing through the window out of doors, "the freemaidens, during the hot days, took off their sandals and waded throughthe water. There I saw your sister's feet. They were the prettiestof all, and Gula brought the young girl to me. I had commenced inAlexandria a figure of a girl holding her foot in her hand to take out athorn, so I used your sister's for it. " "And when my turn comes?" Ledscha demanded. "Then, " he replied, freshly captivated by the magic of her beauty, in akinder, almost tender tone, "then I will make of you, in gold and ivory, you wonderfully lovely creature, the counterpart of this goddess. " "And you will need a long time for it?" "The oftener you come the faster the work will advance. " "And the more surely the Biamite women will point their fingers at me. " "Yet you ventured here to-day, unasked, in the broad light of noon. " "Because I wish to remind you myself that I shall expect you thisevening. Yesterday you did not appear; but to-day-I am right, am Inot?--to-day you will come. " "With the greatest delight, if it is possible, " he answered eagerly. A warmer glance from her dark eyes rested upon him. The blood seethed inhis veins, and as he extended both hands to her and ardently uttered hername, she rushed forward, clinging to him with passionate devotion, asif seeking assistance, but when his lips touched hers she shrank backand loosed her soft arms from his neck. "What does this mean?" asked the sculptor in surprise, trying to drawher toward him again; but Ledscha would not permit it, pleading in asofter tone than before: "Not now; but--am I not right, dearest--I mayexpect you this evening? Just this once let the daughter of Archiasyield to me, who loves you better. We shall have a full moon to-night, and you have heard what was predicted to me--to-night the highest blisswhich the gods can bestow upon a mortal awaits me. " "And me also, " cried Hermon, "if you will permit me to share it withyou. " "Then I will expect you on the Pelican Island--just when the full moonis over the lofty poplars there. You will come? Not to the Owl's Nest:to the Pelican Island. And though your love is far less, far cooler thanmine, yet you will not defraud me of the best happiness of my life?" "How could I?" he asked, as if he felt wounded by such distrust. "Whatdetains me must be something absolutely unavoidable. " Ledscha's eyebrows contracted sharply, and in a choked voice sheexclaimed: "Nothing must detain you--nothing, whatever it may be! Thoughdeath should threaten, you will be with me just at midnight. " "I will, if it is possible, " he protested, painfully touched by thevehemence of her urging. "What can be more welcome to me also than tospend happy hours with you in the silence of a moonlight night? Besides, my stay in Tennis will not be long. " "You are going?" she asked in a hollow tone. "In three or four days, " he answered carelessly; "then Myrtilus and Iwill be expected in Alexandria. But gently--gently--how pale you are, girl! Yes, the parting! But in six weeks at latest I shall be hereagain; then real life will first begin, and Eros will make the rosesbloom for us. " Ledscha nodded silently, and gazing into his face with a searching lookasked, "And how long will this season of blossoming last?" "Several months, girl; three, if not six. " "And then?" "Who looks so far into the future?" She lowered her glance, and, as if yielding to the inevitable, answered:"What a fool I was! Who knows what the morrow may bring? Are we evensure whether, six months hence, we shall not hate, instead of loving, each other?" She passed her hand across her brow as she spoke, exclaiming: "You saidjust now that only the present belonged to man. Then let us enjoy itas though every moment might be the last. By the light of the full moonto-night, the happiness which has been predicted to me must begin. Afterit, the orb between the horns of Astarte will become smaller; but whenit fulls and wanes again, if you keep your promise and return, then, though they may curse and condemn me, I will come to your studio andgrant what you ask. But which of the goddesses do you intend to modelfrom me as a companion statue to the Demeter?" "This time it can not be one of the immortelles, " he answeredhesitatingly, "but a famous woman, an artist who succeeded in acompetition in vanquishing even the august Athene. " "So it is no goddess?" Ledscha asked in a disappointed tone. "No, child, but the most skilful woman who ever plied the weaver'sshuttle. " "And her name?" "Arachne. " The young girl started, exclaiming contemptuously: "Arachne? Thatis--that is what you Greeks call the most repulsive of creatures--thespider. " "The most skilful of all creatures, that taught man the noble art ofweaving, " he eagerly retorted. Here he was interrupted; his friend Myrtilus put his fair head into theroom, exclaiming: "Pardon me if I interrupt you--but we shall not seeeach other again for some time. I have important business in the city, and may be detained a long while. Yet before I go I must perform thecommission Daphne gave me for you. She sends word that she shall expectyou without fail at the banquet for the Pelusinian guests. Your absence, do you hear?--pardon the interruption, fairest Ledscha--your absencewould seriously anger her. " "Then I shall be prepared for considerable trouble in appeasing her, "replied Hermon, glancing significantly at the young girl. Myrtilus crossed the threshold, turned to the Biamite, and said in hisquiet, cheerful manner: "Where beautiful gifts are to be brought toEros, it beseems the friend to strew with flowers the path of the onewho is offering the sacrifices; and you, if everything does not deceiveme, would fain choose to-night to serve him with the utmost devotion. Therefore, I shall need forgiveness from you and the god, if I beseechyou to defer the offering, were it only until to-morrow. " Ledscha silently shrugged her shoulders and made no answer to theinquiring glance with which Hermon sought hers, but Myrtilus changed histone and addressed a grave warning to his friend to consider well thatit would be an insult to the manes of his dead parents if he shouldavoid the old couple from Pelusium, who had been their best friends andhad taken the journey hither for his sake. Hermon looked after him in painful perplexity, but the Biamite alsoapproached the threshold, and holding her head haughtily erect, saidcoldly: "The choice is difficult for you, as I see. Then recall to yourmemory again what this night of the full moon means--you are wellaware of it--to me. If, nevertheless, you still decide in favour of thebanquet with your friends, I can not help it; but I must now know: Shallthis night belong to me, or to the daughter of Archias?" "Is it impossible to talk with you, unlucky girl, as one would withother sensible people?" Hermon burst forth wrathfully. "Everything iscarried to extremes; you condemn a brief necessary delay as breach offaith and base treachery. This behaviour is unbearable. " "Then you will not come?" she asked apathetically, laying her handupon the door; but Hermon cried out in a tone half beseeching, halfimperious: "You must not go so! If you insist upon it, surely I willcome. There is no room in your obstinate soul for kind indulgence. Noone, by the dog, ever accused me of being specially skilled in thissmooth art; yet there may be duties and circumstances--" Here Ledscha gently opened the door; but, seized with a fear of losingthis rare creature, whose singular beauty attracted him powerfully, even now, this peerless model for a work on which he placed the highesthopes, he strode swiftly to her side, and drawing her back from thethreshold, exclaimed: "Difficult as it is for me on this special day, Iwill come, only you must not demand what is impossible. The right courseoften lies midway. Half the night must belong to the banquet with my oldfriends and Daphne; the second half--" "To the barbarian, you think--the spider, " she gasped hoarsely. "But mywelfare as well as yours depends on the decision. Stay here, or come tothe island--you have your choice. " Wrenching herself from his hold as she spoke, she slipped through thedoorway and left the room. Hermon, with a muttered oath, stood still, shrugging his shouldersangrily. He could do nothing but yield to this obstinate creature's will. In the atrium Ledscha met the slave Bias, and returned his greeting onlyby a wave of the hand; but before opening the side door which wasto lead her into the open air, she paused, and asked bluntly in thelanguage of their people: "Was Arachne--I don't mean the spider, but theweaver whom the Greeks call by that name--a woman like the rest of us?Yet it is said that she remained victor in a contest with the goddessAthene. " "That is perfectly true, " answered Bias, "but she had to atone cruellyfor this triumph; the goddess struck her on the forehead with theweaver's shuttle, and when, in her shame and rage, she tried to hangherself, she was transformed into the spider. " Ledscha stood still, and, while drawing the veil over her pallid face, asked with quivering lips, "And is there no other Arachne?" "Not among mortals, " was the reply, "but even here in this house thereare more than enough of the disagreeable, creeping creatures which bearthe same name. " Ledscha now went clown the steps which led to the lawn, and Bias sawthat she stumbled on the last one and would have fallen had not herlithe body regained its balance in time. "A bad omen!" thought the slave. "If I had the power to build a wallbetween my master and the spider yonder, it should be higher than thelighthouse of Sostratus. To heed omens guides one safely through life. Iknow what I know, and will keep my eyes open, for my master too. " CHAPTER IX. Hermon had intended to add a few more touches to his Demeter, but hecould not do it. Ledscha, her demand, and the resentment with which shehad left him, were not to be driven from his mind. There was no doubt that he must seek her if he was not to lose her, yethe reproached himself for having acted like a thoughtless fool when heproposed to divide the night between her and Daphne. There was something offensive in the proposal to so proud a creature. He ought to have promised positively to come, and then left the banquetsomewhat earlier. It would have been easy to apologize for his latearrival, and Ledscha would have had no cause to be angry with him. Now she had, and her resentment awakened in him--though he certainlydid not lack manly courage--an uncomfortable feeling closely allied toanxiety. Angered by his own conduct, he asked himself whether he loved thebarbarian, and could find no satisfactory answer. At their first meeting he had felt that she was far superior to theother Biamite maidens, not only in beauty but in everything else. Thevery acerbity of her nature had seemed charming. To win this wonderful, pliant creature, slender as a cypress, whose independence merged intofierce obstinacy, had appeared to him worth any sacrifice; and havingperceived in her an admirable model for his Arachne, he had alsodetermined to brave the dangers which might easily arise for the Greekfrom a love affair with a Biamite girl, whose family was free anddistinguished. It had been easier for him to win her heart than he expected; yet atnone of the meetings which she granted him had he rejoiced in the secretbond between them. Hitherto her austere reserve had been invincible, and during thegreater part of their interviews he had been compelled to exert all hisinfluence to soothe, appease her, and atone for imprudent acts which hehad committed. True, she, too, had often allowed herself to display passionatetenderness, but always only to torture him with reproaches and demandsinspired by her jealousy, suspicion, and wounded pride. Yet her beauty, and the strong power of resistance which she offered tohis wooing, exerted so bewitching a thrall over him that he had been ledinto conceding far too much, and making vows which he could not and didnot desire to fulfil. Love had usually been to him a richly flowing well-spring of gaydelight, but this bond had plunged him from one vexation into another, one anxiety to another, and now that he had almost reached the goal ofhis wishes, he could not help fearing that he had transformed Ledscha'slove to hate. Daphne was dear to him. He esteemed her highly, and owed her a greatdebt of gratitude. Yet in this hour he anathematized her unexpectedjourney to Tennis; for without it he would have obtained from Ledschathat very day what he desired, and could have returned to Alexandriawith the certainty of finding her ready later to pose as the model forhis Arachne. Never could he find anywhere a more fitting one. He had devoted himself with passionate love to his art, and even hisenemies numbered him among its most promising disciples. Yet hither tohe had not succeeded in obtaining a great and undisputed success. Onthe other hand, he had experienced what were termed failures in abundantmeasure. The art to which he had gained entrance by so severe a struggle, and onwhose soil he had laboured diligently enough, proved, so far as outwardrecognition was concerned, cruel to the enthusiastic disciple. Yet evennow he would not have abandoned it at any price; the joy of creationcompensated him richly for suffering and disappointment. Confidence inhis own powers and the final triumph of his conviction had deserted himonly occasionally, and for a few brief hours. He was born for conflicts. What ill-success, what antagonism anddifficulties he had encountered! Some day the laurel which had so longadorned the brow of Myrtilus must also grow green for him and thegreat talent whose possession he felt. With the Arachne--he was sure ofthis--he would compel even his opponents to accord him the recognitionfor which hitherto he had striven in vain. While pacing restlessly up and down the spacious apartment, stoppingfrom time to time before his work to fix his eyes angrily upon it, hethought of his friend's Demeter, whose head also had Daphne's features, who also bore in her hand a bundle of wheat, and even in attitudedid not differ very widely from his own. And yet--eternal gods!--howthoroughly dissimilar the two were! In the figure created by Myrtilus, supernatural dignity blended withthe utmost womanly charm; in his, a pleasing head rested upon a bodyin whose formation he had used various models without striving toaccomplish anything except to depart as far as possible from establishedcustom, with which he was at variance. Yet had he not found himself, nevertheless, compelled to follow the oldrules? One arm was raised, the other hung down; the right foot was putforward, the left one back. Exactly the same as in Myrtilus's statue, and thousands of other figuresof Demeter! If he could have used the hammer and chisel, the thing might have becomemore powerful; but how many things he had had to consider in employingthe accursed gold and ivory upon which Archias obstinately insisted! This hammering, chipping, and filing told unfavourably upon his powerand his aspiration toward grandeur. This time the battle seemed to be lost. It was fortunate that the conqueror was no other than Myrtilus. Oftenas he had gone astray in his young life, many as were the errors he hadcommitted, not even the faintest shadow of an envious feeling concerninghis friend's more successful work had ever stained his soul. True, the fact that fate, in addition to such abundant gifts of mindand spirit, had also endowed the latter with great worldly possessions, while he, but for the generosity of his uncle Archias, must havestarved, had often led Hermon to inveigh angrily against the injusticeof the gods. Yet he did not grudge Myrtilus the wealth without which hecould not imagine him, and which his invalid friend needed to continuesuccessfully the struggle against the insidious disease inherited withthe gold. And his sufferings! Hermon could not have endured keener painhad they been his own. He must even rejoice over the poor dear fellow'svictory; for if he, Hermon, succeeded with his Arachne as he hoped, itwould make Myrtilus--he could swear to it--happier than his own triumph. After these reflections, which again reminded him of the secondappointment and of Ledscha, the sculptor turned away from his work andwent to the window to look across at Pelican Island, where she must notawait him in vain. The boat which was to convey him over to it lay ready in the littleflotilla, where a magnificently equipped galley had just been moored tothe shore, undoubtedly the one that had brought the guests from Pelusiumhither. The best thing he could do was to greet them at once, sharethe banquet with them, and, before the dessert was served, seek thebeautiful woman whom his absence threatened to make his foe. And shewas certainly justified in resenting it if, with cruel lack ofconsideration, he paid no heed to what had been prophesied for her onthis night of the full moon. For the first time compassion mingled with his feelings for Ledscha. If to avoid the fleeting censure of aristocratic friends he left in thelurch the simple barbarian maiden who loved him with ardent passion, it was no evidence of resolute strength of soul, but of pitiful, reprehensible weakness. No, no! He must take the nocturnal voyage inorder not to grieve Ledscha. Soon after the girl's abrupt departure he dressed himself in festalgarments for the banquet. It would flatter Ledscha also if he went toher in this attire and, with his figure drawn up to its full height, hewalked toward the door to go to the Alexandrian's tent. But what did this mean? Myrtilus was standing before his Demeter, scanning it intently with his keen artist eyes. Hermon had not noticedhis entrance, and did not disturb him now, but fixed his gaze upon hismobile features in intense expectation. There were few of his fellow-artists whose opinion he valued as highlyas that of this darling of the Muse. At a slight shake of the head, which Hermon interpreted as disapproval, he clinched his teeth; but soon his lips relaxed and his breast heavedwith a sigh of relief, for the sunny glance that Myrtilus bent upon theface of the goddess seemed to show Hermon that it aroused his approval, and, as if relieved from an oppressive nightmare, he approached hisfriend. The latter turned toward him, exclaiming: "Daphne! As in the caseof yonder bust, you have succeeded most perfectly with this dearface--only--" "Only, " Hermon repeated slowly; "I am familiar with that evil word. Doubts knock at the door with it. Out with them honestly. I gave up mylast hope of the prize yesterday while looking at your Demeter. Besides, careful scrutiny has just destroyed the last gleam of satisfaction withmy own work. But if you like the head, what seem to you the greatestdefects in the figure?" "It has nothing to do with defects, which, with your rare ability, can scarcely exist, " replied the other, the faint pink flush in hisbeardless cheeks deepening to a more vivid hue. "It refers rather tothe expression which you have given the divinity in yonder statue. "Here Myrtilus hesitated, and, turning so that he stood face to facewith Hermon, asked frankly, "Did you ever seek the goddess and, when youfound her, did you feel any supernatural power and beauty?" "What a question!" exclaimed Hermon in astonishment. "A pupil ofStraton, and go in search of beings and powers whose existence hedenies! What my mother instilled into my heart I lost with my childhood, and you address your question only to the artist who holds his ownground, not to the boy. The power that calls creation to life, andmaintains it, has for me long had nothing in common with those beingslike mortals whom the multitude designates by the name of divinities. " "I think differently, " replied Myrtilus. "While I numbered myself amongthe Epicureans, whose doctrine still possesses the greatest charm forme, I nevertheless shared the master's opinion that it is insulting thegods to suppose that they will disturb their blissful repose for thesake of us insignificant mortals. Now my mind and my experience rebelagainst holding to this view, yet I believe with Epicurus, and with you, that the eternal laws of Nature bow to neither divine nor human will. " "And yet, " said Hermon, "you expect me to trouble myself about those whoare as powerless as myself!" "I only wished that you might do so, " answered Myrtilus; "for theyare not powerless to those who from the first assumed that they can donothing in opposition to those changeless laws. The state, too, rulesaccording to them, and the wise king who refrains from interfering withthem in the smallest trifle can therefore wield the sceptre with mightypower. So, in my opinion, it is perfectly allowable to expect aid fromthe gods. But we will let that pass. A healthy man, full of exuberantvigour like yourself, rarely learns early what they can bestow insuffering and misfortune; yet where the great majority believe in them, he, too, will be unable to help forming some idea of them; nay, even youand I have experienced it. By a thousand phenomena they force themselvesinto the world which surrounds us and our emotional life. Epicurus, whodenied their power, saw in them at least immortal beings who possessin stainless perfection everything which in mortals is disfigured byerrors, weaknesses, and afflictions. To him they are the intensified, reflected image of our own nature, and I think we can do nothing wiserthan to cling to that, because it shows us to what heights of beauty andpower, intellect, goodness, and purity we may attain. To completely denytheir existence would hardly be possible even for you, because theirpersons have found a place in your imagination. Since this is the case, it can only benefit you to recognise in them magnificent models, bywhose means we artists, if we imitate, perfect, and model them, willcreate works far more sublime and beautiful than anything visible to oursenses which we meet here beneath the sun. " "It is this very superiority in sublimity and beauty which I, and thosewho pursue the same path with me, oppose, " replied Hermon. "Natureis sufficient for us. To take anything from her, mutilates; to addanything, disfigures her. " "But not, " replied Myrtilus firmly, "when it is done only in a specialsense, and within the limits of Nature, to which the gods also belong. The final task of art, fiercely as you and your few followers contendagainst it, lies in the disentanglement, enhancing, and ennobling ofNature. You, too, ought not to overlook it when you undertake to modela Demeter; for she is a goddess, no mortal like yourself. The rest or Iought rather to say the alteration which converts the mortal woman intothe immortal one, the goddess--I miss, and with special regret, becauseyou do not even deem it worth consideration. " "That I shall never do, " retorted Hermon irritably, "so long as it is achanging chimera which presents itself differently to every mind. " "Yet, should it really be a chimera, it is at any rate a sublime one, "Myrtilus protested, "and whoever among us artists wanders through Naturewith open eyes and heart, and then examines his own soul, will find itworth while to attempt to give his ideal form. " "Whatever stirs my breast during such walks, unless it is some unusualhuman being, I leave to the poet, " replied Hermon. "I should besatisfied with the Demeter yonder, and you, too, probably, if--entirelyapart from that--I had only succeeded fully and entirely in making heran individual--that is, a clearly outlined, distinct personality. This, you have often told me, is just wherein I am usually most successful. But here, I admit, I am baffled. Demeter hovered before me as akindly dispenser of good gifts, a faithful, loving wife. Daphne's headexpresses this; but in modelling the body I lost sight of the wholecreation. While, for instance, in my fig-eater, every toe, every scrapof the tattered garments, belongs to the street urchin whom I wishedto represent, in the goddess everything came by chance as the modelsuggested it, and you know that I used several. Had the Demeter fromhead to foot resembled Daphne, who has so much in common with ourgoddess, the statue would have been harmonious, complete, and you wouldperhaps have been the first to acknowledge it. " "By no means, " Myrtilus eagerly interrupted. "What our statues of thegods are we two know best: a wooden block, covered with gold and sheetsof ivory. But to tens of thousands the statue of the divinity must bemuch more. When they raise their hearts, eyes, hands to it in prayer, they must be possessed by the idea of the deity which animated us whilecreating it, and with which we, as it were, permeated it. If it showsthem only a woman endowed with praiseworthy qualities--" "Then, " interrupted Hermon, "the worshipper should thank the sculptor;for is it not more profitable to him to be encouraged by the statue toemulate the human virtues whose successful embodiment it shows him thanto strive for the aid of the botchwork of human hands, which possessesas much or as little power as the wood, gold, and ivory that compose it?If the worshipper does not appeal to the statue, but to the goddess, Ifear it will be no less futile. So I shall consider it no blemish if yousee in my Demeter a mortal woman, and no goddess; nay, it reconciles mein some degree to her weaknesses, to which I by no means close my eyes. I, too--I confess it--often feel a great desire to give the power ofimagination greater play, and I know the divinities in whom I have lostfaith as well as any one; for I, too, was once a child, and few haveever prayed to them more fervently, but with the increasing impulsetoward liberty came the perception: There are no gods, and whoever bowsto the power of the immortals makes himself a slave. So what I banishedfrom life I will also remove from art, and model nothing which might notmeet me to-day or to-morrow. " "Then, as an honest man, abstain altogether from making statues of thegods, " interrupted his friend. "That was my intention long ago, as you are aware, " the other answered. "You could not commit a worse robbery upon yourself, " cried Myrtilus. "Iknow you; nay, perhaps I see farther into your soul than you yourself. By ingenious fetters you force the mighty winged intellect to contentitself within the narrow world of reality. But the time when you willyourself rend the bonds and find the divinity you have lost, will come, and then, with your mighty power once more free, you will outstrip mostof us, and me also if I live to see it. " Then he pressed his hand upon his rattling chest and walked slowlyto the couch; but Hermon followed, helped him to lie down, and withaffectionate solicitude arranged his pillows. "It is nothing, " Myrtilus said soothingly, after a few minutes' silence. "My undermined strength has been heavily taxed to-day. The Olympiansknow how calmly I await death. It ends all things. Nothing will be leftof me except the ashes, to which you will reduce my body, and what youcall 'possession. ' But even this can no longer belong to me after death, because I shall then be no more, and the idea of possession requires apossessor. My estate, too, is now disposed of. I have just been to thenotary, and sixteen witnesses--neither more nor less--have signed mywill according to the custom of this ceremonious country. There, now, if you please, go before me, and let me stay here alone a little while. Remember me to Daphne and the Pelusinians. I will join you in an hour. " CHAPTER X. "When the moon is over Pelican Island. " How often Ledscha had repeatedthis sentence to herself while Hermon was detained by Daphne and herPelusinian guests! When she entered the boat after nightfall she exclaimed hopefully, sureof her cause, "When the moon is over Pelican Island he will come. " Her goal was quickly reached in the skiff; the place selected for thenocturnal meeting was a familiar one to her. The pirates had remained absent from it quite two years. Formerlythey had often visited the spot to conceal their arms and booty on thedensely wooded island. The large papyrus thicket on the shore also hidboats from spying eyes, and near the spot where Ledscha landed was agrassy seat which looked like an ordinary resting place, but beneathit the corsairs had built a long, walled passage, that led to the otherside of the island, and had enabled many a fugitive to vanish from thesight of pursuers, as though the earth had swallowed them. "When the moon is over the island, " Ledscha repeated after she hadwaited more than an hour. The time had not yet come; the expanse of water lay before hermotionless, in hue a dull, leaden gray, and only the dimly illumined airand a glimmering radiance along the edges of the waves that washed theisland showed that the moon was already brightening the night. When its full orb floated above the island Hermon, too, would appear, and the happiness which had been predicted to Ledscha would begin. Happiness? A bitter smile hovered around her delicately cut lips as she repeatedthe word. Hitherto no feeling was more distant from her; for when love and longingbegan to stir in her heart, it seemed as though a hideous spider wasweaving its web about her, and vague fears, painful memories, and intheir train fierce hate would force glad expectation into the shadow. Yet she yearned with passionate fervour to see Hermon again, and whenhe was once there all must be well between them. The prediction of oldTabus, who ruled as mistress over so many demons, could not deceive. After Ledscha had so lately reminded the lover who so vehemently rousedher jealous wrath what this night of the full moon meant to her, shecould rely upon his appearance in spite of everything. Various matters undoubtedly held him firmly enough in Tennis--sheadmitted this to herself after she grew calmer--but he had promised tocome; he would surely enter the boat, and she--she would submit to sharethe night with the Hellene. Her whole being longed for the bliss awaiting her, and it could comefrom no one save the man whose lips would seek hers when the moon roseover the Pelican Island. How tardily and sluggishly the cow-headed goddess who bore the silverorb between her horns rose to-night! how slowly the time passed, yet shedid not move forward more certainly that the man whom Ledscha expectedmust arrive. Of the possibility of his non-appearance she would not think; but whenthe fear that she was perhaps looking for him in vain assailed her, the blood crimsoned her face as if she felt the shame of a humiliatinginsult. Yet why should she make the period of waiting more torturingthan it was already? Surely he must come! Sometimes she rested on the grassy seat and gazed across the dull graysurface of the water into the distance; sometimes she walked to and fro, stopping at every turn to look across at Tennis and the bright torchesand lights which surrounded the Alexandrian's tent. So one quarter of an hour after another passed away. A light breeze rose, and gradually the tops of the rushes began toshine, and the leafage before, beside, and above her to glitter in thesilvery light. The water was no longer calm, but furrowed by countless little ripples, on whose crests the rays from above played, sparkling and flashingrestlessly. A web of shimmering silvery radiance covered the edges ofevery island, and suddenly the brilliant full moon was reflected inargent lustre like a magnificent quivering column upon the surface ofthe water, now rippled by the evening breeze. The time during which Ledscha could repeat "When the moon is overPelican Island" was past; already its course had led it beyond. The island lay behind it, and it continued its pilgrimage before theyoung girl's eyes. The glittering column of light upon the water proved that she wasnot mistaken; the time which she had appointed for Hermon had alreadyexpired. The moon in calm majesty sailed farther and farther onward in itscourse, and with it minute after minute elapsed, until they became ahalf hour, then a whole one. "How long is it since the moon was over Pelican Island?" was thequestion which now pressed itself upon her again and again, and towhich she found an answer at every glance upward, for she had learned toestimate time by the position of the stars. Rarely was the silence of the night interrupted by the call of a humanbeing or the barking of a dog from the city, or even the hooting of anowl at a still greater distance; but the farther the moon moved on aboveher the fiercer grew the uproar in Ledscha's proud, cruelly wrongedsoul. She felt offended, scorned, insulted, and at the same timedefrauded of the happiness which this night of the full moon containedfor her. Or had the demons who promised happiness meant something elsein their prediction than Hermon's love? Was she to owe the bliss theyhad foretold to hate and pitiless retribution? When the midnight hour had nearly arrived she prepared to depart, butafter she had already set her foot on the edge of the boat she returnedto the grassy seat. She would wait a little longer yet. Then there wouldbe nothing which could give Hermon a right to consideration; then shemight let loose upon him the avenging powers at her command. Ledscha again gazed over the calm landscape, but in the wild tumult ofher heart she no longer distinguished the details upon which her eyesrested. Doubtless she saw the light mists hovering like ghosts, or therestless shades of the unburied dead, over the shining expanse beforeher, and the filmy vapours that veiled the brightness of the stars, butshe had ceased to question the heavenly bodies about the time. What did she care for the progress of the hours, since the constellationof Charles's Wain showed her that it was past midnight? The moon no longer stood forth in sharp outlines against the deep azureof the vaulted sky, but, robbed of its radiance, floated in a circle ofdimly illumined mists. Not only the feelings which stirred Ledscha's soul, but the scene aroundher, had gained a totally different aspect. Since every hope of the happiness awaiting her was destroyed, she nolonger sought to palliate the wrongs Hermon had inflicted upon her. While dwelling on them, she by no means forgot the trivial purpose forwhich the artist intended to use her charms; and when she again gazed upat the slightly-clouded sky, the shrouded moon no longer reminded her ofthe silver orb between the horns of Astarte. She did not ask herself how the transformation had occurred, but in itsplace, high above her head, hung a huge gray spider. Its gigantic limbsextended over the whole firmament, and seemed striving to clutch andstifle the world beneath. The enormous monster was weaving its gray netover Tennis, and all the islands in the water, the Pelican Island, andshe herself upon the seat of turf, and held them all prisoned in it. It was a horrible vision, fraught with terrors which, even when she shuther eyes in order to escape it, showed very little change. Assailed by anxious fears, Ledscha started up, and a few seconds laterwas urging her boat with steady strokes toward the Owl's Nest. Even now lights were still shining from the Alexandrian's tent throughthe sultry, veiled night. There seemed to be no waking life on the pirates' island. Even old Tabushad probably put out the fire and gone to sleep, for deathlike silenceand deep darkness surrounded it. Had Hanno, who agreed to meet her here after midnight, also failed tocome? Had the pirate learned, like the Greek, to break his promise? Only half conscious what she was doing, she left the boat; but herslender foot had scarcely touched the land when a tall figure emergedfrom the thicket near the shore and approached her through the darkness. "Hanno!" she exclaimed, as if relieved from a burden, and the youngpirate repeated "Hanno" as if the name was the watchword of the night. Her own name, uttered in a tone of intense yearning, followed. Notanother syllable accompanied it, but the expression with which it fellupon her ear revealed so plainly what the young pirate felt for andexpected from her that, in spite of the darkness which concealed her, she felt her face flush. Then he tried to clasp her hand, and she dared not withdraw it from theman whom she had chosen for her tool. So she unresistingly permitted himto hold her right hand while he whispered his desire to take the placeof the fallen Abus and make her his wife. Ledscha, in hurried, embarrassed tones, answered that she appreciatedthe honour of his suit, but before she gave full consent she mustdiscuss an important matter with him. Then Hanno begged her to go out on the water. His father and his brother Labaja were sitting in the house by thefire with his grandmother. They had learned, in following the trade ofpiracy, to hide the glimmer of lights. The old people had approved hischoice, but the conversation in the dwelling would soon be over, andthen the opportunity of seeing each other alone would be at an end. Without uttering a word in reply, Ledscha stepped back into the boat, but Hanno plied the oars with the utmost caution and guided the skiffwithout the slightest sound away from the island to an open part of thewater far distant from any shore. Here he took in the oars and asked her to speak. They had no cause tofear being overheard, for the surrounding mists merely subdued thelight of the full moon, and no other boat could have approached themunobserved. The few night birds, sweeping swiftly on their strong pinions from oneisland to another, flew past them like flitting shadows. One hawk only, in search of nocturnal booty, circled around the motionless skiff, andsometimes, with expanded wings, swooped down close to the couple whowere talking together so eagerly; but both spoke so low that it wouldhave been impossible, even for the bird's keen hearing, to follow thecourse of their consultation. Merely a few louder words and exclamationsreached the height where it hovered. The young pirate himself was obliged to listen with the most strainedattention while Ledscha, in low whispers, accused the Greek sculptor ofhaving basely wronged and deceived her; but the curse with which Hannoreceived this acknowledgment reached even the bird circling aroundthe boat, and it seemed as if it wished to express its approval to thecorsair, for this time its fierce croak, as it suddenly swooped down tothe surface of the water behind the boat, sounded shrilly through thesilent night. But it soon soared again, and now Ledscha's declarationthat she would become Hanno's bride only on condition that he would aidher to punish the Hellenic traitor also reached him. Then came the words "valuable booty, " "slight risk, " "thanks andreward. " The girl's whispered allusion to two colossal statues made of pure goldand genuine ivory was followed by a laugh of disagreeable meaning fromthe pirate. At last he raised his deep voice to ask whether Ledscha, if the venturein which he would willingly risk his life were successful, wouldaccompany him on board the Hydra, the good ship whose command hisfather intrusted to him. The firm "Yes" with which she answered, andher indignant exclamation as she repulsed Hanno's premature attemptat tenderness, might have been heard by the hawk even at a greaterdistance. Then the pirate's promised bride lowered her voice again, and did notraise her tones until she saw in imagination the fulfilment of thejudgment which she was calling down upon the man who had torn her heartwith such pitiless cruelty. Was this the happiness predicted for her on the night of the full moon?It might be, and, radiant with secret joy, her eyes sparkling and herbosom heaving as if her foot was already on the breast of the fallenfoe, she assured Hanno that the gold and the ivory should belong to him, and to him alone; but not until he had delivered the base traitor to heralive, and left his punishment in her hands, would she be ready to gowith him wherever he wished--not until then, and not one moment earlier. The pirate, with a proud "I'll capture him!" consented to thiscondition; but Ledscha, in hurried words, now described how she hadplanned the attack, while the corsair, at her bidding, plied the oars soas to bring the boat nearer to the scene of the assault. The vulture followed the skiff; but when it stopped opposite to thelarge white building, one side of which was washed by the waves, Ledschapointed to the windows of Hermon's studio, exclaiming hoarsely to theyoung pirate: "You will seize him there--the Greek with the long, softblack beard, and the slender figure, I mean. Then you will bind and gaghim, but, you hear, without killing him, for I can only inflict what hedeserves upon the living man. I am not bargaining for a dead one. " Just at that instant the bird of prey, with a shrill, greedy cry, as ifit were invited to a delicious banquet, flew far away into the distanceand did not return. It flew toward the left; the girl noticed it, andher heavy black eyebrows, which already met, contracted still more. Thedirection taken by the bird, which soon vanished in the darkness of thenight, indicated approaching misfortune; but she was here only to sowdestruction, and the more terrible growth it attained the better! With an acuteness which aroused the admiration of the young corsair, whowas trained to similar plots, she explained hers. That they must wait until after the departure of the Alexandrian withher numerous train, and for the first dark night, was a matter ofcourse. One signal was to notify Hanno to hold himself in readiness, another toinform him that every one in the white house had gone to rest, andthat Hermon was there too. The pirates were to enter the black-beardedGreek's studio. While some were shattering his statues to carry awayin sacks the gold and ivory which they contained, others were to forcetheir way into Myrtilus's workroom, which was on the opposite side ofthe house. There they would find the second statue; but this they mustspare, because, on account of the great fame of its creator, it was morevaluable than the other. The fair-haired artist was ill, and it would beno difficult matter to take him alive, even if he should put himself onthe defensive. Hermon, on the contrary, was a strong fellow, and to bindhim without injuring him severely would require both strength and skill. Yet it must be done, for only in case Hanno succeeded in delivering bothsculptors to her alive would she consider herself--she could not repeatit often enough--bound to fulfil what she had promised him. With the exception of the two artists, only Myrtilus's servant, the olddoorkeeper, and Bias, Hermon's slave, remained during the night in thehouse which was to be attacked, and Hanno would undertake the assaultwith twenty-five sturdy fellows whom he commanded on the Hydra if hisbrother Labaja consented to share in the assault, this force could beconsiderably increased. To take the old corsair into their confidence now would not beadvisable, for, on account of his mother's near presence, he wouldscarcely consent to enter into the peril. Should the venture fail, everything would be over; but if it succeeded, the old man could onlypraise the courage and skill with which it had been executed. Nothing was to be feared from the coast guard, for since Abus's deaththe authorities believed that piracy had vanished from these waters, and the ships commanded by Satabus and his sons had been admitted fromPontus into the Tanite arm of the Nile as trading vessels. CHAPTER XI. While Hanno was discussing these considerations, he rowed the boat pastthe landing place from which the "garden" with the Alexandrian's tentcould be seen. The third hour after midnight had begun. Smoking flames were stillrising from the pitch pans and blazing torches, and long rows oflanterns also illumined the broad space. It was as light as day in the vicinity of the tent, and Biamite huntsmenand traders were moving to and fro among the slaves and attendants asthough it was market time. "Your father, too, " Hanno remarked in his awkward fashion, "willscarcely make life hard for us. We shall probably find him in Pontus. He is getting a cargo of wood for Egypt there. We have had dealings withhim a long time. He thought highly of Abus, and I, too, have alreadybeen useful to him. There were handsome young fellows on the Pontinecoast, and we captured them. At the peril of our lives we took them tothe mart. He may even risk it in Alexandria. So the old man makesover to him a large number of these youths, and often a girl intothe bargain, and he does it far too cheaply. One might envy him theprofit--if it were not your father! When you are once my wife, I'll makea special contract with him about the slaves. And, besides, since thelast great capture, in which the old man allowed me a share of my own, I, too, need not complain of poverty. I shall be ready for the dowry. Doyou want to know what you are worth to me?" But Ledscha's attention was attracted by other things, and even afterHanno, with proud conceit, repeated his momentous question, he waited invain for a reply. Then he perceived that the girl was gazing at the brilliantly lightedsquare as if spellbound, and now he himself saw before the tent a shedwith a canopied roof, and beneath it cushioned couches, on which severalGreeks--men and women--were half sitting, half lying, watching witheager attention the spectacle which a slender young Hellenic woman waspresenting to them. The tall man with the magnificent black beard, who seemed fairlydevouring her with his eyes, must be the sculptor whom Ledscha commandedhim to capture. To the rude pirate the Greek girl, who in a light, half-transparentbombyx robe, was exhibiting herself to the eyes of the men upon apedestal draped with cloths, seemed bold and shameless. Behind her stood two female attendants, holding soft white garmentsready, and a handsome Pontine boy with black, waving locks, who gazed upat her waiting for her signs. "Nearer, " Ledscha ordered the pirate in a stifled voice, and he rowedthe boat noiselessly under the shadow of a willow on the bank. But theskiff had scarcely been brought to a stop there when an elderly matron, who shared the couch of an old Macedonian man of a distinguished, soldierly appearance, called the name "Niobe. " The Hellene on the pedestal took a cloth from the hand of one of thefemale attendants, and beckoned to the boy, who obediently drew throughhis girdle the short blue chiton which hung only to his knees, andsprang upon the platform. There the Greek girl manipulated in some way the red tresses piled highupon her head, and confined above the brow by a costly gold diadem, flung the white linen fabric which the young slave handed to her overher head, wound her arm around the shoulders of the raven-locked boy, and drew him toward her with passionate tenderness. At the same timeshe raised the end of the linen drapery with her left hand, spreading itover him like a protecting canopy. The mobile features which had just smiled so radiantly expressed mortalterror, and the pirate, to whom even the name "Niobe" was unfamiliar, looked around him for the terrible danger threatening the innocentchild, from which the woman on the pedestal was protecting it withloving devotion. The mortal terror of a mother robbed by a higher power of her childcould scarcely be more vividly depicted, and yet haughty defiancehovered around her slightly pouting lips; the uplifted hands seemednot only anxiously to defend, but also to defy an invisible foe withpowerless anger. The pirate's eyes rested on this spectacle as if spellbound, and theman who in Pontus had dragged hundreds of young creatures--boys andgirls--on his ship to sell them into slavery, never thinking of thetears which he thereby caused in huts and mansions, clinched his roughhand to attack the base wretch who was robbing the poor mother of herlovely darling. But just as Hanno was rising to look around him for the invisibleevildoer, the loud shouts of many voices startled him. He glanced towardthe pedestal; but now, instead of the hapless mother, he found therethe bold woman whom he had previously seen, as radiant as if some greatpiece of good fortune had befallen her, bowing and waving her hand tothe other Greeks, who were thanking her with loud applause. The sorely threatened boy, bowing merrily, sprang to the ground; butHanno put his hand on Ledscha's arm, and in great perplexity whispered, "What did that mean?" "Hush!" said the girl softly, stretching her slender neck toward theilluminated square, for the performer had remained standing upon thepedestal, and Chrysilla, Daphne's companion, sat erect on her couch, exclaiming, "If it is agreeable to you, beautiful Althea, show us Nikecrowning the victor. " Even the Biamite's keen ear could not catch the reply and the purportof the rapid conversation which followed; but she guessed the point inquestion when the young men who were present rose hastily, rushed towardthe pedestal, loosed the wreaths from their heads, and offered them tothe Greek girl whom Chrysilla had just called "beautiful Althea. " Four Hellenic officers in the strong military force under Philippus, the commandant of the "Key of Egypt, " as Pelusium was justly called, had accompanied the old Macedonian general to visit his friendArchias's daughter at Tennis; but Althea rejected their garlands with anexplanation which seemed to satisfy them. Ledscha could not hear what she said, but when only Hermon and Myrtilusstill stood with their wreaths of flowers opposite the "beautifulAlthea, " and she glanced hesitatingly from one to the other, as if shefound the choice difficult, and then drew from her finger a sparklingring, the Biamite detected the swift look of understanding which Hermonexchanged with her. The girl's heart began to throb faster, and, with the keen premonitionof a jealous soul, she recognised in Althea her rival and foe. Now there was no doubt of it; now, as the actress, skilled in everywile, hid the hand holding the ring, as well as the other empty one, behind her back, she would know how to manage so that she could use thegarland which Hermon handed her. Ledscha's foreboding was instantly fulfilled, for when Althea held outher little tightly clinched fist to the artists and asked Myrtilus tochoose, the hand to which he pointed and she then opened was empty, andshe took from the other the ring, which she displayed with well-feignedregret to the spectators. Then Hermon knelt before her, and, as he offered Althea his wreath, his dark eyes gazed so ardently into the blue ones of the red-hairedGreek-like Queen Arsinoe, she was of Thracian descent--that Ledscha wasnow positively certain she knew for whose sake her lover had so baselybetrayed her. How she hated this bold woman! Yet she was forced to keep quiet, and pressed her lips tightly togetheras Althea seized the white sheet and with marvellous celerity wound itabout her until it fell in exquisite folds like a long robe. Surprise, curiosity, and a pleasant sense of satisfaction in seeingwhat seemed to her a shameless display withdrawn from her lover's eyes, rendered it easier for Ledscha to maintain her composure; yet she feltthe blood throbbing in her temples as Hermon remained kneeling beforethe Hellene, gazing intently into her expressive face. Was it not too narrow wholly to please the man who had known how topraise her own beauty so passionately? Did not the outlines of Althea'sfigure, which the bombyx robe only partially concealed, lack roundnesseven more than her own? And yet! As soon as Althea had transformed the sheet into a robe, and held the wreath above him, Hermon's gaze rested on hers as thoughenraptured, while from her bright blue eyes a flood of ardent admirationpoured upon the man for whom she held the victor's wreath. This was done with the upper portion of her body bending very farforward. The slender figure was poised on one foot; the other, coveredto the ankle with the long robe, hovered in the air. Had not the wingswhich, as Nike, belonged to her been lacking, every one would have beenconvinced that she was flying--that she had just descended from theheights of Olympus to crown the kneeling victor. Not only her hand, hergaze and her every feature awarded the prize to the man at her feet. There was no doubt that, if Nike herself came to the earth to make thebest man happy with the noblest of crowns, the spectacle would be asimilar one. And Hermon! No garlanded victor could look up to the gracious divinitymore joyously, more completely enthralled by grateful rapture. The applause which now rang out more and more loudly was certainlynot undeserved, but it pierced Ledscha's soul like a mockery, like thebitterest scorn. Hanno, on the contrary, seemed to consider the scene scarcely worthlooking at. Something more powerful was required to stir him. He wasparticularly averse to all exhibitions. The utmost which his relativescould induce the quiet, reserved man to do when they ventured into thegreat seaports was to attend the animal fights and the games of theathletes. He felt thoroughly happy only when at sea, on board of hisgood ship. His best pleasure was to gaze up at the stars on calm nights, guide the helm, and meanwhile dream--of late most gladly of making thebeautiful girl who had seemed to him worthy of his brave brother Abus, his own wife. In the secluded monotony of his life as a scar over memory had exaltedLedscha into the most desirable of all women, and the slaughtered Abusinto the greatest of heroes. To win the love of this much-praised maiden seemed to Hanno peerlesshappiness, and the young corsair felt that he was worthy of it; foron the high seas, when a superior foe was to be opposed by force andstratagem, when a ship was to be boarded and death spread over her deck, he had proved himself a man of unflinching courage. His suit had progressed more easily than he expected. His father wouldrejoice, and his heart exulted at the thought of encountering a seriousperil for the girl he loved. His whole existence was a venture of life, and, had he had ten to lose, they would not have been too dear a priceto him to win Ledscha. While Althea, as the goddess of Victory, held the wreath aloft, and loudapplause hailed her, Hanno was thinking of the treasures which he hadgarnered since his father had allowed him a share of the booty, and ofthe future. When he had accumulated ten talents of gold he would give up piracy, like Abus, and carry on his own ships wood and slaves from Pontus toEgypt, and textiles from Tennis, arms and other manufactured articlesfrom Alexandria to the Pontine cities. In this way Ledscha's father hadbecome a rich man, and he would also, not for his own sake--he neededlittle--but to make life sweet for his wife, surround her with splendourand luxury, and adorn her beautiful person with costly jewels. Many astolen ornament was already lying in the safe hiding place that even hisbrother Labaja did not know. At last the shouts died away, and as the stopping of the clatteringwheel wakes the miller, so the stillness on the shore roused Hanno fromhis dream. What was it that Ledscha saw there so fascinating that she did noteven hear his low call? His father and Labaja had undoubtedly left hisgrandmother's house long ago, and were looking for him in vain. Yes, he was right; the old pirate's shrill whistle reached his ear fromthe Owl's Nest, and he was accustomed to obedience. So, lightly touching Ledscha on the shoulder, he whispered that he mustreturn to the island at once. His father would be rejoiced if she wentwith him. "To-morrow, " she answered in a tone of resolute denial. Then, remindinghim once more of the meaning of the signals she had promised to give, she waved her hand to him, sprang swiftly past him to the prow of theboat, caught an overhanging bough of the willow on the shore, and, asshe had learned during the games of her childhood, swung herself aslightly as a bird into the thicket at the water's edge, which concealedher from every eye. CHAPTER XII. Without even vouchsafing Hanno another glance, Ledscha glided forward inthe shadow of the bushes to the great sycamore, whose thick, broad topon the side toward the tents was striped with light from the flood ofradiance streaming from them. On the opposite side the leafage vanishedin the darkness of the night, but Myrtilus had had a bench placed there, that he might rest in the shade, and from this spot the girl couldobtain the best view of what she desired to see. How gay and animated it was under the awning! A throng of companions had arrived with the Pelusinians, and some alsohad probably been on the ship which--she knew it from Bias--had come toTennis directly from Alexandria that afternoon. The galley was said tobelong to Philotas, an aristocratic relative of King Ptolemy. If she wasnot mistaken, he was the stately young Greek who was just picking up theostrich-feather fan that had slipped from Daphne's lap. The performance was over. Young slaves in gay garments, and nimble female servants with glitteringgold circlets round their upper arms and on their ankles, werepassing from couch to couch, and from one guest to another, offeringrefreshments. Hermon had risen from his knees, and the wreath of brightflowers again adorned his black curls. He held himself as proudly erectas if the goddess of Victory herself had crowned him, while Althea wasreaping applause and thanks. Ledscha gazed past her and the others towatch every movement of the sculptor. It was scarcely the daughter of Archias who had detained Hermon, for hemade only a brief answer--Ledscha could not hear what it was--when sheaccosted him pleasantly, to devote himself to Althea, and--this could beperceived even at a distance--thank her with ardent devotion. And now--now he even raised the hem of her peplos to his lips. A scornful smile hovered around Ledscha's mouth; but Daphne's guestsalso noticed this mark of homage--an unusual one in their circle--andyoung Philotas, who had followed Daphne from Alexandria, cast asignificant glance at a man with a smooth, thin, birdlike face, whosehair was already turning gray. His name was Proclus, and, as grammateusof the Dionysian games and high priest of Apollo, he was one of the mostinfluential men in Alexandria, especially as he was one of the favouredcourtiers of Queen Arsinoe. He had gone by her command to the Syrian court, had enjoyed onhis return, at Pelusium, with his travelling companion Althea, thehospitality of Philippus, and accompanied the venerable officer toTennis in order to win him over to certain plans. In spite of hisadvanced age, he still strove to gain the favour of fair women, and thesculptor's excessive ardour had displeased him. So he let his somewhat mocking glance wander from Althea to Hermon, and called to the latter: "My congratulations, young master; but I needscarcely remind you that Nike suffers no one--not even goodness andgrace personified--to take from her hand what it is her sole duty tobestow. " While speaking he adjusted the laurel on his own thin hair; but Thyone, the wife of Philippus, answered eagerly: "If I were a young man likeHermon, instead of an old woman, noble Proclus, I think the wreath whichBeauty bestows would render me scarcely less happy than stern Nike'scrown of victory. " While making this pleasant reply the matron's wrinkled face wore anexpression of such cordial kindness, and her deep voice was so winningin its melody, that Hermon forced himself to heed the glance of urgentwarning Daphne cast at him, and leave the sharp retort that hovered onhis lips unuttered. Turning half to the grammateus, half to the matron, he merely said, in a cold, self-conscious tone, that Thyone was right. In this gay circle, the wreath of bright flowers proffered by the handsof a beautiful woman was the dearest of all gifts, and he would know howto value it. "Until other more precious ones cast it into oblivion, " observed Althea. "Let me see, Hermon: ivy and roses. The former is lasting, but theroses--" She shook her finger in roguish menace at the sculptor as shespoke. "The roses, " Proclus broke in again, "are of course the most welcome toour young friend from such a hand; yet these flowers of the goddess ofBeauty have little in common with his art, which is hostile to beauty. Still, I do not know what wreath will be offered to the new tendencywith which he surprised us. " At this Hermon raised his head higher, and answered sharply: "Doubtlessthere must have been few of them, since you, who are so often among thejudges, do not know them. At any rate, those which justice bestows havehitherto been lacking. " "I should deplore that, " replied Proclus, stroking his sharp chin withhis thumb and forefinger; "but I fear that our beautiful Nike alsocared little for this lofty virtue of the judge in the last coronation. However, her immortal model lacks it often enough. " "Because she is a woman, " said one of the young officers, laughing; andanother added gaily: "That very thing may be acceptable to us soldiers. For my part, I think everything about the goddess of Victory isbeautiful and just, that she may remain graciously disposed towardus. Nay, I accuse the noble Althea of withholding from Nike, in herpersonation, her special ornament--her swift, powerful wings. " "She gave those to Eros, to speed his flight, " laughed Proclus, castinga meaning look at Althea and Hermon. No one failed to notice that this jest alluded to the love which seemedto have been awakened in the sculptor as quickly as in the personatorof the goddess of Victory, and, while it excited the merriment of theothers, the blood mounted into Hermon's cheeks; but Myrtilus perceivedwhat was passing in the mind of his irritable friend, and, as thegrammateus praised Nike because in this coronation she had omitted thelaurel, the fair-haired Greek interrupted him with the exclamation: "Quite right, noble Proclus, the grave laurel does not suit our gaypastime; but roses belong to the artist everywhere, and are alwayswelcome to him. The more, the better!" "Then we will wait till the laurel is distributed in some other place, "replied the grammateus; and Myrtilus quickly added, "I will answer forit that Hermon does not leave it empty-handed. " "No one will greet the work which brings your friend the wreath ofvictory with warmer joy, " Proclus protested. "But, if I am correctlyinformed, yonder house hides completed treasures whose inspection wouldgive the fitting consecration to this happy meeting. Do you know whatan exquisite effect gold and ivory statues produce in a full glow oflamplight? I first learned it a short time ago at the court of KingAntiochus. There is no lack of lights here. What do you say, gentlemen?Will you not have the studios lighted till the rooms are as bright asday, and add a noble enjoyment of art to the pleasures of this wonderfulnight?" But Hermon and Myrtilus opposed this proposal with equal decision. Their refusal awakened keen regret, and the old commandant of Pelusiumwould not willingly yield to it. Angrily shaking his large head, around which, in spite of his advancedage, thick snowwhite locks floated like a lion's mane, he exclaimed, "Must we then really return to our Pelusium, where Ares restricts thenative rights of the Muses, without having admired the noble works whicharose in such mysterious secrecy here, where Arachne rules and swingsthe weaver's shuttle?" "But my two cruel cousins have closed their doors even upon me, who camehere for the sake of their works, " Daphne interrupted, "and, as ratherZeus is threatening a storm--just see what black clouds are rising!--weought not to urge our artists further; a solemn oath forbids them toshow their creations now to any one. " This earnest assurance silenced the curious, and, while the conversationtook another turn, the gray-haired general's wife drew Myrtilus aside. Hermon's parents had been intimate friends of her own, as well as ofher husband's, and with the interest of sincere affection she desiredto know whether the young sculptor could really hope for the success ofwhich Myrtilus had just spoken. It was years since she had visited Alexandria, but what she heard ofHermon's artistic work from many guests, and now again through Proclus, filled her with anxiety. He had succeeded, it was said, in attracting attention, and his greattalent was beyond question; but in this age, to which beauty was as muchone of the necessities of life as bread and wine, and which could notseparate it from art, he ventured to deny it recognition. He headed acurrent in art which was striving to destroy what had been proved andacknowledged, yet, though his creations were undeniably powerful, and even showed many other admirable qualities, instead of pleasing, satisfying, and ennobling, they repelled. These opinions had troubled the matron, who understood men, and was themore disposed to credit them the more distinctly she perceived tracesof discontent and instability in Hermon's manner during the presentmeeting. So it afforded her special pleasure to learn from Myrtilus his firmconviction that, in Arachne, Hermon would produce a masterpiece whichcould scarcely be excelled. During this conversation Althea had come to Thyone's side, and, asHermon had already spoken to her of the Arachne, she eagerly expressedher belief that this work seemed as if it were specially created forhim. The Greek matron leaned back comfortably upon her cushions, herwrinkled, owl-like face assumed a cheerful expression, and, with theeasy confidence conferred by aristocratic birth, a distinguished socialposition, and a light heart, she exclaimed: "Lucifer is probably alreadybehind yonder clouds, preparing to announce day, and this exquisitebanquet ought to have a close worthy of it. What do you say, youwonder-working darling of the Muses"--she held out her hand to Althea asshe spoke--"to showing us and the two competing artists yonder the modelof the Arachne they are to represent in gold and ivory?" Althea fixed her eyes upon the ground, and, after a short period ofreflection, answered hesitatingly: "The task which you set before me iscertainly no easy one, but I shall rely upon your indulgence. " "She will!" cried the matron to the others. Then, clapping her hands, she continued gaily, in the tone of thedirector of an entertainment issuing invitations to a performance: "Yourattention is requested! In this city of weavers the noble Thracian, Althea, will depict before you all the weaver of weavers, Arachne, inperson. " "Take heed and follow my advice to sharpen your eyes, " added Philotas, who, conscious of his inferiority in intellect and talents to the menand women assembled here, took advantage of this opportunity to asserthimself in a manner suited to his aristocratic birth. "This artistic yethapless Arachne, if any one, teaches the lesson how the lofty Olympianspunish those who venture to place themselves on the same level; solet artists beware. We stepchildren of the Muse can lull ourselvescomfortably in the assurance of not giving the jealous gods theslightest cause for the doom which overtook the pitiable weaver. " Not a word of this declaration of the Macedonian aristocrat escaped thelistening Ledscha. Scales seemed to fall from her eyes. Hermon had wonher love in order to use her for the model of his statue of Arachne, and, now that he had met Althea, who perhaps suited his purpose evenbetter, he no longer needed the barbarian. He had cast her aside likea tight shoe as soon as he found a more acceptable one in this femalejuggler. The girl had already asked herself, with a slight thrill of horror, whether she had not prematurely called down so terrible a punishmentupon her lover; now she rejoiced in her swift action. If anything elseremained for her to do, it was to make the vengeance with which sheintended to requite him still more severe. There he stood beside the woman she hated. Could he bestow even one poorthought upon the Biamite girl and the wrong he had inflicted? Oh, no! His heart was filled to overflowing by the Greek--every lookrevealed it. What was the shameless creature probably whispering to him now? Perhaps a meeting was just being granted. The rapture which had beenpredicted to her for this moonlight night, and of which Hermon hadrobbed her, was mirrored in his features. He could think of everythingexcept her and her poor, crushed heart. But Ledscha was mistaken. Althea had asked the sculptor whether hestill regretted having been detained by her before midnight, and he hadconfessed that his remaining at the banquet had been connected with agreat sacrifice--nay, with an offence which weighed heavily on hismind. Yet he was grateful to the favour of the gods that had guided hisdecision, for Althea had it in her power to compensate him richly forwhat he had lost. A glance full of promise flashed upon him from her eloquent eyes, and, turning toward the pedestal at the same instant, she asked softly, "Isthe compensation I must and will bestow connected with the Arachne?" An eager "Yes" confirmed this question, and a swift movement of herexpressive lips showed him that his boldest anticipations were to besurpassed. How gladly he would have detained her longer!--but she was already theobject of all eyes, and his, too, followed her in expectant suspense asshe gave an order to the female attendant and then stood thoughtfullyfor some time before the platform. When she at last ascended it, the spectators supposed that she wouldagain use a cloth; but, instead of asking anything more from theassistants, she cast aside even the peplos that covered her shoulders. Now, almost lean in her slenderness, she stood with downcast eyes; butsuddenly she loosed the double chain, adorned with flashing gems, fromher neck, the circlets from her upper arms and wrists, and, lastly, eventhe diadem, a gift bestowed by her relative, Queen Arsinoe, from hernarrow brow. The female slaves received them, and then with swift movements Altheadivided her thick long tresses of red hair into narrower strands, whichshe flung over her back, bosom, and shoulders. Next, as if delirious, she threw her head so far on one side that italmost touched her left shoulder, and stared wildly upward toward theright, at the same time raising her bare arms so high that they extendedfar above her head. It was again her purpose to present the appearance of defending herselfagainst a viewless power, yet she was wholly unlike the Niobe whom shehad formerly personated, for not only anguish, horror, and defiance, but deep despair and inexpressible astonishment were portrayed by herfeatures, which obediently expressed the slightest emotion. Something unprecedented, incomprehensible even to herself, wasoccurring, and to Ledscha, who watched her with an expectation aspassionate as if her own weal and woe depended upon Althea's everymovement, it seemed as if an unintelligible marvel was happening beforeher eyes, and a still greater one was impending; for was the woman upthere really a woman like herself and the others whose eyes were nowfixed upon the hated actress no less intently than her own? Did her keen senses deceive her, or was not what was occurring actuallya mysterious transformation? As Althea stood there, her delicate arms seemed to have lengthened andlost even their slight roundness, her figure to have become even moreslender and incorporeal, and how strangely her thin fingers spreadapart! How stiffly the strands of the parted, wholly uncurled locksstood out in the air! Did it not seem as if they were to help her move? The black shadow which Althea's figure and limbs cast upon the surfaceof the brightly lighted pedestal-no, it was no deception, it not onlyresembled the spinner among insects, it presented the exact picture of aspider. The Greek's slender body had contracted, her delicate arms and narrowbraids of hair changed into spider legs, and the many-jointed hands werealready grasping for their prey like a spider, or preparing to wind themurderous threads around another living creature. "Arachne, the spider!" fell almost inaudibly from her quivering lips, and, overpowered by torturing fear, she was already turning away fromthe frightful image, when the storm of applause which burst from theAlexandrian guests soothed her excited imagination. Instead of the spider, a slender, lank woman, with long, outstretchedbare arms, and fingers spread wide apart, fluttering hair, and wanderingeyes again stood before Ledscha. But no peace was yet granted to her throbbing heart, for while Althea, with perspiring brow and quivering lips, descended from the pedestal, and was received with loud demonstrations of astonishment and delight, the glare of a flash of lightning burst through the clouds, and a loudpeal of thunder shook the night air and reverberated a long time overthe water. At the same instant a loud cry rang from beneath the canopy. Thyone, the wife of Alexander the Great's comrade, though absolutelyfearless in the presence of human foes, dreaded the thunder by whichZeus announced his anger. Seized with sudden terror, she commanded aslave to obtain a black lamb for a sacrifice, and earnestly entreatedher husband and her other companions to go on board the ship with herand seek shelter in its safe, rain-proof cabin, for already heavy dropswere beginning to fall upon the tensely drawn awning. "Nemesis!" exclaimed the grammateus. "Nemesis!" whispered young Philotas to Daphne in a confidential murmur, throwing his own costly purple cloak around her to shield her from therain. "Nowhere that we mortals overstep the bounds allotted to us do weawait her in vain. " Then bending down to her again, he added, by way of explanation: "Thewinged daughter of Night would prove herself negligent if she allowedme to enjoy wholly without drawback the overwhelming happiness of beingwith you once more. " "Nemesis!" remarked Thoas, an aristocratic young hipparch of theguards of the Diadochi, who had studied in Athens and belonged to thePeripatetics there. "The master sees in the figure of this goddess theindignation which the good fortune of the base or the unworthy use ofgood fortune inspires in us. She keeps the happy mean between envy andmalicious satisfaction. " The young soldier looked around him, expectingapplause, but no one was listening; the tempest was spreading terroramong most of the freedmen and slaves. Philotas and Myrtilus were following Daphne and her companion Chrysillaas they hurried into the tent. The deep, commanding tones of oldPhilippus vainly shouted the name of Althea, whom, as he had bestowedhis hospitality upon her in Pelusium, he regarded as his charge, whileat intervals he reprimanded the black slaves who were to carry his wifeto the ship, but at another heavy peal of thunder set down the litter tothrow themselves on their knees and beseech the angry god for mercy. Gras, the steward whom Archias had given to his daughter, a Bithynianwho had attached himself to one school of philosophy after an other, andthereby ceased to believe in the power of the Olympians, lost his quietcomposure in this confusion, and even his usual good nature desertedhim. With harsh words, and no less harsh blows, he rushed upon theservants, who, instead of carrying the costly household utensils andembroidered cushions into the tent, drew out their amulets and idols toconfide their own imperilled lives to the protection of higher powers. Meanwhile the gusts of wind which accompanied the outbreak of the stormextinguished the lamps and pitch-pans. The awning was torn from theposts, and amid the wild confusion rang the commandant of Pelusium'sshouts for Althea and the screams of two Egyptian slave women, who, withtheir foreheads pressed to the ground, were praying, while the angryGras was trying, by kicks and blows, to compel them to rise and go towork. The officers were holding a whispered consultation whether they shouldaccept the invitation of Proclus and spend the short remnant of thenight on his galley over the wine, or first, according to the counselof their pious commandant, wait in the neighbouring temple of Zeus untilthe storm was over. The tempest had completely scattered Daphne's guests. Even Ledschaglanced very rarely toward the tents. She had thrown her self on theground under the sycamore to beseech the angry deity for mercy, but, deeply as fear moved her agitated soul, she could not pray, but listenedanxiously whenever an unexpected noise came from the meeting place ofthe Greeks. Then the tones of a familiar voice reached her. It was Hermon's, andthe person to whom he was speaking could be no one but the uncannyspider-woman, Althea. They were coming to have a secret conversation under the shade of thedense foliage of the sycamore. That was easily perceived, and in aninstant Ledscha's fear yielded to a different feeling. Holding her breath, she nestled close to the trunk of the ancient treeto listen, and the first word she heard was the name "Nemesis, " whichhad just reached her from the tent. She knew its meaning, for Tennis also had a little temple dedicated tothe terrible goddess, which was visited by the Egyptians and Biamites aswell as the Greeks. A triumphant smile flitted over her unveiled features, for there was noother divinity on whose aid she could more confidently rely. She couldunchain the vengeance which threatened Hermon with a far more terribledanger than the thunder clouds above, under the protection--nay, as itwere at the behest of Nemesis. To-morrow she would be the first to anoint her altar. Now she rejoiced that her wealthy father imposed no restriction upon herin the management of household affairs, for she need spare no expense inchoosing the animal she intended to offer as a sacrifice. This reflection flashed through her mind with the speed of lightningwhile she was listening to Althea's conversation with the sculptor. "The question here can be no clever play upon the name and the natureof the daughter of Erebus and Night, " said the Thracian gravely. "Iwill remind you that there is another Nemesis besides the just being whodrives from his stolen ease the unworthy mortal who suns himself ingood fortune. The Nemesis whom I will recall to-day, while angry Zeusis hurling his thunderbolts, is the other, who chastises sacrilege--Ate, the swiftest and most terrible of the Erinyes. I will invoke her wrathupon you in this hour if you do not confess the truth to me fully andentirely. " "Ask, " Hermon interrupted in a hollow tone. "Only, you strange woman--" "Only, " she hastily broke in, "whatever the answer may be, I mustpose to you as the model for your Arachne--and perhaps it may cometo that--but first I must know, briefly and quickly, for they will belooking for me immediately. Do you love Daphne?" "No, " he answered positively. "True, she has been dear to me fromchildhood--" "And, " Althea added, completing the sentence, "you owe her father a debtof gratitude. But that is not new to me; I know also how little reasonyou gave her for loving you. Yet her heart belongs neither to Philotas, the great lord with the little brain, nor to the famous sculptorMyrtilus, whose body is really too delicate to bear all the laurels withwhich he is overloaded, but to you, and you alone--I know it. " Hermon tried to contradict her, but Althea, without allowing him tospeak, went on hurriedly: "No matter! I wished to know whether you lovedher. True, according to appearances, your heart does not glow for her, and hitherto you have disdained to transform by her aid, at a singlestroke, the poverty which ill suits you into wealth. But it was notmerely to speak of the daughter of Archias that I accompanied you intothis tempest, from which I would fain escape as quickly as possible. Sospeak quickly. I am to serve you in your art, and yet, if I understoodyou correctly, you have already found here another excellent model. " "A native of the country, " answered Hermon in an embarrassed tone. "And for my sake you allowed her to wait for you in vain?" "It is as you say. " "And you had promised to seek her?" "Certainly; but before the appointed hour came I met you. You rosebefore me like a new sun, shedding a new light that was full of promise. Everything else sank into darkness, and, if you will fulfil the hopewhich you awakened in this heart--" Just at that moment another flash of lightning blazed, and, whilethe thunder still shook the air, Althea continued his interruptedprotestation: "Then you will give yourself to me, body and soul--butZeus, who hears oaths, is reminding us of his presence--and what willawait you if the Biamite whom you betrayed invokes the wrath of Nemesisagainst you?" "The Nemesis of the barbarians!" he retorted contemptuously. "She onlyplaced herself at the service of my art reluctantly; but you, Althea, if you will loan yourself to me as a model, I shall succeed in doing myvery best; for you have just permitted me to behold a miracle, Arachneherself, whom you became, you enchantress. It was real, actual life, andthat--that is the highest goal. " "The highest?" she asked hesitatingly. "You will have to represent thefemale form, and beauty, Hermon, beauty?" "Will be there, allied with truth, " flamed Hermon, "if you, youpeerless, more than beautiful creature, keep your word to me. But youwill! Let me be sure of it. Is a little love also blended with the wishto serve the artist?" "A little love?" she repeated scornfully. "This matter concerns love complete and full--or none. We will see eachother again to-morrow. Then show me what the model Althea is worth toyou. " With these words she vanished in the darkness, while the call of hername again rang from the tents. "Althea!" he cried in a tone of mournful reproach as he perceived herdisappearance, hurrying after her; but the dense gloom soon forced himto give up the pursuit. Ledscha, too, left her place beneath the sycamore. She had seen and heard enough. Duty now commanded her to execute vengeance, and the bold Hanno wasready to risk his life for her. CHAPTER XIII. The following day the sun shone radiantly, with scorching brilliancy, upon Tennis and the archipelago, which at this season of the yearsurrounded the little city of weavers. Young Philotas, without going to rest, had set out at dawn in pursuit ofgame, accompanied by a numerous hunting party, to which several of thePelusinian officers belonged. He, too, had brought home a great quantityof booty, with which he had expected to awaken Daphne's admiration, andto lay as a token of homage at her feet. He had intended to lead beforeher garlanded slaves bearing, tied by ropes, bunches of slaughtered wildfowl, but his reception was very different from what he had anticipated. Instead of praising his exploit, he had been indignantly requested toremove the poor, easily killed victims from her presence; and, woundedand disappointed, he had retired to his magnificent Nile boat, where, spent by his sleepless night, he slumbered so soundly on his softcushions that he did not appear at the breakfast which the gray-hairedcommander of Pelusium had invited him to attend on his galley. While the others were still feasting there, Daphne was enjoying an houralone with her companion Chrysilla. She had remained absent from Philippus's banquet, and her pale cheeksshowed the ill effects produced by the excitement of the previous night. A little before noon Hermon came to see her. He, too, had not gone tothe Pelusinian's breakfast. After Althea had left him the evening before he went directly backto the white house, and, instead of going to rest, devoted himself toMyrtilus; for the difficulty of breathing, which during his industriouslife in quiet seclusion had not troubled him for several months, attacked him with twofold violence after the gaiety of the previousnight. Hermon had not left him an instant until day brought the suffererrelief, and he no longer needed the supporting hand of his kind nurse. While Hermon, in his own sleeping room, ordered Bias to anoint his hairand beard and put on festal garments, the slave told him certain thingsthat destroyed the last remnant of composure in his easily agitatedsoul. With the firm resolution to keep the appointment on Pelican Island, Hermon had gone at sunset, in response to the Alexandrian's invitation, to attend her banquet, and by no means unwillingly, for his parents'old friends were dear to him, and he knew by experience the beneficialinfluence Daphne's sunny, warmhearted nature exerted upon him. Yet this time he did not find what he expected. In the first place, he had been obliged to witness how earnestlyPhilotas was pressing his suit, and perceived that her companionChrysilla was most eagerly assisting him. As she saw in the youngaristocrat a suitable husband for the daughter of Archias, and it washer duty to assign the guests their seats at the banquet, she had giventhe cushion beside Daphne to Philotas, and also willingly fulfilledAlthea's desire to have Hermon for her neighbour. When Chrysilla presented the black-bearded artist to the Thracian, shewould have sworn that Althea found an old acquaintance in the sculptor;but Hermon treated the far-famed relative of Queen Arsinoe as coldlyand distantly as if he now saw her for the first time, and with littlepleasure. In truth, he was glad to avoid women of Althea's stamp. For some time hehad preferred to associate with the common people, among whom he foundhis best subjects, and kept far aloof from the court circles to whichAlthea belonged, and which, thanks to his birth and his ability as anartist, would easily have been accessible to him also. The over-refined women who gave themselves airs of avoiding everythingwhich imposes a restraint upon Nature, and therefore, in theirtransparent robes, treated with contempt all that modest Macedoniandames deemed worthy of a genuine woman's consideration, were repulsiveto him--perhaps because they formed so rude a contrast to his noble deadmother and to Daphne. Although he had been very frequently in feminine society, Althea'smanner at first caused him a certain degree of embarrassment; for, inspite of the fact that he believed he met her here for the first time, there was something familiar about her, especially in the tone of hervoice, and he fancied that her first words were associated with someformer ones. Yet no! If he had ever met her, he would surely have remembered herred-gold hair and the other peculiarities of a personality which wasremarkable in every respect. It soon proved that they were total strangers, and he wished matters toremain so. He was glad that she attracted him so little, for at least she wouldscarcely make the early departure to the Biamite, which he consideredhis duty, a difficult task. True, he admired from the first the rare milk-white line of her delicateskin, which was wholly free from rouge--his artist eye perceived thatand the wonderfully beautiful shape of her hands and feet. The pose ofthe head on the neck, too, as she turned toward him seemed remarkablyfine. This slender, pliant woman would have been an admirable model! Again and again she reminded him of a gay Lesbian with whom he hadcaroused for a night during the last Dionysia in Alexandria, yet, oncloser inspection, the two were as different as possible. The former had been as free and reckless in her conduct as Althea wasreserved. The hair and eyebrows of the Lesbian, instead of reddishgold, were the deepest black, and her complexion--he remembered itperfectly--was much darker. The resemblance probably consisted merely inthe shape of the somewhat too narrow face, with its absolutely straightnose, and a chin which was rather too small, as well as in the sound ofthe high voice. Not a serious word had reached his ears from the wanton lips of theLesbian, while Althea at once desired information concerning his art, and showed that she was thoroughly familiar with the works and theaspirations of the Alexandrian sculptors. Although aware that Hermon hadbegun his career as an artist, and was the leader of a new tendency, she pretended to belong to the old school, and thereby irritated him tocontradiction and the explanation of his efforts, which were rooted inthe demands of the present day and the life of the flourishing capital. The Thracian listened to the description of the new art strugglingto present truth, as if these things were welcome surprises, grandrevelations, for which she had waited with eager longing. True, sheopposed every statement hostile to the old beliefs; but her extremelyexpressive features soon betrayed to him that he was stirring her toreflect, shaking her opinions, and winning her to his side. Already, for the sake of the good cause, he devoted himself with theutmost zeal to the task of convincing Althea; she, however, did not makeit an easy one, but presented clever arguments against his assertions. Whenever he or she, by way of example, mentioned any well-known workof art, she imitated, as if involuntarily, its pose and action withsurprising fidelity, frequently also in admirable caricature, whoseeffect was extremely comical. What a woman! She was familiar with whatever Grecian art had created, and the animatedconversation became a bewitching spectacle. When the grammateus Proclus, who as Althea's travelling companion had a certain claim upon herattention, mingled for a while in the discussion and attracted Althea'snotice, Hermon felt injured, and answered his sensible remarks with suchrudeness that the elder man, whose social position was so much higher, angrily turned his back upon him. Althea had imposed a certain degree of restraint upon herself whiletalking to the grammateus, but during the further conversation withHermon she confessed that she was decidedly of his opinion, and added tothe old reasons for the deposition of beauty and ideality in favour oftruth and reality new ones which surprised the sculptor. When she atlast offered him her hand for a firm alliance, his brain was fevered, and it seemed a great honour when she asked eagerly what would occupyhim in the immediate future. Passionate sympathy echoed in every word, was expressed in everyfeature, and she listened as if a great happiness was in store forherself when he disclosed the hopes which he based upon the statue ofArachne. True, as time passed he had spoken more than once of the necessity ofretiring, and before midnight really tried to depart; but he had fallenunder Althea's thrall, and, in reply to her inquiry what must shortenthese exquisite hours, had informed her, in significant words, what drewhim away, and that his delay threatened him with the loss of a modelsuch as the favour of fate rarely bestowed upon an artist. Now the Thracian for the first time permitted her eyes to make frankconfessions. She also bent forward with a natural movement to examinethe artistic work on a silver vase, and as while doing so her peplosfell over his hand, she pressed it tenderly. He gazed ardently up at her; but she whispered softly: "Stay! You willgain through me something better than awaits you there, and not only forto-day and to-morrow. We shall meet again in Alexandria, and to serveyour art there shall be a beloved duty. " His power of resistance was broken; yet he beckoned to his slave Bias, who was busied with the mixing jars, and ordered him to seek Ledscha andtell her not to wait longer; urgent duties detained him. While he was giving this direction, Althea had become engaged in thegay conversation of the others, and, as Thyone called Hermon, and hewas also obliged to speak to Daphne, he could not again obtain anopportunity for private talk with the wonderful woman who held out fargrander prospects for his art than the refractory, rude Biamite maiden. Soon Althea's performance seemed to prove how fortunate a choice he hadmade. Her Arachne appeared like a revelation to him. If she kept herpromise, and he succeeded in modelling her in the pose assumed whileimagining the process of transformation, and presented her idea to thespectators, the great success which hitherto--because he had notyielded to demands which were opposed to his convictions--he had vainlyexpected, could no longer escape him. The Alexandrian fellow-artists whobelonged to his party would gratefully welcome this special work; forwhat grew out of it would have nothing in common with the fascinationof superhuman beauty, by which the older artists ensnared the hearts andminds of the multitude. He would create a genuine woman, who would notlack defects, yet who, though she inspired neither gratification norrapture, would touch, perhaps even thrill, the heart by absolute truth. While Althea was standing on the pedestal, she had not only representedthe transformation into the spider, but experienced it, and the featuresof the spectators revealed that they believed they were witnessingthe sinister event. His aim was now to awaken the same feeling in thebeholders of his Arachne. Nothing, nothing at all must be changed inthe figure of the model, in which many might miss the roundness andplumpness so pleasing to the eye. Althea's very defects would perfectthe figure of the restless, wretched weaver whom Athene transformed intothe spider. While devoting himself to nursing his friend, he had thought far less ofthe new love-happiness which, in spite of her swift flight, was probablyawaiting him through Althea than of the work which was to fill hisexistence in the immediate future. His healthy body, steeled in the palaestra, felt no fatigue after thesleepless night passed amid so many powerful excitements when he retiredto his chamber and committed himself to the hands of his slave. It had not been possible to hear his report before, but when he at lastreceived it Hermon was to learn something extremely unpleasant, and notonly because no word of apology or even explanation of his absence hadreached Ledscha. Bias was little to blame for this neglect, for, in the first place, hehad found no boat to reach the Pelican Island, because half Tenniswas on the road to Tanis, where, on the night of the full moon, thebrilliant festivals of the full eye of Horns and the great Astarte werecelebrated by the mixed population of this place. When a boat whichbelonged to Daphne's galley was finally given to him, the Biamite girlwas no longer at the place appointed for the meeting. Hoping to find her on the Owl's Nest with old Tabus, he then landedthere, but had been so uncivilly rebuffed on the shore by a rough fellowthat he might be glad to have escaped with sound limbs. Lastly, he stoleto Ledscha's home, and, knowing that her father was absent, had venturedas far as the open courtyard in the centre of the stately dwelling. Thedogs knew him, and as a light was shining from one of the rooms thatopened upon the courtyard, he peeped in and saw Taus, Ledscha's youngersister. She was kneeling before the statue of a god at the back of theroom, weeping, while the old housekeeper had fallen asleep with thedistaff in her lap. He called cautiously to the pretty child. She was awaiting the return ofher sister, who, she supposed, was still detained on the Owl's Nest byold Tabus's predictions; she had sorrowful tidings for her. The husband of her friend Gula had returned on his ship and learned thathis wife had gone to the Greek's studio. He had raged like a madman, andturned the unfortunate woman pitilessly out of doors after sunset. Herown parents had only been induced to receive her with great difficulty. Paseth, the jealous husband, had spared her life and refrained fromgoing at once to kill the artist solely because Hermon had saved hislittle daughter at his own peril from the burning house. "Now, " said Ledscha's pretty little sister, "it would also be known thatshe had gone with Gula to his master, who was certainly a handsome man, but for whom, now that young Smethis was wooing her, she cared no morethan she did for her runaway cat. All Tennis would point at her, and shedared not even think what her father would do when he came home. " These communications had increased Hermon's anxiety. He was a brave man, and did not fear the vengeance of the enragedhusband, against whom he was conscious of no guilt except havingpersuaded his wife to commit an imprudence. What troubled him was onlythe consciousness that he had given her and innocent little Taus everyreason to curse their meeting. The ardent warmth with which Gula blessed him as the preserver of herchild had given him infinite pleasure. Now it seemed as if he had beenguilty of an act of baseness by inducing her to render a service whichwas by no means free from danger, as though he wished to be paid for agood deed. Besides, the slave had represented the possible consequences of hisimprudence in the most gloomy light, and, with the assurance of knowingthe disposition of his fellow-countrymen, urged his master to leaveTennis at once; the other Biamite men, who would bear anything ratherthan the interference of a Greek in their married lives, might forceGula's husband to take vengeance on him. He said nothing about anxiety concerning his own safety, but he had goodreason to fear being regarded as a go-between and called to account forit. But his warnings and entreaties seemed to find deaf ears in Hermon. True, he intended to leave Tennis as soon as possible, for whatadvantage could he now find here? First, however, he must attend to thepacking of the statues, and then try to appease Ledscha, and make Gula'shusband understand that he was casting off his pretty wife unjustly. He would not think of making a hasty departure, he told the slave, especially as he was to meet Althea, Queen Arsinoe's art-appreciatingrelative, in whom he had gained a friend, later in Alexandria. Then Bias informed him of a discovery to which one of the Thracian'sslave women had helped him, and what he carelessly told his master drovethe blood from his cheeks, and, though his voice was almost stifled bysurprise and shame, made him assail him with questions. What great thing had he revealed? There had been reckless gaiety atevery festival of Dionysus since he had been in the artist's service, and the slaves had indulged in the festal mirth no less freely than themasters. To intoxicate themselves with wine, the gift of the god to whomthey were paying homage, was not only permitted, but commanded, and thejuice of the grape proved its all-equalizing power. There had been no lack of pretty companions even for him, the bondman, and the most beautiful of all had made eyes at his master, the tall, slender man with the splendid black beard. The reckless Lesbian who had favoured Hermon at the last Dionysia hadplayed pranks with him madly enough, but then had suddenly vanished. Byhis master's orders Bias had tried to find her again, but, in spite ofhonest search, in vain. Just now he had met, as Althea's maid, the little Syrian Margula, whohad been in her company, and raced along in the procession of bacchanalsin his, Bias's, arms. True, she could not be persuaded to make a frankconfession, but he, Bias, would let his right hand wither if Hermon'scompanion at the Dionysia was any other than Althea. His master wouldown that he was right if he imagined her with black hair instead of red. Plenty of people in Alexandria practised the art of dyeing, and it waswell known that Queen Arsinoe herself willingly mingled in the throng atthe Dionysia with a handsome Ephebi, who did not suspect the identity ofhis companion. This was the information which had so deeply agitated Hermon, and thenled him, after pacing to and fro a short time, to go first to Myrtilusand then to Daphne. He had found his friend sleeping, and though every fibre of his beingurged him to speak to him, he forced himself to leave the suffererundisturbed. Yet so torturing a sense of dissatisfaction with himself, so keen aresentment against his own adverse destiny had awaked within him, thathe could no longer endure to remain in the presence of his work, withwhich he was more and more dissatisfied. Away from the studio! There was a gay party on board the galley of his parents' old friends. Wine should bring him forgetfulness, too, bless him again with the senseof joyous existence which he knew so well, and which he now seemed onthe point of losing. When he had once talked and drunk himself into the right mood, lifewould wear a less gloomy face. No! It should once more be a gay and reckless one. And Althea? He would meet her, with whom he had once caroused and revelled madlyenough in the intoxication of the last Dionysia, and, instead ofallowing himself to be fooled any longer and continuing to bowrespectfully before her, would assert all the rights she had formerly soliberally granted. He would enjoy to-day, forget to-morrow, and be gay with the gay. Eager for new pleasure, he drew a long breath as he went out into theopen air, pressed his hands upon his broad chest, and with his eyesfixed upon the commandant of Pelusium's galley, bedecked with flags, walked swiftly toward the landing place. Suddenly from the deck, shaded by an awning, the loud laugh of a woman'sshrill voice reached his ear, blended with the deeper tones ofthe grammateus, whose attacks on the previous night Hermon had notforgotten. He stopped as if the laugh had pierced him to the heart. Proclusappeared to be on the most familiar terms with Althea, and to meethim with the Thracian now seemed impossible. He longed for mirth andpleasure, but was unwilling to share it with these two. As he dared notdisturb Myrtilus, there was only one place where he could find what heneeded, and this was--he had said so to himself when he turned his backon his sleeping friend--in Daphne's society. Only yesterday he would have sought her without a second thought, butto-day Althea's declaration that he was the only man whom the daughterof Archias loved stood between him and his friend. He knew that from childhood she had watched his every step with sisterlyaffection. A hundred times she had proved her loyalty; yet, dear as shewas to him, willingly as he would have risked his life to save her froma danger, it had never entered his mind to give the tie that united themthe name of love. An older relative of both in Alexandria had once advised him, whenhe was complaining of his poverty, to seek her hand, but his pride ofmanhood rebelled against having the wealth which fate denied flung intohis lap by a woman. When she looked at him with her honest eyes, hecould never have brought himself to feign anything, least of all apassion of which, tenderly attached to her though he had been for years, hitherto he had known nothing. "Do you love her?" Hermon asked himself as he walked toward Daphne'stent, and the anticipated "No" had pressed itself upon him far lessquickly than he expected. One thing was undeniably certain: whoever won her for a wife--eventhough she were the poorest of the poor--must be numbered among the mostenviable of men. And should he not recognise in his aversion to everyone of her suitors, and now to the aristocratic young Philotas, afeeling which resembled jealousy? No! He did not and would not love Daphne. If she were really his, andwhatever concerned him had become hers, with whom could he have soughtin hours like these soothing, kind, and sensible counsel, comfort thatcalmed the heart, and the refreshing dew which his fading courage andfaltering creative power required? The bare thought of touching clay and wax with his fingers, or takinghammer, chisel, and file in his hands, was now repulsive; and when, justoutside of the tent, a Biamite woman who was bringing fish to the cookreminded him of Ledscha, and that he had lost in her the right model forhis Arachne, he scarcely regretted it. CHAPTER XIV. Outside the door of the tent Hermon was trying to banish Althea's imagefrom his mind. How foolishly he had overestimated last night thevalue of this miserable actress, who as a woman had lost all charm forhim--even as a model for his Arachne! He would rather have appeared before his pure friend with unsightlystains on his robe than while mastered by yearning for the Thracian. The first glance at Daphne's beloved face, the first words of hergreeting, taught him that he should find with her everything for whichhe longed. In simple, truthful words she reproached him for having neglected herto the verge of incivility the evening before, but there was no trace ofbitterness or resentment in the accusation, and she gave Hermon littletime for apology, but quickly gladdened him with words of forgiveness. In the opinion of her companion Chrysilla, Daphne ought to have keptthe capricious artist waiting much longer for pardon. True, the cautiouswoman took no part in the conversation afterward, but she kept hercharge in sight while she was skilfully knotting the fringe into a clothwhich she had woven herself. On account of her favourite Philotas, itwas well for Daphne to be aware that she was watched. Chrysilla was acquainted with life, and knew that Eros never minglesmore arbitrarily in the intercourse of a young couple than when, after along separation, there is anything whatever to forgive. Besides, many words which the two exchanged escaped her hearing, forthey talked in low tones, and it was hot in the tent. Often the fatigueshe felt after the sleepless night bowed her head, still comely with itsunwrinkled face, though she was no longer young; then she quickly raisedit again. Neither Daphne nor Hermon noticed her. The former at once perceived thatsomething was weighing on the sculptor's mind, but he did not need anylong inquiry. He had come to confide his troubles to her, and she kindlylightened the task for him by asking why he had not gone to breakfastwith the Pelusinians. "Because I am not fit for gay company today, " was the reply. "Again dissatisfied with Fate?" "True, it has given me small cause for contentment of late. " "Put in place of Fate the far-seeing care of the gods, and you willaccept what befalls you less unkindly. " "Let us stick to us mortals, I entreat you. " "Very well, then. Your Demeter does not fully satisfy you. " A discontented shrug of the shoulders was the reply. "Then work with twofold zeal upon the Arachne. " "Although one model I hoped to obtain forsook me, and my soul isestranged from the other. " "Althea?" she asked eagerly, and he nodded assent. Daphne clapped her hands joyfully, exclaiming so loudly that Chrysilla'shead sprang up with a jerk. "It could not help being so! O Hermon!how anxious I have been! Now, I thought, when this horrible womanrepresented the transformation into the spider with such repulsiveaccuracy, Hermon will believe that this is the true, and therefore theright, ideal; nay, I was deceived myself while gazing. But, eternalgods! as soon as I imagined this Arachne in marble or chryselephantinework, what a painful feeling overpowered me!" "Of course!" he replied in an irritated tone. "The thirst for beauty, towhich you all succumb, would not have much satisfaction to expect fromthis work. " "No, no, no!" Daphne interrupted in a louder tone than usual, and withthe earnest desire to convince him. "Precisely because I transportedmyself into your tendency, your aspirations, I recognised the danger. OHermon! what produced so sinister an effect by the wavering light ofthe lamps and torches, while the thunderstorm was rising--the strands ofhair, the outspread fingers, the bewildered, staring blue eyes--doyou not feel yourself how artificial, how unnatural it all was? Thistransformation was only a clever trick of acting, nothing more. Beforea quiet spectator, in the pure, truthful light of Apollo, the foe ofall deception, what would this Arachne probably become? Even now--I havealready said so--when I imagine her executed in marble or in goldand ivory! Beauty? Who would expect to find in the active, constantlytoiling weaver, the mortal daughter of an industrious dyer in purple, the calm, refreshing charm of divine women? I at least am neitherfoolish nor unjust enough to do so. The degree of beauty Altheapossesses would entirely satisfy me for the Arachne. But when I imaginea plastic work faithful to the model of yesterday evening--though Ihave seen a great deal with my own eyes, and am always ready to defer toriper judgment--I would think, while looking at it: This statue came tothe artist from the stage, but never from Nature. Such would be my view, and I am not one of the initiated. But the adepts! The King, with histhorough connoisseurship and fine taste, my father, and the other famousjudges, how much more keenly they would perceive and define it!" Here she hesitated, for the blood had left Hermon's cheeks, and she sawwith surprise the deep impression which the candid expression ofher opinion had produced upon the artist, usually so independent anddisposed to contradiction. Her judgment had undoubtedly disturbed, nay, perhaps convinced him; but at the same time his features revealed suchdeep depression that, far from rejoicing in so rare a success, shepatted his arm like an affectionate sister, saying: "You have not yetfound time to realize calmly what yesterday dazzled us all--and you, "she added in a lower tone, "the most strongly. " "But now, " he murmured sadly, half to himself, half to, her, "my visionis doubly clear. Close before the success of which I dreamed failure andbitter disappointment. " "If this 'doubly' refers to your completed work, and also to theArachne, " cried Daphne in the affectionate desire to soothe him, "apleasant surprise will perhaps soon await you, for Myrtilus judges yourDemeter much more favourably than you yourself do, and he also betrayedto me whom it resembles. " She blushed slightly as she spoke, and, as her companion's gloomy facebrightened for a short time, went on eagerly: "And now for the Arachne. You will and must succeed in what you so ardently strive to accomplish, a subject so exactly adapted to your magnificent virile genius and sostrangely suited to the course which your art has once entered upon. And you can not fail to secure the right model. You had not found itin Althea, no, certainly not! O Hermon! if I could only make you seeclearly how ill suited she, in whom everything is false, is to you--yourart, your only too powerful strength, your aspiration after truth--" "You hate her, " he broke in here in a repellent tone; but Daphne droppedher quiet composure, and her gray eyes, usually so gentle, flashedfiercely as she exclaimed: "Yes, and again yes! From my inmost soul Ido, and I rejoice in it. I have long disliked her, but since yesterday Iabhor her like the spider which she can simulate, like snakes and toads, falsehood and vice. " Hermon had never seen his uncle's peaceful daughter in this mood. Theemotions that rendered this kindly soul so unlike itself could only bethe one powerful couple, love and jealousy; and while gazing intentlyat her face, which in this moment seemed to him as beautiful as DallasAthene armed for battle, he listened breathlessly as she continued:"Already the murderous spider had half entangled you in her net. Shedrew you out into the tempest--our steward Gras saw it--in order, whileZeus was raging, to deliver you to the wrath of the other gods alsoand the contempt of all good men; for whoever yields himself to her shedestroys, sucks the marrow from his bones like the greedy harpies, andall that is noble from his soul. " "Why, Daphne, " interrupted Chrysilla, raising herself from her cushionsin alarm, "must I remind you of the moderation which distinguishes theGreeks from the barbarians, and especially the Hellenic woman--" Here Daphne indignantly broke in: "Whoever practises moderation in theconflict against vice has already gone halfway over to evil. She utterlyruined--how long ago is it?--the unfortunate Menander, my poor Ismene'syoung husband. You know them both, Hermon. Here, of course, you scarcelyheard how she lured him from his wife and the lovely little girl whobears my name. She tempted the poor fellow to her ship, only to cast himoff at the end of a month for another. Now he is at home again, but hethinks Ismene is the statue from the Temple of Isis, which has gainedlife and speech; for he has lost his mind, and when I saw him I felt asif I should die of horror and pity. Now she is coming home with Proclus, and, as the way led through Pelusium, she attached herself to ourfriends and forces herself in here with them. What does she care abouther elderly travelling companion? But you--yes, you, Hermon--are thenext person whom she means to capture. Just now, when my eyes closed Butno! It is not only in my dreams; the hideous gray threads which proceedfrom this greedy spider are continually floating before me and dim thelight. " Here she paused, for the maid Stephanion announced the coming ofvisitors, and at the same time loud voices were heard outside, and themerry party who had been attending the breakfast given by the commandantof Pelusium entered the tent. Althea was among the guests, but she took little notice of Hermon. Proclus, her associate in Queen Arsinoe's favour, was again assertinghis rights as her travelling companion, and she showed him plainly thatthe attention which he paid her was acceptable. Meanwhile her eager, bright blue eyes were roving everywhere, andnothing that was passing around her escaped her notice. As she greeted Daphne she perceived that her cheeks had flushed duringher conversation with Hermon. How reserved and embarrassed the sculptor's manner was now to hisuncle's daughter, whom only yesterday he had treated with as muchfreedom as though she were his sister! What a bungler in dissimulation!how short-sighted was this big, strong man and remarkable artist! He hadcarried her, Althea, in his arms like a child for a whole quarter of anhour at the festival of Dionysus, and, in spite of the sculptor's keeneye, he did not recognise her again! What would not dyes and a change of manner accomplish! Or had the memory of those mad hours revived and caused hisembarrassment? If he should know that her companion, the Milesian Nanno, whom he had feasted with her on oyster pasties at Canopus after shehad given the slip to her handsome young companion was Queen Arsinoe!Perhaps she would inform him of it some day if he recognised her. Yet that could scarcely have happened. He had only been told what shebetrayed to him yesterday, and was now neglecting her for Daphne's sake. That was undoubtedly the way the matter stood. How the girl's cheekswere glowing when she entered! The obstacle that stood between her and Hermon was the daughter ofArchias, and she, fool that she was, had attracted Hermon's attention toher. No matter! He would want her for the Arachne, and she needed only to stretch outher hand to draw him to her again if she found no better amusement inAlexandria. Now she would awaken his fears that the best of models wouldrecall her favour. Besides, it would not do to resume the pleasant gamewith him under the eyes of Philippus and his wife, who was a followerof the manners of old times. The right course now was to keep him untillater. Standing at Proclus's side, she took part gaily in the generalconversation; but when Myrtilus and Philemon had joined the others, andDaphne had consented to go with Philippus and Thyone that evening, in order, after offering sacrifice together to Selene, to sail forPelusium, Althea requested the grammateus to take her, into the openair. Before leaving the tent, however, she dropped her ostrich-feather fanas she passed Hermon, and, when he picked it up, whispered with asignificant glance at Daphne, "I see that what was learned of her heartis turned to account promptly enough. " Then, laughing gaily, she continued loudly enough to be heard by hercompanion also: "Yesterday our young artist maintained that theMuse shunned abundance; but the works of his wealthy friend Myrtiluscontradicted him, and he changed his view with the speed of lightning. " "Would that this swift alteration had concerned the direction of hisart, " replied Proclus in a tone audible to her alone. Both left the tent as he spoke, and Hermon uttered a sigh of reliefas he looked after them. She attributed the basest motives to him, andDaphne's opinion of her was scarcely too severe. He no longer needed to fear her power of attraction, though, now that hehad seen her again, he better understood the spell which she had exertedover him. Every movement of her lithe figure had an exquisite grace, whose charm was soothing to the artist's eye. Only there was somethingpiercing in her gaze when it did not woo love, and, while making thebase charge, her extremely thin lips had showed her sharp teeth in amanner that reminded him of the way the she-wolf among the King's wildbeasts in the Paneum gardens raised her lips when any one went near hercage. Daphne was right. Ledscha would have been infinitely better as a modelfor the Arachne. Everything in this proud creature was genuine andoriginal, which was certainly not the case with Althea. Besides, sternausterity was as much a part of the Biamite as her hair and her hands, yet what ardent passion he had seen glow in her eyes! The model solong sought in vain he had found in Ledscha, who in so many respectsresembled Arachne. Fool that he was to have yielded to a swift and falseebullition of feeling! Since Myrtilus was again near him Hermon had devoted himself with fresheagerness to his artistic task, while a voice within cried more and moreloudly that the success of his new work depended entirely upon Ledscha. He must try to regain her as a model for the Arachne! But whilepondering over the "how, " he felt a rare sense of pleasure when Daphnespoke to him or her glance met his. At first he had devoted himself eagerly to his father's old friends, and especially to Thyone, and had not found it quite easy to remain firmwhen, in her frank, kindly, cordial manner, she tried to persuade himto accompany her and the others to Pelusium. Yet he had succeeded inrefusing the worthy couple's invitation. But when he saw Philotas, whoseresemblance to the King, his cousin, had just been mentioned by one ofthe officers, become more and more eager in his attentions to Daphne, and heard him also invited by Philippus to share the nocturnalvoyage, he felt disturbed, and could not conceal from himself that theuneasiness which constantly obtained a greater mastery over him arosefrom the fear of losing his friend to the young aristocrat. This was jealousy, and where it flamed so hotly love could scarcelybe absent. Yet, had the shaft of Eros really struck him, how was itpossible that the longing to win Ledscha back stirred so strongly withinhim that he finally reached a resolution concerning her? As soon as the guests left Tennis he would approach the Biamite again. He had already whispered this intention to Myrtilus, when he heardDaphne's companion say to Thyone, "Philotas will accompany us, and onthis voyage they will plight their troth if Aphrodite's powerful sonaccepts my sacrifice. " He involuntarily looked at the pair who were intended for each other, and saw Daphne lower her eyes, blushing, at a whisper from the youngMacedonian. His blood also crimsoned his cheeks, and when, soon after, he asked hisfriend whether she cared for his companionship, and Daphne assented inthe most eager way, he said that he would share the voyage to Pelusium. Daphne's eyes had never yet beamed upon him so gladly and graciously. Althea was right. She must love him, and it seemed as if this convictionawoke a new star of happiness in his troubled soul. If Philotas imagined that he could pluck the daughter of Archias like aripe fruit from a tree, he would find himself mistaken. Hermon did not yet exactly understand himself, only he felt certain thatit would be impossible to surrender Daphne to another, and that for hersake he would give up twenty Ledschas, though he cherished infinitelygreat expectations from the Biamite for his art, which hitherto had beenmore to him than all else. Everything that he still had to do in Tennis he could intrust to hisconscientious Bias, to Myrtilus, and his slaves. If he returned to the city of weavers, he would earnestly endeavourto palliate the offence which he had inflicted on Ledscha, and, ifpossible, obtain her forgiveness. Only one thing detained him--anxietyabout his friend, who positively refused to share the night voyage. He had promised his uncle Archias to care for him like a brother, andhis own kind heart bade him stay with Myrtilus, and not leave him to thenursing of his very skilful but utterly unreliable body-servant, afterthe last night had proved to what severe attacks of his disease he wasstill liable. Myrtilus, however, earnestly entreated him not to deprive himself onhis account of a pleasure which he would gladly have shared. There wasplenty of time to pack the statues. As for himself, nothing would do himmore good just now than complete rest in his beloved solitude, which, as Hermon knew, was more welcome to him than the gayest society. Nothingwas to be feared for him now. The thunderstorm had purified the air, and another one was not to be expected soon in this dry region. He hadalways been well here in sunny weather. Storms, which were especiallyharmful to him, never came at this season of the year. Myrtilus secretly thought that Hermon's departure would be desirable, because the slave Bias had confided to him what dangers threatened hisfriend from the incensed Biamite husbands. Finally, Myrtilus turned to the others and begged them not to let Hermonleave Pelusium quickly. When, at parting, he was alone with him, he embraced him and said moretenderly than usual: "You know how easy it will be for me to depart fromlife; but it would be easier still if I could leave you behind withoutanxiety, and that would happen if the hymeneal hymns at your marriageto Daphne preceded the dirges which will soon resound above my coffin. Yesterday I first became sure that she loves you, and, much good as youhave in your nature, you owe the best to her. " Hermon clasped him in his arms with passionate affection, and afterconfessing that he, too, felt drawn with the utmost power toward Daphne, and urging him to anticipate complete recovery instead of an earlydeath, he held out his hand to his friend; but Myrtilus clasped it along time in his own, saying earnestly: "Only this one frank warning:An Arachne like the model which Althea presented yesterday evening woulddeal the past of your art a blow in the face. No one at Rhodes--and thisis just what I prize in you--hated imitation more, yet what would usingthe Arachne on the pedestal for a model be except showing the world nothow Hermon, but how Althea imagines the hapless transformed mortal? Evenif Ledscha withdraws from you, hold fast to her image. It will live onin your soul. Recall it there, free it from whatever is superfluous, supply whatever it lacks, animate it with the idea of the tirelessartist, the mocking, defiant mortal woman who ended her life as theweaver of weavers in the insect world, as you have so often vividlydescribed her to me. Then, my dear fellow, you will remain loyal toyourself, and therefore also to the higher truth, toward which every oneof us who labours earnestly strives, and, myself included, there is noone who wields hammer and chisel in Greece who could contest the prizewith you. " CHAPTER XV. When the sun was approaching the western horizon the travellers started. Light mists veiled the radiant right eye of the goddess of heaven. Theblood of the contending spirits of light and darkness, which usuallydyed the west of Egypt crimson at the departure of the great sun god, to-day vanished from sight. The sultry air was damp and oppressive, and experienced old Philippus, who had commanded a fleet of considerable size under the firstPtolemies, agreed with the captain of the vessel, who pointed to severalsmall dark clouds under the silvery stratus, and expressed the fear thatSelene would hardly illumine the ship's course during the coming night. But before the departure the travellers had offered sacrifices tothe foam-born Cyprian Aphrodite and the Dioscuri, the protectors ofmariners, and the conversation took the gayest turn. In the harbour of the neighbouring seaport Tanis they went aboard of thecommandant's state galley, one of the largest and finest in the royalfleet, where a banquet awaited them. Cushions were arranged on the high poop, and the sea was as smooth asthe silver dishes in which viands were offered to the guests. True, not a breath stirred the still, sultry air, but the three longdouble ranks of rowers in the hold of the ship provided for her swiftprogress, and if no contrary wind sprang up she would run into theharbour of Pelusium before the last goblet was emptied. Soon after the departure it seemed as if the captain of the littlevessel had erred in his prediction, for the moon burst victoriouslythrough the black clouds, only its shining orb was surrounded by a dull, glimmering halo. Doubtless many a guest longed for a cool breeze, but when the mixed winehad moistened the parched tongues the talk gained fresh animation. Every one did his or her part, for the point in question was to inducePhilippus and his wife to visit Alexandria again and spend some timethere as beloved guests with Daphne in her father's house or in thepalace of Philotas, who jestingly, yet with many reasons, contested thehonour with the absent Archias. The old warrior had remained away from the capital for several years;he alone knew why. Now the act which had incensed him and the offenceinflicted upon him were forgotten, and, having passed seventy fouryears, he intended to ask the commander in chief once more for theretirement from the army which the monarch had several times refused, in order, as a free man, to seek again the city which in his presentposition he had so long avoided. Thyone, it is true, thought that her husband's youthful vigour renderedthis step premature, but the visit to Alexandria harmonized with her ownwishes. Proclus eagerly sided with her. "To him, " said the man of manifoldknowledge, who as high priest of Apollo was fond of speaking in aninstructive tone, "experience showed that men like Philippus, who solelyon account of the number of their years withdrew their services fromthe state, felt unhappy, and, like the unused ploughshare, becameprematurely rusty. What they lacked, and what Philippus would alsomiss, was not merely the occupation, which might easily be supplied byanother, but still more the habit of command. One who had had thousandssubject to his will was readily overcome by the feeling that he wasgoing down hill, when only a few dozen of his own slaves and his wifeobeyed him. " This word aroused the mirth of old Philippus, who praised all the goodqualities of Macedonian wives except that of obedience, while Thyoneprotested that during her more than forty years of married life herhusband had become so much accustomed to her complete submission than heno longer noticed it. If Philippus should command her to-morrow to leavetheir comfortable palace in Pelusium to accompany him to Alexandria, where they possessed no home of their own, he would see how willinglyshe obeyed him. While speaking, her bright, clear eyes, which seemed to float in thedeep hollows sunk by age, sparkled so merrily in her wrinkled face thatPhilippus shook his finger gaily at her and showed plainly how muchpleasure the jest of the old companion of his wanderings gave him. Yet he insisted upon his purpose of not entering Alexandria again untilhe had resigned his office, and to do this at present was impossible, since he was bound just now, as if with chains, to the importantfrontier fortress. Besides, there had probably been little change in thecapital since the death of his beloved old companion in arms and master, the late King. This assertion evoked a storm of contradiction, and even the youngerofficers, who usually imposed severe restraint upon themselves in thegeneral's presence, raised their voices to prove that they, too, hadlooked around the flourishing capital with open eyes. Yet it was not six decades since Philippus, then a lad of seventeen, hadbeen present at its foundation. His father, who had commanded as hipparch a division of cavalry in thearmy of Alexander the Great, had sent for the sturdy youth just at thattime to come to Egypt, that he might enter the army. The conquerorof the world had himself assigned him, as a young Macedonian of goodfamily, to the corps of the Hetairoi; and how the vigorous old man'seyes sparkled as, with youthful enthusiasm, he spoke of the divinevanquisher of the world who had at that time condescended to addresshim, gazed at him keenly yet encouragingly with his all-discerning butkindly blue eyes, and extended his hand to him! "That, " he cried, "made this rough right hand precious to me. Oftenwhen, in Asia, in scorching India, and later here also, wounded orexhausted, it was ready to refuse its service, a spirit voice withincried, 'Do not forget that he touched it'; and then, as if I had drunkthe noble wine of Byblus, a fiery stream flowed from my heart into theparalyzed hand, and, as though animated with new life, I used it againand kept it worthy of his touch. To have seen a darling of the gods likehim, young men, makes us greater. It teaches us how even we human beingsare permitted to resemble the immortals. Now he is transported among thegods, and the Olympians received him, if any one, gladly. Whoever sharedthe deeds of such a hero takes a small portion of his renown with himthrough life and into the grave, and whom he touched, as befell me, feels himself consecrated, and whatever is petty and base flows awayfrom him like water from the anointed body of the wrestler. ThereforeI consider myself fortunate above thousands of others, and if there isanything which still tempts me to go to Alexandria, it is the desire totouch his dead body once more. To do that before I die is my most ardentdesire. " "Then gratify it!" cried Thyone with urgent impatience; but Proclusturned to the matron, and, after exchanging a hasty glance with Althea, said: "You probably know, my venerable friend, that Queen Arsinoe, whomost deeply honours your illustrious husband, had already arranged tohave him summoned to the capital as priest of Alexander. True, in thisposition he would have had the burden of disposing of all the revenuesfrom the temples throughout Egypt; but, on the other hand, he wouldalways have his master's mortal remains near and be permitted to betheir guardian. What influences baffled the Queen's wish certainly havenot remained hidden from you here. " "You are mistaken, " replied Philippus gravely. "Not the least whisper ofthis matter reached my ears, and it is fortunate. " "Impossible!" Althea eagerly interrupted; "nothing else was talked offor weeks in the royal palace. Queen Arsinoe--you might be jealous, LadyThyone--has been fairly in love with your hero ever since her last stayin your house on her way home from Thrace, and she has not yet given upher desire to see him in the capital as priest of Alexander. It seemsto her just and fair that the old companion of the greatest of the greatshould have the highest place, next to her husband's, in the citywhose foundation he witnessed. Arsinoe speaks of you also with all theaffection natural to her feeling heart. " "This is as flattering as it is surprising, " replied Thyone. "Theattention we showed her in Pelusium was nothing more than we owed tothe wife of the sovereign. But the court is not the principal attractionthat draws me to the capital. It would make Philippus happy--you havejust heard him say so--to remember his old master beside the tomb ofAlexander. " "And, " added Daphne, "how amazed you will be when you see the presentform of the 'Soma', in which rests the golden coffin with the bodyof the divine hero whom the fortunate Philippus aided to conquer theworld!" "You are jesting, " interrupted the old warrior. "I aided him only as thedrops in the stream help to turn the wheel of the mill. As to his body, true, I marched at the head of the procession which bore it to Memphisand thence to Alexandria. In the Soma I was permitted to think of himwith devout reverence, and meantime I felt as if I had again seen himwith these eyes--exactly as he looked in the Egyptian fishing village ofRhacotis, which he transformed into your magnificent Alexandria. Whata youth he was! Even what would have been a defect in others became abeauty in him. The powerful neck which supported his divine head was alittle crooked; but what grace it lent him when he turned kindly toany one! One scarcely noticed it, and yet it was like the bend of apetitioner, and gave the wish which he expressed resistless power. Whenhe stood erect, the sharpest eye could not detect it. Would that hecould appear before me thus once more! Besides, the buildings whichsurrounded the golden coffin were nearly completed at the time of ourdeparture. " "But the statues, reliefs, and mosaic work were lacking, " said Hermon. "They were executed by Lysippus, Euphranor, and others of our greatestartists; the paintings by Apelles himself, Antiphilus, and Nicias. Onlythose who had won renown were permitted to take part in this work, andthe Ares rushing to battle, created by our Myrtilus, can be seen amongthe others. The tomb of Alexander was not entirely completed until threeyears ago. " "At the same time as the Paneum, " added Philotas, completing thesentence; and Althea, waving her beaker toward the old hero, remarked:"When you have your quarters in the royal palace with your crownedadmirer, Arsinoe--which, I hope, will be very soon--I will be yourguide. " "That office is already bestowed on me by the Lady Thyone, " Daphnequietly replied. "And you think that, in this case, obedience is the husband's duty?"cried the other, with a sneering laugh. "It would only be the confirmation of a wise choice, " replied Philippus, who disliked the Thracian's fawning manner. Thyone, too, did not favour her, and had glanced indignantly at her whenAlthea made her rude remark. Now she turned to Daphne, and her plainface regained its pleasant expression as she exclaimed: "We reallypromised your father to let him show us the way, child; but, unfortunately, we are not yet in Alexandria and the Paneum. " "But you would set out to-morrow, " Hermon protested, "if we couldsucceed in fitly describing what now awaits you there. There is only oneAlexandria, and no city in the world can offer a more beautiful scenethan is visible from the mountain in the Paneum gardens. " "Certainly not, " protested the young hipparch, who had studied inAthens. "I stood on the Acropolis; I was permitted to visit Rhodes andMiletus--" "And you saw nothing more beautiful there, " cried Proclus. "Thearistocratic Roman envoys, who left us a short time ago, admitted thesame thing. They are just men, for the view from the Capitol of theirgrowing city is also to be seen. When the King's command led me to theTiber, many things surprised me; but, as a whole, how shall I comparethe two cities? The older Rome, with her admirable military power:a barbarian who is just beginning to cultivate more refinedmanners--Alexandria: a rich, aristocratic Hellene who, like you, myyoung friend, completed her education in Ilissus, and unites tothe elegant taste and intellect of the Athenian the mysteriousthoughtfulness of the Egyptian, the tireless industry of the Jew, andthe many-sided wisdom and brilliant magnificence of the other Orientalcountries. " "But who disdains to dazzle the eyes with Asiatic splendour, "interrupted Philotas. "And yet what do we not hear about the unprecedented luxury in the royalpalace!" growled the gray-haired warrior. "Parsimony--the gods be praised!--no one need expect from our royalpair, " Althea broke in; "but King Ptolemy uses his paternal wealth forvery different purposes than glittering gems and golden chambers. If youdisdain my guidance, honoured hero, at least accept that of some genuineAlexandrian. Then you will understand Proclus's apt simile. You ought tobegin with the royal palaces in the Brucheium. " "No, no-with the harbour of Eunostus!" interrupted the grammateus. "With the Soma!" cried the young hipparch, while Daphne wished to havethe tour begin in the Paneum gardens. "They were already laid out when we left Alexandria, " said Thyone. "And they have grown marvellously, as if creative Nature had doubled herpowers in their behalf, " Hermon added eagerly. "But man has also wroughtamazing miracles here. Industrious hands reared an actual mountain. Awinding path leads to the top, and when you stand upon the summit andlook northward you at first feel like the sailor who steps on shore andhears the people speak a language which is new to him. It seems like ajumble of meaningless sounds until he learns, not only to understandthe words, but also to distinguish the sentences. Temples and palaces, statues and columns appear everywhere in motley confusion. Each one, if you separate it from the whole and give it a careful examination, is worthy of inspection, nay, of admiration. Here are light, gracefulcreations of Hellenic, yonder heavy, sombre ones of Egyptian art, andin the background the exquisite azure of the eternal sea, which themarvellous structure of the heptastadium unites to the land; while onthe island of Pharos the lighthouse of Sostratus towers aloft almost tothe sky, and with a flood of light points out the way to mariners whoapproach the great harbour at night. Countless vessels are also atanchor in the Eunostus. The riches of the whole earth flow into bothhavens. And the life and movement there and in the inland harbour onLake Mareotis, where the Nile boats land! From early until late, whata busy throng, what an abundance of wares--and how many of the mostvaluable goods are made in our own city! for whatever useful, fine, andcostly articles industrial art produces are manufactured here. The roofhas not yet been put on many a factory in which busy workers are alreadymaking beautiful things. Here the weaver's shuttle flies, yonder goldis spun around slender threads of sheep guts, elsewhere costly materialsare embroidered by women's nimble fingers with the prepared gold thread. There glass is blown, or weapons and iron utensils are forged. Finelypolished knives split the pith of the papyrus, and long rows of workmenand workwomen gum the strips together. No hand, no head is permitted torest. In the Museum the brains of the great thinkers and investigatorsare toiling. Here, too, reality asserts its rights. The time forchimeras and wretched polemics is over. Now it is observing, fathoming, turning to account, nothing more!" "Gently, my young friend, " Proclus interrupted the artist. "I know thatyou, too, sat at the feet of some of the philosophers in the Museum, and still uphold the teachings of Straton, which your fellow-pupil, KingPtolemy, outgrew long ago. Yet he, also, recognised in philosophy, firstof all, the bond which unites the widely sundered acquisitions of theintellect, the vital breath which pervades them, the touchstone whichproves each true or false. If the praise of Alexandria is to be sung, we must not forget the library to which the most precious treasures ofknowledge of the East and West are flowing, and which feeds those whothirst for knowledge with the intellectual gains of former ages andother nations. Honour, too, to our King, and, that I may be just, tohis illustrious wife; for wherever in the Grecian world a friend of theMuses appears, whether he is investigator, poet, architect, sculptor, artist, actor, or singer, he is drawn to Alexandria, and, that he maynot be idle, work is provided. Palaces spring from the earth quicklyenough. " "Yet not like mushrooms, " Hermon interrupted, "but as the noblest, mostcarefully executed creations of art-sculpture and painting provide fortheir decoration both without and within. " "And, " Proclus went on, "abodes are erected for the gods as well as formen, both Egyptian and Hellenic divinities, each in their own style, andso beautiful that it must be a pleasure for them to dwell under the newroof. " "Go to the gardens of the Paneum, friends!" cried young Philotas;and Hermon, nodding to Thyone, added gaily: "Then you must climb themountain and keep your eyes open while you are ascending the windingpath. You will find enough to do to look at all the new sights. Youwill stand there with dry feet, but your soul will bathe in eternal, imperishable, divine beauty. " "The foe of beauty!" exclaimed Proclus, pointing to the sculptor with ascornful glance; but Daphne, full of joyous emotion, whispered to Hermonas he approached her: "Eternal, divine beauty! To hear it thus praisedby you makes me happy. " "Yes, " cried the artist, "what else should I call what has so oftenfilled me with the deepest rapture? The Greek language has no morefitting expression for the grand and lofty things that hovered beforeme, and which I called by that chameleon of a word. Yet I have adifferent meaning from what appears before you at its sound. Were Ito call it truth, you would scarcely understand me, but when I conjurebefore my soul the image of Alexandria, with all that springs from it, all that is moving, creating, and thriving with such marvellous freedom, naturalness, and variety within it, it is not alone the beauty thatpleases the eye which delights me; I value more the sound naturalgrowth, the genuine, abundant life. To truth, Daphne, as I mean it. " He raised his goblet as he spoke and drank to her. She willingly pledged him, but, after removing her lips from the cup, she eagerly exclaimed: "Show it to us, with the mind which animatesit, in perfect form, and I should not know wherein it was to bedistinguished from the beauty which hitherto has been our highest goal. " Here the helmsman's loud shout, "The light of Pelusium!" interruptedthe conversation. The bright glare from the lighthouse of this citywas really piercing the misty night air, which for some time had againconcealed the moon. There was no further connected conversation, for the sea was now risingand falling in broad, leaden, almost imperceptible waves. The comfort ofmost of Philippus's guests was destroyed, and the ladies uttered a sighof relief when they had descended from the lofty galley and the boatsthat conveyed them ashore, and their feet once more pressed the solidland. The party of travellers went to the commandant's magnificentpalace to rest, and Hermon also retired to his room, but sleep fled fromhis couch. No one on earth was nearer to his heart and mind than Daphne, and itoften seemed as if her kind, loyal, yet firm look was resting upon him;but the memory of Ledscha also constantly forced itself upon his mindand stirred his blood. When he thought of the menacing fire of her darkeyes, she seemed to him as terrible as one of the unlovely creaturesborn of Night, the Erinyes, Apate, and Eris. Then he could not help recalling their meetings in the grove of Astarte, her self-forgetting, passionate tenderness, and the wonderfully delicatebeauty of her foreign type. True, she had never laughed in his presence;but what a peculiar charm there was in her smile! Had he really losther entirely and forever? Would it not yet be possible to obtain herforgiveness and persuade her to pose as the model of his Arachne? During the voyage to Pelusium he had caught Althea's eye again andagain, and rejected as an insult her demand to give her his whole love. The success of the Arachne depended upon Ledscha, and on her alone. Hehad nothing good to expect from the Demeter, and during the nocturnalmeditation, which shows everything in the darkest colours, his best planseemed to be to destroy the unsuccessful statue and not exhibit it forthe verdict of the judges. But if he went to work again in Tennis to model the Arachne, did notlove for Daphne forbid him to sue afresh for Ledscha's favour? What a terrible conflict of feelings! But perhaps all this might gain a more satisfactory aspect by daylight. Now he felt as though he had entangled himself in a snare. Besides, other thoughts drove sleep from his couch. The window spaces were closed by wooden shutters, and whenever theymoved with a low creaking or louder banging Hermon started and forgoteverything else in anxiety about his invalid friend, whose sufferingevery strong wind brought on again, and often seriously increased. Three times he sprang up from the soft wool, covered with linen sheets, and looked out to convince himself that no storm had risen. But, thoughmasses of black clouds concealed the moon and stars, and the sea beatheavily against the solid walls of the harbour, as yet only a sultrybreeze of no great strength blew on his head as he thrust it into thenight air. This weather could scarcely be dangerous to Myrtilus, yet when themorning relieved him from the torturing anxiety which he had found underhis host's roof instead of rest and sleep, gray and black clouds weresweeping as swiftly over the port and the ramparts beside him as if theywere already driven by a tempest, and warm raindrops besprinkled hisface. He went, full of anxiety, to take his bath, and, while committing thecare of the adornment of his outer man to one of the household slaves, he determined that unless--as often happened in this country--the sungained the victory over the clouds, he would return to Tennis and joinMyrtilus. In the hall of the men he met the rest of the old hero's guests. They received him pleasantly enough, Althea alone barely noticed hisgreeting; she seemed to suspect in what way he thought of her. Thyone and Daphne extended their hands to him all the more cordially. Philippus did not appear until after breakfast. He had been detainedby important despatches from Alexandria, and by questions andcommunications from Proclus. The latter desired to ascertain whetherthe influential warrior who commanded the most important fortress inthe country could be persuaded to join a conspiracy formed by Arsinoeagainst her royal husband, but he seemed to have left Philippus withvery faint hopes. Subordinate officers and messengers also frequently claimed thecommandant's attention. When the market place was filling, however, thesturdy old soldier kindly fulfilled his duties as host by offering toshow his guests the sights of the fortified seaport. Hermon also accompanied him at Daphne's side, but he made it easy forPhilotas to engross her attention; for, though the immense thickness ofthe walls and the arrangement of the wooden towers which, crowned withbattlements, rose at long intervals, seemed to him also well worthseeing, he gave them only partial attention. While Philippus was showing the guests how safely the archers andslingers could be concealed behind the walls and battlements anddischarge their missiles, and explaining the purpose of the greatcatapults on the outermost dike washed by the sea, the artist waslistening to the ever-increasing roar of the waves which poured intothe harbour from the open sea, to their loud dashing against the strongmole, to the shrill scream of the sea gulls, the flapping of the sails, which were being taken in everywhere--in short, to all the soundsoccasioned by the rising violence of the wind. There were not a few war ships in the port and among them perfect giantsof amazing size and unusual construction, but Hermon had already seenmany similar ones. When, shortly after noon, the sun for a few brief moments pierced withscorching rays the dark curtain that shrouded it from sight, and thensuddenly dense masses of clouds, driven from the sea by the tempest, covered the day star, his eyes and cars were engrossed entirely by theuproar of the elements. The air darkened as if night was falling at this noontide hour, and withsavage fury the foaming mountain waves rushed like mad wild beasts infierce assault upon the mole, the walls, and the dikes of the fortifiedport. "Home!" cried Thyone, and again entered the litter which she had left toinspect the new catapults. Althea, trembling, drew her peplos together as the storm swept her lightfigure before it, and, shrieking, struggled against the black slaves whotried to lift her upon the war elephant which had borne her here. Philotas gave his arm to Daphne. Hermon had ceased to notice her; he hadjust gone to his gray-haired host with the entreaty that he would givehim a ship for the voyage to Tennis, where Myrtilus would need hisassistance. "It is impossible in such weather, " was the reply. "Then I will ride!" cried Hermon resolutely, and Philippus scanned theson of his old friend and companion in arms with an expression ofquiet satisfaction in his eyes, still sparkling brightly, and answeredquickly, "You shall have two horses, my boy, and a guide who knows theroad besides. " Then, turning swiftly to one of the officers who accompanied him, heordered him to provide what was necessary. When, soon after, in the impluvium, the tempest tore the velarium thatcovered the open space from its rings, and the ladies endeavoured todetain Hermon, Philippus silenced them with the remark: "A disagreeable ride is before him, but what urges him on is pleasingto the gods. I have just ventured to send out a carrier dove, " he added, turning to the artist, "to inform Myrtilus that he may expect you beforesunset. The storm comes from the cast, otherwise it would hardly reachthe goal. Put even if it should be lost, what does it matter?" Thyone nodded to her old husband with a look of pleasure, and her eyesshone through tears at Hermon as she clasped his hand and, rememberingher friend, his mother, exclaimed: "Go, then, you true son of yourfather, and tell your friend that we will offer sacrifices for hiswelfare. " "A lean chicken to Aesculapius, " whispered the grammateus to Althea. "She holds on to the oboli. " "Which, at any rate, would be hard enough to dispose of in this wretchedplace unless one were a dealer in weapons or a thirsty sailor, " sighedthe Thracian. "As soon as the sky and sea are blue again, chains couldnot keep me here. And the cooing around this insipid rich beauty intothe bargain!" This remark referred to Philotas, who was just offering Daphne amagnificent bunch of roses, which a mounted messenger had brought to himfrom Alexandria. The girl received it with a grateful glance, but she instantly separatedone of the most beautiful blossoms from its companions and handed itto Hermon, saying, "For our suffering friend, with my affectionateremembrances. " The artist pressed her dear hand with a tender look of love, intendedto express how difficult it was for him to leave her, and when, justat that moment, a slave announced that the horses were waiting, Thyonewhispered: "Have no anxiety, my son! Your ride away from her through thetempest will bring you a better reward than his slave's swift horse willbear the giver of the roses. " CHAPTER XVI. Hermon, with the rose for his friend fastened in the breast folds ofhis chiton, mounted his horse gratefully, and his companion, a sinewy, bronzed Midianite, who was also to attend to the opening of the fortressgates, did the same. Before reaching the open country the sculptor had to ride through thewhole city, with which he was entirely unfamiliar. Fiercely as the stormwas sweeping down the streets and squares, and often as the horsemanwas forced to hold on to his travelling hat and draw his chlamys closeraround him, he felt the anxieties which had made his night sleeplessand saddened his day suddenly leave him as if by a miracle. Was it theconsciousness of having acted rightly? was it the friendly farewellwhich Daphne had given him, and the hope Thyone had aroused, or theexpectation of seeing Ledscha once more, and at least regaining hergood will, that had restored his lost light-heartedness? He did not knowhimself, nor did he desire to know. While formerly he had merely glanced carelessly about him in Pelusium, and only half listened to the explanations given by the veteran's deepvoice, now whatever he saw appeared in clear outlines and awakened hisinterest, in spite of the annoyances caused by the storm. Had he not known that he was in Pelusium, it would have been difficultfor him to determine whether the city he was crossing was an Egyptian, a Hellenic, or a Syrian one; for here rose an ancient temple of the timeof the Pharaohs, with obelisks and colossal statues before the loftypylons, yonder the sanctuary of Poseidon, surrounded by stately rowsof Doric columns, and farther on the smaller temple dedicated to theDioscuri, and the circular Grecian building that belonged to Aphrodite. In another spot, still close to the harbour, he saw the large buildingsconsecrated to the worship of the Syrian Baal and Astarte. Here he was obliged to wait awhile, for the tempest had excited the warelephants which were returning from their exercising ground, and theirblack keepers only succeeded with the utmost difficulty in restrainingthem. Shrieking with fear, the few persons who were in the streetbesides the soldiers, that were everywhere present, scattered before thehuge, terrified animals. The costume and appearance of the citizens, too, gave no clew to thecountry to which the place belonged; there were as many Egyptians amongthem as Greeks, Syrians, and negroes. Asiatics appeared in the majorityonly in the market place, where the dealers were just leaving theirstands to secure their goods from the storm. In front of the bigbuilding where the famous Pelusinian xythus beer was brewed, thedrink was being carried away in jugs and wineskins, in ox-carts and ondonkeys. Here, too, men were loading camels, which were rarely seen inEgypt, and had been introduced there only a short time before. How forcibly all these things riveted Hermon's attention, now that noone was at hand to explain them and no delay was permitted! He scarcelyhad time for recollection and expectation. Finally, the last gate was unlocked, and the ramparts and moats laybehind him. Thus far the wind had kept back the rain, and only scattered dropslashed the riders' faces; but as soon as they entered the open country, it seemed as though the pent-up floods burst the barriers which retainedthem above, and a torrent of water such as only those dry regions knowrushed, not in straight or slanting lines, but in thick streams, whirledby the hurricane, upon the marshy land which stretched from Pelusium toTennis, and on the horsemen. The road led along a dike raised above fields which, at this season ofthe year, were under water, and Hermon's companion knew it well. For a time both riders allowed themselves to be drenched in silence. The water ran down upon them from their broad-brimmed hats, and theirdripping horses trotted with drooping heads and steaming flanks onebehind the other until, at the very brick-kiln where Ledscha hadrecalled her widowed sister's unruly slaves to obedience, the guidestopped with an oath, and pointed to the water which had risen to thetop of the dam, and in some places concealed the road from their eyes. Now it was no longer possible to trot, for the guide was obliged to seekthe traces of the dike with great caution. Meanwhile the force of thepouring rain by no means lessened--nay, it even seemed to increase--andthe horses were already wading in water up to their fetlocks. But if the votive stones, the little altars and statues of the gods, thebushes and single trees along the sides of the dike road were overflowedwhile the travellers were in the region of the marsh, they would beobliged to interrupt their journey, for the danger of sinking into themorass with their horses would then threaten them. Even at the brick-kiln travellers, soldiers, and trains of merchandisehad stopped to wait for the end of the cloud-burst. In front of the farmhouse, too, which Hermon and his companion nextreached, they saw dozens of people seeking shelter, and the Midianiteurged his master to join them for a short time at least. The wisestcourse here was probably to yield, and Hermon was already turning hishorse's head toward the house when a Greek messenger dashed past thebeckoning refuge and also by him. "Do you dare to ride farther?" the artist shouted in a tone of warninginquiry to the man on the dripping bay, and the latter, without pausing, answered: "Duty! On business for the King!" Then Hermon turned his steed back toward the road, beat the water fromhis soaked beard with the edge of his hand, and with a curt "Forward!"announced his decision to his companion. Duty summoned him also, andwhat another risked for the King he would not fail to do for his friend. The Midianite, shaking his head, rode angrily after him; but, thoughthe violence of the rain was lessening, the wind began to blow withredoubled force, beating and lashing the boundless expanse of thequickly formed lake with such savage fury that it rolled in surges likethe sea, and sweeping over it dense clouds of foam like the sand wavestossed by the desert tempests. Sometimes moaning, sometimes whistling, the gusts of the hurricane drovethe water and the travellers before it, while the rain poured from thesky to the earth, and wherever it struck splashed upward, making littlewhirlpools and swiftly breaking bubbles. What might not Myrtilus suffer in this storm! This thought strengthenedHermon's courage to twice ride past other farmhouses which offeredshelter. At the third the horse refused to wade farther in such atempest, so there was nothing to be done except spring off and lead itto the higher ground which the water had not yet reached. The interior of the peasant hut was filled with people who had soughtshelter there, and the stifling atmosphere which the artist felt at thedoor induced him to remain outside. He had stood there dripping barely fifteen minutes when loud shouts andyells were heard on the road from Pelusium by which he had come, andupon the flooded dike appeared a body of men rushing forward withmarvellous speed. The nearer they came the fiercer and more bewildering sounded the loud, shrill medley of their frantic cries, mingled with hoarse laughter, andthe spectacle presented to the eyes was no less rough and bold. The majority seemed to be powerful men. Their complexions were aslight as the Macedonians; their fair, red, and brown locks were thick, unkempt, and bristling. Most of the reckless, defiantly bold faces weresmooth-shaven, with only a mustache on the upper lip, and sometimes ashort imperial. All carried weapons, and a fleece covered the shouldersof many, while chains, ornamented with the teeth of animals, hung ontheir white muscular chests. "Galatians, " Hermon heard one man near him call to another. "They cameto the fortress as auxiliary troops. Philippus forbade them to plunderon pain of death, and showed them--the gods be thanked!--that he wasin earnest. Otherwise it would soon look here as though the plagues oflocusts, flood, and fire had visited us at once. Red-haired men are notthe only sons of Typhon!" And Hermon thought that he had indeed never seen any human beingsequally fierce, bold to the verge of reckless madness, as these Gallicwarriors. The tempest which swept them forward, and the water throughwhich they waded, only seemed to increase their enjoyment, for sheerdelight rang in their exulting shouts and yells. Oh, yes! To march amid this uproar of the elements was a pleasure to thehealthy men. It afforded them the rarest, most enlivening delight. Fora long time nothing had so strongly reminded them of the roaring of thewind and the rushing of the rain in their northern home. It seemed adelicious relief, after the heat and dryness of the south, which theyhad endured with groans. When they perceived the eyes fixed upon them they swung their weapons, arched their breasts with conscious vanity, distorted their faces intoterrible threatening grimaces, or raised bugle horns to their lips, drewfrom them shrill, ear-piercing notes and gloated, with childish delight, in the terror of the gaping crowd, on whom the restraint of authoritysternly forbade them to show their mettle. Lust of rapine and greed for booty glittered in many a fiery, longinglook, but their leaders kept them in check with the sword. Sothey rushed on without stopping, like a thunderstorm pregnant withdestruction which the wind drives over a terrified village. Hermon also had to take the road they followed, and, after giving theGauls a long start, he set out again. But though he succeeded in passing the marshy region without injury, there had been delay after delay; here the horses had left the floodeddike road and floundered up to their knees in the morass, there treesfrom the roadside, uprooted by the storm, barred the way. As night closed in the rain ceased and the wind began to subside, butdark clouds covered the sky, and the horsemen were still an hour's ridefrom the place where the road ended at the little harbour from whichtravellers entered the boat which conveyed them to Tennis. The way no longer led through the marsh, but through tilled lands, andcrossed the ditches which irrigated the fields on wooden bridges. On their account, in the dense darkness which prevailed, caution wasnecessary, and this the guide certainly did not lack. He rode at a slowwalk in front of the artist, and had just pointed out to him the lightat the landing place of the boat which went to Tennis, when Hermon wassuddenly startled by a loud cry, followed by clattering and splashing. With swift presence of mind he sprang from his horse and found hisconjecture verified. The bridge had broken down, and horse and rider hadfallen into the broad canal. "The Galatians!" reached Hermon from the dark depths, and theexclamation relieved him concerning the fate of the Midianite. The latter soon struggled up to the road uninjured. The bridge musthave given way under the feet of the savage horde, unless the Gallicmonsters, with brutal malice, had intentionally shattered it. The first supposition, however, seemed to be the correct one, for asHermon approached the canal he heard moans of pain. One of the Gaulshad apparently met with an accident in the fall of the bridge and beendeserted by his comrades. With the skill acquired in the wrestlingschool, Hermon descended into the canal to look for the wounded man, while his guide undertook to get the horses ashore. The deep darkness considerably increased the difficulty of carrying outhis purpose, but the young Greek went up to his neck in the water hecould not become wetter than he was already. So he remained in the ditchuntil he found the injured man whose groans of suffering pierced hiscompassionate heart. He was obliged to release the luckless Gaul from the broken timbers ofthe bridge, and, when Hermon had dragged him out on the opposite bankof the canal, he made no answer to any question. A falling beam hadprobably struck him senseless. His hair, which Hermon's groping fingers informed him was thick andrough, seemed to denote a Gaul, but a full, long beard was very rarelyseen in this nation, and the wounded man wore one. Nor could anything bediscovered from the ornaments or weapons of this fierce barbarian. But to whatever people he might belong, he certainly was not a Greek. The thoroughly un-Hellenic wrapping up of the legs proved that. No matter! Hermon at any rate was dealing with some one who was severelyinjured, and the self-sacrificing pity with which even suffering animalsinspired him, and which in his boyhood had drawn upon him the jeers ofthe companions of his own age, did not abandon him now. Reluctantly obeying his command, the Midianite helped him bandage thesufferer's head, in which a wound could be felt, as well as it could bedone in the darkness, and lift him on the artist's horse. During thistime fresh groans issued from the bearded lips of the injured warrior, and Hermon walked by his side, guarding the senseless man from thedanger of falling from the back of the horse as it slowly followed theMidianite's. This tiresome walk, however, did not last long; the landing placewas reached sooner than Hermon expected, and the ferryboat bore thetravellers and the horses to Tennis. By the flickering light of the captain's lantern it was ascertained thatthe wounded man, in spite of his long dark beard, was probably a Gaul. The stupor was to be attributed to the fall of a beam on his head, andthe shock, rather than to the wound. The great loss of blood sustainedby the young and powerful soldier had probably caused the duration ofthe swoon. During the attempts at resuscitation a sailor boy offered hisassistance. He carefully held the lantern, and, as its flickering lightfell for brief moments upon the artist's face, the lad of thirteen orfourteen asked if he was Hermon of Alexandria. A curt "If you will permit, " answered the question, considered by theHellenes an unseemly one, especially from such a youth; but the sculptorpaid no further attention to him, for, while devoting himself honestlyto the wounded man, his anxiety about his invalid friend increased, andLedscha's image also rose again before him. At last the ferryboat touched the land, and when Hermon looked aroundfor the lad he had already leaped ashore, and was just vanishing in thedarkness. It was probably within an hour of midnight. The gale was still blowing fiercely over the water, driving the blackclouds across the dark sky, sometimes with long-drawn, wailing sounds, sometimes with sharp, whistling ones. The rain had wholly ceased, andseemed to have exhausted itself here in the afternoon. As Archias's white house was a considerable distance from the landingplace of the ferryboat, Hermon had the wounded warrior carried to it byBiamite sailors, and again mounted his horse to ride to Myrtilus at asswift a trot as the soaked, wretched, but familiar road would permit. Considerable time had been spent in obtaining a litter for the Gaul, yetHermon was surprised to meet the lad who had questioned him so boldly onthe ferryboat coming, not from the landing place, but running towardit again from the city, and then saw him follow the shore, carrying ablazing torch, which he waved saucily. The wind blew aside the flame andsmoke which came from the burning pitch, but it shone brightly throughthe gloom and permitted the boy to be distinctly seen. Whence had thenimble fellow come so quickly? How had he succeeded, in this fiercegale, in kindling the torch so soon into a powerful flame? Was it notfoolish to let a child amuse itself in the middle of the night with sodangerous a toy? Hermon hastily thought over these questions, but the supposition thatthe light of the torch might be intended for a signal did not occur tohim. Besides, the boy and the light in his hand occupied his mind only ashort time. He had better things to think of. With what longing Myrtilusmust now be expecting his arrival! But the Gaul needed his aid no lessurgently than his friend. Accurately as he knew what remedies relievedMyrtilus in severe attacks of illness, he could scarcely dispense withan assistant or a leech for the other, and the idea swiftly flashedupon him that the wounded man would afford him an opportunity of seeingLedscha again. She had told him more than once about the healing art possessed by oldTabus on the Owl's Nest. Suppose he should now seek the angry girl toentreat her to speak to the aged miracle-worker in behalf of the sorelywounded young foreigner? Here he interrupted himself; something new claimed his attention. A dim light glimmered through the intense darkness from a bit of risingground by the wayside. It came from the Temple of Nemesis--a prettylittle structure belonging to the time of Alexander the Great, whichhe had often examined with pleasure. Several steps led to the anteroom, supported by Ionic columns, which adjoined the naos. Two lamps were burning at the side of the door leading into the littleopen cella, and at the back of the consecrated place the statue of thewinged goddess was visible in the light of a small altar fire. In her right hand she held the bridle and scourge, and at her feet stoodthe wheel, whose turning indicates the influence exerted by her powerupon the destiny of mortals. With stern severity that boded evil, shegazed down upon her left forearm, bent at the elbow, which correspondswith the ell, the just measure. Hermon certainly now, if ever, lacked both time and inclination toexamine again this modest work of an ordinary artist, yet he quicklystopped his weary horse; for in the little pronaos directly in front ofthe cella door stood a slender figure clad in a long floating dark robe, extending its hands through the cella door toward the statue in ferventprayer. She was pressing her brow against the left post of the door, but at her feet, on the right side, cowered another figure, which couldscarcely be recognised as a human being. This, too, was a woman. Deeply absorbed in her own thoughts, she was also extending her armstoward the statue of Nemesis. Hermon knew them both. At first he fancied that his excited imagination was showing him athreatening illusion. But no! The erect figure was Ledscha, the crouching one Gula, the sailor's wifewhose child he had rescued from the flames, and who had recently beencast out by her husband. "Ledscha!" escaped his lips in a muttered tone, and he involuntarilyextended his hands toward her as she was doing toward the goddess. But she did not seem to hear him, and the other woman also retained thesame attitude, as if hewn from stone. Then he called the supplicant's name loud tone, and the next instantstill more loudly; and now she turned, and, in the faint light of thelittle lamp, showed the marvellously noble outlines of her profile. Hecalled again, and this time Ledscha heard anguished yearning in his deeptones; but they seemed to have lost their influence over her, for herlarge dark eyes gazed at him so repellently and sternly that a coldtremor ran down his spine. Swinging himself from his horse, he ascended the steps of the temple, and in the most tender tones at his command exclaimed: "Ledscha!Severely as I have offended you, Ledscha--oh, do not say no! Will youhear me?" "No!" she answered firmly, and, before he could speak, continued: "Thisplace is ill chosen for another meeting! Your presence is hateful to me!Do not disturb me a moment longer!" "As you command, " he began hesitatingly; but she swiftly interruptedwith the question, "Do you come from Pelusium, and are you goingdirectly home?" "I did not heed the storm on account of Myrtilus's illness, " he answeredquietly, "and if you demand it, I will return home at once; but firstlet me make one more entreaty, which will be pleasing also to the gods. " "Get your response from yonder deity!" she impatiently interrupted, pointing with a grand, queenly gesture, which at any other time wouldhave delighted his artist eye, to the statue of Nemesis in the cella. Meanwhile Gula had also turned her face toward Hermon, and he nowaddressed her, saying with a faint tone of reproach: "And did hatredlead you also, Gula, to this sanctuary at midnight to implore thegoddess to destroy me in her wrath?" The young mother rose and pointed to Ledscha, exclaiming, "She desiresit. " "And I?" he asked gently. "Have I really done you so much evil?" She raised her hand to her brow as if bewildered; her glance fell on theartist's troubled face, and lingered there for a short time. Then hereyes wandered to Ledscha, and from her to the goddess, and finally backagain to the sculptor. Meanwhile Hermon saw how her young figure wastrembling, and, before he had time to address a soothing-word to her, she sobbed aloud, crying out to Ledscha: "You are not a mother! Mychild, he rescued it from the flames. I will not, and I can not--I willno longer pray for his misfortune!" She drew her veil over her pretty, tear-stained face as she spoke, anddarted lightly down the temple steps close beside him to seek shelterin her parents' house, which had been unwillingly opened to the cast-offwife, but now afforded her a home rich in affection. Immeasurably bitter scorn was depicted in Ledscha's features as shegazed after Gula. She did not appear to notice Hermon, and when at lasthe appealed to her and briefly urged her to ask the old enchantresson the Owl's Nest for a remedy for the wounded Gaul, she again leanedagainst the post of the cella door, extended both arms with passionatefervour toward the goddess, and remained standing there motionless, deafto his petition. His blood seethed in his veins, and he was tempted to go nearer andforce her to hear him; but before he had ascended the first of theflight of steps leading to the pronaos, he heard the footsteps of themen who were bearing the wounded warrior after him. They must not see him here with one of their countrywomen at this hour, and manly pride forbade him to address her again as a supplicant. So he went back to the road, mounted his horse, and rode on withoutvouchsafing a word of farewell to the woman who was invoking destructionupon his head. As he did so his eyes again rested on the stern face ofNemesis, and the wheel whose turning determined the destiny of men ather feet. Assailed by horrible fears, and overpowered by presentiments of evil, hepursued his way through the darkness. Perhaps Myrtilus had succumbed to the terrible attack which must havevisited him in such a storm, and life without his friend would bebereft of half its charm. Orphaned, poor, a struggler who had gained nocomplete victory, it had been rich only in disappointments to him, inspite of his conviction that he was a genuine artist, and was fightingfor a good cause. Now he knew that he had also lost the woman by whoseassistance he was certain of a great success in his own much-disputedcourse, and Ledscha, if any one, was right in expecting a favourablehearing from the goddess who punished injustice. He did not think of Daphne again until he was approaching the placewhere her tents had stood, and the remembrance of her fell like a ray oflight into his darkened soul. Yet on that spot had also been erected the wooden platform from whichAlthea had showed him the transformation into the spider, and therecollection of the foolish error into which the Thracian had drawn himdisagreeably clouded the pleasant thought of Daphne. CHAPTER XVII. Complete darkness enfolded the white house. Hermon saw only two windowslighted, the ones in his friend's studio, which looked out into the opensquare, while his own faced the water. What did this mean? It must be nearly midnight, and he could no longer expect Myrtilus to bestill at work. He had supposed that he should find him in his chamber, supported by his slaves, struggling for breath. What was the meaning ofthe light in the workrooms now? Where was his usually efficient Bias? He never went to rest when hismaster was to return home, yet the carrier dove must have announced hiscoming! But Hermon had also enjoined the care of Myrtilus upon the slave, and hewas undoubtedly beside the sufferer's couch, supporting him in the sameway that he had often seen his master. He was now riding across the open space, and he heard the men whocarried the Gaul talking close behind him. Was the wounded barbarian the sole acquisition of this journey? The beat of his horse's hoofs and the voices of the Biamites echoeddistinctly enough amid the stillness of the night, which was interruptedonly by the roaring of the wind. And this disturbance of the deepsilence around had entered the lighted windows before him, for a figureappeared at one of them, and--could he believe his own eyes?--Myrtiluslooked down into the square, and a joyous welcome rang from his lips asloudly as in his days of health. The darkness of the night suddenly seemed to Hermon to be illumined. A leap to the ground, two bounds up the steps leading to the house, an eager rush through the corridor that separated him from the room inwhich Myrtilus was, the bursting instead of opening of the door, and, asif frantic with happy surprise, he impetuously embraced his friend, who, burin and file in hand, was just approaching the threshold, and kissedhis brow and cheeks in the pure joy of his heart. Then what questions, answers, tidings! In spite of the torrents of rainand the gale, the invalid's health had been excellent. The solitude haddone him good. He knew nothing about the carrier dove. The hurricane hadprobably "blown it away, " as the breeders of the swift messengers said. Question and reply now followed one another in rapid succession, andboth were soon acquainted with everything worth knowing; nay, Hermon hadeven delivered Daphne's rose to his friend, and informed him what hadbefallen the Gaul who was being brought into the house. Bias and the other slaves had quickly appeared, and Hermon soon renderedthe wounded man the help he needed in an airy chamber in the secondstory of the house, which, owing to the heat that prevailed in summer soclose under the roof, the slaves had never occupied. Bias assisted his master with equal readiness and skill, and at last theGaul opened his eyes and, in the language of his country, asked afew brief questions which were incomprehensible to the others. Then, groaning, he again closed his lids. Hitherto Hermon had not even allowed himself time to look around hisfriend's studio and examine what he had created during his absence. But, after perceiving that his kind act had not been in vain, and consumingwith a vigorous appetite the food and wine which Bias set before him, he obliged Myrtilus--for another day was coming--to go to rest, that thestorm might not still prove hurtful to him. Yet he held his friend's hand in a firm clasp for a long time, and, when the latter at last prepared to go, he pressed it so closely thatit actually hurt Myrtilus. But he understood his meaning, and, with aloving glance that sank deep into Hermon's heart, called a last goodnight. After two sleepless nights and the fatiguing ride which he had justtaken, the sculptor felt weary enough; but when he laid his hand on theGaul's brow and breast, and felt their burning heat, he refused Bias'svoluntary offer to watch the sufferer in his place. If to amuse or forget himself he had caroused far more nights insuccession in Alexandria, why should he not keep awake when the objectin question was to wrest a young life from the grasp of death? This manand his life were now his highest goal, and he had never yet repentedhis foolish eccentricity of imposing discomforts upon himself to helpthe suffering. Bias, on his part, was very willing to go to rest. He had plenty ofcause for weariness; Myrtilus's unscrupulous body-servant had stolenoff with the other slaves the night before, and did not return, withstaggering gait, until the next morning, but, in order to keep hispromise to his master, he had scarcely closed his eyes, that he might beat hand if Myrtilus should need assistance. So Bias fell asleep quickly enough in his little room in the lowerstory, while his master, by the exertion of all his strength of will, watched beside the couch of the Gaul. Yet, after the first quarter of an hour, his head, no matter how hestruggled to prevent it, drooped again and again upon his breast. Butjust as slumber was completely overpowering him his patient made himstart up, for he had left his bed, and when Hermon, fully roused, lookedfor him, was standing in the middle of the room, gazing about him. The artist thought that fever had driven the wounded warrior from hiscouch, as it formerly did his fellow-pupil Lycon, whom, in the deliriumof typhus, he could keep in bed only by force. So he led the Gaulcarefully back to the couch he had deserted, and, after moistening thebandage with healing balm from Myrtilus's medicine chest, ordered him tokeep quiet. The barbarian yielded as obediently as a child, but at first remained ina sitting posture and asked, in scarcely intelligible broken Greek, howhe came to this place. After Hermon had satisfied his curiosity, he also put a few questions, and learned that his charge not only wore a mustache, like his fellowcountrymen, but also a full beard, because the latter was the badge ofthe bridge builders, to which class he belonged. While examining the onecrossing the canal, it had fallen in upon him. He closed his eyes as he spoke, and Hermon wondered if it was not timefor him to lie down also; but the wounded man's brow was still burning, and the Gallic words which he constantly muttered were probably aboutthe phantoms of fever, which Hermon recognised from Lycon's illness. So he resolved to wait and continue to devote the night, which he hadalready intended to give him, to the sufferer. From the chair at thefoot of the bed he looked directly into his face. The soft light of thelamp, which with two others hung from a tall, heavy bronze stand in theshape of an anchor, which Bias had brought, shone brightly enough toallow him to perceive how powerful was the man whose life he had saved. His own face was scarcely lighter in hue than the barbarian's, and howsharp was the contrast between his long, thick black beard and his whiteface and bare arched chest! Hermon had noticed this same contrast in his own person. Otherwise theGaul did not resemble him in a single feature, and he might even haverefused to compare his soft, wavy beard with the harsh, almost bristlyone of the barbarian. And what a defiant, almost evil expression hiscountenance wore when--perhaps because his wound ached--he closed hislips more firmly! The children who so willingly let him, Hermon, takethem in his arms would certainly have been afraid of this savage-lookingfellow. Yet in build, and at any rate in height and breadth of shoulders, therewas some resemblance between him and the Gaul. As a bridge builder, the injured man belonged, in a certain sense, tothe ranks of the artists, and this increased Hermon's interest in hispatient, who was now probably out of the most serious danger. True, the Greek still cast many a searching glance at the barbarian, but his eyes closed more and more frequently, and at last the idea tookpossession of him that he himself was the wounded man on the couch, andsome one else, who again was himself, was caring for him. He vainly strove to understand the impossibility of this division ofhis own being, but the more eagerly he did so the greater became hisbewilderment. Suddenly the scene changed; Ledscha had appeared. Bending over him, she lavished words of love; but when, in passionateexcitement, he sprang from the couch to draw her toward him, she changedinto the Nemesis to whose statue she had just prayed. He stood still as if petrified, and the goddess, too, did not stir. Onlythe wheel which had rested at her feet began to move, and rolled, witha thundering din, sometimes around him, sometimes around the peoplewho, as if they had sprung from the ground, formed a jeering company ofspectators, and clapped their hands, laughed, and shouted whenever itrolled toward him and he sprang back in fear. Meanwhile the wheel constantly grew larger, and seemed to becomeheavier, for the wooden beams over which it rolled splintered, crashinglike thin laths, and the spectators' shouts of applause sounded ruderand fiercer. Then mortal terror suddenly seized him, and while he shouted for helpto Myrtilus, Daphne, and her father Archias, his slave Bias, the oldcomrade of Alexander, Philippus, and his wife, he awoke, bathed inperspiration, and looked about him. But he must still be under the spell of the horrible dream, for therattling and clattering around him continued, and the bed where thewounded Gaul had lain was empty. Hermon involuntarily dipped his hand into the water which stood ready towet the bandages, and sprinkled his own face with it; but if he had everbeheld life with waking eyes, he was doing so now. Yet the barbarian hadvanished, and the noise in the house still continued. Was it possible that rats and mice--? No! That was the shriek of aterrified human being--that a cry for help! This sound was the imperiouscommand of a rough man's voice, that--no, he was not mistaken--thatwas his own name, and it came from the lips of his Myrtilus, anxiously, urgently calling for assistance. Then he suddenly realized that the white house had been attacked, that his friend must be rescued from robbers or the fury of a mob ofBiamites, and, like the bent wood of a projectile when released from thenoose which holds it to the ground, the virile energy that characterizedhim sprang upward with mighty power. The swift glance that swept theroom was sent to discover a weapon, and before it completed the circuitHermon had already grasped the bronze anchor with the long rod twinedwith leaves and the teeth turned downward. Only one of the three littlevessels filled with oil that hung from it was burning. Before swingingthe heavy standard aloft, he freed it from the lamps, which struck thefloor with a clanging noise. The man to whom he dealt a blow with this ponderous implement wouldforget to rise. Then, as if running for a prize in the gymnasium, herushed through the darkness to the staircase, and with breathless hastegroped his way down the narrow, ladderlike steps. He felt himself anavenging, punishing power, like the Nemesis who had pursued him in hisdreams. He must wrest the friend who was to him the most beloved ofmortals from the rioters. To defeat them himself seemed a small matter. His shout--"I am coming, Myrtilus! Snuphis, Bias, Dorcas, Syrus! here, follow me!" was to summon the old Egyptian doorkeeper and the slaves, and inform his friend of the approach of a deliverer. The loudest uproar echoed from his own studio. Its door stood wide open, and black smoke, mingled with the deep red and yellow flames of burningpitch, poured from it toward him. "Myrtilus!" he shouted at the top of his voice as he leaped across thethreshold into the tumult which filled the spacious apartment, at thesame time clashing the heavy iron anchor down upon the head of thebroad-shouldered, half-naked fellow who was raising a clumsy lanceagainst him. The pirate fell as though struck by lightning, and he again shouted"Myrtilus!" into the big room, so familiar to him, where the conflictwas raging chaotically amid a savage clamour, and the smoke did notallow him to distinguish a single individual. For the second time he swung the terrible weapon, and it struck to thefloor the monster with a blackened face who had rushed toward him, butat the same time the anchor broke in two. Only a short metal rod remained in his hand, and, while he raised hisarm, determined to crush the temples of the giant carrying a torch whosprang forward to meet him, it suddenly seemed as if a vulture withglowing plumage and burning beak was attacking his face, and theterrible bird of prey was striking its hard, sharp, red-hot talons moreand more furiously into his lips, cheeks, and eyes. At first a glare as bright as sunshine had flashed before his gaze;then, where he had just seen figures and things half veiled by thesmoke, he beheld only a scarlet surface, which changed to a violet, andfinally a black spot, followed by a violet-blue one, while the vulturecontinued to rend his face with beak and talons. Then the name "Myrtilus!" once more escaped his lips; this time, however, it did not sound like the encouraging shout of an avenginghero, but the cry for aid of one succumbing to defeat, and it was soonfollowed by a succession of frantic outbursts of suffering, terror, anddespair. But now sharp whistles from the water shrilly pierced the air andpenetrated into the darkened room, and, while the tumult around Hermongradually died away, he strove, tortured by burning pain, to grope hisway toward the door; but here his foot struck against a human body, there against something hard, whose form he could not distinguish, andfinally a large object which felt cool, and could be nothing but hisDemeter. But she seemed doomed to destruction, for the smoke was increasing everymoment, and constantly made his open wounds smart more fiercely. Suddenly a cooler air fanned his burning face, and at the same time heheard hurrying steps approach and the mingled cries of human voices. Again he began to shout the names of his friends, the slaves, and theporter; but no answer came from any of them, though hasty questions inthe Greek language fell upon his ear. The strategist, with his officers, the nomarch of the district with hissubordinates, and many citizens of Tennis had arrived. Hermon knew mostof them by their voices, but their figures were not visible. The red, violet, and black cloud before him was all he could see. Yet, although the pain continued to torture him, and a voice in his soultold him that he was blinded, he did not allow the government officialswho eagerly surrounded him to speak, only pointed hastily to his eyes, and then bade them enter Myrtilus's studio. The Egyptian Chello, theTennis goldsmith, who had assisted the artists in the preparation of thenoble metal, and one of the police officers who had been summoned to ridthe old house of the rats and mice which infested it, both knew the way. They must first try to save Myrtilus's work and, when that wasaccomplished, preserve his also from destruction by the flames. Leaning on the goldsmith's arm, Hermon went to his friend's studio; butbefore they reached it smoke and flames poured out so densely that itwas impossible even to gain the door. "Destroyed--a prey to the flames!" he groaned. "And he--he--he--" Then like a madman he asked if no one had seen Myrtilus, and where hewas; but in vain, always in vain. At last the goldsmith who was leading him asked him to move aside, forall who had flocked to the white house when it was seized by the flameshad joined in the effort to save the statue of Demeter, which they hadfound unharmed in his studio. Seventeen men, by the exertion of all their strength, were dragging theheavy statue from the house, which was almost on the point of fallingin, into the square. Several others were bearing corpses into the openair-the old porter Snuphis and Myrtilus's body servant. Some motionlessforms they were obliged to leave behind. Both the bodies had deepwounds. There was no trace of Myrtilus and Bias. Outside the storm had subsided, and a cool breeze blew refreshingly intoHermon's face. As he walked arm in arm with the notary Melampus, who hadinvited him to his house, and heard some one at his side exclaim, "Howlavishly Eos is scattering her roses to-day!" he involuntarily liftedthe cloth with which he had covered his smarting face to enjoy thebeautiful flush of dawn, but again beheld nothing save a black andviolet-blue surface. Then drawing his hand from his guide's arm, he pressed it upon his poor, sightless, burning eyes, and in helpless rage, like a beast of preywhich feels the teeth of the hunter's iron trap rend his flesh, groanedfiercely, "Blind! blind!" and again, and yet again, "Blind!" While the morning star was still paling, the lad who after Hermon'slanding had raced along the shore with the burning torch glided into thelittle pronaos of the Temple of Nemesis. Ledscha was still standing by the doorpost of the cella with upliftedhand, so deeply absorbed in fervent prayer that she did not perceive theapproach of the messenger until he called her. "Succeeded?" she asked in a muffled tone, interrupting his hastygreeting. "You must give the goddess what you vowed, " was the reply. "Hanno sendsyou the message. And also, 'You must come with me in the boat quickly-atonce!'" "Where?" the girl demanded. "Not on board the Hydra yet, " replied the boy hurriedly. "First only tothe old man on the Megara. The dowry is ready for your father. But thereis not a moment to lose. " "Well, well!" she gasped hoarsely. "But, first, shall I find the manwith the black beard on board of one of the ships?" "Certainly!" answered the lad proudly, grasping her arm to hurry her;but she shook him off violently, turned toward the cella again, and oncemore lifted her hands and eyes to the statue of Nemesis. Then she took up the bundle she had hidden behind a pillar, drew fromit a handful of gold coins, which she flung into the box intended forofferings, and followed the boy. "Alive?" she asked as she descended the steps; but the lad understoodthe meaning of the question, and exclaimed: "Yes, indeed! Hanno says thewounds are not at all dangerous. " "And the other?" "Not a scratch. On the Hydra, with two severely wounded slaves. Theporter and the others were killed. " "And the statues?" "They-such things can't be accomplished without some littleblunder-Labaja thinks so, too. " "Did they escape you?" "Only one. I myself helped to smash the other, which stood in theworkroom that looks out upon the water. The gold and ivory are on theship. We had horrible work with the statue which stood in the room whosewindows faced the square. They dragged the great monster carefully intothe studio that fronts upon the water. But probably it is still standingthere, if the thing is not already--just see how the flames are whirlingupward!--if it is not already burned with the house. " "What a misfortune!" Ledscha reproachfully exclaimed. "It could not be helped, " the boy protested. "People from Tennissuddenly rushed in. The first--a big, furious fellow-killed our Louleand the fierce Judas. Now he has to pay for it. Little Chareb threw theblack powder into his eyes, while Hanno himself thrust the torch in hisface. " "And Bias, the blackbeard's slave?" "I don't know. Oh, yes! Wounded, I believe, on board the ship. " Meanwhile the lad, a precocious fourteen-year-old cabin-boy from theHydra, pointed to the boat which lay ready, and took Ledscha's bundle inhis hand; but she sprang into the light skiff before him and ordered itto be rowed to the Owl's Nest, where she must bid Mother Tabus good-bye. The cabin-boy, however, declared positively that the command could notbe obeyed now, and at his signal two black sailors urged it with swiftoar strokes toward the northwest, to Satabus's ship. Hanno wished toreceive his bride as a wife from his father's hand. Ledscha had not insisted upon the fulfilment of her desire, but as theboat passed the Pelican Island her gaze rested on the lustreless waningdisk of the moon. She thought of the torturing night, during which shehad vainly waited here for Hermon, and a triumphant smile hovered aroundher lips; but soon the heavy eyebrows of the girl who was thus leavingher home contracted in a frown--she again fancied she saw, where themoon was just fading, the body of a gigantic, hideous spider. Shebanished the illusion by speaking to the boy--spiders in the morningmean misfortune. The early dawn, which was now crimsoning the east, reminded her of theblood which, as an avenger, she must yet shed. BOOK 2. CHAPTER I. While the market place in Tennis was filling, Archias's white househad become a heap of smouldering ruins. Hundreds of men and women werestanding around the scene of the conflagration, but no one saw thestatue of Demeter, which had been removed from Hermon's studio just intime. The nomarch had had it locked up in the neighbouring temple of thegoddess. It was rumoured that the divinity had saved her own statue by a miracle;Pamaut, the police officer, said that he had seen her himself as, surrounded by a brilliant light, she soared upward on the smoke thatpoured from the burning house. The strategist and the nomarch usedevery means in their power to capture the robbers, but without the leastsuccess. As it had become known that Paseth, Gula's husband, had cast off hiswife because she had gone to Hermon's studio, the magistrates believedthat the attack had been made by the Biamites; yet Paseth was absentfrom the city during the assault, and the innocence of the others couldalso be proved. Since, for two entire years, piracy had entirely ceased in thisneighbourhood, no one thought of corsairs, and the bodies of theincendiaries having been consumed by the flames with the white house, itcould not be ascertained to what class the marauders belonged. The blinded sculptor could only testify that one of the robbers was anegro, or at any rate had had his face blackened, and that the size ofanother had appeared to him almost superhuman. This circumstance gaverise to the fable that, during the terrible storm of the previous clay, Hades had opened and spirits of darkness had rushed into the studio ofthe Greek betrayer. The strategist, it is true, did not believe such tales, but thesuperstition of the Biamites, who, moreover, aided the Greeksreluctantly to punish a crime which threatened to involve their owncountrymen, put obstacles in the way of his measures. Not until he heard of Ledscha's disappearance, and was informed bythe priest of Nemesis of the handsome sum which had been found in theoffering box of the temple shortly after the attack, did he arrive ata conjecture not very far from the real state of affairs; only itwas still incomprehensible to him what body of men could have placedthemselves at the disposal of a girl's vengeful plan. On the second day after the fire, the epistrategus of the whole Delta, who had accidentally come to the border fortress, arrived at Tennison the galley of the commandant of Pelusium, and with him Proclus, thegrammateus of the Dionysian artists, the Lady Thyone, Daphne, and hercompanion Chrysilla. The old hero Philippus was detained in the fortress by the preparationsfor war. Althea had returned to Alexandria, and Philotas, who disliked her, hadgone there himself, as Chrysilla intimated to him that he could hopefor no success in his suit to her ward so long as Daphne had to devoteherself to the care of the blinded Hermon. The epistrategus proceeded with great caution, but his efforts alsoremained futile. He ordered a report to be made of all the vessels whichhad entered the harbours and bays of the northeastern Delta, but thosecommanded by Satabus and his sons gave no cause for investigation; theyhad come into the Tanite arm of the Nile as lumber ships from Pontus, and had discharged beams and planks for the account of a well-knowncommercial house in Sinope. Yet the official ordered the Owl's Nest to be searched. In doing thishe made himself guilty of an act of violence, as the island's right ofasylum still existed, and this incensed the irritable and refractoryBiamites the more violently, the deeper was the reverent awe with whichthe nation regarded Tabus, who, according to their belief, was over ahundred years old. The Biamites honoured her not only as an enchantressand a leech, but as the ancestress of a race of mighty men. By molestingthis aged woman, and interfering with an ancient privilege, theepistrategus lost the aid of the hostile fishermen, sailors, andweavers. Any information from their ranks to him was regarded astreachery; and, besides, his stay in Tennis could be but brief, as theKing, on account of the impending war, had summoned him back to thecapital. On the third day after his arrival he left Tennis and sailed from Tanisfor Alexandria. He had had little time to attend to Thyone and herguests. Proclus, too, could not devote himself to them until after the departureof the epistrategus, since he had gone immediately to Tanis, where, as head of the Dionysian artists of all Egypt, he had been occupied inattending to the affairs of the newly established theatre. On his return to Tennis he had instantly requested to be conducted tothe Temple of Demeter, to inspect the blinded Hermon's rescued work. He had entered the cella of the sanctuary with the expectation offinding a peculiar, probably a powerful work, but one repugnant to histaste, and left it fairly overpowered by the beauty of this noble workof art. What he had formerly seen of Hermon's productions had prejudicedhim against the artist, whose talent was great, but who, instead ofdedicating it to the service of the beautiful and the sublime, chosesubjects which, to Proclus, did not seem worthy of artistic treatment, or, when they were, sedulously deprived them of that by which, in hiseyes, they gained genuine value. In Hermon's Olympian Banquet he--whoalso held the office of a high priest of Apollo in Alexandria--had evenseen an insult to the dignity of the deity. In the Street Boy EatingFigs, the connoisseur's eye had recognised a peculiar masterpiece, buthe had been repelled by this also; for, instead of a handsome boy, itrepresented a starving, emaciated vagabond. True to life as this figure might be, it seemed to him reprehensible, for it had already induced others to choose similar vulgar subjects. When recently at Althea's performance he had met Hermon and saw howquickly his beautiful travelling companion allowed herself to be inducedto bestow the wreath on the handsome, black-bearded fellow, it vexedhim, and he had therefore treated him with distant coldness, and allowedhim to perceive the disapproval which the direction taken by his art hadawakened in his mind. In the presence of Hermon's Demeter, the opinion of the experienced manand intelligent connoisseur had suddenly changed. The creator of this work was not only one of the foremost artists of hisday, nay, he had also been permitted to fathom the nature of the deityand to bestow upon it a perfect form. This Demeter was the most successful personification of the divinegoodness which rewards the sowing of seed with the harvest. When Hermoncreated it, Daphne's image had hovered before his mind, even if he hadnot been permitted to use her as a model, and of all the maidens whom heknew there was scarcely one better suited to serve as the type for theDemeter. So what he had seen in Pelusium, and learned from women, was true. Theheart and mind of the artist who had created this work were not filledwith the image of Althea--who during the journey had bestowed many amark of favour upon the aging man, and with whom he was obliged to workhand in hand for Queen Arsinoe's plans--but the daughter of Archias, andthis circumstance also aided in producing his change of view. Hermon's blindness, it was to be hoped, would be cured. Duty, and perhaps also interest, commanded him to show him frankly howhighly he estimated his art and his last work. After the arrival of Thyone and Daphne, Hermon had consented toaccompany them on board the Proserpina, their spacious galley. True, hehad yielded reluctantly to this arrangement of his parents' old friend, and neither she nor Daphne had hitherto succeeded in soothing the fierceresentment against fate which filled his soul after the loss of hissight and his dearest friend. As yet every attempt to induce him tobear his terrible misfortune with even a certain degree of composure hadfailed. The Tennis leech, trained by the Egyptian priests at Sais in the art ofhealing, who was attached as a pastophorus to the Temple of Isis, in thecity of weavers, had covered the artist's scorched face with bandages, and earnestly adjured him never in his absence to raise them, and tokeep every ray of light from his blinded eyes. But the agitation whichhad mastered Hermon's whole being was so great that, in spite of thewoman's protestations, he lifted the covering again and again to seewhether he could not perceive once more at least a glimmer of thesunlight whose warming power he felt. The thought of living in darknessuntil the end of his life seemed unendurable, especially as now all thehorrors which, hitherto, had only visited him in times of trial duringthe night assailed him with never-ceasing cruelty. The image of the spider often forced itself upon him, and he fanciedthat the busy insect was spreading its quickly made web over his blindedeyes, which he was not to touch, yet over which he passed his hand tofree them from the repulsive veil. The myth related that because Athene's blow had struck the ambitiousweaver Arachne, she had resolved, before the goddess transformed herinto a spider, to put an end to her disgrace. How infinitely harder was the one dealt to him! How much better reasonhe had to use the privilege in which man possesses an advantage over theimmortals, of putting himself to death with his own hand when he deemsthe fitting time has come! What should he, the artist, to whom his eyesbrought whatever made life valuable, do longer in this hideous blacknight, brightened by no sunbeam? He was often overwhelmed, too, by the remembrance of the terrible endof the friend in whom he saw the only person who might have given himconsolation in this distress, and the painful thought of his poverty. He was supported solely by what his art brought and his wealthy uncleallowed him. The Demeter which Archias had ordered had been partiallypaid for in advance, and he had intended to use the gold--a considerablesum--to pay debts in Alexandria. But it was consumed with the rest ofhis property--tools, clothing, mementoes of his dead parents, and afew books which contained his favourite poems and the writings of hismaster, Straton. These precious rolls had aided him to maintain the proud conviction ofowing everything which he attained or possessed solely to himself. Ithad again become perfectly clear to him that the destiny of earth-bornmortals was not directed by the gods whom men had invented aftertheir own likeness, in order to find causes for the effects which theyperceived, but by deaf and blind chance. Else how could even worsemisfortune, according to the opinion of most people, have befallenthe pure, guiltless Myrtilus, who so deeply revered the Olympians andunderstood how to honour them so magnificently by his art, than himself, the despiser of the gods? But was the death for which he longed a misfortune? Was the Nemesis who had so swiftly and fully granted the fervent prayerof an ill-used girl also only an image conjured up by the power of humanimagination? It was scarcely possible! Yet if there was one goddess, did not that admit the probability of theexistence of all the others? He shuddered at the idea; for if the immortals thought, felt, acted, howterribly his already cruel fate would still develop! He had denied andinsulted almost all the Olympians, and not even stirred a finger to thepraise and honour of a single one. What marvel if they should choose him for the target of their resentmentand revenge? He had just believed that the heaviest misfortune which can befall a manand an artist had already stricken him. Now he felt that this, too, hadbeen an error; for, like a physical pain, he realized the collapse ofthe proud delusion of being independent of every power except himself, freely and arbitrarily controlling his own destiny, owing no gratitudeexcept to his own might, and being compelled to yield to nothing savethe enigmatical, pitiless power of eternal laws or their co-operation, so incomprehensible to the human intellect, called "chance, " which tookno heed of merit or unworthiness. Must he, who had learned to silence and to starve every covetous desire, in order to require no gifts from his own uncle and his wealthy kinsmanand friend, and be able to continue to hold his head high, as the mostindependent of the independent, now, in addition to all his other woe, be forced to believe in powers that exercised an influence over hisevery act? Must he recognise praying to them and thanking them as thedemand of justice, of duty, and wisdom? Was this possible either? And, believing himself alone, since he could not see Thyone and Daphne, who were close by him, he struck his scorched brow with his clinchedfist, because he felt like a free man who suddenly realizes that a ropewhich he can not break is bound around his hands and feet, and a giantpulls and loosens it at his pleasure. Yet no! Better die than become for gods and men a puppet that obeysevery jerk of visible and invisible hands. Starting up in violent excitement, he tore the bandage from his face andeyes, declaring, as Thyone seriously reprimanded him, that he would goaway, no matter where, and earn his daily bread at the handmill, likethe blind Ethiopian slave whom he had seen in the cabinetmaker's houseat Tennis. Then Daphne spoke to him tenderly, but her soothing voice caused himkeener pain than his old friend's stern one. To sit still longer seemed unendurable, and, with the intention ofregaining his lost composure by pacing to and fro, he began to walk; butat the first free step he struck against the little table in front ofThyone's couch, and as it upset and the vessels containing water fellwith it, clinking and breaking, he stopped and, as if utterly crushed, groped his way back, with both arms outstretched, to the armchair he hadquitted. If he could only have seen Daphne press her handkerchief first to hereyes, from which tears were streaming, and then to her lips, thathe might not hear her sobs, if he could have perceived how Thyone'swrinkled old face contracted as if she were swallowing a colocynthapple, while at the same time she patted his strong shoulder briskly, exclaiming with forced cheerfulness: "Go on, my boy! The steed rearswhen the hornet stings! Try again, if it only soothes you! We will takeeverything out of your way. You need not mind the water-jars. The potterwill make new ones!" Then Hermon threw back his burning head, rested it against the back ofthe chair, and did not stir until the bandage was renewed. How comfortable it felt! He knew, too, that he owed it to Daphne; the matron's fingers could notbe so slender and delicate, and he would have been more than gladto raise them to his lips and thank her; but he denied himself thepleasure. If she really did love him, the bond between them must now be severed;for, even if her goodness of heart extended far enough to induce herto unite her blooming young existence to his crippled one, how could hehave accepted the sacrifice without humiliating himself? Whether such amarriage would have made her happy or miserable he did not ask, but hewas all the more keenly aware that if, in this condition, he became herhusband, he would be the recipient of alms, and he would far rather, hementally repeated, share the fate of the negro at the handmill. The expression of his features revealed the current of his thoughts toDaphne, and, much as she wished to speak to him, she forced herself toremain silent, that the tones of her voice might not betray how deeplyshe was suffering with him; but he himself now longed for a kind wordfrom her lips, and he had just asked if she was still there when Thyoneannounced a visit from the grammateus Proclus. He had recently felt that this man was unfriendly to him, and again hisanger burst forth. To be exposed in the midst of his misery to the scornof a despiser of his art was too much for his exhausted patience. But here he was interrupted by Proclus himself, who had entered thedarkened cabin where the blind man remained very soon after Thyone. Hermon's last words had betrayed to the experienced courtier how wellhe remembered his unkind remarks, so he deferred the expression ofhis approval, and began by delivering the farewell message of theepistrategus, who had been summoned away so quickly. He stated that his investigations had discovered nothing of importance, except, perhaps, the confirmation of the sorrowful apprehension that theadmirable Myrtilus had been killed by the marauders. A carved stone hadbeen found under the ashes, and Chello, the Tennis goldsmith, said hehad had in his own workshop the gem set in the hapless artist's shoulderclasp, and supplied it with a new pin. While speaking, he took Hermon's hand and gave him the stone, but theartist instantly used his finger tips to feel it. Perhaps it really did belong to the clasp Myrtilus wore, for, althoughstill unpractised in groping, he recognised that a human head was carvedin relief upon the stone, and Mrytilus's had been adorned with thelikeness of the Epicurean. The damaged little work of art, in the opinion of Proclus and Daphne, appeared to represent this philosopher, and at the thought that hisfriend had fallen a victim to the flames Hermon bowed his head andexerted all his strength of will in order not to betray by violent sobshow deeply this idea pierced his heart. Thyone, shrugging her shoulders mournfully, pointed to the sufferingartist. Proclus nodded significantly, and, moving nearer to Hermon, informed him that he had sought out his Demeter and found the statueuninjured. He was well aware that it would be presumptuous to offerconsolation in so heavy an affliction, and after the loss of his dearestfriend, yet perhaps Hermon would be glad to hear his assurance that he, whose judgment was certainly not unpractised, numbered his work amongthe most perfect which the sculptor's art had created in recent years. "I myself best know the value of this Demeter, " the sculptor broke inharshly. "Your praise is the bit of honey which is put into the mouth ofthe hurt child. " "No, my friend, " Proclus protested with grave decision. "I shouldexpress no less warmly the ardent admiration with which this noblefigure of the goddess fills me if you were well and still possessed yoursight. You were right just now when you alluded to my aversion, or, letus say, lack of appreciation of the individuality of your art; but thisnoble work changes everything, and nothing affords me more pleasurethan that I am to be the first to assure you how magnificently you havesucceeded in this statue. " "The first!" Hermon again interrupted harshly. "But the second and thirdwill be lacking in Alexandria. What a pleasure it is to pour the giftsof sympathy upon one to whom we wish ill! But, however successful myDemeter may be, you would have awarded the prize twice over to the oneby Myrtilus. " "Wrong, my young friend!" the statesman protested with honest zeal. "All honour to the great dead, whose end was so lamentable; but inthis contest--let me swear it by the goddess herself!--you wouldhave remained victor; for, at the utmost, nothing can rank with theincomparable save a work of equal merit, and--I know life and art--twoartists rarely or never succeed in producing anything so perfect as thismasterpiece at the same time and in the same place. " "Enough!" gasped Hermon, hoarse with excitement; but Proclus, withincreasing animation, continued: "Brief as is our acquaintance, you haveprobably perceived that I do not belong to the class of flatterers, andin Alexandria it has hardly remained unknown to you that the youngerartists number me, to whom the office of judge so often falls, amongthe sterner critics. Only because I desire their best good do I franklypoint out their errors. The multitude provides the praise. It will soonflow upon you also in torrents, I can see its approach, and as thisblindness, if the august Aesculapius and healing Isis aid, will passaway like a dreary winter night, it would seem to me criminal to deceiveyou about your own ability and success. I already behold you creatingother works to the delight of gods and men; but this Demeter extortsboundless, enthusiastic appreciation; both as a whole, and in detail, itis faultless and worthy of the most ardent praise. Oh, how long itis, my dear, unfortunate friend, since I could congratulate any otherAlexandrian with such joyful confidence upon the most magnificentsuccess! Every word--you may believe it!--which comes to you incommendation of this last work from lips unused to eulogy is sincerelymeant, and as I utter it to you I shall repeat it in the presence of theKing, Archias, and the other judges. " Daphne, with hurried breath, deeply flushed cheeks, and sparklingeyes, had fairly hung upon the lips of the clever connoisseur. She knewProclus, and his dreaded, absolutely inconsiderate acuteness, and wasaware that this praise expressed his deepest conviction. Had he beendissatisfied with the statue of Demeter, or even merely superficiallytouched by its beauty, he might have shrunk from wounding theunfortunate artist by censure, and remained silent; but only somethinggrand, consummate, could lead him to such warmth of recognition. She now felt it a misfortune that she and Thyone had hitherto beenprevented, by anxiety for their patient, from admiring his work. Had itstill been light, she would have gone to the temple of Demeter at once;but the sun had just set, and Proclus was obliged to beg her to havepatience. As the cases were standing finished at the cabinetmaker's, the statuehad been packed immediately, under his own direction, and carried onboard his ship, which would convey it with him to the capital the nextday. While this arrangement called forth loud expressions of regret fromDaphne and the vivacious matron, Hermon assented to it, for it wouldat least secure the ladies, until their arrival in Alexandria, from apainful disappointment. "Rather, " Proclus protested with firm dissent, "it will rob you for sometime of a great pleasure, and you, noble daughter of Archias, probablyof the deepest emotion of gratitude with which the favour of theimmortals has hitherto rendered you happy; yet the master who createdthis genuine goddess owes the best part of it to your own face. " "He told me himself that he thought of me while at work, " Daphneadmitted, and a flood of the warmest love reached Hermon's ears in heragitated tones, while, greatly perplexed, he wondered with increasinganxiety whether the stern critic Proclus had really been serious in theextravagant eulogium, so alien to his reputation in the city. Myrtilus, too, had admired the head of his Demeter, and--this he himselfmight admit--he had succeeded in it, and yet ought not the figure, withits too pronounced inclination forward, which, it is true, correspondedwith Daphne's usual bearing, and the somewhat angular bend of the arms, have induced this keen-sighted connoisseur to moderate the exaltedstrain of his praise? Or was the whole really so admirable that it wouldhave seemed petty to find fault with the less successful details? At anyrate, Proclus's eulogy ought to give him twofold pleasure, because hisart had formerly repelled him, and Hermon tried to let it produce thiseffect upon him. But it would not do; he was continually overpowered bythe feeling that under the enthusiastic homage of the intriguing QueenArsinoe's favourite lurked a sting which he should some day feel. Orcould Proclus have been persuaded by Thyone and Daphne to help themreconcile the hapless blind man to his hard fate? Hermon's every movement betrayed the great anxiety which filled hismind, and it by no means escaped Proclus's attention, but he attributedit to the blinded sculptor's anguish in being prevented, after so greata success, from pursuing his art further. Sincerely touched, he laid his slender hand on the sufferer's musculararm, saying: "A more severe trial than yours, my young friend, canscarcely be imposed upon the artist who has just attained the highestgoal, but three things warrant you to hope for recovery--your vigorousyouth, the skill of our Alexandrian leeches, and the favour of theimmortal gods. You shrug your shoulders? Yet I insist that you have wonthis favour by your Demeter. True, you owe it less to yourself than toyonder maiden. What pleasure it affords one whom, like myself, taste andoffice bind to the arts, to perceive such a revolution in an artist'scourse of creation, and trace it to its source! I indulged myself in itand, if you will listen, I should like to show you the result. " "Speak, " replied Hermon dully, bowing his head as if submitting to theinevitable, while Proclus began: "Hitherto your art imitated, not without success, what your eyes showedyou, and if this was filled with the warm breath of life, your worksucceeded. All respect to your Boy Eating Figs, in whose presence youwould feel the pleasure he himself enjoyed while consuming the sweetfruit. Here, among the works of Egyptian antiquity, there is imminentdanger of falling under the tyranny of the canon of proportions whichcan be expressed in figures, or merely even the demands of the stylehallowed by thousands of years, but in a subject like the 'Fig-eater'such a reproach is not to be feared. He speaks his own intelligiblelanguage, and whoever reproduces it without turning to the right or lefthas won, for he has created a work whose value every true friend of art, no matter to what school he belongs, prizes highly. "To me personally such works of living reality are cordially welcome. Yet art neither can nor will be satisfied with snatches of what isclose at hand; but you are late-born, sons of a time when the two greattendencies of art have nearly reached the limits of what is attainableto them. You were everywhere confronted with completed work, and you areright when you refuse to sink to mere imitators of earlier works, andtherefore return to Nature, with which we Hellenes, and perhapsthe Egyptians also, began. The latter forgot her; the former--weGreeks--continued to cling to her closely. " "Some few, " Hermon eagerly interrupted the other, "still think itworth the trouble to take from her what she alone can bestow. Theysave themselves the toilsome search for the model which others sosuccessfully used before them, and bronze and marble still keepwonderfully well. Bring out the old masterpieces. Take the head fromthis one, the arm from that, etc. The pupil impresses the proportions onhis mind. Only so far as the longing for the beautiful permits do eventhe better ones remain faithful to Nature, not a finger's breadth more. " "Quite right, " the other went on calmly. "But your objection onlybrings one nearer the goal. How many who care only for applause contentthemselves to-day, unfortunately, with Nature at second hand! Withoutreturning to her eternally fresh, inexhaustible spring, they draw fromthe conveniently accessible wells which the great ancients dug forthem. " "I know these many, " Hermon wrathfully exclaimed. "They are the brothersof the Homeric poets, who take verses from the Iliad and Odyssey topiece out from them their own pitiful poems. " "Excellent, my son!" exclaimed Thyone, laughing, and Daphne remarkedthat the poet Cleon had surprised her father with such a poem a fewweeks before. It was a marvellous bit of botchwork, and yet there was acertain meaning in the production, compiled solely from Homeric verses. "Diomed's Hecuba, " observed Proclus, "and the Aphrodite by Hippias, which were executed in marble, originated in the same way, and deserveno better fate, although they please the great multitude. But, praisedbe my lord, Apollo, our age can also boast of other artists. Filled withthe spirit of the god, they are able to model truthfully and faithfullyeven the forms of the immortals invisible to the physical eye. Theystand before the spectator as if borrowed from Nature, for theircreators have filled them with their own healthy vigour. Our poorMyrtilus belonged to this class and, after your Demeter, the world willinclude you in it also. " "And yet, " answered Hermon in a tone of dissent, "I remained faithful tomyself, and put nothing, nothing at all of my own personality, into theforms borrowed from Nature. " "What need of that was there?" asked Proclus with a subtle smile. "Yourmodel spared you the task. And this at last brings me to the goal Idesired to reach. As the great Athenians created types for eternity, so also does Nature at times in a happy hour, for her own pleasure, andsuch a model you found in our Daphne. -No contradiction, my dear younglady! The outlines of the figure--By the dog! Hermon might possibly havefound forms no less beautiful in the Aphrosion, but how charming andlifelike is the somewhat unusual yet graceful pose of yours! And thenthe heart, the soul! In your companionship our artist had nothing to doexcept lovingly to share your feelings in order to have at his disposaleverything which renders so dear to us all the giver of bread, thepreserver of peace, the protector of marriage, the creator and supporterof the law of moderation in Nature, as well as in human existence. Wherewould all these traits be found more perfectly united in a single humanbeing than in your person, Daphne, your quiet, kindly rule?" "Oh, stop!" the girl entreated. "I am only too well aware--" "That you also are not free from human frailties, " Proclus continued, undismayed. "We will take them, great or small as they may be, into thebargain. The secret ones do not concern the sculptor, who does not orwill not see them. What he perceives in you, what you enable him torecognise through every feature of your sweet, tranquillizing face, is enough for the genuine artist to imagine the goddess; for thedistinction between the mortal and the immortal is only the degree ofperfection, and the human intellect and artist soul can find nothingmore perfect in the whole domain of Demeter's jurisdiction than ispresented to them in your nature. Our friend yonder seized it, and hismagnificent work of art proves how nearly it approaches the purest andloftiest conception we form of the goddess whom he had to represent. Itis not that he deified you, Daphne; he merely bestowed on the divinityforms which he recognised in you. " Just at that moment, obeying an uncontrollable impulse, Hermon pulledthe bandage from his eyes to see once more the woman to whom this warmhomage was paid. Was the experienced connoisseur of art and the artist soul in the right? He had told himself the same thing when he selected Daphne for a model, and her head reproduced what Proclus praised as the common possession ofDaphne and Demeter. Truthful Myrtilus had also seen it. Perhaps his workhad really been so marvellously successful because, while he was engagedupon it, his friend had constantly stood before his mind in all thecharm of her inexhaustible goodness. Animated by the ardent desire to gaze once more at the beloved face, towhich he now owed also this unexpectedly great success, he turned towardthe spot whence her voice had reached him; but a wall of violet mist, dotted with black specks, was all that his blinded eyes showed him, andwith a low groan he drew the linen cloth over the burns. This time Proclus also perceived what was passing in the poor artist'smind, and when he took leave of him it was with the resolve to do hisutmost to brighten with the stars of recognition and renown the darknight of suffering which enshrouded this highly gifted sculptor, whoseunexpectedly great modesty had prepossessed him still more in hisfavour. CHAPTER II. After the grammateus had retired, Daphne insisted upon leaving Tennisthe next day. The desire to see Hermon's masterpiece drew her back to Alexandria evenmore strongly than the knowledge of being missed by her father. Only the separation from Thyone rendered the departure difficult, forthe motherless girl had found in her something for which she had longyearned, and most sorely missed in her companion Chrysilla, who fromexpediency approved of everything she did or said. The matron, too, had become warmly attached to Daphne, and would gladlyhave done all that lay in her power to lighten Hermon's sad fate, yetshe persisted in her determination to return speedily to her old husbandin Pelusium. But she did not fully realize how difficult this departure would befor her until the blind man, after a long silence, asked whether it wasnight, if the stars were in the sky, and if she really intended to leavehim. Then burning sympathy filled her compassionate soul, and she could nolonger restrain her tears. Daphne, too, covered her face, and imposedthe strongest restraint upon herself that she might not sob aloud. So it seemed a boon to both when Hermon expressed the desire to spendpart of the night on deck. This desire contained a summons to action, and to be able to bestirthemselves in useful service appeared like a favour to Thyone andDaphne. Without calling upon a slave, a female servant, or even Chrysilla forthe smallest office, the two prepared a couch on deck for the blind man, and, leaning on the girl's stronger arm, he went up into the open air. There he stretched both arms heavenward, inhaled deep breaths of thecool night breeze, and thirstily emptied the goblet of wine which Daphnemixed and gave him with her own hand. Then, with a sigh of relief, he said: "Everything has not grown blackyet. A delightful feeling of pleasure takes possession even of the blindman when the open air refreshes him and the wine warms his blood in thesunshine of your kindness. " "And much better things are still in prospect, " Daphne assured him. "Just think what rapture it will be when you are permitted to see thelight again after so long a period of darkness!" "When--" repeated Hermon, his head drooping as he spoke. "It must, it must be so!" rang with confident assurance from Thyone'slips. "And then, " added Daphne, gazing sometimes upward to the firmamentstrewn with shining stars, sometimes across the broad, rippling expanseof the water, in which the reflection of the heavenly bodies shimmeredin glittering, silvery radiance, "yes, Hermon, who would not be glad toexchange with you then? You may shake your head, but I would take yourplace quickly and with joyous courage. There is a proof of the existenceof the gods, which so exactly suits the hour when you will again see, enjoy, admire what this dreary darkness now hides from you. It was aphilosopher who used it; I no longer know which one. How often I havethought of it since this cruel misfortune befell you! And now--" "Go on, " Hermon interrupted with a smile of superiority. "You arethinking of Aristotle's man who grew up in a dark cave. The conditionswhich must precede the devout astonishment of the liberated youth whenhe first emerged into the light and the verdant world would certainlyexist in me. " "Oh, not in that way, " pleaded the wounded girl; and Thyone exclaimed:"What is the story of the man you mention? We don't talk about Aristotleand such subjects in Pelusium. " "Perhaps they are only too much discussed in Alexandria, " said theblind artist. "The Stagirite, as you have just heard, seeks to prove theexistence of the gods by the man of whom I spoke. " "No, he does prove it, " protested Daphne. "Just listen, Mother Thyone. Alittle boy grows up from earliest childhood into a youth in a dark cave. Then suddenly its doors are opened to him. For the first time he seesthe sun, moon, and stars, flowers and trees, perhaps even a beautifulhuman face. But at the moment when all these things rush upon him likeso many incomprehensible marvels, must he not ask himself who createdall this magnificence? And the answer which comes to him--" "There is only one, " cried the matron; "the omnipotent gods. Do youshrug your shoulders at that, son of the pious Erigone? Why, of course!The child who still feels the blows probably rebels against his earthlyfather. But if I see aright, the resentment will not last when you, likethe man, go out of the cave and your darkness also passes away. Then thepower from which you turned defiantly will force itself upon you, andyou will raise your hands in grateful prayer to the rescuing divinity. As to us women, we need not be drawn out of a cave to recognise it. A mother who reared three stalwart sons--I will say nothing of thedaughters--can not live without them. Why are they so necessary to her?Because we love our children twice as much as ourselves, and the dangerwhich threatens them alarms the poor mother's heart thrice as much asher own. Then it needs the helping powers. Even though they often refusetheir aid, we may still be grateful for the expectation of relief. Ihave poured forth many prayers for the three, I assure you, and afterdoing so with my whole soul, then, my son, no matter how wildly thestorm had raged within my breast, calmness returned, and Hope againtook her place at the helm. In the school of the denier of the gods, youforgot the immortals above and depended on yourself alone. Now you needa guide, or even two or three of them, in order to find the way. If yourmother were still alive, you would run back to her to hide your face inher lap. But she is dead, and if I were as proud as you, before claspingthe sustaining hand of another mortal I would first try whether onewould not be voluntarily extended from among the Olympians. If I wereyou, I would begin with Demeter, whom you honoured by so marvellous awork. " Hermon waved his hand as if brushing away a troublesome fly, exclaimingimpatiently: "The gods, always the gods! I know by my own mother, Thyone, what you women are, though I was only seven years old when I wasbereft of her by the same powers that you call good and wise, and whohave also robbed me of my eyesight, my friend, and all else that wasdear. I thank you for your kind intention, and you, too, Daphne, forrecalling the beautiful allegory. How often we have argued over itsmeaning! If we continued the discussion, perhaps it might pleasantlyshorten the next few hours, which I dread as I do my whole futureexistence, but I should be obliged in the outset to yield the victory toyou. The great Herophilus is right when he transfers the seat of thoughtfrom the heart to the head. What a wild tumult is raging here behind mybrow, and how one voice drowns another! The medley baffles description. I could more easily count with my blind eyes the cells in a honeycombthan refute with my bewildered brain even one shrewd objection. It seemsto me that we need our eyes to understand things. We certainly do totaste. Whatever I eat and drink--langustae and melons, light Mareoticwine and the dark liquor of Byblus my tongue can scarcely distinguishit. The leech assures me that this will pass away, but until the chaoswithin merges into endurable order there is nothing better for me thansolitude and rest, rest, rest. " "We will not deny them to you, " replied Thyone, glancing significantlyat Daphne. "Proclus's enthusiastic judgment was sincerely meant. Beginby rejoicing over it in the inmost depths of your heart, and vividlyimagining what a wealth of exquisite joys will be yours through yourlast masterpiece. " "Willingly, if I can, " replied the blind man, gratefully extending hishand. "If I could only escape the doubt whether the most cruel tyrantcould devise anything baser than to rob the artist, the very person towhom it is everything, of his sight. " "Yes, it is terrible, " Daphne assented. "Yet it seems to me that aricher compensation for the lost gift is at the disposal of you artiststhan of us other mortals, for you understand how to look with the eyesof the soul. With them you retain what you have seen, and illumine itwith a special radiance. Homer was blind, and for that very reason, Ithink, the world and life became clear and transfigured for him though aveil concealed both from his physical vision. " "The poet!" Hermon exclaimed. "He draws from his own soul what sight, and sight alone, brings to us sculptors. And, besides, his spiritremained free from the horrible darkness that assailed mine. Joy itself, Daphne, has lost its illuminating power within. What, girl, what is tobecome of the heart in which even hope was destroyed?" "Defend it manfully and keep up your courage, " she answered softly;but he pressed her hand firmly, and, in order not to betray howself-compassion was melting his own soul, burst forth impetuously: "Sayrather: Crush the wish whose fulfilment is self-humiliation! I will goback to Alexandria. Even the blind and crippled can find ways to earntheir bread there. Now grant me rest, and leave me alone!" Thyone drew the girl away with her into the ship's cabin. A short time after, the steward Gras went to Hermon to entreat him toyield to Thyone's entreaties and leave the deck. The leech had directed the sufferer to protect himself from draughtsand dampness, and the cool night mists were rising more and more denselyfrom the water. Hermon doubtless felt them, but the thought of returning to the closecabin was unendurable. He fancied that his torturing thoughts wouldstifle him in the gloom where even fresh air was denied him. He allowed the careful Bithynian to throw a coverlet over him and drawthe hood of his cloak over his head, but his entreaties and warningswere futile. The steward's watchful nursing reminded Hermon of his own solicitudefor his friend and of his faithful slave Bias, both of whom he had lost. Then he remembered the eulogy of the grammateus, and it brought up thequestion whether Myrtilus would have agreed with him. Like Proclus, hiskeen-sighted and honest friend had called Daphne the best model for thekindly goddess. He, too, had given to his statue the features of thedaughter of Archias, and admitted that he had been less successful. Butthe figure! Perhaps he, Hermon, in his perpetual dissatisfaction withhimself had condemned his own work too severely, but that it lacked theproper harmony had escaped neither Myrtilus nor himself. Now he recalledthe whole creation to his remembrance, and its weaknesses forcedthemselves upon him so strongly and objectionably that the extravagantpraise of the stern critic awakened fresh doubts in his mind. Yet a man like the grammateus, who on the morrow or the day following itwould be obliged to repeat his opinion before the King and the judges, certainly would not have allowed himself to be carried away by merecompassion to so great a falsification of his judgment. Or was he himself sharing the experience of many a fellow-artist? Howoften the creator deceived himself concerning the value of his own work!He had expected the greatest success from his Polyphemus hurling therock at Odysseus escaping in the boat, and a gigantic smith had posedfor a model. Yet the judges had condemned it in the severest manner asa work far exceeding the bounds of moderation, and arousing positivedislike. The clay figure had not been executed in stone or metal, andcrumbled away. The opposite would probably now happen with the Demeter. Her bending attitude had seemed to him daring, nay, hazardous; but theacute critic Proclus had perceived that it was in accord with one ofDaphne's habits, and therefore numbered it among the excellences of thestatue. If the judges who awarded the prize agreed with the verdict of thegrammateus, he must accustom himself to value his own work higher, perhaps even above that of Myrtilus. But was this possible? He saw his friend's Demeter as though it was standing before him, andagain he recognised in it the noblest masterpiece its maker had evercreated. What praise this marvellous work would have deserved if his ownreally merited such high encomiums! Suddenly an idea came to him, which at first he rejected asinconceivable; but it would not allow itself to be thrust aside, and itsconsideration made his breath fail. What if his own Demeter had been destroyed and Myrtilus's statue saved?If the latter was falsely believed to be his work, then Proclus'sjudgment was explained--then--then--- Seized by a torturing anguish, he groaned aloud, and the steward Grasinquired what he wanted. Hermon hastily grasped the Bithynian's arm, and asked what he knew aboutthe rescue of his statue. The answer was by no means satisfying. Gras had only heard that, afterbeing found uninjured in his studio, it had been dragged with greatexertion into the open air. The goldsmith Chello had directed the work. Hermon remembered all this himself, yet, with an imperious curtness inmarked contrast to his usual pleasant manner to this worthy servant, hehoarsely commanded him to bring Chello to him early the next morning, and then again relapsed into his solitary meditations. If the terrible conjecture which had just entered his mind should beconfirmed, no course remained save to extinguish the only new lightwhich now illumined the darkness of his night, or to become a cheat. Yet his resolution was instantly formed. If the goldsmith corroboratedhis fear, he would publicly attribute the rescued work to the man whocreated it. And he persisted in this intention, indignantly silencingthe secret voice which strove to shake it. It temptingly urged thatMyrtilus, so rich in successes, needed no new garland. His lost sightwould permit him, Hermon, from reaping fresh laurels, and his friendwould so gladly bestow this one upon him. But he angrily closed hisears to these enticements, and felt it a humiliation that they dared toapproach him. With proud self-reliance he threw back his head, saying to himself that, though Myrtilus should permit him ten times over to deck him self withhis feathers, he would reject them. He would remain himself, and wasconscious of possessing powers which perhaps surpassed his friend's. He was as well qualified to create a genuine work of art as the bestsculptor, only hitherto the Muse had denied him success in awakeningpleasure, and blindness would put an end to creating anything of hisown. The more vividly he recalled to memory his own work and his friend's, the more probable appeared his disquieting supposition. He also saw Myrtilus's figure before him, and in imagination heard hisfriend again promise that, with the Arachne, he would wrest the prizeeven from him. During the terrible events of the last hours he had thought but seldomand briefly of the weaver, whom it had seemed a rare piece of goodfortune to be permitted to represent. Now the remembrance of her tookpossession of his soul with fresh power. The image of Arachne illumined by the lamplight, which Althea had showedhim, appeared like worthless jugglery, and he soon drove it back intothe darkness which surrounded him. Ledscha's figure, however, rosebefore him all the more radiantly. The desire to possess her had flownto the four winds; but he thought he had never before beheld anythingmore peculiar, more powerful, or better worth modelling than theBiamite girl as he saw her in the Temple of Nemesis, with uplifted hand, invoking the vengeance of the goddess upon him, and there--he discoveredit now--Daphne was not at all mistaken. Images never presentedthemselves as distinctly to those who could see as to the blind manin his darkness. If he was ever permitted to receive his sight, what astatue of the avenging goddess he could create from this greatest eventin the history of his vision! After this work--of that he was sure--he would no longer need theborrowed fame which, moreover, he rejected with honest indignation. CHAPTER III. It must be late, for Hermon felt the cool breeze, which in this regionrose between midnight and sunrise, on his burned face and, shivering, drew his mantle closer round him. Yet it seemed impossible to return to the cabin; the memory of Ledschaimploring vengeance, and the stern image of the avenging goddess in thecella of the little Temple of Nemesis, completely mastered him. Inthe close cabin these terrible visions, united with the fear of havingreaped undeserved praise, would have crouched upon his breast likeharpies and stifled or driven him mad. After what had happened, tonumber the swift granting of the insulted Biamite's prayer among thefreaks of chance was probably a more arbitrary and foolish proceedingthan, with so many others, to recognise the incomprehensible power ofNemesis. Ledscha had loosed it against him and his health, perhaps evenhis life, and he imagined that she was standing before him with thebridle and wheel, threatening him afresh. Shivering, as if chilled to the bone, overwhelmed by intense horror, he turned his blinded eyes upward to the blackness above and raised hishand, for the first time since he had joined the pupils of Straton inthe Museum, to pray. He besought Nemesis to be content, and not add toblindness new tortures to augment the terrible ones which rent his soul, and he did so with all the ardour of his passionate nature. The steward Gras had received orders to wake the Lady Thyone if anythingunusual happened to the blind man, and when he heard the unfortunateartist groan so pitifully that it would have moved a stone, and saw himraise his hand despairingly to his head, he thought it was time to utterwords of consolation, and a short time after the anxious matron followedhim. Her low exclamation startled Hermon. To be disturbed in the firstprayer after so long a time, in the midst of the cries of distress of adespairing soul, is scarcely endurable, and the blind man imposed littlerestraint upon himself when his old friend asked what had occurred, andurged him not to expose himself longer to the damp night air. At first he resolutely resisted, declaring that he should lose hissenses alone in the close cabin. Then, in her cordial, simple way, she offered to bear him company in thecabin. She could not sleep longer, at any rate; she must leave him earlyin the morning, and they still had many things to confide to each other. Touched by so much kindness, he yielded and, leaning on the Bithynian'sarm, followed her, not into his little cabin, but into the captain'sspacious sitting room. Only a single lamp dimly lighted the wainscoting, composed of ebony, ivory, and tortoise shell, the gay rug carpet, and the giraffe andpanther skins hung on the walls and doors and flung on the couches andthe floor. Thyone needed no brilliant illumination for this conversation, and theblinded man was ordered to avoid it. The matron was glad to be permitted to communicate to Hermon so speedilyall that filled her own heart. While he remained on deck, she had gone to Daphne's cabin. She had already retired, and when Thyone went to the side of the couchshe found the girl, with her cheeks wet with tears, still weeping, and easily succeeded in leading the motherless maiden to make a frankconfession. Both cousins had been dear to her from childhood; but while Myrtilus, though often impeded by his pitiable sufferings, had reached by a smoothpathway the highest recognition, Hermon's impetuous toiling and strivinghad constantly compelled her to watch his course with anxious solicitudeand, often unobserved, extend a helping hand. Sympathy, disapproval, and fear, which, however, was always blended withadmiration of his transcendent powers, had merged into love. Though hehad disdained to return it, it had nevertheless been perfectly evidentthat he needed her, and valued her and her opinion. Often as their viewsdiffered, the obstinate boy and youth had never allowed any one exceptherself a strong influence over his acts and conduct. But, far as heseemed to wander from the paths which she believed the right ones, she had always held fast to the conviction that he was a man of noblenature, and an artist who, if he only once fixed his eyes upon thetrue goal, would far surpass by his mighty power the other Alexandriansculptors, whatever names they bore, and perhaps even Myrtilus. To the great vexation of her father who, after her mother's death, inan hour when his heart was softened, had promised that he would neverimpose any constraint upon her in the choice of a husband, she hadhitherto rejected every suitor. She had showed even the distinguishedPhilotas in Pelusium, without the least reserve, that he was seeking herin vain; for just at that time she thought she had perceived thatHermon returned her love, and after his abrupt departure it had becomeperfectly evident that the happiness of her life depended upon him. The terrible misfortune which had now befallen him had only bound hermore firmly to the man she loved. She felt that she belonged to himindissolubly, and the leech's positive assurance that his blindnesswas incurable had only increased the magic of the thought of being andaffording tenfold more to the man bereft of sight than when, possessinghis vision, the world, life, and art belonged to him. To be able tolavish everything upon the most beloved of mortals, and do whatever herwarm, ever-helpful heart prompted, seemed to her a special favour of thegods in whom she believed. That it was Demeter, to the ranks of whose priestesses she belonged, whowas so closely associated with his blinding, also seemed to her no merework of chance. The goddess on whom Hermon had bestowed the features ofher own face had deprived him of sight to confer upon her the happinessof brightening and beautifying the darkness of his life. If she saw aright, and it was only the fear of obtaining, with herself, her wealth, that still kept him from her, the path which would finallyunite them must be found at last. She hoped to conquer also her father'sreluctance to give his only child in marriage to a blind man, especiallyas Hermon's last work promised to give him the right to rank with thebest artists of his age. The matron had listened to this confession with an agitated heart. She had transported herself in imagination into the soul of the girl'smother, and brought before her mind what objections the dead woman wouldhave made to her daughter's union with a man deprived of sight; butDaphne had firmly insisted upon her wish, and supported it by manya sensible and surprising answer. She was beyond childhood, and herthree-and-twenty years enabled her to realize the consequences which sounusual a marriage threatened to entail. As for Thyone herself, she was always disposed to look on the brightside, and the thought that this vigorous young man, this artist crownedwith the highest success, must remain in darkness to the end of hislife, was utterly incompatible with her belief in the goodness of thegods. But if Hermon was cured, a rare wealth of the greatest happinessawaited him in the union with Daphne. The mood in which she found the blind man had wounded and troubled her. Now she renewed the bandage, saying: "How gladly I would continue touse my old hands for you, but this will be the last time in a long whilethat I am permitted to do this for the son of my Erigone; I must leaveyou to-morrow. " Hermon clasped her hand closely, exclaiming with affectionate warmth:"You must not go, Thyone! Stay here, even if it is only a few dayslonger. " What pleasure these words gave her, and how gladly she would havefulfilled his wish! But it could not be, and he did not venture todetain her by fresh entreaties after she had described how her agedhusband was suffering from her absence. "I often ask myself what he still finds in me, " she said. "True, so longa period of wedded life is a firm tie. If I am gone and he does not findme when he returns home from inspections, he wanders about as if lost, and does not even relish his food, though the same cook has prepared itfor years. And he, who forgets nothing and knows by name a large numberof the many thousand men he commands, would very probably, when I amaway, join the troops with only sandals on his feet. To miss my uglyold face really can not be so difficult! When he wooed me, of courseI looked very different. And so--he confessed it himself--so he alwayssees me, and most plainly when I am absent from his sight. But that, Hermon, will be your good fortune also. All you now know as young andbeautiful will continue so to you as long as this sorrowful blindnesslasts, and on that very account you must not remain alone, my boy--thatis, if your heart has already decided in favour of any one--and that isthe case, unless these old eyes deceive me. " "Daphne, " he answered dejectedly, "why should I deny that she is dear tome? And yet, how dare the blind man take upon himself the sin of bindingher young life--" "Stop! stop!" Thyone interrupted with eager warmth. "She loves you, andto be everything to you is the greatest happiness she can imagine. " "Until repentance awakes, and it is too late, " he answered gravely. "But even were her love strong enough to share her husband's misfortunepatiently--nay, perhaps with joyous courage--it would still becontemptible baseness were I to profit by that love and seek her hand. " "Hermon!" the matron now exclaimed reproachfully; but he repeated withstrong emphasis: "Yes, it would be baseness so great that even her mostardent love could not save me from the reproach of having committed it. I will not speak of her father, to whom I am so greatly indebted. It maybe that it might satisfy Daphne, full of kindness as she is, to devoteherself, body and soul, to the service of her helpless companion. ButI? Far from thinking constantly, like her, solely of others and theirwelfare, I should only too often, selfish as I now am, be mindful ofmyself. But when I realize who I am, I see before me a blind man who ispoorer than a beggar, because the scorching flames melted even the goldwhich was to help him pay his debts. " "Folly!" cried the matron. "For what did Archias gather his boundlesstreasures? And when his daughter is once yours--" "Then, " Hermon went on bitterly, "the blinded artist's poverty will beover. That is your opinion, and the majority of people will share it. But I have my peculiarities, and the thought of being rescued fromhunger and thirst by the woman I love, and who ought to see in me theman from whom she receives the best gifts--to be dependent on her asthe recipient of her alms--seems to me worse than if I were once more tolose my sight. I could not endure it at all! Every mouthful would chokeme. Just because she is so dear to me, I can not seek her hand; for, in return for her great self-sacrificing love, I could give her nothingsave the keen discontent which seizes the proud soul that is forcedconstantly to accept benefits, as surely as the ringing sound followsthe blow upon the brass. My whole future life would become a chain ofhumiliations, and do you know whither this unfortunate marriage wouldlead? My teacher Straton once said that a man learns to hate no one moreeasily than the person from whom he receives benefits which it is outof his power to repay. That is wise, and before I will see my great lovefor Daphne transformed to hate, I will again try the starving which, while I was a sculptor at Rhodes, I learned tolerably well. " "But would not a great love, " asked Thyone, "suffice to repay tenfoldthe perishable gifts that can be bought with gold and silver?" "No, and again no!" Hermon answered in an agitated tone. "Something elsewould blend with the love I brought to the marriage, something that mustdestroy all the compensation it might offer; for I see myself becominga resentful misanthrope if I am compelled to relinquish the pleasure ofcreating and, condemned to dull inaction, can do nothing except allowmyself to be tended, drink, eat, and sleep. The gloomy mood of herunfortunate husband would sadden Daphne's existence even more than myown; for, Thyone, though I should strive with all my strength to bearpatiently, with her dear aid, the burden imposed upon me, and move onthrough the darkness with joyous courage, like many another blind man, Icould not succeed. " "You are a man, " the matron exclaimed indignantly, "and what thousandshave done before you--" "There, " he loudly protested, "I should surely fail; for, you dearwoman, who mean so kindly by me, my fate is worse than theirs. Do youknow what just forced from my lips the exclamation of pain which alarmedyou? I, the only child of the devout Erigone, for whose sake you are sowell disposed toward me, am doomed to misfortune as surely as the victimdragged to the altar is certain of death. Of all the goddesses, there isonly one in whose power I believe, and to whom I just raised my hands inprayer. It is the terrible one to whom I was delivered by hate and thedeceived love which is now dragging me by the hair, and will rob andtorture me till I despair of life. I mean the gray daughter of Night, whom no one escapes, dread Nemesis. " Thyone sank down into the chair by the blind artist's side, askingsoftly, "And what gave you into her avenging hands, hapless boy?" "My own abominable folly, " he answered mournfully and, with the feelingthat it would relieve his heart to pour out to this true friend what hewould usually have confided only to his Myrtilus, he hurriedly relatedhow he had recognised in Ledscha the best model for his Arachne, how hehad sought her love, and then, detained by Althea, left her in the lurchand most deeply offended and insulted her. Lastly, he gave a brief butvivid description of his meeting with the vengeful barbarian girl inthe Temple of Nemesis, how Ledscha had invoked upon him the wrath of theterrible goddess, and how the most horrible punishment had fallen uponhim directly after the harsh accusation of the Biamite. The matron had listened to this confession in breathless suspense. Nowshe fixed her eyes on the floor, shook her gray head gently, and saidanxiously: "Is that it? It certainly puts things in a different light. As the son of your never-to-be-forgotten mother, you are indeed dear tomy heart; but Daphne is not less dear to me, and though in your marriageI just saw happiness for you both, that is now past. What is poverty, what is blindness! Eros would reconcile far more difficult problems, buthis arrows are shattered on the armour of Nemesis. Where there is a pairof lovers, and she raises her scourge against one of them, the otherwill also be struck. Until you feel that you are freed from thispersecutor, it would be criminal to bind a loving woman to you and yourdestiny. It is not easy to find the right path for you both, for evenNemesis and her power do not make the slightest change in the fact thatyou need faithful care and watching in your blindness. Daylight bringswisdom, and we will talk further to-morrow. " She rose as she spoke; but Hermon detained her, while from his lipsescaped the anxious question, "So you will take Daphne away from me, andleave me alone in my blindness?" "You in your blindness?" cried Thyone, and the mere reproachful tone ofthe question banished the fear. "I would as quickly deprive my own sonof my support as I would you just at this time, my poor boy; but whethermy conscience will permit me to let Daphne remain near you only grantme, I repeat it, until sunrise to-morrow for reflection. My old heartwill then find the right way. " "Yet whatever you may decide concerning us, " pleaded the blind man, "tell Daphne that, on the eve of losing her, I first felt in its fullpower how warmly I love her. Even without Nemesis, the joy of makingher mine would have been denied me. Fate will never permit me to possessher; yet never again to hear her gentle voice, never more to feel herdear presence, would be blinding me a second time. " "It need not be imposed upon you long, " said the matron soothingly. Then she went close to him, laid her hand on his shoulder, and said:"The power of the goddess who punishes the misdeeds of the reckless iscalled irresistible and uncontrollable; but one thing softens even her, and checks her usually resistless wheel: it is a mother's prayer. Iheard this from my own mother, and experienced it myself, especially inmy oldest son Eumedes, who from the wildest madcap became an ornamentof his class, and to whom the King--you doubtless know it--intrusted thecommand of the fleet which is to open the Ethiopian land of elephantsto the Egyptian power. You, Hermon, are an orphan, but for you, too, the souls of your parents live on. Only I do not know whether you stillhonour and pray to them. " "I did until a few years ago, " replied Hermon. "But later you neglected this sacred duty, " added Thyone. "Yet how wasthat possible? In our barren Pelusium I could not help thinking hundredsof times of the grove which Archias planted in your necropolis for thedead members of his family, and how often, while we were in Alexandria, it attracted me to think in its shade of your never-to-be-forgottenmother. There I felt her soul near me; for there was her home, and inimagination I saw her walking and resting under the trees. And you--herbeloved child--you remained aloof from this hallowed spot! Even at thefestival of the dead you omitted prayers and sacrifices?" The blind artist assented to this question by a silent bend of the head;but the matron indignantly exclaimed: "And did not you know, unhappyman, that you were thus casting away the shield which protects mortalsfrom the avenging gods? And your glorious mother, who would have givenher life for you? Yet you loved her, I suppose?" "Thyone!" Hermon cried, deeply wounded, holding out his right hand as ifin defence. "Well, well!" said the matron. "I know that you revere hermemory. But that alone is not sufficient. On memorial festivals, andespecially on the birthdays, a mother's soul needs a prayer and a giftfrom the son, a wreath, a fillet, fragrant ointment, a piece of honey, acup of wine or milk--all these things even the poor man spares from hispenury--yet a warm prayer, in pure remembrance and love, would sufficeto rob the wrath of Nemesis, which the enraged barbarian girl let looseupon you, of its power. Only your mother, Hermon, the soul of the noblewoman who bore you, can restore to you what you have lost. Appeal foraid to her, son of Erigone, and she will yet make everything right. " Bending quickly over the artist as she spoke, she kissed his brow andmoved steadily away, though he called her name with yearning entreaty. A short time after, the steward Gras led Hermon to his cabin, and whileundressing him reported that a messenger from Pelusium had announcedthat the commandant Philippus was coming to Tennis the next morning, before the market place filled, to take his wife with him to Alexandria, where he was going by the King's command. Hermon only half listened, and then ordered the Bithynian to leave him. After he had reclined on the couch a short time, he softly called thenames of the steward, Thyone, and Daphne. As he received no answer, andthus learned that he was alone, he rose, drew himself up to his fullheight, gazed heavenward with his bandaged eyes, stretched both handstoward the ceiling of the low cabin, and obeyed his friend's bidding. Thoroughly convinced that he was doing right, and ashamed of havingso long neglected what the duty of a son commanded, he implored hismother's soul for forgiveness. While doing so he again found that the figure which he recalled to hismemory appeared before him with marvellous distinctness. Never had shebeen so near him since, when a boy of seven, she clasped him for thelast time to her heart. She tenderly held out her arms to him, and herushed into her embrace, shouting exultantly while she hugged and kissedhim. Every pet name which he had once been so glad to hear, and duringrecent years had forgotten, again fell from her lips. As had oftenhappened in days long past, he again saw his mother crown him for afestival. Pleased with the little new garment which she herself hadwoven for him and embroidered with a tiny tree with red apples, beneathwhich stood a bright-plumaged duckling, she led him by the hand in thenecropolis to the empty tomb dedicated to his father. It was a building the height of a man, constructed of red Cyprianmarble, on which, cast in bronze, shield, sword, and lance, as well asa beautiful helmet, lay beside a sleeping lion. It was dedicated tothe memory of the brave hipparch whom he had been permitted to call hisfather, and who had been burned beside the battlefield on which he hadfound a hero's death. Hermon now again beheld himself, with his mother, garlanding, anointing, and twining with fresh fillets the mausoleum erected by his uncleArchias to his brave brother. The species of every flower, the colourof the fillets-nay, even the designs embroidered on his little holidayrobe--again returned to his mind, and, while these pleasant memorieshovered around him, he appealed to his mother in prayer. She stood before him, young and beautiful, listening without reproach orcensure as he besought her forgiveness and confided to her his sins, andhow severely he was punished by Nemesis. During this confession he felt as though he was kneeling before thebeloved dead, hiding his face in her lap, while she bent over him andstroked his thick, black hair. True, he did not hear her speak; but whenhe looked up again he could see, by the expression of her faithful blueeyes, that his manly appearance surprised her, and that she rejoiced inhis return to her arms. She listened compassionately to his laments, and when he pausedpressed his head to her bosom and gazed into his face with such joyousconfidence that his heart swelled, and he told himself that she couldnot look at him thus unless she saw happiness in store for him. Lastly, he began also to confide that he loved no woman on earth moreardently than the very Daphne whom, when only a pretty little child, shehad carried in her arms, yet that he could not seek the wealthy heiressbecause manly pride forbade this to the blind beggar. Here the anguish of renunciation seized him with great violence, andwhen he wished to appeal again to his mother his exhausted imaginationrefused its service, and the vision would not appear. Then he groped his way back to the bed, and, as he let his head sinkupon the pillows, he fancied that he would soon be again enwrapped inthe sweet slumber of childhood, which had long shunned his couch. It was years since he had felt so full of peace and hope, and he toldhimself, with grateful joy, that every childlike emotion had not yetdied within him, that the stern conflicts and struggles of the lastyears had not yet steeled every gentle emotion. CHAPTER IV. The sun of the following day had long passed its meridian when Hermonat last woke. The steward Gras, who had grown gray in the service ofArchias, was standing beside the couch. There was nothing in the round, beardless face of this well-fed yetactive man that could have attracted the artist, yet the quiet tones ofhis deep voice recalled to memory the clear, steadfast gaze of his grayeyes, from which so often, in former days, inviolable fidelity, soundsense, caution, and prudence had looked forth at him. What the blind man heard from Gras surprised him--nay, at first seemedimpossible. To sleep until the afternoon was something unprecedented forhis wakeful temperament; but what was he to say to the tidings thatthe commandant of Pelusium had arrived in his state galley early inthe morning and taken his wife, Daphne, and Chrysilla away with him toAlexandria? Yet it sounded credible enough when the Bithynian further informed himthat the ladies had left messages of remembrance for him, and said thatArchias's ship, upon which he was, would be at his disposal for anylength of time he might desire. Gras was commissioned to attend him. TheLady Thyone especially desired him to heed her counsel. While the steward was communicating this startling news as calmly asif everything was a matter of course, the events of the preceding nightcame back to Hermon's memory with perfect distinctness, and again thefear assailed him that the rescued Demeter was the work of Myrtilus, andnot his own. So the first question he addressed to Gras concerned the Tennisgoldsmith, and it was a keen disappointment to Hermon when he learnedthat the earliest time he could expect to see him would be the followingday. The skilful artisan had been engaged for weeks upon the goldornaments on the new doors of the holy of holies in the Temple of Amonat Tanis. Urgent business had called him home from the neighbouringcity just before the night of the attack; but yesterday evening he hadreturned to Tanis, where his wife said he would have only two days' workto do. This answer, however, by no means appeased Hermon's impatience. He commanded that a special messenger should be sent to summon thegoldsmith, and the Bithynian received the order with a slight shake ofhis round head. What new trouble had befallen the usually alert young artist that hereceived this unexpected change in his situation as apathetically asa horse which is led from one stall to another, and, instead ofquestioning him, thought only of hastening his interview with thegoldsmith? If his mistress, who had left him full of anxiety from thefear that her departure would deeply agitate the blind man, should learnhow indifferently he had received it! He, Gras, certainly would notbetray it. Eternal gods--these artists! He knew them. Their work wasdearer to their hearts than their own lives, love, or friendship. During breakfast, of which the steward was obliged to remind him, Hermonpondered over his fate; but how could he attain any degree of clearnessof vision until he secured accurate information concerning the statueof Demeter? Like a dark cloud, which sweeps over the starry sky andprevents the astronomer from seeing the planets which he desires toobserve, the fear that Proclus's praise had been bestowed upon the workof Myrtilus stood between him and every goal of his thought. Only the fact that he still remained blind, and not even the faintestglimmer of light pierced the surrounding darkness, while the suncontinued its course with glowing radiance, and that, blinded andbeggared, he must despise himself if he sought to win Daphne, wascertain. No reflection could alter it. Again the peace of mind which he thought he had regained duringslumber was destroyed. Fear of the artisan's statement even rendered itimpossible to pray to his mother with the affectionate devotion he hadfelt the day before. The goldsmith had directed the rescue of the Demeter, yet he wouldscarcely have been able to distinguish it from the statue by Myrtilus;for though, like his friend, he had often employed his skilful hands inthe arrangement of the gold plates at the commencement of the work, theEgyptian had been summoned to Tennis before the statues had attainedrecognisable form. He had not entered the studios for several months, unless Bias had granted him admittance without informing his master. This was quite possible, for the slave's keen eyes certainly had notfailed to notice how little he and Myrtilus valued the opinion of thehonest, skilful, but extremely practical and unimaginative man, whocould not create independently even the smallest detail. So it was impossible to determine at present whether Chello had seenthe finished statues or not, yet Hermon desired the former with actualfervour, that he might have positive certainty. While reflecting over these matters, the image of the lean Egyptiangoldsmith, with his narrow, brown, smooth-shaven face and skull, prominent cheek bones, receding brow, projecting ears and, with allits keenness, lustreless glance, rose before him as if he could seehis bodily presence. Not a single word unconnected with his trade, the weather, or an accident, had ever reached the friends' ears fromChello's thick lips, and this circumstance seemed to warrant Hermon inthe expectation of learning from him the pure, unadulterated truth. Rarely had a messenger of love been awaited with such feverish suspenseas the slave whom Gras had despatched to Tanis to induce the goldsmithto return home. He might come soon after nightfall, and Hermon used theinterval to ask the Bithynian the questions which he had long expected. The replies afforded little additional information. He learned only thatPhilippus had been summoned to Alexandria by the King, and that the LadyThyone and her husband had talked with the leech and assented to hisopinion that it would be better for Hermon to wait here until the burnson his face were healed before returning to Alexandria. For Daphne's sake this decision had undoubtedly been welcome to thematron, and it pleased him also; for he still felt so ill physically, and so agitated mentally, that he shrank from meeting his numerousacquaintances in the capital. The goldsmith! the goldsmith! It depended upon his decision whether hewould return to Alexandria at all. Soon after Hermon had learned from Gras that the stars had risen, hewas informed that he must wait patiently for his interview with theEgyptian, as he had been summoned to the capital that very day by amessenger from Proclus. Then the steward had fresh cause to marvel at his charge, for this newsaroused the most vehement excitement. In fact, it afforded the prospect of a series--perhaps a long one--ofthe most torturing days and nights. And the dreaded hours actuallycame--nay, the anguish of uncertainty had become almost unendurable, when, on the seventh day, the Egyptian at last returned from Alexandria. They had seemed like weeks to Hermon, had made his face thinner, andmingled the first silver hairs in his black beard. The calls of the cheerful notary and the daily visits of the leech, anelderly man, who had depressed rather than cheered him by informing himof many cases like his own which all proved incurable, had been his solediversion. True, the heads of the Greek residents of Tennis had alsosometimes sought him: the higher government officials, the lessees ofthe oil monopoly and the royal bank, as well as Gorgias, who, next toArchias the Alexandrian, owned the largest weaving establishments, butthe tales of daily incidents with which they entertained Hermonwearied him. He listened with interest only to the story of Ledscha'sdisappearance, yet he perceived, from the very slight impression it madeupon him, how little he had really cared for the Biamite girl. His inquiries about Gula called down upon him many well-meant jests. Shewas with her parents; while Taus, Ledscha's young sister, was stayingat the brick-kiln, where the former had reduced the unruly slaves tosubmission. Care had been taken to provide for his personal safety, for the attackmight perhaps yet prove to have been connected with the jealousy of theBiamite husbands. The commandant of Pelusium had therefore placed a small garrison ofheavily armed soldiers and archers in Tennis, for whom tents had beenpitched on the site of the burned white house. Words of command and signals for changing the guards often reachedHermon when he was on the deck of his ship, and visitors praised thewise caution and prompt action of Alexander the Great's old comrade. The notary, a vivacious man of fifty, who had lived a long time inAlexandria and, asserting that he grew dull and withered in littleTennis, went to the capital as frequently as possible, had often calledupon the sculptor at first, and been disposed to discuss art and theother subjects dear to Hermon's heart, but on the third day he againset off for his beloved Alexandria. When saying farewell, he had beenunusually merry, and asked Hermon to send him away with good wishesand offer sacrifices for the success of his business, since he hoped tobring a valuable gift on his return from the journey. The blind artist was glad to have other visits for a short time, but hepreferred to be alone and devote his thoughts to his own affairs. He now knew that his love was genuine. Daphne seemed the veryincarnation of desirable, artless, heart-refreshing womanliness, but hismemory could not dwell with her long; anxiety concerning Chello's reportonly too quickly interrupted it, as soon as he yielded to its charm. He did not think at all of the future. What was he to appoint for a timewhich the words of a third person might render unendurable? When Gras at last ushered in the goldsmith, his heart throbbed soviolently that it was difficult for him to find the words needed for thequestions he desired to ask. The Egyptian had really been summoned to Alexandria by Proclus, not onaccount of the Demeter, but the clasp said to belong to Myrtilus, foundamid the ruins of the fallen house, and he had been able to identify itwith absolute positiveness as the sculptor's property. He had been referred from one office to another, until finally theTennis notary and Proclus opened the right doors to him. Now the importance of his testimony appeared, since the will of thewealthy young sculptor could not be opened until his death was proved, and the clasp which had been found aided in doing so. Hermon's question whether he had heard any particulars about this willwas answered by the cold-hearted, dull-brained man in the negative. He had done enough, he said, by expressing his opinion. He had gone toAlexandria unwillingly, and would certainly have stayed in Tennis if hecould have foreseen what a number of tiresome examinations he wouldbe obliged to undergo. He had been burning with impatience to quit theplace, on account of the important work left behind in Tanis, and hedid not even know whether he would be reimbursed for his travellingexpenses. During this preliminary conversation Hermon gained the composure heneeded. He began by ascertaining whether Chello remembered the interiorarrangement of the burned white house, and it soon appeared that herecollected it accurately. Then the blind man requested him to tell how the rescue of the statuehad been managed, and the account of the extremely prosaic artisandescribed so clearly and practically how, on entering the burningbuilding, he found Myrtilus's studio already inaccessible, but thestatue of Demeter in Hermon's still uninjured, that the trustworthinessof his story could not be doubted. One circumstance only appeared strange, yet it was easily explained. Instead of standing on the pedestal, the Demeter was beside it, and eventhe slow-witted goldsmith inferred from this fact that the robbers hadintended to steal it and placed it on the floor for that purpose, butwere prevented from accomplishing their design by the interference ofHermon and the people from Tennis. After the Egyptian, in reply to the artist's inquiry concerning whatother works of art and implements he had seen in the studio, hadanswered that nothing else could be distinguished on account of thesmoke, he congratulated the sculptor on his last work. People werealready making a great stir about the new Demeter. It had been discussednot only in the workshop of his brother, who, like himself, followedtheir father's calling, but also in the offices, at the harbour, in thebarbers' rooms and the cookshops, and he, too, must admit that, for aGreek goddess, that always lacked genuine, earnest dignity, it reallywas a pretty bit of work. Lastly, the Egyptian asked to whom he should apply for payment for theremainder of his labour. The strip of gold, from which Hermon had ordered the diadem to be made, had attracted his attention on the head of his Demeter, and compensationfor the work upon this ornament was still due. Hermon, deeply agitated, asked, with glowing cheeks, whether Chelloreally positively remembered having prepared for him the gold diademwhich he had seen in Alexandria, and the Egyptian eagerly assured himthat he had done so. Hitherto he had found the sculptors honest men, andHermon would not withhold the payment for his well-earned toil. The artist strenuously denied such an intention; but when, in his desireto have the most absolute assurance, he again asked questions about thediadem, the Egyptian thought that the blind sculptor doubted the justiceof his demand, and wrathfully insisted upon his claim, until Grasmanaged to whisper, undetected by Hermon, that he would have the moneyready for him. This satisfied the angry man. He honestly believed that he had preparedthe gold for the ornament on the head of the Demeter in Alexandria; yetthe statue chiselled by Myrtilus had also been adorned with a diadem, and Chello had wrought the strip of gold it required. Only it hadescaped his memory, because he had been paid for the work immediatelyafter its delivery. Glad to obey his mistress's orders to settle at once any debts which theartist might have in Tennis, the steward followed the goldsmith whileHermon, seizing the huge goblet which had just been filled with wine andwater for him drained it at one long draught. Then, with sigh of relief, he restored it to its place, raised his hand and his blinded eyesheavenward, and offered a brief, fervent thanksgiving to his mother'ssoul and the great Demeter, whom, he might now believe it himself, hehad honoured with a masterpiece which had extorted warm admiration evenfrom a connoisseur unfriendly his art. When Gras returned, he said, with a grin of satisfaction, that thegoldsmith was like all the rest of his countrymen. The artists did notowe him another drachm; the never-to-be-forgotten Myrtilus had paid forthe work ordered by Hermon also. Then, for the first time since he had been led on board the ship, a gaylaugh rang fro the blind man's lips, rising in deep, pure, joyous tonesfrom his relieved breast. The faithful gray eyes of honest Gras glittered with tears at themusical tones, and how ardently he wished for his beloved mistresswhen the sculptor, not content with this, exclaimed as gleefully as inhappier days: "Hitherto I have had no real pleasure from my successfulwork, old Gras, but it is awaking now! If my Myrtilus were still alive, and these miserable eyes yet possessed the power of rejoicing in thelight and in beautiful human forms, by the dog! I would have the mixingvessels filled, wreath after wreath brought, boon companions summoned, and with flute-playing, songs, and fiery words, offer the Muses, Demeter, and Dionysus their due meed of homage!" Gras declared that this wish might easily be fulfilled. There was nolack of wine or drinking cups on the vessel, the flute-players whom hehad heard in the Odeum at Tanis did not understand their business amiss, flowers and wreaths could be obtained, and all who spoke Greek in Tenniswould accept his invitation. But the Bithynian soon regretted this proposal, for it fell like ahoar-frost upon the blind man's happy mood. He curtly declined. He wouldnot play host where he was himself a guest, and pride forbade him to usethe property of others as though it were his own. He could not regain his suddenly awakened pleasure in existence beforeGras warned him it was time to go to rest. Not until he was alone in thequiet cabin did the sense of joy in his first great success overpowerhim afresh. He might well feel proud delight in the work which he had created, forhe had accomplished it without being unfaithful to the aims he had setbefore him. It had been taken from his own studio, and the skilful old artisan hadrecognised his preliminary work upon the diadem which he, Hermon, hadafterward adorned with ornaments himself. But, alas! this first must atthe same time be his last great success, and he was condemned to live onin darkness. Although abundant recognition awaited him in Alexandria, his quicklygained renown would soon be forgotten, and he would remain a beggaredblind man. But it was now allowable for him to think secretly ofpossessing Daphne; perhaps she would wait for him and reject othersuitors until he learned in the capital whether he might not hope torecover his lost sight. He was at least secure against external want;the generous Archias would hardly withhold from him the prize hehad intended for the successful statue, although the second had beendestroyed. The great merchant would do everything for his fame-crownednephew, and he, Hermon, was conscious that had his uncle been in hissituation he would have divided his last obol with him. Refusal ofhis assistance would have been an insult to his paternal friend andguardian. Lastly, he might hope that Archias would take him to the most skilfulleeches in Alexandria and, if they succeeded in restoring his lost powerof vision, then--then Yet it seemed so presumptuous to lull himself inthis hope that he forbade himself the pleasure of indulging it. Amid these consoling reflections, Hermon fell asleep, and awoke fresherand more cheerful than he had been for some time. He had to spend two whole weeks more in Tennis, for the burns healedslowly, and an anxious fear kept him away from Alexandria. There the woman he loved would again meet him and, though he couldassure Thyone that Nemesis had turned her wheel away from him, he wouldhave been permitted to treat Daphne only with cool reserve, while everyfibre of his being urged him to confess his love and clasp her in hisarms. Gras had already written twice to his master, telling him with whatgratifying patience Hermon was beginning to submit to his greatmisfortune, when the notary Melampus returned from Alexandria with newswhich produced the most delightful transformation in the blind artist'souter life. More swiftly than his great corpulence usually permitted the jovial manto move, he ascended to the deck, calling: "Great, greater, the greatestof news I bring, as the heaviest but by no means the most dilatory ofmessengers of good fortune from the city of cities. Prick up your ears, my friend, and summon all your strength, for there are instances of thefatal effect of especially lavish gifts from the blind and yet oftensure aim of the goddess of Fortune. The Demeter, in whom you proved somarvellously that the art of a mortal is sufficient to create immortals, is beginning to show her gratitude. She is helping to twine wreaths foryou in Alexandria. " Here the vivacious man suddenly hesitated and, while wiping his plumpcheeks, perspiring brow, and smooth, fat double chin with his kerchief, added in a tone of sincere regret: "That's the way with me! In one thingwhich really moves me, I always forget the other. The fault sticks to melike my ears and nose. When my mother gave me two errands, I attended tothe first in the best possible way, but overlooked the second entirely, and was paid for it with my father's staff, yet even the blue wales madeno change in the fault. But for that I should still be in the city ofcities; but it robbed me of my best clients, and so I was transferredto this dullest of holes. Even here it clings to me. My detestableexultation just now proves it. Yet I know how dear to you was the deadman who manifests his love even from the grave. But you will forgive methe false note into which my weakness led me; it sprang from regard foryou, my young friend. To serve your cause, I forgot everything else. Like my mother's first errand, it was performed in the best possibleway. You will learn directly. By the lightnings of Father Zeus and theowl of Athene, the news I bring is certainly great and beautiful; buthe who yearned to make you happy was snatched from you and, though hisnoble legacy must inspire pleasure and gratitude, it will neverthelessfill your poor eyes with sorrowful tears. " Melampus turned, as he spoke, to the misshapen Egyptian slave whoperformed the duties of a clerk, and took several rolls from thedrumshaped case that hung around his neck; but his prediction concerningHermon was speedily fulfilled, for the notary handed him the will of hisfriend Myrtilus. It made him the heir of his entire fortune and, however happy theunexpected royal gift rendered the blind man, however cheering mightbe the prospects it opened to him for the future and the desire ofhis heart, sobs nevertheless interrupted the affectionate words whichcommenced the document Melampus read aloud to him. Doubtless the tears which Hermon dedicated to the most beloved of humanbeings made his blinded eyes smart, but he could not restrain them, and even long after the notary had left him, and the steward hadcongratulated him on his good fortune, the deep emotion of his tenderheart again and again called forth a fresh flood of tears consecrated tothe memory of his friend. The notary had already informed the grammateus of the disposition whichMyrtilus had made of his property in Hermon's favour a few days before, but, by the advice of the experienced Proclus, the contents of the willhad been withheld from the sculptor; the unfortunate man ought to bespared any disappointment, and proof that Myrtilus was really among thevictims of the accident must first be obtained. The clasp found in the ruins of the white house appeared to furnishthis, and the notary had put all other business aside and gone toAlexandria to settle the matter. The goldsmith Chello, who had fastened a new pin to the clasp, and couldswear that it had belonged to Myrtilus, had been summoned to the capitalas a witness, and, with the aid of the influential grammateus ofthe Dionysian games and priest of Apollo, the zeal of Melampus hadaccomplished in a short time the settlement of this difficult affair, which otherwise might perhaps have consumed several months. The violent death of Myrtilus had been admitted as proved by themagistrate, who had been prepossessed in Hermon's favour by hismasterpiece. Besides, no doubts could be raised concerning the validityof a will attested by sixteen witnesses. The execution of this lasttestament had been intrusted to Archias, as Myrtilus's nearest relative, and several other distinguished Alexandrians. The amount of the fortune bequeathed had surprised even these wealthymen, for under the prudent management of Archias the property inheritedby the modest young sculptor had trebled in value. The poor blind artist had suddenly become a man who might be termed"rich, " even in the great capital. Again the steward shook his head; this vast, unexpected inheritance didnot seem to make half so deep an impression upon the eccentric blindman as the news received a short time ago that his trivial debt to thegoldsmith Chello was already settled. But Hermon must have dearly lovedthe friend to whom he owed this great change of fortune, and grief forhim had cast joy in his immense new wealth completely into the shade. This conjecture was confirmed on the following morning, for the blindman had himself led to the Greek necropolis to offer sacrifices to thegods of the nether world and to think of his friend. When, soon after noon, the lessee of the royal bank appeared on the shipto offer him as many drachmae or talents as he might need for presentuse, he asked for a considerable sum to purchase a larger death-offeringfor his murdered friend. The next morning he went with the architectof the province to the scene of the conflagration, and had him mark thespot of ground on which he desired to erect to his Myrtilus a monumentto be made in Alexandria. At sunset, leaning on the steward's arm, he went to the Temple ofNemesis, where he prayed and commissioned the priest to offer a costlysacrifice to the goddess in his name. On the return home, Hermon suddenly stood still and mentioned to Grasthe sum which he intended to bestow upon the blind in Tennis. He knewnow what it means to live bereft of light, and, he added in a low tone, to be also poor and unable to earn his daily bread. On the ship he asked the Bithynian whether his burned face had becomepresentable again, and no longer made a repulsive impression. This Gras could truthfully assure him. Then the artist's featuresbrightened, and the Bithynian heard genuine cheerfulness ring in thetones of his voice as he exclaimed: "Then, old Gras, we will set out forAlexandria as soon as the ship is ready to sail. Back to life, to thesociety of men of my own stamp, to reap the praise earned by my owncreations, and to the only divine maiden among mortals--to Daphne!" "The day after to-morrow!" exclaimed the steward in joyous excitement;and soon after the carrier dove was flying toward the house of Archias, bearing the letter which stated the hour when his fame-crowned blindnephew would enter the great harbour of Alexandria. The evening of the next day but one the Proserpina was bearing Hermonaway from the city of weavers toward home. As the evening breeze fanned his brow, his thoughts dwelt sadly on hisMyrtilus. Hitherto it had always seemed as if he was bound, and mustcommit some atrocious deed to use the seething power condemned toinaction. But as the galley left the Tanitic branch of the Nile behind, and the blind man inhaled the cool air upon the calm sea, his heartswelled, and for the first time he became fully aware that, though thelight of the sun would probably never shine for him again, and thereforethe joy of creating, the rapture of once more testing his fetteredstrength, would probably be forever denied him, other stars mightperhaps illumine his path, and he was going, in a position of brilliantindependence, toward his native city, fame, and--eternal gods!--love. Daphne had conquered, and he gave only a passing thought to Ledscha andthe hapless weaver Arachne. CHAPTER V. At the third hour after sunrise a distinguished assemblage of peoplegathered at the landing place east of the Temple of Poseidon in thegreat harbour of Alexandria. Its members belonged to the upper classes, for many had come incarriages and litters, and numerous pedestrians were accompanied byslaves bearing in delicately woven baskets and cornucopias a laurelwreath, a papyrus crown, or bright-hued flowers. The most aristocratic among the gentlemen had gathered on the westernside of the great sanctuary, between the cella and the long row of Doriccolumns which supported the roof of the marble temple. The Macedonian Council of the city was already represented by several ofits members. Among their number was Archias, Daphne's father, a manof middle height and comfortable portliness, from whose well-formed, beardless face looked forth a pair of shrewd eyes, and whose quickmovements revealed the slight irritability of his temperament. Several members of the Council and wealthy merchants surroundedhim, while the grammateus Proclus first talked animatedly with othergovernment officials and representatives of the priesthood, and thenwith Archias. The head of the Museum, who bore the title of "highpriest, " had also appeared there with several members of this famouscentre of the intellectual life of the capital. They shared the shadeof this part of the temple with distinguished masters of sculptureand painting, architecture and poetry, and conversed together with thegraceful animation of Greeks endowed with great intellectual gifts. Among them mingled, distinguishable neither by costume nor language, anumber of prominent patrons of art in the great Jewish community. Their principal, the alabarch, was talking eagerly with the philosopherHegesias and the Rhodian leech Chrysippus; Queen Arsinoe's favourite, whom at Althea's instigation she had sent with Proclus to receive thereturning traveller. Sometimes all gazed toward the mouth of the harbour, where the expectedship must soon pass the recently completed masterpiece of Sostratus, thetowering lighthouse, still shining in its marble purity. Soon many Alexandrians also crowded the large platform in front of theTemple of Poseidon, and the very wide marble staircase leading from itto the landing place. Beneath the bronze statues of the Dioscuri, at the right and left of thetopmost step, had also gathered the magnificent figures of the Phebi andthe younger men from the wrestling school of Timagetes, with garlands ontheir curling locks, as well as many younger artists and pupils of theolder masters. The statues of the gods and goddesses of the sea and their loftypedestals, standing at the sides of the staircase, cast upon the marblesteps, gleaming in the radiance of the morning sun, narrow shadows, which attracted the male and female chorus singers, who, also wearingbeautiful garlands, had come to greet the expected arrival with solemnchants. Several actors were just coming from rehearsal in the theatre ofDionysus, east of the Temple of Poseidon, of which, like all the stagesin the city, Proclus was chief manager. A pretty dancing girl, who hung on the arm of the youngest, extended herhand with a graceful gesture toward the staircase, and asked: "Whom can they be expecting there? Probably some huge new animal for theMuseum which has been caught somewhere for the King, for yonder stiffwearer of a laurel crown, who throws his head back as though he wouldlike to eat the Olympians and take the King for a luncheon into thebargain, is Straton, the denier of the gods, and the little man with thebullethead is the grammarian Zoilus. " "Of course, " replied her companion. "But there, too, is Apollodorus, thealabarch of the Jews, and the heavy money-bag Archias--" "Why look at them!" cried the younger mime. "It's far better worthwhile to stretch your neck for those farther in front. They are genuinefriends of the Muses--the poets Theocritus and Zenodotus. " "The great Athene, Apollo, and all his nine Pierides, have sent theirenvoys, " said the older actor pathetically, "for there, too, arethe sculptors Euphranor and Chares, and the godlike builder of thelighthouse, Sostratus in person. " "A handsome man, " cried the girl flute-player, "but vain, I tell you, vain--" "Self-conscious, you ought to say, " corrected her companion. "Certainly, " added the older actor, patting his smooth cheeks and chinwith a rose he held in his hand. "Who can defend himself against thehighest merit, self-knowledge? But the person who is to have thisreception, by the staff of Dionysus! if modesty flies away from himlike the bird from a girl, it ought Just look there! The tall, broad-shouldered fellow yonder is Chrysippus, the right hand of Arsinoe, as our grammateus Proclus is her left. So probably some prince isexpected. " "The gentlemen of the Museum and the great artists yonder would not stira foot, far less lose so precious a morning hour, for any mere wearer ofa crown or sceptre, " protested the other actor; "it must be--" "That the King or the Queen command it, " interrupted the older player. "Only Arsinoe is represented here. Or do you see any envoy of Ptolemy?Perhaps they will yet arrive. If there were ambassadors of the greatRoman Senate--" "Or, " added the dancer, "envoys from King Antiochus. But--goose that Iam!--then they would not be received here, but in the royal harbour atthe Lochias. See if I don't prove to be right! Divine honours are to bepaid to some newly attracted hero of the intellect. But--just follow myfinger! There--yonder--it comes floating along at the left of theisland of Antirrhodus. That may be his galley! Magnificent! Wonderfullybeautiful! Brilliant! Like a swan! No, no, like a swimming peacock! Andthe silver embroidery on the blue sails! It glitters and sparkles likestars in the azure sky. " Meanwhile the elder actor, shading his eyes with his hand, had beengazing at the harbour, where, amid the innumerable vessels, the expectedone, whose sails were just being reefed, was steered by a skilfulhand. Now he interrupted the blond beauty with the exclamation: "It isArchias's Proserpina! I know it well. " Then, in a declamatory tone, hecontinued: "I, too, was permitted on the deck of the glittering vessel, lightly rocked by the crimson waves, to reach my welcome goal; as theguest of peerless Archias, I mean. The most magnificent festival inhis villa! There was a little performance there in which Mentor and Iallowed ourselves to be persuaded to take part. But just see how thebeautiful ship uses the narrow passage between the two triremes, asif it had the bloodleech's power of contraction! But to return tothe festival of Archias: the oyster ragout served there, the pheasantpasties--" Here he interrupted himself, exclaiming in surprise: "By the club ofHercules, the Proserpina is to be received with a full chorus! And thereis the owner himself descending the stairs! Whom is she bringing?" "Come! come!" cried the dancing girl to her companion, dragging himafter her, "I shall die of curiosity. " The singing and shouting of many voices greeted the actors as theyapproached the platform of the Temple of Poseidon. When from this spot the dancer fixed her eyes upon the landing place, she suddenly dropped her companion's arm, exclaiming: "It is thehandsome blind sculptor, Hermon, the heir of the wealthy Myrtilus. Doyou learn this now for the first time, you jealous Thersites? Hail, hail, divine Hermon! Hail, noble victim of the ungrateful Olympians!Hail to thee, Hermon, and thy immortal works! Hail, hail, hail!" Meanwhile she waved her handkerchief with frenzied eagerness, as if shecould thus force the blind man to see her, and a group of actors whomProclus, the grammateus of the Dionysian arts, had sent here to receiveHermon worthily, followed her example. But her cries were drowned by the singing of the chorus and by thousandsof shouting voices, while Hermon was embraced by Archias on board thegalley, and then, by his guidance, stepped on shore and ascended thestaircase of the Temple of Poseidon. Before the ship entered the harbour, the artist had had a large gobletof unmixed wine given to him, that he might conquer the emotion that hadoverpowered him. Though his blind eyes did not show him even the faintest outline of afigure, he felt as if he was flooded with brilliant sunshine. While the Proserpina was bearing him past the lighthouse, Gras told himthat they had now reached the great harbour, and at the same time heheard the shouts, whistles, signals, and varying sounds of the landingplace with its crowded shipping, and of the capital. His blood surged in his veins, and before his mind rose the vision ofthe corn-flower blue sky, mirrored in the calm surface of the bluest ofseas. The pharos built by Sostratus towered in dazzling whiteness abovethe tide, and before him rose the noble temple buildings, palaces, andporticoes of the city of Alexandria, with which he was familiar, andbefore and between them statue after statue of marble and bronze, thewhole flooded with radiant golden light. True, darkness sometimes swallowed this wonderful picture, but an effortof the will was sufficient to show it to him again. "The Temple of Poseidon!" cried Gras. "The Proserpina is to land atthe foot of the steps. " And now Hermon listened to the sounds fromthe shore, whose hum and buzz transported him into the midst of thelong-missed city of commerce, knowledge, and arts. Then the captain's shouts of command fell imperiously upon his ears, thestrokes of the oars ceased, their blades sank with a loud splash intothe water, and at the same instant from the temple steps Hermon wasgreeted by the solemn notes of the chorus, from whose rhythm his ownname rang forth again and again like so many shouts of victory. He thought his heart would fairly burst through his arched chest, and the passionate violence of its throbbing did not lessen when Grasexclaimed: "Half Alexandria has assembled to greet you. Ah, if you couldonly see it! How the kerchiefs are waving! Laurel after laurel in everyhand! All the distinguished people in the capital have gathered on thesacred soil of the Temple of Poseidon. There is Archias, too; there arethe artists and the famous gentlemen of the Museum, the members of theEphebi, and the priests of the great gods. " Hermon listened with his hand pressed on his breast, and while doingso the power of his imagination showed the vast, harmoniously noblestructure of the many-pillared Temple of Poseidon, surrounded by asmany thousands as there were in reality hundreds. From all parts of thesanctuary, even from the tops of the roofs, he beheld laurel branchesand kerchiefs waving and tossing, and wreaths flung on the ground beforehim. If this picture was correct, the whole city was greeting him, headed by the men whom he honoured as great and meritorious, and infront of them all Daphne, with drooping head, full of feminine grace andheart-winning goodness. While the chorus continued their song, and the welcoming shouts grewlouder, the brilliant picture faded away, but in return he felt friendlyarms clasp him. First Archias, then Proclus, and after him a successionof fellow-artists-the greatest of all--drew him into a warm embrace. Finally he felt himself led away, placed his feet as his Uncle Archiaswhispered directions, and as they gropingly obeyed them ascended thetemple steps and stood in utter darkness upon the platform listening tothe speeches which so many had prepared. All the distinguished men in the city expressed their sympathy, theirpity, their admiration, their hopes, or sent assurances of them to him. The Rhodian Chrysippus, despatched by the Queen, delivered the wreathwhich the monarch bestowed, and informed Hermon, with her greetings, that Arsinoe deemed his Demeter worthy of the laurel. The most famous masters of his art, the great scholars from the Museum, the whole priesthood of Demeter, which included Daphne, the servantsof Apollo, his dear Ephebi, the comrades of his physical exercises--allwhom he honoured, admired, loved-loaded him with praises and goodwishes, as well as the assurance of their pride in numbering him amongthem. No form, no colour from the visible world, penetrated the darknesssurrounding him, not even the image of the woman he loved. Only his earsenabled him to receive the praises, honours, congratulations lavishedhere and, though he sometimes thought he had received enough, he againlistened willingly and intently when a new speaker addressed him in warmwords of eulogy. What share compassion for his unprecedentedly sorrowfulfate had in this extravagantly laudatory and cordial greeting, he didnot ask; he only felt with a throbbing heart that he now stood upon asummit which he had scarcely ventured to hope ever to attain. His dreamsof outward success which had not been realized, because he deemed ittreason to his art to deviate from the course which he believed rightand best adapted to it, he now, without having yielded to the demands ofthe old school, heard praised as his well-earned possessions. He felt as if he breathed the lighter, purer air of the realms of theblessed, and the laurel crown which the Queen's envoy pressed upon hisbrow, the wreaths which his fellow-artists presented to him by handsno less distinguished than those of the great sculptor Protogenes, andNicias, the most admired artist after the death of Apelles, seemed, like the wings on the hat and shoes of Hermes, messenger of the gods, toraise him out of himself and into the air. Darkness surrounded him, yet a bright dazzling light issued from hissoul and illuminated his whole being with the warm golden radiance ofthe sun. Not even the faintest shadow dimmed it until Soteles, his fellow-studentat Rhodes, who sustained him with ardent earnestness in the struggle toprefer truth to beauty, greeted him. He welcomed him and wished that he might recover his lost sight aswarmly as his predecessors. He praised the Demeter, too, but added thatthis was not the place to say what he missed in her. Yet that she didlack it awakened in him an emotion of pain, for this, Hermon's lastwork, apparently gave the followers of the ancients a right to numberhim in their ranks. His cautious expression of regret must refer to the head of his Demeter. Yet surely it was not his fault that Daphne's features bore the impressof that gentle, winning kindness which he himself and Soteles, imitatinghim, had often condemned as weak and characterless. The correctness of his belief was instantly proved to him by the addressof gray-haired, highly praised Euphranor, who spoke of the Demeter'scountenance with warm admiration. And how ardently the poets Theocritusand Zenodotus extolled his work to the skies! Amid so much laudation, one faint word of dissatisfaction vanished likea drop of blood that falls into a clear stream. The welcome concluded with a final chant by the chorus, and continued toecho in Hermon's ears as he entered his uncle's chariot and drove awaywith him, crowned with laurel and intoxicated as if by fiery wine. Oh, if he could only have seen his fellow-citizens who so eagerlyexpressed their good will, their sympathy, their admiration! But theblack and coloured mist before his eyes revealed no human figure, noteven that of the woman he loved, who, he now learned for the first timefrom her father, had appeared among the priestesses of Demeter to greethim. Doubtless he was gladdened by the sound of her voice, the clasp of herhand, the faint fragrance of violets exhaling from her fair hair, whichhe had often remembered with so much pleasure when alone in Tennis; butthe time to devote himself to her fully and completely had not yet come, for what manifold and powerful impressions, how much that was elevating, delightful, and entertaining awaited him immediately! The Queen's envoy had expressed his mistress's desire to receive thecreator of the Demeter, the Ephebi and his fellow-artists had invitedhim to a festival which they desired to give in his honour, and onthe way Archias informed him that many of his wealthy friends in theMacedonian Council expected that he, the honoured hero of the day, wouldadorn with his presence a banquet in their houses. What a rich, brilliant life awaited him in spite of his blindness!When he entered his uncle's magnificent city home, and not only all theservants and clients of the family, but also a select party of ladiesand gentlemen greeted him with flowers and hundreds of other tokens ofaffection and appreciation, he gave himself up without reserve to thisnovel excess of fame and admiration. Notwithstanding his blindness, he felt, after the burns on his face hadhealed, thoroughly well, as strong as a giant--nay, more vigorous andcapable of enjoyment than ever. What prevented him from revelling tothe full in the superabundant gifts which Fate, recently so cruel, nowsuddenly cast into his lap with lavish kindness? Yet many flattering and pleasant things as he had experienced that day, he was far from feeling satiety. On entering the hall of the men in hisuncle's dwelling, the names of famous men and proud beauties had beenrepeated to him. Formerly they had taken little notice of him, yet noweven the most renowned received him like an Olympian victor. What did all these vain women really care for him? Yet their favour waspart of the triumph whose celebration he must permit to-day. His heartheld but one being for whom it yearned, and with whom thus far he hadbeen able only to exchange a few tender greetings. The time for a long conversation had not yet arrived, but he askedThyone to lead him to her and, while she listened anxiously, describedwith feverish animation the incidents of the last few days. But he soonlowered his voice to assure her that he had not ceased to think of hereven for a single hour, and the feeling of happiness which, in spite ofhis misfortune, had filled and lent wings to his soul, was not least dueto the knowledge of being near her again. And her presence really benefited him almost as much as he hadanticipated during the hours of solitary yearning in Tennis; he felt ita great favour of Fate to be permitted to strive to possess her, felteven during the delirium of this reception that he loved her. What atremendous longing to clasp her at once in his arms as his betrothedbride overwhelmed him; but her father's opposition to the union ofhis only child with a blind man must first be conquered, and the greatagitation in his soul, as well as the tumult around him, seemed like amockery of the quiet happiness which hovered before him when he thoughtof his marriage with Daphne. Not until everything was calmer would thetime come to woo her. Until then both must be satisfied with knowingfrom each other's lips their mutual love, and he thought he perceived inthe tone of her voice the deep emotion of her heart. Perhaps this had prevented Daphne's expressing her congratulations uponthe success of his Demeter as eagerly and fully as he had expected. Painfully disturbed by her reserve, he had just attempted to induce herto give a less superficial opinion of his work, when the curtains ofthe dining room parted-the music of flutes, singing, and pleasant odoursgreeted him and the guests. Archias summoned them to breakfast, and aband of beautiful boys, with flowers and garlands of ivy, obeyed thecommand to crown them. Then Thyone approached the newly united pair and, after exchanging a fewwords with Daphne, whispered in an agitated voice to the blind sculptor, over whose breast a brown-locked young slave was just twining a garlandof roses: "Poverty no longer stands between you and the object of yourlove; is it Nemesis who even now still seals your lips?" Hermon stretched out his hand to draw her nearer to him and murmursoftly that her counsel had aided him to break the power of the terriblegoddess, but he grasped the empty air. At the same time the deep voiceof his love's father, whose opposition threatened to cloud his newhappiness, singing, flute-playing, and the laughter of fair womengreeted him and, only half master of his own will, he assented, by aslight bend of the head, to the matron's question. A light shiver ranthrough his frame with the speed of lightning, and the Epicurean's maximthat fear and cold are companions darted through his brain. But whatshould he fear? He had endured severe trials, it is true, for the sakeof remaining faithful to truth in art and life; but who probably everreached the age of manhood without once deviating from it? Besides, hewas surely aware that, had he been obliged to answer Thyone in words, hewould not have been guilty of the falsehood. His reply had consistedof a slight motion of the head, and it negatived nothing; it was merelyintended to defer for a short time the thing he most desired. Yet the rash answer weighed heavily on his mind; but it could no longerbe recalled that day, and was believed, for Thyone whispered, "We shallsucceed in reconciling the terrible being. " Again the light tremour ran through him, but it lasted only an instant;for Chrysilla, the representative of the dead mistress of the house, whose duty it was to assign the guests their places, called to Hermon, "The beautiful Glycera does you the honour of choosing you for aneighbour" and, before the sentence was finished, Archias himself seizedhis arm and led him to the cushions at the side of the much-courtedbeauty. The guests began the banquet in a very joyous mood. Greek gaiety, and the quick intellect and keen wit of the Alexandrians, combined with the choicest viands of the luxurious capital, where thewines and dainties of all the countries of the Mediterranean foundsellers and buyers, and the cook's vocation was developed into a fineart, to spice this banquet with a hundred charms for the mind andsenses. To-day the principal place in this distinguished circle offamous men, great and wealthy nobles, beautiful and aristocratic women, was awarded to the blind sculptor. He was pledged by every one who hadadmired his Demeter, who compassionated his sad fate, or who desired tobe agreeable to him or his host. Every kind remark about his person, his blindness, and his masterpiecewas repeated to him and, after the wine and the effort to attractDaphne's attention and shine in the presence of his beautiful neighbourhad heated and winged his thoughts, he found an apt reply to eachnoteworthy word. When the dessert was finally eaten, and after sunset, in the brilliantlight of the lamps and candles, greater attention was paid to the mixingvessels, all remained silent to listen to his fervid speech. Glycera had asked him, at the beginning of the banquet, to tell herabout the attack in Tennis. Now he yielded to her wish that he shouldrepeat the captivating tale to the others, and the spirits of the winehelped him to perform the task with such animation that his hearerslistened to his description in breathless suspense, and many eyes restedon the handsome face of the great blind artist as if spellbound. When he paused, loud applause rewarded him, and as it reached him fromevery part of the spacious room, his deep, resonant voice put him incommunication even with the more distant guests, and he might have beentaken for the symposiarch or director of the banquet. This conspicuous position of the feted artist did not please everyone, and a rhetorician, famed for his sharp tongue, whispered to hisneighbour, one of Hermon's older fellow-artists, "What his eyes havelost seems to benefit his tongue. " The sculptor answered: "At any rate, the impetuous young artist might succeed better in proving himself, by its assistance, a good entertainer, than in creating more mediocremasterpieces like the Demeter. " Similar remarks were made on other cushions; but when the philosopherHegesias asked the famous sculptor Euphranor what he thought of Hermon'sDemeter, the kindly old man answered, "I should laud this noble workas a memorable event, even if it did not mark the end, as well as thebeginning, of its highly gifted creator's new career. " Nothing of this kind was uttered near Hermon. Everything that reachedhim expressed delight, admiration, sympathy, and hope. At dessert thebeautiful Glycera divided her apple, whispering as she gave him onehalf, "Let the fruit tell you what the eyes can no longer reveal, youpoor and yet so abundantly rich darling of the gods. " He murmured in reply that his happiness would awake the envy of theimmortals if, in addition, he were permitted to feast upon the sight ofher beauty. Had he been able to see himself, Hermon, who, as a genuine Greek, wasaccustomed to moderate his feelings in intercourse with others, wouldhave endeavoured to express the emotions of joy which filled his heartwith more reserve, and to excel his companions at the festival lessrecklessly. His enthusiastic delight carried many away with him; others, especiallyDaphne, were filled with anxious forebodings by his conduct, and othersstill with grave displeasure. Among the latter was the famous leech Erasistratus, who shared Archias'scushions, and had been solicited by the latter to try to restore hisblind nephew's sight. But the kindly physician, who gladly aided eventhe poorest sufferer, curtly and positively refused. To devote his timeand skill to a blind man who, under the severest of visitations, lulledhimself so contentedly in happiness, he considered unjust to others whodesired recovery more ardently. "When the intoxication of this unbridled strength passes away, and isfollowed by a different mood, " remarked the merchant, "we will talk ofthis matter again, " and the confident tone of his deep voice gave thesimple sentence such significance that the learned leech held out hishand, saying: "Only where deep, earnest longing for recovery fills thesufferer's mind will the gods aid the physician. We will wait for thechange which you predict, Archias!" The guests did not disperse until late, and the best satisfied ofall was the grammateus Proclus, who had taken advantage of the richmerchant's happy mood, and his own warm intercession in behalf of hisnephew's work, to persuade Archias to advance Queen Arsinoe a large sumof money for an enterprise whose object he still carefully concealed. The highly honoured blind artist spent the night under his uncle's roof. CHAPTER VI. Hermon rose from his couch the next morning alert and ready for newpleasures. He had scarcely left the bath when envoys from the Ephebi and theyounger artists invited him to the festivities which they had arrangedin his honour. He joyously accepted, and also promised messengers frommany of Archias's friends, who wished to have the famous blind sculptoramong their guests, to be present at their banquets. He still felt as if he were intoxicated, and found neither dispositionnor time for quiet reflection. His great strength, fettered as it wereby his loss of sight, now also began to stir. Fate itself withheld himfrom the labour which he loved, yet in return it offered him a wealth ofvarying pleasure, whose stimulating power he had learned the day before. He still relished the draught from the beaker of homage proffered by hisfellow-citizens; nay, it seemed as if it could not lose its sweetnessfor a long time. He joined the ladies before noon, and his newly awakened feeling of joybeamed upon them scarcely less radiantly than yesterday. Though Thyonemight wonder that a man pursued by Nemesis could allow himself to beborne along so thoughtlessly by the stream of pleasure, Daphne certainlydid not grudge him the festal season which, when it had passed, couldnever return to the blind artist. When it was over, he would yearn forthe quiet happiness at her side, which gazed at him like the calm eyesof the woman he loved. With her he would cast anchor for the remainderof his life; but first must come the period when he enjoyed thecompensation now awarded to him for such severe sufferings. His heart was full of joy as he greeted Daphne and the Lady Thyone, whomhe found with her; but his warm description of the happy emotion whichhad overpowered him at the abundant honours lavished upon him wasinterrupted by Archias. In his usual quick, brisk manner, he asked whether Hermon wished tooccupy the beautiful villa with the magnificent garden on Lake Mareotis, inherited from Myrtilus, which could scarcely be reached in a vehiclefrom the Brucheium in less than an hour, or the house situated in thecentre of the city, and Hermon promptly decided in favour of the latter. His uncle, and probably the ladies also, had expected the contrary. Their silence showed this plainly enough, and Hermon therefore addedin a tone of explanation that later the villa would perhaps suit hiscondition better, but now he thought it would be a mistake to retireto the quiet which half the city was conspiring to disturb. No onecontradicted him, and he left the women's apartment with a slightfeeling of vexation, which, however, was soon jested away by the gayfriends who sought him. When he removed to the city house the next day, he had not yet foundtime for a serious talk with Daphne. His uncle, who had managedthe estate of Myrtilus, and wished to give Hermon an account of hisinheritance, was refused by the blind artist, who assured him that heknew Archias had greatly increased rather than diminished his property, and thanked him sincerely and warmly. In the convenient and spaciouscity house the young sculptor very soon thought he had good reason to besatisfied with his choice. Most of his friends were busy artists, and what loss of time every visitto the remote villa would have imposed upon them, what haste he himselfwould have been obliged to use to reach home from the bath, where heoften spent many hours, from the wrestling school, from the meetings offashionable people in the Paneum gardens, and at sunset by the seashoreon the royal highway in the Brucheium. All these places were very farfrom the villa. It would have required whole hours, too, to reach afamous cookshop in the Canopus, at whose table he liked to assemblebeloved guests or revel with his friends. The theatre, the Odeum, mostof the public buildings, as well as the houses of his best friends, and especially the beautiful Glycera, were easily reached from his cityhome, and, among the temples, that of Demeter, which he often visited topray, offer sacrifices, and rejoice in the power of attraction which hisstatue of the goddess exerted upon the multitude. It stood at the backof the cella in a place accessible to the priesthood alone, visibleonly through the open doors, upon a pedestal which his fellow-artistspronounced rather too high. Yet his offer to have it made smaller wasnot accepted, because had it been lower the devout supplicants who stoodthere to pray could not have raised their eyes to it. It was not only at the festivals of the dead that he went to the Greekcemetery, where he had had a magnificent monument erected for his deadmother. If his head ached after a nocturnal carouse, or the disagreeablealarming chill stole over him which he had felt for the first time whenhe falsely answered Thyone that he was still under the ban of Nemesis, he went to the family monuments, supplied them with gifts, hadsacrifices offered to the souls of the beloved dead, and in this waysometimes regained a portion of his lost peace of mind. The banquet in the evening always dispelled whatever still oppressedhim on his return home from these visits, for, though months had elapsedsince his brilliant reception, he was still numbered, especially inartist circles, with the most honoured men; he, the blind man, no longerstood in any one's way; conversation gained energy and meaning throughthe vivacity of his fervid intellect, which seemed actually deepened byhis blindness when questions concerning art were at issue, and from amodest fellow-struggler he had become a patron bestowing orders. The sculptor Soteles, who had followed his footsteps since theapprenticeship in Rhodes, was intrusted with the erection of themonument to Myrtilus in Tennis, and another highly gifted youngsculptor, who pursued his former course, with the execution of the oneto his mother. From a third he ordered a large new mixing vessel of chased silver forthe society of Ephebi, whose members had lauded him, at the magnificentfestival given in his honour, with genuine youthful fervour. In the designs for these works his rich and bold gift of invention andthe power of his imagination proved their full value, and even his olderfellow-artists followed him with sincere admiration when, in spite ofhis darkened eyes, he brought before them distinctly, and often evenwith the charcoal or wax tablet in his hand, what he had in mind. Whatmagnificent things might not this man have created had he retained hissight, what masterpieces might not have been expected! and his formerworks, which had been condemned as unlovely, offensive, and exaggerated, were now loudly admired; nay, the furious Maenads struggling onthe ground and the Street Boy Eating Figs, which were no longer hisproperty, were sold at high prices. No meeting of artists was completewithout Hermon, and the great self-possession which success and wealthbestowed, besides his remarkable talent and the energy peculiar to him, soon aided him to great influence among the members of his profession;nay, he would speedily have reached the head of their leaders had notthe passionate impetuosity of his warlike nature led the more cautiousto seek to restrain the powerful enthusiast. Archias's wealthy friends had no such apprehension. To them the laudedblind artist was not much more than a costly dish certain to pleasetheir guests; yet this, too, was no trifle in social circles which spentsmall fortunes for a rare fish. At the banquets of these princes of commerce he often met Daphne, stillmore frequently the beautiful Glycera, whose husband, an old ship-ownerof regal wealth, was pleased to see famous men harnessed to his youngwife's chariot of victory. Hermon's heart had little to do with theflirtation to which Glycera encouraged him at every new meeting, and theThracian Althea only served to train his intellect to sharp debates. Butin this manner he so admirably fulfilled her desire to attract attentionthat she more than once pointed out to the Queen, her relative, theremarkably handsome blind man whose acquaintance she had made on a nightof mad revel during the last Dionysia but one. Althea even thoughtit necessary to win him, in whom she saw the future son-in-law of thewealthy Archias, for through the graminateus Proclus the merchant hadbeen persuaded to advance the King's wife hundreds of talents, andArsinoe cherished plans which threatened to consume other large sums. Thyrone watched Hermon's conduct with increasing indignation, whileDaphne perceived that these women had no more power to estrange herlover from her than the bedizened beauties who were never absent fromthe artists' festivals. How totally different was his intercoursewith her! His love and respect were hers alone; yet she saw in him asoul-sick man, and persistently rejected Philotas, who wooed her withthe same zeal as before, and the other suitors who were striving to winthe wealthy heiress. She had confessed her feelings to her father, herbest friend, and persuaded him to have patience a little longer, andwait for the change which he himself expected in his nephew. This had not been difficult, for Archias loved Hermon, in spite of themany anxieties he had caused him, as if he were his own son and, knowinghis daughter, he was aware that she could be happy with the man whopossessed her heart though he was deprived of sight. The fame which Hermon had won by great genius and ability had gratifiedhim more than he expressed, and he could not contradict Daphne whenshe asserted that, in spite of the aimless life of pleasure to whichhe devoted himself, he had remained the kind-hearted, noble man he hadalways been. In fact, he used, unasked and secretly, a considerable portion ofhis large revenues to relieve the distress of the poor and suffering. Archias learned this as the steward of his nephew's property, and whento do good he made new demands upon him, he gladly fulfilled them;only he constantly admonished the blind man to think of his own severesufferings and his cure. Daphne did the same, and he willingly obeyedher advice; for, loudly and recklessly as he pursued pleasure in socialcircles, he showed himself tenderly devoted to her when he found heralone in her father's house. Then, as in better days, he opened hisheart to her naturally and modestly and, though he refrained from vowsof love, he showed her that he did not cease to seek with her, and heralone, what his noisy pleasures denied. Then he also found the old toneof affection, and of late he came more frequently, and what he confidedto no one else implied to her, at least by hints. Satiety and dissatisfaction were beginning to appear, and what he hadattempted to do for the cure of his eyes had hitherto been futile. Theremedies of the oculists to whom he had been directed by Daphne herselfhad proved ineffectual. The great physician Erasistratus, from whom hefirst sought help, had refrained, at her entreaty and her father's, fromrefusing to aid him, but indignantly sent him away when he persisted inthe declaration that it would be impossible for him to remain for monthssecluded from all society and subsist for weeks on scanty fare. He would submit even to that, he assured Daphne, after she representedto him what he was losing by such lack of resignation, when the timeof rest had come for which he longed, but from which many things stillwithheld him. Yesterday the King had invited him to the palace for thefirst time, and to decline such an honour was impossible. In fact, he had long wished for this summons, because he had beeninformed that no representative of the sovereign had been present athis reception. Only his wife Arsinoe had honoured him by a wreath andcongratulations. This lack of interest on the part of the King hadwounded him, and the absence of an invitation from the royal connoisseurhad cast a shadow into the midst of many a mirthful hour. He haddoubtless been aware what great and important affairs of state wereclaiming the conscientious sovereign just at this time, and how almostunbearable his restless, unloving spouse was rendering his domesticlife; yet Hermon thought Ptolemy might have spared a short time foran event in the art life of the city, as his Demeter had been calledhundreds of times. Now the long-desired command to appear before the sovereign had finallyreached him, and, in the secure belief that it would bring freshrecognition and rare honours, he entered the royal palace. Proclus, who neglected no opportunity of serving the nephew of the richman whose aid he constantly required for the Queen's finances, was hisguide, and described the decoration of the inner apartments of the royalresidence. Their unostentatious simplicity showed the refined taste oftheir royal occupant. There was no lack of marble and other rare kindsof stone, and the numerous bas-reliefs which covered the walls like themost superb tapestry were worthy of special attention. In the oblongapartment through which the blind man was guided these marble picturesrepresented in magnificent work scenes from the campaigns in whichPtolemy, the King's father, had participated as Alexander's general. Others showed Athene, Apollo, the Muses, and Hermes, surrounding orhastening toward the throne of the same monarch, and others again Greekpoets and philosophers. Magnificent coloured mosaic pictures covered thefloor and many flat spaces above door and windows, but gold and silverhad been sparingly used. Masterpieces of painting and sculpture were the ornaments of the room. In the antechamber, where Hermon waited for the King, Proclus mentionedone of the finest statues of Alexander by Lysippus, and an exquisiteEros by Praxiteles. The period of waiting, however, became so long to the spoiled artistthat he anticipated the monarch's appearance with painful discomfort, and the result of the few minutes which Ptolemy II devoted to hisreception was far behind the hopes he had fixed upon them. In former days he had often seen the narrow-shouldered man of barelymedium height who, to secure his own safety, had had two brothers killedand sent another into exile, but now ruled Egypt shrewdly and prudently, and developed the prosperity of Alexandria with equal energy andforesight. Now, for the first time, Hermon heard him speak. He could not deny thathis voice was unusually pleasant in tone, yet it unmistakably issuedfrom the lips of a sufferer. The brief questions with which he received the blind artist were kindly, and as natural as though addressing an equal, and every remark madein connection with Hermon's answers revealed a very quick and keenintellect. He had seen the Demeter, and praised the conception of the goddessbecause it corresponded with her nature. The sanctity which, as it were, pervaded the figure of the divine woman pleased him, because it made thesupplicants in the temple feel that they were in the presence of a beingwho was elevated far above them in superhuman majesty. "True, " he added, "your Demeter is by no means a powerful helper intime of need. She is a goddess such as Epicurus imagines the immortals. Without interfering with human destiny, she stands above it in sublimegrandeur and typical dignity. You belong, if I see correctly, to theEpicureans?" "No, " replied Hermon. "Like my lord and King, I, too, number myselfamong the pupils of the wise Straton. " "Indeed?" asked Ptolemy in a drawling tone, at the same time castinga glance of astonishment at the blind man's powerful figure andwell-formed, intellectual face. Then he went on eagerly: "I shallscarcely be wrong in the inference that you, the creator of theFig-eater, had experienced a far-reaching mental change before yourunfortunate loss of sight?" "I had to struggle hard, " replied Hermon, "but I probably owe thesuccess of the Demeter to the circumstance that I found a model whosemind and nature correspond with those of the goddess to a rare degree. " The monarch shook his fair head, and protested in a tone of positivesuperior knowledge: "As to the model, however well selected it may be, it was not well chosen for this work, far less for you. I have watchedyour battle against beauty in behalf of truth, and rejoiced, though Ioften saw you and your little band of young disciples shoot beyond themark. You brought something new, whose foundation seemed to me sound, and on which further additions might be erected. When the excrescencesfell off, I thought, this Hermon, his shadow Soteles, and the otherswho follow him will perhaps open new paths to the declining art which isconstantly going back to former days. Our time will become the point ofdeparture of a new art. But for that very reason, let me confess it, Iregret to see you fall back from your bold advance. You now claim foryour work that it cleaves strictly to Nature, because the model is takenfrom life itself. It does not become me to doubt this, yet the stampof divinity which your Demeter bears is found in no mortal woman. Understand me correctly! This is certainly no departure from the truth, for the ideal often deserves this lofty name better than anything thevisible world offers to the eye; but hitherto you have done honour toanother truth. If I comprehend your art aright, its essence is opposedto the addition of superhuman dignity and beauty, with which you, or themodel you used, strove to ennoble and deify your Demeter. Admirablyas you succeeded in doing so, it forces your work out of the sphere ofreality, whose boundary I never before saw you cross by a single inch. Whether this occurred unconsciously to you in an hour of mental ecstasy, or whether you felt that you still lacked the means to represent thedivine, and therefore returned to the older methods, I do not venture todecide. But at the first examination of your work I was conscious ofone thing: It means for you a revolution, a rupture with your formeraspirations; and as--I willingly confess it--you had been marvellouslysuccessful, it would have driven you, had your sight been spared, outof your own course and into the arms of the ancients, perhaps to yourmaterial profit, but scarcely to the advantage of art, which needs arenewal of its vital energies. " "Let me assure you, my lord, " Hermon protested, "that had I remainedable to continue to create, the success of the Demeter would never, never have rendered me faithless to the conviction and method ofcreation which I believed right; nay, before losing my sight, my wholesoul was absorbed in a new work which would have permitted me to remainwholly and completely within the bounds of reality. " "The Arachne?" asked the King. "Yes, my lord, " cried Hermon ardently. "With its completion I expectedto render the greatest service, not only to myself, but to the cause oftruth. " Here Ptolemy interrupted with icy coldness: "Yet you were certainlywrong; at least, if the Thracian Althea, who is the personification offalsehood, had continued to be the model. " Then he changed his tone, andwith the exclamation: "You are protected from the needs of life, unlessyour rich uncle throws his property into the most insatiable of gulfs. May Straton's philosophy help you better to sustain your courage in thedarkness which surrounds you than it has aided me to bear other trials!"he left the room. Thus ended the artist's conversation with the King, from which Hermonhad expected such great results and, deeply agitated, he ordered thedriver of his horses to take him to Daphne. She was the only person towhom he could confide what disappointment this interview had caused him. Others had previously reproached him, as the King had just done, withhaving, in the Demeter, become faithless to his artistic past. How falseand foolish this was! Many a remark from the critics would have beenbetter suited to Myrtilus's work than to his. Yet his fear in Tennis hadnot been true. Only Daphne's sweet face did not suit his more vigorousmethod of emphasizing distinctions. What a many-hued chameleon was the verdict upon works of plastic art!Once--on his return to the capital--thousands had united in the sameone, and now how widely they differed again! His earlier works, which were now lauded to the skies, had formerlyinvited censure and vehement attacks. What would he not have given for the possibility of seeing his admiredwork once more! As his way led past the Temple of Demeter, he stopped near it and wasguided to the sanctuary. It was filled with worshippers, and when, in his resolute manner, hetold the curator and the officiating priest that he wished to enterthe cella, and asked for a ladder to feel the goddess, he was mostpositively refused. What he requested seemed a profanation of the sacred image, and it wouldnot do to disturb the devout throng. His desire to lower the pedestalcould not be gratified. The high priest who came forward upheld his subordinates and, after ashort dispute, Hermon left the sanctuary with his wish unfulfilled. Never had he so keenly lamented his lost vision as during the remainderof the drive, and when Daphne received him he described with passionatelamentation how terribly blindness embittered his life, and declaredhimself ready to submit to the severest suffering to regain his sight. She earnestly entreated him to apply to the great physician Erasistratusagain, and Hermon willingly consented. He had promised to attend abanquet given that day by the wealthy ship-owner Archon. The feastlasted until early morning, but toward noon Hermon again appeared in hisuncle's house, and met Daphne full of joyous confidence, as if he werecompletely transformed. While at Archon's table he had determined to place his cure in the handsof higher powers. This was the will of Fate; for the guest whose cushionhe shared was Silanus, the host's son, and the first thing he learnedfrom him was the news that he was going the next day, with severalfriends, to the oracle of Amon in the Libyan Desert, to ask it whatshould be done for his mother, who had been for several years an invalidwhom no physician could help. He had heard from many quarters that thecounsel of the god, who had greeted Alexander the Great as his son, wasinfallible. Then Hermon had been most urgently pressed by the young man to accompanyhim. Every comfort would be provided. One of his father's fine shipswould convey them to Paraetonium, where tents, saddle horses, and guidesfor the short land journey would be ready. So he had promised to go with Silanus, and his decision was warmlyapproved by his uncle, Daphne, and the gray-haired Pelusinian couple. Perhaps the god would show the blind man the right path to recovery. Hewould always be able to call the skill of the Alexandrian leeches to hisaid. Soon after Hermon went on board Archon's splendidly equipped vesseland, instead of a tiresome journey, began a new and riotous period offestivity. Lavish provision had been made for gay companions of both sexes, merryentertainment by means of dancing, music, and song, well filled dishesand mixing vessels, and life during the ride through the coast anddesert regions was not less jovial and luxurious than on the ship. It seemed to the blind man like one vast banquet in the dark, interrupted only by sleep. The hope of counsel from the gods cheered the depressed mood which hadweighed upon him for several weeks, and rich young Silanus praised thelucky fate which had enabled him to find a travelling companion whoseintellect and wit charmed him and the others, and often detained themover the wine until late into the night. Here, too, Hermon felt himself the most distinguished person, theanimating and attracting power, until it was said that the voyage wasover, and the company pitched their tents in the famous oasis near theTemple of Amon. The musicians and dancers, with due regard to propriety, had been leftbehind in the seaport of Paraetonium. Yet the young travellers weresufficiently gay while Silanus and Hermon waited for admission to theplace of the oracle. A week after their arrival it was opened to them, yet the words repeated to them by the priest satisfied neither Hermonnor Archon's son, for the oracle advised the latter to bring his motherherself to the oasis by the land road if she earnestly desired recovery, while to Hermon was shouted the ambiguous saying: "Only night and darkness spring from the rank marsh of pleasure; Morning and day rise brightly from the starving sand. " Could Silanus's mother, who was unable to move, endure the desertjourney? And what was the meaning of the sand, from which morning andday--which was probably the fresh enjoyment of the light--were to risefor Hermon? The sentence of the oracle weighed heavily upon him, aswell as on Archon's son, who loved his mother, and the homeward journeybecame to the blind man by no means a cheerful but rather a verytroubled dream. Thoughtful, very disturbed, dissatisfied with himself, and resolved toturn his back upon the dreary life of pleasure which for so long a timehad allowed him no rest, and now disgusted him, he kept aloof from histravelling companions, and rejoiced when, at Alexandria, he was ledashore in the harbour of Eunostus. CHAPTER VII. Hermon entered his house with drooping head. Here he was informed that the grammateus of the Dionysian artists hadalready called twice to speak to him concerning an important matter. When he came from the bath, Proclus visited him again. His errand wasto invite him to a banquet which was to take place that evening at hisresidence in a wing of the royal palace. But Hermon was not in the mood to share a joyous revel, and he franklysaid so, although immediately after his return he had accepted theinvitation to the festival which the whole fellowship of artists wouldgive the following day in honour of the seventieth birthday of the oldsculptor Euphranor. The grammateus alluded to this, and most positivelyinsisted that he could not release him; for he came not only by his ownwish, but in obedience to the command of Queen Arsinoe, who desired totell the creator of the Demeter how highly she esteemed his work and hisart. She would appear herself at dessert, and the banquet must thereforebegin at an unusually early hour. He, Proclus, was to have the highhonour of including the royal lady among his guests solely on Hermon'saccount, and his refusal would be an insult to the Queen. So the artist found himself obliged to relinquish his opposition. He didthis reluctantly; but the Queen's attention to him and his art flatteredhis vanity and, if he was to abandon the intoxicating and barren lifeof pleasure, it could scarcely be done more worthily than at a festivalwhere the King's consort intended to distinguish him in person. The banquet was to begin in a few hours, yet he could not let the daypass without seeing Daphne and telling her the words of the oracle. Helonged, with ardent yearning, for the sound of her voice, and still moreto unburden his sorely troubled soul to her. Oh, if only his Myrtilus still walked among the living! How totallydifferent, in spite of his lost vision, would his life have been! Daphne was now the only one whom he could put in his place. Since his return from the oracle, the fear that the rescued Demetermight yet be the work of Myrtilus had again mastered him. However loudlyoutward circumstances might oppose this, he now felt, with a certaintywhich surprised him, that this work was not his own. The approval, aswell as the doubts, which it aroused in others strengthened his opinion, although even now he could not succeed in bringing it into harmony withthe facts. How deep had been the intoxication in which he had so longreeled from one day to the next, since it had succeeded in keeping everydoubt of the authorship of this work far from him! Now he must obtain certainty, and Daphne could help him to it; for, asa priestess of Demeter, she possessed the right to procure him accessto the cella and get permission for him to climb the lofty pedestal andfeel the statue with his fingers, whose sense of touch had become muchkeener. He would frankly inform her of his fear, and her truthful nature wouldfind the doubt that gnawed his heart as unendurable as he himself. It would have been a grave crime to woo her before he was relieved ofthis uncertainty, and he would utter the decisive words that very day, and ask her whether her love was great enough to share the joys andsorrows of life with him, the blind man, who perhaps must also divesthimself of a false fame. Time pressed. He called at Archias's house with a wreath on his head and in festalrobes; but Daphne was in the temple, whither old Philippus and Thyonehad gone, and his uncle was attending a late session of the Council. He would have liked to follow Daphne to the sanctuary, but the latehour forbade it, and he therefore only charged Gras to tell his youngmistress that he was going to Proclus's banquet, and would return earlythe next morning to discuss a most important subject with her. Then he went directly to the neighbouring palace. The Queen might haveappeared already, and it would not do to keep her waiting. He was aware that she lived at variance with her husband, but howcould he have suspected that she cherished the more than bold designof hurling the sovereign from his throne and seizing the Egyptian crownherself. Proclus and Althea were among the conspirators who supported Arsinoe, and the Queen thought it would be an easy matter to win over to hercause and herself the handsome sculptor, whom she remembered at the lastDionysia. The wealthy blind artist, so highly esteemed among the members of hisprofession, might become valuable to the conspiracy, for she knew whatenthusiastic devotion the Alexandrian artists felt for the King, andeverything depended upon forming a party in her own favour among them. This task was to fall to Hermon, and also another, still more importantone; for he, his nephew and future son-in-law, if any one, couldpersuade the wealthy Archias to lend the plot his valuable aid. Hithertothe merchant had been induced, it is true, to advance large sums ofmoney to the Queen, but the loyal devotion which he showed to herroyal husband had rendered it impossible to give him even a hint of theconspiracy. Althea, however, declared that the blind man's marriage toDaphne was only a question of time, and Proclus added that the easilyexcited nephew would show himself more pliant than the uncle if Arsinoeexerted upon him the irresistible charm of her personality. When Hermon entered the residence of the grammateus in the palace, theguests had already assembled. The Queen was not to appear until afterthe feast, when the mixing jars were filled. The place by Hermon's side, which Althea had chosen for herself, would then be given up to Arsinoe. The sovereign was as unaccustomed to the society of a blind artistas Hermon was to that of a queen, and both eagerly anticipated theapproaching meeting. Yet it was difficult for Hermon to turn a bright face toward hiscompanion. The sources of anxiety and grief which had previouslyburdened his mind would not vanish, even under the roof of the royalpalace. Althea's presence reminded him of Tennis, Ledscha, and Nemesis, who forso long a time seemed to have suspended her persecution, but since hehad returned from the abode of the oracle was again asserting the oldright to him. During many a sleepless hour of the night he had once moreheard the rolling of her terrible wheel. Even before the journey to the oasis of Amon, everything life couldoffer him, the idle rake, in his perpetual darkness, had seemed shallowand scarcely worth stretching out his hand for it. True, an interesting conversation still had power to charm him, butoften during its continuance the full consciousness of his misfortuneforced itself upon his mind; for the majority of the subjects discussedby the artists came to them through the medium of sight, and referredto new creations of architecture, sculpture, and painting, from whoseenjoyment his blindness debarred him. When returning home from a banquet, if his way lay through the city, he was reminded of the superb buildings, marble terraces and fountains, statues and porticoes, which had formerly satiated his eyes withdelight, and must now be illumined with a brilliant radiance by themorning sunbeams, though a hostile fate shut them out from his eyes, starving and thirsting for beautiful forms. But it had seemed to him still harder to bear that his blinded eyesrefused to show him the most beautiful of all beautiful things, thehuman form, when he lingered among the Ephebi or the spectators ofa festal procession, or visited the gymnasium, the theatre, theAphrodisium, or the Paneum gardens, where the beautiful women met atsunset. The Queen was to appear immediately, and when she took her place nearhim his blindness would again deprive him of the sight of her delicatelycut features, prevent his returning the glances from her sparkling eyes, and admiring the noble outlines of her thinly veiled figure. Would his troubled spirit at least permit him to enjoy and enter withoutrestraint into the play of her quick wit? Perhaps her arrival would relieve him from the discomfort whichoppressed him here. A stranger, out of his own sphere, he felt chilled among these closelyunited men and women, to whom no tie bound him save the presence of thesame host. He was not acquainted with a single individual except the mythographCrates, who for several months had been one of the members of theMuseum, and who had attached himself to Hermon at Straton's lectures. The artist was surprised to find this man in such a circle, but helearned from Althea that the young member of the Museum was a relativeof Proclus, and a suitor of the beautiful Nico, one of the Queen'sladies in waiting, who was among the guests. Crates had really been invited in order to win him over to the Queen'scause; but charming fair-haired Nico had been commissioned by theconspirators to persuade him to sing Arsinoe's praises among hisprofessional associates. The rest of the men present stood in close connection with Arsinoe, and were fellow-conspirators against her husband's throne and life. The ladies whom Proclus had invited were all confidants of Arsinoe, thewives and daughters of his other guests. All were members of the highestclass of society, and their manners showed the entire freedom fromrestraint that existed in the Queen's immediate circle. Althea profitedby the advantage of being Hermon's only acquaintance here. So, when hetook his place on the cushion at her side, she greeted him familiarlyand cordially, as she had treated him for a long time, wherever theymet, and in a low voice told him, sometimes in a kindly tone, sometimeswith biting sarcasm, the names and characters of the other guests. The most aristocratic was Amyntas, who stood highest of all in theQueen's favour because he had good reason to hate the other Arsinoe, thesister of the King. His son had been this royal dame's first husband, and she had deserted him to marry Lysimachus, the aged King of Thrace. The Rhodian Chrysippus, her leech and trusted counsellor, also possessedgreat influence over the Queen. "The noble lady, " whispered Althea, "needs the faithful devotion ofevery well-disposed subject, for perhaps you have already learned howcruelly the King embitters the life of the mother of his three children. Many a caprice can be forgiven the suffering Ptolemy, who recentlyexpressed a wish that he could change places with the common workmenwhom he saw eating their meal with a good appetite, and who is nowtortured by the gout; yet he watches the hapless woman with the jealousyof a tiger, though he himself is openly faithless to her. What is theQueen to him, since the widow of Lysimachus returned from Thrace--no, from Cassandrea, Ephesus, and sacred Samothrace, or whatever otherplaces there are which would no longer tolerate the murderess?" "The King's sister--the object of his love?" cried Hermon incredulously. "She must be forty years old now. " "Very true, " Althea assented. "But we are in Egypt, where marriagesbetween brothers and sisters are pleasing to gods and men; and besides, we make our own moral laws here. Her age! We women are only as old as welook, and the leeches and tiring women of this beauty of forty practisearts which give her the appearance of twenty-five, yet perhaps the Kingvalues her intellect more than her person, and the wisdom of a hundredserpents is certainly united in this woman's head. She will make ourpoor Queen suffer unless real friends guard her from the worst. Thethree most trustworthy ones are here: Amyntas, the leech Chrysippus, andthe admirable Proclus. Let us hope that you will make this three-leavedclover the luck-promising four-leaved one. Your uncle, too, has oftenwith praiseworthy generosity helped Arsinoe in many an embarrassment. Only make the acquaintance of this beautiful royal lady, and thelast drop of your blood will not seem too precious to shed for her!Besides--Proclus told me so in confidence--you have little favour toexpect from the King. How long he kept you waiting for the first wordconcerning a work which justly transported the whole city with delight!When he did finally summon you, he said things which must have woundedyou. " "That is going too far, " replied Hermon. "Then he kept back his real opinion, " Althea protested. "Had I not madeit a rule to maintain absolute silence concerning everything I hear inconversation from those with whom I am closely associated--" Here she was interrupted by Chrysippus, who asked if Althea had told herneighbour about his Rhodian eye-salve. He winked at her and made a significant gesture as he spoke, and theninformed the blind artist how graciously Arsinoe had remembered him whenshe heard of the remedy by whose aid many a wonderful cure of blind eyeshad been made in Rhodes. The royal lady had inquired about him and hissufferings with almost sisterly interest, and Althea eagerly confirmedthe statement. Hermon listened to the pair in silence. He had not been able to see them, it is true, yet he had perceivedtheir design as if the loss of sight had sharpened his mental vision. He imagined that he could see the favourite and Althea nudge each otherwith sneering gestures, and believed that their sole purpose was torender him--he knew not for what object--the obedient tool of the Queen, who had probably also succeeded in persuading his usually cautious uncleto render her great services. The remembrance of Arsinoe's undignified conduct at the Dionysia, andthe shameful stories of her which he had heard returned to his mind. Atthe same time he saw Daphne rise before him in her aristocratic dignityand kindly goodness, and a smile of satisfaction hovered around his lipsas he said to himself: "The spider Althea again! But, in spite of myblindness, I will be caught neither in her net nor in the Queen's. Theyare the last to bar the way which leads to Daphne and real happiness. " The Rhodian was just beginning to praise Arsinoe also as a specialfriend and connoisseur of the sculptor's art when Crates, Hermon'sfellow-student, asked the blind artist, in behalf of his beautifulcompanion, why his Demeter was placed upon a pedestal which, to othersas well as himself, seemed too high for the size of the statue. Hermon replied that he had heard several make this criticism, but thepriests of the goddess refused to take it into account. Here he hesitated, for, like a blow from an invisible hand, the thoughtdarted through his mind that perhaps, on the morrow, he would seehimself compelled before the whole world to cast aside the crown of famewhich he owed to the statue on the lofty pedestal. He did not have eventhe remotest idea of continuing to deck himself with false renown ifhis dread was realized; yet he doubtless imagined how this wholearistocratic circle, with the Queen, Althea, and Proclus at its head, would turn with reckless haste from the hapless man who had led theminto such a shameful error. Yet what mattered it, even if these miserable people consideredthemselves deceived and pointed the finger of scorn at him? Betterpeople would thereby be robbed of the right to accuse him offaithlessness to himself. This thought darted through his heated brainlike a flash of lightning, and when, in spite of his silence, theconversation was continued and Althea told the others that only Hermon'sblindness had prevented the creation of a work which could have beenconfidently expected far to surpass the Demeter, since it seemed to havebeen exactly suited to his special talent, he answered his beautifulcompanion's remark curtly and absently. She perceived this with annoyance and perplexity. A woman who yearns for the regard of all men, and makes love a toy, easily lessens the demands she imposes upon individuals. Only, eventhough love has wholly disappeared, she still claims consideration, andAlthea did not wish to lose Hermon's regard. When Amyntas, the head of the conspirators, attracted the attention ofthe company by malicious remarks about the King's sister, the Thracianlaid her hand on the blind artist's arm, whispering: "Has the image ofthe Arachne which, at Tennis, charmed you even in the presence of theangry Zeus, completely vanished from your memory? How indifferent youlook! But I tell you"--her deep blue eyes flashed as she spoke--"that solong as you were still a genuine creating artist the case was different. Even while putting the last touches of the file to the Demeter, forwhich Archias's devout daughter posed as your model, another whom youcould not banish from your mind filled your imagination. Though so louda denial is written on your face, I persist in my conviction, and thatno idle delusion ensnares me I can prove!" Hermon raised his sightless eyes to her inquiringly, but she went onwith eager positiveness: "Or, if you did not think of the weaver whilecarving the goddess, how did you happen to engrave a spider on theribbon twined around the ears of grain in Demeter's hand? Not thesmallest detail of a work produced by the hand of a valued friendescapes my notice, and I perceived it before the Demeter came to thetemple and the lofty pedestal. Now I would scarcely be able to discoverit in the dusky cella, yet at that time I took pleasure in the sight ofthe ugly insect, not only because it is cleverly done, but because itreminded me of something"--here she lowered her voice still more--"thatpleased me, though probably it would seem less flattering to thedaughter of Archias, who perhaps is better suited to act as guide to theblind. How bewildered you look! Eternal gods! Many things are forgottenafter long months have passed, but it will be easy for me to sharpenyour memory. 'At the time Hermon had just finished the Demeter, ' thespider called to me, 'he scratched me on the gold. ' But at that verytime--yes, my handsome friend, I can reckon accurately--you had met me, Althea, in Tennis, I had brought the spider-woman before your eyes. Wasit really nothing but foolish vanity that led me to the convictionthat you were thinking of me also when you engraved on the ribbon thedespised spider-for which, however, I always felt a certain regard--withthe delicate web beneath its slender legs?" Hitherto Hermon had listened to every word in silence, labouring forbreath. He was transported as if by magic to the hour of his return fromPelusium; he saw himself enter Myrtilus's studio and watch his friendscratch something, he did not know what, upon the ribbon which fastenedthe bunch of golden grain. It was--nay, it could have been nothingelse--that very spider. The honoured work was not his, but his deadfriend's. How the exchange had occurred he could not now understand, but to disbelieve that it had taken place would have been madness orself-deception. Now he also understood the doubts of Soteles and the King. Nothe--Myrtilus, and he alone, was the creator of the much-lauded Demeter! This conviction raised a hundred-pound weight from his soul. What was applause! What was recognition! What were fame and laurelwreaths! He desired clearness and truth for himself and all the worldand, as if frantic, he suddenly sprang from his cushions, shouting tothe startled guests: "I myself and this whole great city were deceived!The Demeter is not mine, not the work of Hermon! The dead Myrtiluscreated it!" Then pressing his hand to his brow, he called his student friend tohis side, and, as the scholar anxiously laid his arm on his shoulder, whispered: "Away, away from here! Only let me get out of doors into theopen air!" Crates, bewildered and prepared for the worst, obeyed his wish; butAlthea and the other guests left behind felt more and more impressed bythe suddenly awakened conviction that the hapless blind man had now alsobecome the victim of madness. CHAPTER VIII. Without a word of explanation, Hermon dragged his guide along inbreathless haste. No one stopped them. The atrium, usually swarming with guards, servants, and officials untila far later hour, was completely deserted when the blind man hurriedthrough it with his friend. The door leading into the outer air stood open, but Hermon, leaning onthe scholar's arm, had scarcely crossed the threshold and entered thelittle courtyard encircled with ornamental plants, which separated thisportion of the palace from the street, when both were surrounded by aband of armed Macedonian soldiers, whose commander exclaimed: "In thename of the King! Not a sound, if you value your lives!" Incensed, and believing that there was some mistake, Hermon announcedhimself as a sculptor and Crates as a member of the Museum, but thisstatement did not produce the slightest effect upon the warrior; nay, when the friends answered the officer's inquiry whether they were comingfrom Proclus's banquet in the affirmative; he curtly commanded them tobe put in chains. To offer resistance would have been madness, for even Hermon perceived, by the loud clanking of weapons around them, the greatly superior powerof the enemy, and they were acting by the orders of the King. "To theprison near the place of execution!" cried the officer; and now not onlythe mythograph, but Hermon also was startled--this dungeon opened onlyto those sentenced to death. Was he to be led to the executioner's block? A cold shudder ran throughhis frame; but the next moment he threw back his waving locks, and hischest heaved with a long breath. What pleasure had life to offer him, the blind man, who was already deadto his art? Ought he not to greet this sudden end as a boon from theimmortals? Did it not spare him a humiliation as great and painful as could beimagined? He had already taken care that the false renown should not follow himto the grave, and Myrtilus should have his just due, and he would dowhatever else lay in his power to further this object. Wherever thebeloved dead might be, he desired to go there also. Whatever might awaithim, he desired no better fate. If he had passed into annihilation, he, Hermon, wished to follow him thither, and annihilation certainly meantredemption from pain and misery. But if he were destined to meet hisMyrtilus and his mother in the world beyond the grave, what had he notto tell them, how sure he was of finding a joyful reception there fromboth! The power which delivered him over to death just at that momentwas not Nemesis--no, it was a kindly deity. Only his heart grew heavy at the thought of leaving Daphne to thetireless wooer Philotas or some other--everything else from which it isusually hard to part seemed like a burden that we gladly cast aside. "Forward!" he called blithely and boldly to the officer; while Crates, with loud lamentations, was protesting his innocence to the warrior whowas putting fetters upon him. A chain was just being clasped around Hermon's wrists also when hesuddenly started. His keen ear could not deceive him, and yet a demonmust be mocking him, for the voice that had called his name was thegirl's of whom, in the presence of welcome death, he had thought withlonging regret. Yet it was no illusion that deceived him. Again he heard the belovedvoice, and this time it addressed not only him, but with the utmosthaste the commander of the soldiers. Sometimes with touching entreaty, sometimes with imperious command, sheprotested, after giving him her name, that this matter could be nothingbut an unfortunate mistake. Lastly, with earnest warmth, she besoughthim, before taking the prisoners away, to permit her to speak to thecommanding general, Philippus, her father's guest, who, she was certain, was in the palace. The blood of these innocent men would be on his headif he did not listen to her representations. "Daphne!" cried Hermon in grateful agitation; but she would not listento him, and followed the soldier whom the captain detailed to guide herinto the palace. After a few moments, which the blind artist used to inspire thedespairing scholar with courage, the girl returned, and she did not comealone. The gray-haired comrade of Alexander accompanied her, and aftera few minutes both prisoners were released from their fetters. Philippushastily refused their thanks and, after addressing a few words to theofficer, he changed his tone, and his deep voice sounded paternallycordial as he exclaimed to Daphne: "Fifteen minutes more, you dear, foolhardy girl, and it would have been too late. To-morrow you shallconfess to me who treacherously directed you to this dangerous path. " Lastly, he turned to the prisoners to explain that they would beconducted to the adjacent barracks of the Diadochi, and spend the nightthere. Early the next morning they should be examined, and, if they couldclear themselves from the suspicion of belonging to the ranks of theconspirators, released. Daphne again pleaded for the liberation of the prisoners, but Philippussilenced her with the grave exclamation, "The order of the King!" The old commander offered no objection to her wish to accompanyHermon to prison. Daphne now slipped her arm through her cousin's, andcommanded the steward Gras, who had brought her here, to follow them. The goal of the nocturnal walk, which was close at hand, was reachedat the end of a few minutes, and the prisoners were delivered to thecommander of the Diadochi. This kindly disposed officer had served underHermon's father, and when the names of the prisoners were given, and theofficer reported to him that General Philippus recommended them to hiscare as innocent men, he had a special room opened for the sculptor andhis fair guide, and ordered Crates to enter another. He could permit the beautiful daughter of the honoured Archias to remainwith Hermon for half an hour, then he must beg her to allow herself tobe escorted to her home, as the barracks were closed at that time. As soon as the captive artist was alone with the woman he loved, heclasped her hand, pouring forth incoherent words of the most ardentgratitude, and when he felt her warmly return the pressure, he could notrestrain the desire to clasp her to his heart. For the first time hislips met hers, he confessed his love, and that he had just regardeddeath as a deliverer; but his life was now gaining new charm through heraffection. Then Daphne herself threw her arms around his neck with ferventdevotion. The love that resistlessly drew his heart to her was returned with equalstrength and ardour. In spite of his deep mental distress, he couldhave shouted aloud in his delight and gratitude. He might now have beenpermitted to bind forever to his life the woman who had just rescuedhim from the greatest danger, but the confession he must make to hisfellow-artists in the palaestra the following morning still sealed hislips. Yet in this hour he felt that he was united to her, and ought notto conceal what awaited him; so, obeying a strong impulse, he exclaimed:"You know that I love you! Words can not express the strength of mydevotion, but for that very reason I must do what duty commands before Iask the question, 'Will you join your fate to mine?'" "I love you and have loved you always!" Daphne exclaimed tenderly. "Whatmore is needed?" But Hermon, with drooping head, murmured: "To-morrow I shall no longerbe what I am now. Wait until I have done what duty enjoins; when that isaccomplished, you shall ask yourself what worth the blind artist stillpossesses who bartered spurious fame for mockery and disgrace in ordernot to become a hypocrite. " Then Daphne raised her face to his, asking, "So the Demeter is the workof Myrtilus?" "Certainly, " he answered firmly. "It is the work of Myrtilus. " "Oh, my poor, deceived love!" cried Daphne, strongly agitated, in a toneof the deepest sorrow. "What a terrible ordeal again awaits you! Itmust indeed distress me--and yet Do not misunderstand me! It seemsnevertheless as if I ought to rejoice, for you and your art have notspoken to me even a single moment from this much-lauded work. " "And therefore, " he interrupted with passionate delight, "thereforealone you withheld the enthusiastic praise with which the othersintoxicated me? And I, fool, blinded also in mind, could be vexed withyou for it! But only wait, wait! Soon-to-morrow even--there will beno one in Alexandria who can accuse me of deserting my own honestaspiration, and, if the gods will only restore my sight and the abilityto use my hands as a sculptor, then, girl, then--" Here he was interrupted by a loud knocking at the door. The time allowed had expired. Hermon again warmly embraced Daphne, saying: "Then go! Nothing can cloudwhat these brief moments have bestowed. I must remain blind; but youhave restored the lost sight to my poor darkened soul. To-morrow I shallstand in the palaestra before my comrades, and explain to them what amalicious accident deceived me, and with me this whole great city. Manywill not believe me, and even your father will perhaps consider it adisgrace to give his arm to his scorned, calumniated nephew to guidehim home. Bring this before your mind, and everything else that you mustaccept with it, if you consent, when the time arrives, to become mine. Conceal and palliate nothing! But should the Lady Thyone speak of theEumenides who pursued me, tell her that they had probably again extendedtheir arms toward me, but when I return to-morrow from the palaestra Ishall be freed from the terrible beings. " Lastly, he asked to be told quickly how she had happened to come to thepalace at the right time at so late an hour, and Daphne informed himas briefly and modestly as if the hazardous venture which, in strongopposition to her retiring, womanly nature, she had undertaken, was amere matter of course. When Thyone in her presence heard from Gras that Hermon intended to goto Proclus's banquet, she started up in horror, exclaiming, "Then theunfortunate man is lost!" Her husband, who had long trusted even the gravest secrets to hisdiscreet old wife, had informed her of the terrible office the King hadconfided to him. All the male guests of Proclus were to be executed; thewomen--the Queen at their head--would be sent into exile. Then Daphne, on her knees, besought the matron to tell her whatthreatened Hermon, and succeeded in persuading her to speak. The terrified girl, accompanied by Gras, went first to her lover's houseand, when she did not find him there, hastened to the King's palace. If Hermon could have seen her with her fluttering hair, dishevelled bythe night breeze, and checks blanched by excitement and terror, if hehad been told how she struggled with Thyone, who tried to detain her andlock her up before she left her father's house, he would have perceivedwith still prouder joy, had that been possible, what he possessed in thedevoted love of this true woman. Grateful and moved by joyous hopes, he informed Daphne of the words ofthe oracle, which had imprinted themselves upon his memory. She, too, quickly retained them, and murmured softly: "Noise and dazzling radiance are hostile to the purer light, Morning andday will rise quietly from the starving sand. " What could the verse mean except that the blind man would regain thepower to behold the light of clay amid the sands of the silent desert? Perhaps it would be well for him to leave Alexandria now, and shedescribed how much benefit she had received while hunting from thesilence of the wilderness, when she had left the noise of the citybehind her. But before she had quite finished, the knocking at the doorwas repeated. The lovers took leave of each other with one last kiss, and the finalwords of the departing girl echoed consolingly in the blind man's heart, "The more they take from you, the more closely I will cling to you. " Hermon spent the latter portion of the night rejoicing in theconsciousness of a great happiness, yet also troubled by the difficulttask which he could not escape. When the market place was filling, gray-haired Philippus visited him. He desired before the examination, for which every preparation had beenmade, to understand personally the relation of his dead comrade's son tothe defeated conspiracy, and he soon perceived that Hermon's presence atthe banquet was due solely to an unlucky accident or in consequence ofthe Queen's desire to win him over to her plot. Yet he was forced to advise the blind sculptor to leave Alexandria. Thesuspicion that he had been associated with the conspirators was the moredifficult to refute, because his Uncle Archias had imprudently allowedhimself to be persuaded by Proclus and Arsinoe to lend the Queen largesums, which had undoubtedly been used to promote her abominable plans. Philippus also informed him that he had just come from Archias, whom hehad earnestly urged to fly as quickly as possible from the persecutionwhich was inevitable; for, secure as Hermon's uncle felt in hisinnocence, the receipts for the large sums loaned by him, which had justbeen found in Proclus's possession, would bear witness against him. Envyand ill will would also have a share in this affair, and the usuallybenevolent King knew no mercy where crime against his own person wasconcerned. So Archias intended to leave the city on one of his own shipsthat very day. Daphne, of course, would accompany him. The prisoner listened in surprise and anxiety. His uncle driven from his secure possessions to distant lands! Daphnetaken from him, he knew not whither nor for how long a time, after hehad just been assured of her great love! He himself on the way to exposehimself to the malice and mockery of the whole city! His heart contracted painfully, and his solicitude about his uncle'sfate increased when Philippus informed him that the conspirators hadbeen arrested at the banquet and, headed by Amyntas, the Rhodian, Chrysippus, and Proclus, had perished by the executioner's sword atsunrise. The Queen, Althea, and the other ladies were already on the way toCoptos, in Upper Egypt, whither the King had exiled them. Ptolemy had intrusted the execution of this severe punishment toAlexander's former comrade as the most trustworthy and discreet of hissubjects, but rejected, with angry curtness, Philippus's attempt touphold the innocence of his friend Archias. The old man's conversation with Hermon was interrupted by thefunctionaries who subjected him and Crates to the examination. It lasteda long time, and referred to every incident in the artist's life sincehis return to Alexandria. The result was favourable, and the prisonerwas dismissed from confinement with the learned companion of his fate. When, accompanied by Philippus, Hermon reached his house, it was solate that the artists' festival in honour of the sculptor Euphranor, who entered his seventieth year of life that day, must have alreadycommenced. On the way the blind man told the general what a severe trial awaitedhim, and the latter approved his course and, on bidding him farewell, with sincere emotion urged Hermon to take courage. After hastily strengthening himself with a few mouthfuls of food and adraught of wine, his slave Patran, who understood writing, wished to puton the full laurel wreath; but Hermon was seized with a painful sense ofdissatisfaction, and angrily waved it back. Without a single green leaf on his head, he walked, leaning on theEgyptian's arm, into the palaestra, which was diagonally opposite to hishouse. Doubtless he longed to hasten at once to Daphne, but he felt that hecould not take leave of her until he had first cast off, as his heartand mind dictated, the terrible burden which oppressed his soul. Besides, he knew that the object of his love would not part from himwithout granting him one last word. On the way his heart throbbed almost to bursting. Even Daphne's image, and what threatened her father, and her with him, receded far into the background. He could think only of his design, andhow he was to execute it. Yet ought he not to have the laurel wreath put on, in order, afterremoving it, to bestow it on the genius of Myrtilus? Yet no! Did he still possess the right to award this noble branch to any one? Hewas appearing before his companions only to give truth its just due. Itwas repulsive to endow this explanation of an unfortunate error with acaptivating aspect by any theatrical adornment. To be honest, even forthe porter, was a simple requirement of duty, and no praiseworthy merit. The guide forced a path for him through carriages, litters, and wholethrongs of slaves and common people, who had assembled before theneighbouring palaestra. The doorkeepers admitted the blind man, who was well known here, withoutdelay; but he called to the slave: "Quick, Patran, and not among thespectators--in the centre of the arena!" The Egyptian obeyed, and his master crossed the wide space, strewn withsand, and approached the stage which had been erected for the festalperformances. Even had his eyes retained the power of sight, his blood was coursingso wildly through his veins that he might perhaps have been unable todistinguish the statues around him and the thousands of spectators, who, crowded closely together, richly garlanded, their cheeks glowing withenthusiasm, surrounded the arena. "Hermon!" shouted his friend Soteles in joyful surprise in the midst ofthis painful walk. "Hermon!" resounded here, there, and everywhereas, leaning on his friend's arm, he stepped upon the stage, and theacclamations grew louder and louder as Soteles fulfilled the sculptor'srequest and led him to the front of the platform. Obeying a sign from the director of the festival, the chorus, which hadjust sung a hymn to the Muses, was silent. Now the sculptor began to speak, and noisy applause thundered around himas he concluded the well-chosen words of homage with which he offeredcordial congratulations to the estimable Euphranor, to whom the festivalwas given; but the shouts soon ceased, for the audience had heardhis modest entreaty to be permitted to say a few words, concerning apersonal matter, to those who were his professional colleagues, as wellas to the others who had honoured him with their interest and, only tooloudly, with undeserved applause. The more closely what he had to sayconcerned himself, the briefer he would make his story. And, in fact, he did not long claim the attention of his hearers. Clearly and curtly he stated how it had been possible to mistakeMrytilus's work for his, how the Tennis goldsmith had dispelled hisfirst suspicion, and how vainly he had besought the priests of Demeterto be permitted to feel his statue. Then, without entering into details, he informed them that, through an accident, he had now reached the firmconviction that he had long worn wreaths which belonged to another. But, though the latter could not rise from the grave, he still owed it totruth, to whose service he had dedicated his art from the beginning, and to the simple honesty, dear alike to the peasant and the artist, todivest himself of the fame to which he was not entitled. Even while hebelieved himself to be the creator of the Demeter, he had been seriouslytroubled by the praise of so many critics, because it had exposed him tothe suspicion of having become faithless to his art and his nature. Inthe name of the dead, he thanked his dear comrades for the enthusiasticappreciation his masterpiece had found. Honour to Myrtilus and hisart, but he trusted this noble festal assemblage would pardon theunintentional deception, and aid his prayer for recovery. If it shouldbe granted he hoped to show that Hermon had not been wholly unworthy toadorn himself for a short time with the wreaths of Myrtilus. When he closed, deep silence reigned for a brief interval, and one manlooked at another irresolutely until the hero of the day, gray-hairedEuphranor, rose and, leaning on the arm of his favourite pupil, walkedthrough the centre of the arena to the stage, mounted it, embracedHermon with paternal warmth, and made him happy by the words: "Thedeception that has fallen to your lot, my poor young friend, is alamentable one; but honour to every one who honestly means to upholdthe truth. We will beseech the immortals with prayers and sacrificesto restore sight to your artist eyes. If I am permitted, my dear youngcomrade, to see you continue to create, it will be a source of joy to meand all of us; yet the Muses, even though unasked, lead into the eternalrealm of beauty the elect who consecrates his art to truth with theright earnestness. " The embrace with which the venerable hero of the festival seemed toabsolve Hermon was greeted with loud applause; but the kind words whichEuphranor, in the weak voice of age, had addressed to the blind man hadbeen unintelligible to the large circle of guests. When he again descended to the arena new plaudits rose; but soon hissesand other signs of disapproval blended with them, which increased instrength and number when a well known critic, who had written a learnedtreatise concerning the relation of the Demeter to Hermon's earlierworks, expressed his annoyance in a loud whistle. The dissatisfied anddisappointed spectators now vied with one another to silence those whowere cheering by a hideous uproar while the latter expressed moreand more loud the sincere esteem with which they were inspired by theconfession of the artist who, though cruelly prevented from winningfresh fame, cast aside the wreath which a dead man had, as were, proffered from his tomb. Probably every man thought that, in the same situation, he would havedone the same yet not only justice--nay, compassion--dictated showingthe blind artist that they believed in and would sustain him. Theill-disposed insisted that Hermon had only done what duty commandedthe meanest man, and the fact that he had deceived all Alexandria stillremained. Not a few joined this party, for larger possession excite envyperhaps even more frequently than greater fame. Soon the approving and opposing voices mingled in an actual conflict. But before the famous sculptor Chares, the great and venerable artistNicias, and several younger friends of Hermon quelled this unpleasantdisturbance of the beautiful festival, the blind man, leaning on the armof his fellow-artist Soteles, had left the palaestra. At the exit he, parted from his friend, who had been made happy by theability to absolve his more distinguished leader from the reproach ofhaving become faithless to their common purpose, and who intended tointercede further in his behalf in the palaestra. Hermon no longer needed him; for, besides his slave Patran, he foundthe steward Gras, who, by his master's order, guided the blind man toArchias's closed harmamaxa, which was waiting outside the building. CHAPTER IX. The sculptor's head was burning feverishly when he entered the vehicle. He had never imagined that the consequences of his explanation wouldbe so terrible. During the drive--by no means a long one--to the greatharbour, he strove to collect his thoughts. Groaning aloud, he coveredhis ears with his hands to shut out the shouts and hisses from thepalaestra, which in reality were no longer audible. True, he would not need to expose himself to this uproar a second time, yet if he remained in Alexandria the witticisms, mockery, and jibes ofthe whole city, though in a gentler form, would echo hundreds of timesaround him. He must leave the city. He would have preferred to go on board thestaunch Tacheia and be borne far away with his uncle and Daphne, but hewas obliged to deny himself the fulfilment of this desire. He must nowthink solely of regaining his sight. Obedient to the oracle, he would go to the desert where from the"starving sand" the radiant daylight was to rise anew for him. There he would, at any rate, be permitted to recover the clearnessof perception and feeling which he had lost in the delirium of thedissolute life of pleasure that he had led in the past. Pythagoras hadalready forbidden the folly of spoiling the present by remorse; andhe, too, did not do this. It would have been repugnant to his genuinelyGreek nature. Instead of looking backward with peevish regret, hispurpose was to look with blithe confidence toward the future, and to dohis best to render it better and more fruitful than the months of revelwhich lay behind him. He could no longer imagine a life worth living without Daphne, and thethought that if his uncle were robbed of his wealth he would become hersupport cheered his heart. If the oracle did not fulfil its promise, hewould again appeal to medical skill, and submit even to the most severesuffering which might be imposed upon him. The drive to the great harbour was soon over, but the boat which laywaiting for him had a considerable distance to traverse, for the Tacheiawas no longer at the landing place, but was tacking outside the Pharos, in order, if the warrant of arrest were issued, not to be stopped atthe channel dominated by the lighthouse. He found the slender triremepervaded by a restless stir. His uncle had long been expecting him withburning impatience. He knew, through Philippus, what duty still detained the deceivedartist, but he learned, at the same time, that his own imprisonment hadbeen determined, and it would be advisable for him to leave the citybehind him as quickly as possible. Yet neither Daphne nor he was willingto depart without saying farewell to Hermon. But the danger was increasing every moment, and, warm as was theparting, the last clasp of the hand and kiss swiftly followed the firstwords of greeting. So the blind artist learned only that Archias was going to the island ofLesbos, his mother's home, and that he had promised his daughter togive Hermon time to recover his sight. The property bequeathed to him byMyrtilus had been placed by the merchant in the royal bank, and he hadalso protected himself against any chance of poverty. Hermon was to sendnews of his health to Lesbos from time to time if a safe opportunityoffered and, when Daphne knew where he was to be found, she could lethim have tidings. Of course, for the present great caution must beexercised in order not to betray the abode of the fugitives. Hermon, too, ought to evade the pursuit of the incensed King as quicklyas possible. Not only Daphne's eyes, but her father's also, overflowed with tears atthis parting, and Hermon perceived more plainly than ever that he was asdear to his uncle as though he were his own son. The low words which the artist exchanged with the woman whose love, evenduring the period of separation, would shed light and warmth upon hisdarkened life, were deeply impressed upon the souls of both. For the present, faithful Gras was to remain in charge of his master'shouse in Alexandria. Leaning on his arm, the blind man left the Tacheia, which, as soon as both had entered the boat, was urged forward bypowerful strokes of the oars. The Bithynian informed Hermon that kerchiefs were waving him a farewellfrom the trireme, that the sails had been unfurled, and the wind wasdriving the swift vessel before it like a swallow. At the Pharos Gras reported that a royal galley was just passing them, undoubtedly in pursuit of the Tacheia; but the latter was the swiftestof all the Greek vessels, and they need not fear that she would beovertaken by the war ship. With a sore heart and the desolate feeling of being now utterly alone, Hermon again landed and ordered that his uncle's harmamaxa should conveyhim to the necropolis. He desired to seek peace at his mother's grave, and to take leave of these beloved tombs. Guided by the steward, he left them cheered and with fresh confidence inthe future, and the faithful servant's account of the energy with whichDaphne had aided the preparations for departure benefited him like arefreshing bath. When he was again at home, one visitor after another was announced, who came there from the festival in the palaestra, and, in spite ofhis great reluctance to receive them, he denied no one admittance, butlistened even to the ill-disposed and spiteful. In the battle which he had commenced he must not shrink from wounds, and he was struck by many a poisoned shaft. But, to make amends, a clearunderstanding was effected between him and those whom he esteemed. The last caller left him just before midnight. Hermon now made many preparations for departure. He intended to go into the desert with very little luggage, as theoracle seemed to direct. How long a time his absence would extend couldnot be estimated, and the many poor people whom he had fed and supportedmust not suffer through his departure. The arrangements required toeffect this he dictated to the slave, who understood writing. He hadgained in him an extremely capable servant, and Patran expressed hisreadiness to follow him into the desert; but the wry face which, surethat the blind man could not see him, he made while saying so, seemed toprove the contrary. Weary, and yet too excited to find sleep, Hermon at last went to rest. If his Myrtilus had been with him now, what would he not have had to sayto express his gratitude, to explain! How overjoyed he would have beenat the fulfilment of his wish to see him united to Daphne, at least inheart; with what fiery ardour he would have upbraided those who believedhim capable of having appropriated what belonged to another! But Myrtilus was no more, and who could tell whether his body had notremained unburied, and his soul was therefore condemned to be bornerestlessly between heaven and earth, like a leaf driven by the wind?Yet, if the earth covered him, where was the spot on which sacrificescould be offered to his soul, his tombstone could be anointed, and hehimself remembered? Then a doubt which had never before entered his mind suddenly tookpossession of Hermon. Since for so many months he had firmly believed his friend's work to behis own, he might also have fallen into another delusion, and Myrtilusmight still dwell among the living. At this thought the blind man, with a swift movement, sat erect upon hiscouch; it seemed as if a bright light blazed before his eyes in the darkroom. The reasons which had led the authorities to pronounce Myrtilus deadrendered his early end probable, it is true, yet by no means proved itabsolutely. He must hold fast to that. He who, ever since he returned to Alexandria from Tennis, had squanderedprecious time as if possessed by evil demons, would now make a betteruse of it. Besides, he longed to leave the capital. What! Suppose heshould now, even though it were necessary to delay obeying the oracle'scommand, search, traverse, sail through the world in pursuit ofMyrtilus, even, if it must be, to the uttermost Thule? But he fell back upon the couch as quickly as he had started up. "Blind! blind!" he groaned in dull despair. How could he, who wasnot able even to see his hand before his eyes, succeed in finding hisfriend? And yet, yet---- Had his mind been darkened with his eyes, that this thought came to himnow for the first time, that he had not sent messengers to all quartersof the globe to find some trace of the assailants and, with them, of thelost man? Perhaps it was Ledscha who had him in her power, and, while hewas pondering and forming plans for the best way of conductinginvestigations, the dimmed image of the Biamite again returneddistinctly to his mind, and with it that of Arachne and the spider, intowhich the goddess transformed the weaver. Half overcome by sleep, he saw himself, staff in hand, led by Daphne, cross green meadows and deserts, valleys and mountains, to seek hisfriend; yet whenever he fancied he caught sight of him, and Ledscha withhim, in the distance, the spider descended from above and, with magicalspeed, wove a net which concealed both from his gaze. Groaning and deeply disturbed, half awake, he struggled onward, alwaystoward one goal, to find his Myrtilus again, when suddenly the sound ofthe knocker on the entrance door and the barking of Lycas, his Arabiangreyhound, shook the house. Recalled to waking life, he started up and listened. Had the men who were to arrest him or inquisitive visitors not allowedthemselves to be deterred even by the late hour? He listened angrily as the old porter sternly accosted the late guest;but, directly after, the gray-haired native of the region near the FirstCataract burst into the strange Nubian oaths which he lavished liberallywhenever anything stirred his aged soul. The dog, which Hermon had owned only a few months, continued to bark;but above his hostile baying the blind man thought he recognised a nameat whose sound the blood surged hotly into his cheeks. Yet he couldscarcely have heard aright! Still he sprang from the couch, groped his way to the door, opened it, and entered the impluvium that adjoined his bedroom. The cool night airblew upon him from the open ceiling. A strong draught showed that thedoor leading from the atrium was being opened, and now a shout, halfchoked by weeping, greeted him: "Hermon! My clear, my poor belovedmaster!" "Bias, faithful Bias!" fell from the blind man's lips, and when he feltthe returned slave sink down before him, cover his hand with kisses andwet it with tears, he raised him in his strong arms, clasped him in awarm embrace, kissed his checks, and gasped, "And Myrtilus, my Myrtilus, is he alive?" "Yes, yes, yes, " sobbed Bias. "But you, my lord-blind, blind! Can it betrue?" When Hermon released him to inquire again about his friend, Biasstammered: "He isn't faring so badly; but you, you, bereft of light andalso of the joy of seeing your faithful Bias again! And the immortalsprolong one's years to experience such evils! Two griefs always belongto one joy, like two horses to a chariot. " "My wise Bias! Just as you were of old!" cried Hermon in joyfulexcitement. Then he quieted the hound and ordered one of the attendants, who camehurrying in, to bring out whatever dainty viands the house contained anda jar of the best Byblus wine from the cellar. Meanwhile he did not cease his inquiries about his friend's health, andordered a goblet to be brought him also, that he might pledge the slaveand give brief answers to his sympathizing questions about the cause ofthe blindness, the noble Archias, the gracious young mistress Daphne, the famous Philippus and his wife, the companion Chrysilla, and thesteward Gras. Amid all this he resolved to free the faithful fellow and, while Bias was eating, he could not refrain from telling him that he hadfound a mistress for him, that Daphne was the wife whom he had chosen, but the wedding was still a long way off. He controlled his impatience to learn the particulars concerning hisfriend's fate until Bias had partially satisfied his hunger. A short time ago Hermon would have declared it impossible that he couldever become so happy during this period of conflict and separation fromthe object of his love. The thought of his lost inheritance doubtless flitted through hismind, but it seemed merely like worthless dust, and the certaintythat Myrtilus still walked among the living filled him with uncloudedhappiness. Even though he could no longer see him, he might expect tohear his beloved voice again. Oh, what delight that he was permitted tohave his friend once more, as well as Daphne, that he could meet himso freely and joyously and keep the laurel, which had rested with suchleaden weight upon his head, for Myrtilus, and for him alone! But where was he? What was the name of the miracle which had saved him, and yet kept himaway from his embrace so long? How had Myrtilus and Bias escaped the flames and death on that night ofhorror? A flood of questions assailed the slave before he could begin aconnected account, and Hermon constantly interrupted it to ask fordetails concerning his friend and his health at each period and on everyoccasion. Much surprised by his discreet manner, the artist listened to thebondman's narrative; for though Bias had formerly allowed himself toindulge in various little familiarities toward his master, he refrainedfrom them entirely in this story, and the blind man's misfortuneinvested him in his eyes with a peculiar sacredness. CHAPTER X. He had arrived wounded on the pirate ship with his master's friend, the returned bondman began. When he had regained consciousness, he metLedscha on board the Hydra, as the wife of the pirate Hanno. She hadnursed Myrtilus with tireless solicitude, and also often cared for his, Bias's, wounds. After the recovery of the prisoners, she became theirprotectress, and placed Bias in the service of the Greek artist. They, the Gaul Lutarius, and one of the sculptor's slaves, were the onlyones who had been brought on board the Hydra alive from the attack inTennis, but the latter soon succumbed to his wounds. Hermon owed it solely to the bridge-builder that he had escaped fromthe vengeance of his Biamite foe, for the tall Gaul, whose thick beardresembled Hermon's in length and blackness, was mistaken by Hanno forthe person whom Ledscha had directed him to deliver alive into herpower. The pirate had surrendered the wrong captive to the woman he loved and, as Bias declared, to his serious disadvantage; for, though Hanno andthe Biamite girl were husband and wife, no one could help perceiving thecold dislike with which Ledscha rebuffed the giant who read her everywish in her eyes. Finally, the captain of the pirate ship, a silent manby nature, often did not open his lips for days except to give ordersto the crew. Frequently he even refused to be relieved from duty, andremained all night at the helm. Only when, at his own risk, or with the vessels of his father andbrother, he attacked merchant ships or defended himself against a wargalley, did he wake to vigorous life and rush with gallant recklessnessinto battle. A single man on the Hydra was little inferior to him in strength anddaring--the Gaul Lutarius. He had been enrolled among the pirates, andwhen Hanno was wounded in an engagement with a Syrian war galley, was elected his representative. During this time Ledscha faithfullyperformed her duty as her young husband's nurse, but afterward treatedhim as coldly as before. Yet she devoted herself eagerly to the ship and the crew, andthe fierce, lawless fellows cheerfully submitted to the sensiblearrangements of their captain's beautiful, energetic wife. At thisperiod Bias had often met Ledscha engaged in secret conversation withthe Gaul, yet if any tender emotion really attracted her toward any oneother than her husband, Myrtilus would have been suspected rather thanthe black-bearded bridge-builder; for she not only showed the sculptorthe kindest consideration, but often entered into conversation withhim, and even persuaded him, when the sea was calm, or the Hydra lay atanchor in one of the hidden bays known to the pirates, to practise hisart, and at last to make a bust of her. She had succeeded in gettinghim clay, wax, and tools for the purpose. After asking which goddesshad ill-treated the weaver Arachne, she commanded him to make a head ofAthene, adorned with the helmet, modelled from her own. During this timeshe frequently inquired whether her features really were not beautifulenough to be copied for the countenance of a goddess, and when heeagerly assured her of the fact, made him swear that he was notdeceiving her with flattery. Neither Bias nor Myrtilus had ever been allowed to remain on shore; but, on the whole, the slave protested, Myrtilus's health, thanks to the puresea air on the Hydra, had improved, in spite of the longing whichoften assailed him, and the great excitements to which he was sometimesexposed. There had been anxious hours when Hanno's father and brothers visitedthe Hydra to induce her captain to make money out of the captivesculptor, and either sell him at a high price or extort a large ransomfrom him; but Bias had overheard how resolutely Ledscha opposed theseproposals, and represented to old Satabus of what priceless importanceMyrtilus might become to them if either should be captured andimprisoned. The greatest excitements, of course, had been connected with the battlesof the pirates. Myrtilus, who, in spite of his feeble health, by nomeans lacked courage, found it especially hard to bear that during theconflicts he was locked up with Bias, but even Ledscha could neitherprevent nor restrict these measures. Bias could not tell what seas the Hydra had sailed, nor at what--usuallydesolate-shores she had touched. He only knew that she had gone toSinope in Pontus, passed through the Propontis, and then sought bootynear the coasts of Asia Minor. Ledscha had refused to answer everyquestion that referred to these things. Latterly, the young wife had become very grave, and apparentlycompletely severed her relations with her husband; but she alsostudiously avoided the Gaul and, if they talked to each other at all, itwas in hurried whispers. So events went on until something occurred which was to affect the livesof the prisoners deeply. It must have been just beyond the outlet fromthe Hellespont into the AEgean Sea; for, in order to pass through thenarrow straits leading thither from Pontus, the Hydra had been mostskilfully given the appearance of a peaceful merchant vessel. The slave's soul must have been greatly agitated by this experience, forwhile, hitherto, whenever he was interrupted by Hermon he had retainedhis composure, and could not refrain from occasionally connecting apractical application with his report, now, mastered by the power ofthe remembrance, he uttered what he wished to tell his master in anoppressed tone, while bright drops of perspiration bedewed the speaker'sbrow. A large merchant ship had approached them, and three men came on boardthe Hydra--old Satabus, his son Labaja, and a gray-haired, beardedseafarer of tall stature and dignified bearing, Schalit, Ledscha'sfather. The meeting between the Biamite ship-owner and his child, after so longa separation, was a singular one; for the young wife held out her handto her father timidly, with downcast eyes, and he refused to take it. Directly after, however, as if constrained by an irresistible impulse, he drew his unruly daughter toward him and kissed her brow and cheeks. Roast meat and the best wine had been served in the large ship's cabin;but though Myrtilus and Bias had been locked up as if a bloody battlewas expected, the loud, angry uproar of men's deep voices reached them, and Ledscha's shrill tones shrieking in passionate wrath blended in thestrife. Furniture must have been upset and dishes broken, yet the giantswho were disputing here did not come to blows. At last the savage turmoil subsided. When Bias and his master were again released, Ledscha was standing, in the dusk of evening, at the foot of the mainmast, pressing her browagainst the wood as if she needed some support to save herself fromfalling. She checked Myrtilus's words with an imperious "Let me alone!" The nextday she had paced restlessly up and down the deck like a caged beast ofprey, and would permit no one to speak to her. At noon Hanno was about to get into a boat to go to her father's ship, and she insisted upon accompanying him. But this time the corsair seemedcompletely transformed, and with the pitiless sternness, which he sowell knew how to use in issuing commands, ordered her to remain on theHydra. She, however, by no means obeyed her husband's mandate withoutresistance, and, at the recollection of the conflict which now occurredbetween the pair, in which she raged like a tigress, the narrator'scheeks crimsoned. The quarrel was ended by the powerful seaman's taking in his arms hislithe, slender wife, who resisted him with all her strength and hadalready touched the side of the boat with her foot, and putting her downon the deck of his ship. Then Hanno leaped back into the skiff, while Ledscha, groaning withrage, retired to the cabin. An hour after she again appeared on deck, called Myrtilus and Bias and, showing them her eyes, reddened by tears, told them, as if in apologyfor her weakness, that she had not been permitted to bid her fatherfarewell. Then, pallid as a corpse, she had turned the conversation uponHermon, and informed Myrtilus that an Alexandrian pilot had told herfather that he was blind, and her brother-in-law Labaja had heard thesame thing. While saying this, her lips curled scornfully, but when shesaw how deeply their friend's misfortune moved her two prisoners, shewaved her hand, declaring that he did not need their sympathy; the pilothad reported that he was living in magnificence and pleasure, and thepeople in the capital honoured and praised him as if he were a god. Thereupon she had laughed shrilly and reviled so bitterly thecontemptible blind Fortune that remains most loyal to those who deserveto perish in the deepest misery, that Bias avoided repeating her wordsto his master. The news of Myrtilus's legacy had not reached her ears, and Bias, too, had just heard of it for the first time. Ledscha's object had been to relieve her troubled soul by attacksupon the man whom she hated, but she suddenly turned to the master andservant to ask if they desired to obtain their liberty. Oh, how quickly a hopeful "Yes" reached the ears of the gloomy woman!how ready both were to swear, by a solemn oath, to fulfil the conditionsthe Biamite desired to impose! As soon as opportunity offered, both were to leave the Hydra with oneother person who, like Bias and herself, understood how to mange a boat. The favourable moment soon came. One moonless night, when the steeringof the Hydra was intrusted to the Gaul, Ledscha waked the two prisonersand, with the Gaul Lutarius, Myrtilus, and the slave, entered the boat, which conveyed them to the shore without accident or interruption. Bias knew the name of the place where it had anchored, it is true, butthe oath which Ledscha had made him swear there was so terrible that hewould not have broken it at any cost. This oath required the slave, who, three days after their landing, was sent to Alexandria by the first ship that sailed for that port, tomaintain the most absolute secrecy concerning Myrtilus's hiding placeuntil he was authorized to speak. Bias was to go to Alexandria withoutdelay, and there obtain from Archias, who managed Myrtilus's property, the sums which Ledscha intended to use in the following manner: Twoattic talents Bias was to bring back. These were for the Gaul, probablyin payment for his assistance. Two more were to be taken by the slave tothe Temple of Nemesis. Lastly, Bias was to deliver five talents to oldTabus, who kept the treasure of the pirate family on the Owl's Nest, andtell her that Ledscha, in this money, sent back the bridal dowry whichHanno had paid her father for his daughter. With this she releasedherself from the husband who inspired her with feelings very unlikelove. Hermon asked to have this commission repeated, and received thedirections Myrtilus had given to the slave. The blind man's hope thatthey must also include greetings and news from his friend's hand wasdestroyed by Bias, whom Myrtilus, in the leisure hours on the Hydra, had taught to read. This was not so difficult a task for the slave, wholonged for knowledge, and had already tried it before. But with writing, on the other hand, he could make no headway. He was too old, and hishand had become too clumsy to acquire this difficult art. In reply to Hermon's anxious question whether his friend needed anythingin his present abode, the slave reported that he was at liberty to moveabout at will, and was not even obliged to share Ledscha's lodgings. Helacked nothing, for the Biamite, besides some gold, had left with himalso gems and pearls of such great value that they would suffice tosupport him several years. As for himself, she had supplied him morethan abundantly with money for travelling expenses. Myrtilus was awaiting his return in a city prospering under a rich andwise regent, and sent whole cargoes of affectionate remembrances. Thesculptor, too, was firmly resolved to keep the oath imposed upon him. As soon as he, Bias, had performed the commission intrusted to him, heand Myrtilus would be released from their vow, and Hermon would learnhis friend's residence. CHAPTER XI. No morning brightened Hermon's night of darkness. When the returned slave had finished his report, the sun was alreadyshining into his master's room. Without lying down again, the latter went at once to the Tennis notary, who had moved to Alexandria two months before, and with his assistanceraised the money which his friend needed. Worthy Melampus had received the news that Myrtilus was still alive in avery singular manner. Even now he could grasp only one thing at a time, and he loved Hermon with sincere devotion. Therefore the lawyer whohad so zealously striven to expedite the blind man's entering intopossession of his friend's inheritance would very willingly havepermitted Myrtilus--doubtless an invalid--to continue to rest quietlyamong the dead. Yet his kind heart rejoiced at the deliverance of thefamous young artist, and so during Hermon's story he had passed fromsincere regret to loud expressions of joyous sympathy. Lastly, he had placed his whole property at the disposal of Hermon, whohad paid him liberally for his work, to provide for the blind sculptor'sfuture. This generous offer had been declined; but he now assistedHermon to prepare the emancipation papers for his faithful Bias, andfound a ship that was bound to Tanis. Toward evening he accompaniedHermon to the harbour and, after a cordial farewell from his helpfulfriend, the artist, with the new "freedman" Bias and the slave clerkPatran, went on board the vessel, now ready to sail. The voyage was one of the speediest, yet the end came too soon for bothmaster and servant--Hermon had not yet heard enough of the friend beyondhis reach, and Bias was far from having related everything he desiredto tell about Myrtilus and Ledscha; yet he was now permitted to expressevery opinion that entered his mind, and this had occupied a great dealof time. Bias also sought to know much more about Hermon's past and future thanhe had yet learned, not merely from curiosity, but because he foresawthat Myrtilus would not cease to question him about his blind friend. The misfortune must have produced a deep and lasting effect upon theartist's joyous nature, for his whole bearing was pervaded by suchearnestness and dignity that years, instead of months, seemed to haveelapsed since their separation. It was characteristic of Daphne that her lover's blindness did notalienate her from him; yet why had not the girl, who still desired tobecome his wife, been able to wed the helpless man who had lost hissight? If the father did not wish to be separated from his daughter, surely he could live with the young couple. A home was quickly madeeverywhere for the rich, and, if Archias was tired of his house inAlexandria, as Hermon had intimated, there was room enough in the worldfor a new one. But that was the way with things here below! Man was the cause of man'smisfortune! Daphne and Hermon remained the same; but Archias from anaffectionate father had become transformed into an entirely differentperson. If the former had been allowed to follow their inclinations, they would now be united and happy, while, because a third person sowilled, they must go their way solitary and wretched. He expressed this view to his master, and insisted upon his opinionuntil Hermon confided to him what had driven Archias from Alexandria. Patran, Bias's successor, was by no means satisfactory to him. HadHermon retained his sight, he certainly would not have purchased him, inspite of his skill as a scribe, for the Egyptian had a "bad face. " Oh, if only he could have been permitted to stay with his benefactorinstead of this sullen man! How carefully he would have removed thestones from his darkened pathway! During the voyage he was obliged to undergo severe struggles to keep theoath of secrecy imposed upon him; but perjury threatened him with themost horrible tortures, not to mention the sorceress Tabus, whom he wasto meet. So Myrtilus's abode remained unknown to Hermon. Bias approved his master's intention of going into the desert. He hadoften seen the oracle of Amon tested, and he himself had experienced thehealthfulness of the desert air. Besides, it made him proud to see thatHermon was disposed to follow his suggestion of pitching his tent in aspot which he designated. This was at the end of the arm of the sea atClysma. Several trees grew there beside small springs, and a peacefulfamily of Amalekites raised vegetables in their little garden, situatedon higher ground, watered by the desert wells. When a boy, before the doom of slavery had been pronounced upon himand his father, his mother, by the priest's advice, took him there torecover from the severe attack of fever which he could not shake offamid the damp papyrus plantations surrounding his parents' house. Inthe dry, pure air of the desert he recovered, and he would guide Hermonthere before returning to Myrtilus. From Tanis they reached Tennis in a few hours, and found shelter in thehome of the superintendent of Archias's weaving establishments, whosehospitality Myrtilus and Hermon had enjoyed before their installationin the white house, now burned to the ground. The Alexandrian bills ofexchange were paid in gold by the lessee of the royal bank, who was agood friend of Hermon. Toward evening, both rowed to the Owl's Nest, taking the five talents with which the runaway wife intended to purchasefreedom from her husband. As the men approached the central door of the pirates' house, amiddy-aged Biamite woman appeared and rudely ordered them to leavethe island. Tabus was weak, and refused to see visitors. But she wasmistaken; for when Bias, in the dialect of his tribe, shouted loudlythat messengers from the wife of her grandson Hanno had arrived, therewas a movement at the back of the room, and broken sentences, gaspedwith difficulty, expressed the old dame's wish to receive the strangers. On a sheep's-wool couch, over which was spread a wolfskin, the lastgift of her son Satabus, lay the sorceress, who raised herself as Hermonpassed through the door. After his greeting, she pointed to her deaf ear and begged him tospeak louder. At the same time she gazed into his eyes with a keen, penetrating glance, and interrupted him by the question: "The Greeksculptor whose studio was burned over his head? And blind? Blind still?" "In both eyes, " Bias answered for his master. "And you, fellow?" the old dame asked; then, recollecting herself, stopped the reply on the servant's lips with the hasty remark: "Youare the blackbeard's slave--a Biamite? Oh, I remember perfectly! Youdisappeared with the burning house. " Then she gazed intently and thoughtfully from one to the other, andat last, pointing to Bias, muttered in a whisper: "You alone come fromHanno and Ledscha, and were with them on the Hydra? Very well. What newshave you for the old woman from the young couple?" The freedman began to relate what brought him to the Owl's Nest, andthe gray-haired crone listened eagerly until he said that Ledscha livedunhappily with her husband, and therefore had left him. She sent backto her, as the head of Hanno's family, the bridal dowry with which Hannohad bought her from her father as his wife. Then Tabus struggled into a little more erect posture, and asked: "Whatdoes this mean? Five talents--and gold, not silver talents? And shesends the money to me? To me? And she ran away from her husband? Butno--no! Once more--you are a Biamite--repeat it in our own language--andloudly. This ear is the better one. " Bias obeyed, and the old dame listened to the end without interruptinghim: then raising her brown right hand, covered with a network ofblue-black veins, she clinched it into a fist, which she shook far moreviolently than Bias would have believed possible in her weak condition. At the same time she pressed her lips so tightly together that hertoothless mouth deepened into a hole, and her dim eyes shone with akeen, menacing light. For some time she found no reply, though strange, rattling, gasping sounds escaped her heaving breast. At last she succeeded in uttering words, and shrieked shrilly:"This--this--away with the golden trash! With the bridal dowry of thefamily rejected, and once more free, the base fool thinks she would belike the captive fox that gnawed the rope! Oh, this age, these people!And this, this is the haughty, strong Ledscha, the daughter of theBiamites, who--there stands the blind girl--deceiver!--who so admirablyavenged herself?" Here her voice failed, and Hermon began to speak to assure her that sheunderstood Ledscha's wish aright. Then he asked her for a token by whichshe acknowledged the receipt of the gold, which he handed her in a stoutlinen bag. But his purpose was not fulfilled, for suddenly, flaming with passionatewrath, she thrust the purse aside, groaning: "Not an obol of theaccursed destruction of souls shall come back to Hanno, nor even intothe family store. Until his heart and hers stop beating, the mostindissoluble bond will unite both. She desires to ransom herself froma lawful marriage concluded by her father, as if she were a captive ofwar; perhaps she even wants to follow another. Hanno, brave lad, wasready to go to death for her sake, and she rewards him by bringingshame on his head and disgrace on us all. Oh, these times, this world!Everything that is inviolable and holy trampled in the dust! But theyare not all so! In spite of Grecian infidelity, marriage is stillhonoured among our people. But she who mocks what is sacred, andtramples holy customs under foot, shall be accursed, execrated, givenover to want, hunger, disease, death!" With rattling breath and closed eyes she leaned farther back against thecushions that supported her; but Bias, in their common language, triedto soothe her, and informed her that, though Ledscha had probably runaway from her husband, she had by no means renounced her vengeance. Hewas bringing two talents with him to place in the Temple of Nemesis. "Of Nemesis?" repeated the old dame. Then she tried to raise herselfand, as she constantly sank back again, Bias aided her. But she hadscarcely recovered her sitting posture when she gasped to the freedman:"Nemesis, who helped, and is to continue to help her to destroy her foe?Well, well! Five talents--a great sum, a great sum! But the more thebetter! To Nemesis with them, to Ate and the Erinyes! The talons of theavenging goddess shall tear the beautiful face, the heart, and the liverof the accursed one! A twofold malediction on her who has wronged theson of my Satabus!" While speaking, her head nodded swiftly up and down, and when at lastshe bowed it wearily, her visitors heard her murmur the names of Satabusand Hanno, sometimes tenderly, sometimes mournfully. Finally she asked whether any one else was concerned in Ledscha'sflight; and when she learned that a Gallic bridge-builder accompaniedthe fugitive wife, she again started up as if frantic, exclaiming: "Yes, to Nemesis with the gold! We neither need nor want it, and Satabus, myson, he will bless me for renunciation--" Here exhaustion again silenced her. She gazed mutely and thoughtfullyinto vacancy, until at last, turning to Bias, she began more calmly:"You will see her again, man, and must tell her what the clan of Tabusbought with her talents. Take her my curse, and let her know thather friends would be my foes, and her foes should find in Tabus abenefactress!" Then, deeply buried in thought, she again fixed her eyes on the floor;but at last she called to Hermon, saying: "You, blind Greek--am I notright?--the torch was thrust into your face, and you lost the sight ofboth eyes?" The artist assented to this question; but she bade him sit down beforeher, and when he bent his face near her she raised one lid after theother with trembling fingers, yet lightly and skilfully, gazed longand intently into his eyes, and murmured: "Like black Psoti and lawlessSimeon, and they are both cured. " "Can you restore me?" Hermon now asked in great excitement. "Answerme honestly, you experienced woman! Give me back my sight, and demandwhatever gold and valuables I still possess--" "Keep them, " Tabus contemptuously interrupted. "Not for gold or goodswill I restore you the best gift man can lose. I will cure you becauseyou are the person to whom the infamous wretch most ardently wished thesorest trouble. When she hoped to destroy you, she perceived in thisdeed the happiness which had been promised to her on a night whenthe full moon was shining. To-day--this very night--the diskbetween Astarte's horns rounds again, and presently--wait a littlewhile!--presently you shall have what the light restores you--" Then shecalled the Biamite woman, ordered her to bring the medicine chest, andtook from it one vessel after another. The box she was seeking wasamong the last and, while handing it to Bias, she muttered: "Oh, yes, certainly--it does one good to destroy a foe, but no less to make herfoe happy!" Turning to the freedman, she went on in a louder tone: "You, slave, shall inform Hanno's wife that old Tabus gave the sculptor, whoseblindness she caused, the remedy which restored the sight of blackPsoti, whom she knew. " Here she paused, gazed upward, and murmuredalmost unintelligibly: "Satabus, Hanno! If this is the last act of theold mother, it will give ye pleasure. " Then she told Hermon to kneel again, and ordered the slave to hold thelamp which her nurse Tasia had just lighted at the hearth fire. "The last, " she said, looking into the box, "but it will be enough. Theodour of the herb in the salve is as strong as if it had been preparedyesterday. " She laid the first bandage on Hermon's eyes with her own weak fingers, at the same time muttering an incantation; but it did not seem tosatisfy her. Great excitement had taken possession of her, and as thesilver light of the full moon shone into her room she waved her handsbefore the artist's eyes and fixed her gaze upon the threshold illuminedby the moonbeams, ejaculating sentences incomprehensible to the blindman. Bias supported her, for she had risen to her full height, and hefelt how she tottered and trembled. Yet her strength held out to whisper to Hermon: "Nearer, still nearer!By the light of the august one whose rays greet us, let it be said: Youwill see again. Await your recovery patiently in a quiet place in thepure air, not in the city. Refrain from everything with which the Greeksintoxicate themselves. Shun wine, and whatever heats the blood. Recoveryis coming; I see it drawing near. You will see again as surely as I nowcurse the woman who abandoned the husband to whom she vowed fidelity. She rejoiced over your blindness, and she will gnash her teeth with rageand grief when she hears that it was Tabus who brought light into thedarkness that surrounds you. " With these words she pushed off the freedman's supporting arms and sankback upon the couch. Again Hermon tried to thank her; but she would not permit it, and saidin an almost inaudible tone: "I really did not give the salve to do yougood--the last act of all--" Finally she murmured a few words of direction for its use, and addedthat he must keep the sunlight from his blind eyes by bandages andshades, as if it were a cruel foe. When she paused, and Bias asked her another question, she pointed to thedoor, exclaiming as loudly as her weakness permitted, "Go, I tell you, go!" Hermon obeyed and left her, accompanied by the freedman, who carried thebox of salve so full of precious promise. The next morning Bias delivered to the astonished priest of Nemesis thelarge gifts intended for the avenging goddess. Before Hermon entered the boat with him and his Egyptian slave, thefreedman told his master that Gula was again living in perfect harmonywith the husband who had cast her off, and Taus, Ledscha's youngersister, was the wife of the young Biamite who, she had feared, wouldgive up his wooing on account of her visit to Hermon's studio. After a long voyage through the canal which had been dug a short timebefore, connecting the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, the three menreached Clysma. Opposite to it, on the eastern shore of the narrownorthern point of the Erythraean sea--[Red Sea]--lay the goal of theirjourney, and thither Bias led his blind master, followed by the slave, on shore. CHAPTER XII. It was long since Hermon had felt so free and light-hearted as duringthis voyage. He firmly believed in his recovery. A few days before he had escaped death in the royal palace as if by amiracle, and he owed his deliverance to the woman he loved. In the Temple of Nemesis at Tennis the conviction that the goddess hadceased to persecute him took possession of his mind. True, his blind eyes had been unable to see her menacing statue, but noteven the slightest thrill of horror had seized him in its presence. InAlexandria, after his departure from Proclus's banquet, she had desistedfrom pursuing him. Else how would she have permitted him to escapeuninjured when he was already standing upon the verge of an abyss, and awave of her hand would have sufficed to hurl him into the death-dealinggulf? But his swift confession, and the transformation which followed it, hadreconciled him not only with her, but also with the other gods; for theyappeared to him in forms as radiant and friendly as in the days of hisboyhood, when, while Bias took the helm on the long voyage through thecanal and the Bitter Lakes, he recalled the visible world to his memoryand, from the rising sun, Phoebus Apollo, the lord of light andpurity, gazed at him from his golden chariot, drawn by four horses, andAphrodite, the embodiment of all beauty, rose before him from the snowyfoam of the azure waves. Demeter, in the form of Daphne, appeared, dispensing prosperity, above the swaying golden waves of the ripeninggrain fields and bestowing peace beside the domestic hearth. The wholeworld once more seemed peopled with deities, and he felt their rule inhis own breast. The place of which Bias had told him was situated on a lofty portion ofthe shore. Beside the springs which there gushed from the soil of thedesert grew green palm trees and thorny acacias. Farther on flourishedthe fragrant betharan. About a thousand paces from this spot thefaithful freedman pitched the little tent obtained in Tennis under theshade of several tall palm trees and a sejal acacia. Not far from the springs lived the same family of Amalekites whom Biashad known from boyhood. They raised a few vegetables in little beds, andthe men acted as guards to the caravans which came from Egypt throughthe peninsula of Sinai to Petrea and Hebron. The daughter of the agedsheik whose men accompanied the trains of goods, a pleasant, middle-agedwoman, recognised the Biamite, who when a boy had recovered under hermother's nursing, and promised Bias to honour his blind master as avalued guest of the tribe. Not until after he had done everything in his power to render life inthe wilderness endurable, and had placed a fresh bandage over his eyes, would Bias leave his master. The freedman entered the boat weeping, and Hermon, deeply agitated, turned his face toward him. When he was left alone with his Egyptian slave, with whom he rarelyexchanged a word, he fancied that, amid the murmur of the waves washingthe strand at his feet, blended the sounds of the street which ledpast his house in Alexandria, and with them all sorts of disagreeablememories crowded upon him; but soon he no longer heard them, and thenext night brought refreshing sleep. Even on the second day he felt that the profound silence whichsurrounded him was a benefit. The stillness affected him like somethingphysical. The life was certainly monotonous, and at first there were hours whenthe course of the new existence, so devoid of any change, op pressedhim, but he experienced no tedium. His mental life was too rich, and theunburdening of his anxious soul too great a relief for that. He had shunned serious thought since he left the philosopher's school;but here it soon afforded him the highest pleasure, for never had hismind moved so freely, so undisturbed by any limit or obstacle. He did not need to search for what he hoped to find in the wilderness. His whole past life passed before him as if by its own volition. Allthat he had ever experienced, learned, thought, felt, rose before hismind with wonderful distinctness, and when he overlooked all his mentalpossessions, as if from a high watch-tower in the bright sunshine, hebegan to consider how he had used the details and how he could continueto do so. Whatever he had seen incorrectly forced itself resistlessly upon him, yet here also the Greek nature, deeply implanted in his soul, guardedhim, and it was easy for him to avoid self-torturing remorse. He onlydesired to utilize for improvement what he recognised as false. When in this delicious silence he listened to the contradictory demandsof his intellect and his senses, it often seemed as though he waspresent at a discussion between two guests who were exchanging theiropinions concerning the subject that occupied his mind. Here he first learned to deepen sound intellectual power and listen tothe demands of the heart, or to repulse and condemn them. Ah, yes, he was still blind; but never had he observed and recognisedhuman life and its stage, down to the minutest detail, which his eyesrefused to show him, so keenly as during these clays. The phenomenawhich had attracted or repelled his vision here appeared nearer and moredistinctly. What he called "reality" and believed he understood thoroughly andestimated correctly, now disclosed many a secret which had previouslyremained concealed. How defective his visual perception had been! how necessary it nowseemed to subject his judgment to a new test! Doubtless a wealth ofartistic subjects had come to him from the world of reality which he hadplaced far above everything else, but a greater and nobler one from thesphere which he had shunned as unfruitful and corrupting. As if by magic, the world of ideality opened before him in thisexquisite silence. He again found in his own soul the joyous creativeforces of Nature, and the surrounding stillness increased tenfold hiscapacity of perceiving it; nay, he felt as if creative energy dwelt insolitude itself. His mind had always turned toward greatness. The desire to impress hisworks with the stamp of his own overflowing power had carried him farbeyond moderation in modelling his struggling Maenads. Now, when he sought for subjects, beside the smaller and more simpleones appeared mighty and manifold ones, often of superhuman grandeur. Oh, if a higher power would at some future day permit him to modelwith his strong hands this battle of the Amazons, this Phoebus Apollo, radiant in beauty and the glow of victory, conquering the dragons ofdarkness! Arachne, too, returned to his mind, and also Demeter. But she did nothover before him as the peaceful dispenser of blessings, the preserverof peace, but as the maternal earth goddess, robbed of her daughterProserpina. How varied in meaning was this myth!--and he strove tofollow it in every direction. Nothing more could come to the blind artist from Nature by the aid ofhis physical vision. The realm of reality was closed to him; but he hadfound the key to that of the ideal, and what he found in it proved to beno less true than the objects the other had offered. How rich in forms was the new world which forced itself unbidden on hisimagination! He who, a short time before, had believed whatever couldnot be touched by the hands was useless for his art, now had the choiceamong a hundred subjects, full of glowing life, which were attainable byno organ of the senses. He need fear to undertake none, if only it wasworthy of representation; for he was sure of his ability, and difficultydid not alarm him, but promised to lend creating for the first time itstrue charm. And, besides, without the interest of animated conversation, withoutfestal scenes where, with garlanded head and intoxicating pleasuresoaring upward from the dust of earth, existence had seemed to himshallow and not worth the trouble it imposed upon mortals, solitude nowoffered him hours as happy as he had ever experienced while revellingwith gay companions. At first many things had disturbed them, especially the dissatisfied, almost gloomy disposition of his Egyptian slave, who, born in the cityand accustomed to its life, found it unbearable to stay in the desertwith the strange blind master, who lived like a porter, and ordered himto prepare his wretched fare with the hands skilled in the use of thepen. But this living disturber of the peace was not to annoy the recluselong. Scarcely a fortnight after Bias's departure, the slave Patran, whohad cost so extravagant a sum, vanished one morning with the sculptor'smoney and silver cup. This rascally trick of a servant whom he had treated with almostbrotherly kindness wounded Hermon, but he soon regarded the morosefellow's disappearance as a benefit. When for the first time he drank water from an earthen jug, instead ofa silver goblet, he thought of Diogenes, who cast his cup aside when hesaw a boy raise water to his lips in his hand, yet with whom the greatMacedonian conqueror of the world would have changed places "if he hadnot been Alexander. " The active, merry son of Bias's Amalekite friend gladly rendered himthe help and guidance for which he had been reluctant to ask hisill-tempered slave, and he soon became accustomed to the simple fare ofthe nomads. Bread and milk, fruits and vegetables from his neighbour'slittle garden, satisfied him, and when the wine he had drunk was used, he contented himself, obedient to old Tabus's advice, with pure water. As he still had several gold coins on his person, and wore two costlyrings on his finger, he doubtless thought of sending to Clysma for meat, poultry, and wine, but he had refrained from doing so through the adviceof the Amalekite woman, who anointed his eyes with Tabus's salve andprotected them by a shade of fresh leaves from the dazzling rays ofthe desert sun. She, like the sorceress on the Owl's Nest, warned himagainst all viands that inflamed the blood, and he willingly allowed herto take away what she and her gray-haired father, the experienced headof the tribe, pronounced detrimental to his recovery. At first the "beggar's fare" seemed repulsive, but he soon felt that itwas benefiting him after the riotous life of the last few months. One day, when the Amalekite took off his bandage, he thought he sawa faint glimmer of light, and how his heart exulted at this faintforetaste of the pleasure of sight! In an instant hope sprang up with fresh power in his excitable soul, and his lost cheerfulness returned to him like a butterfly to the newlyopened flower. The image of his beloved Daphne rose before him in sunnyradiance, and he saw himself in his studio in the service of his art. He had always been fond of children, and the little ones in theAmalekite family quickly discovered this, and crowded around their blindfriend, who played all sorts of games with them, and in spite of thebandaged eyes, over which spread a broad shade of green leaves, couldmake whistles with his skilful artist hands from the reeds and willowbranches they brought. He saw before him the object to which his heart still clung asdistinctly as if he need only stretch out his hand to draw it nearer, and perhaps--surely and certainly, the Amalekite said--the time wouldcome when he would behold it also with his bodily eyes. If the longing should be fulfilled! If his eyes were again permittedto convey to him what formerly filled his soul with delight! Yes, beauty--was entitled to a higher place than truth, and if it againunfolded itself to his gaze, how gladly and gratefully he would payhomage to it with his art! The hope that he might enjoy it once more now grew stronger, for theglimmer of light became brighter, and one day, when his skilful nurseagain took the bandage from his milk-white pupils, he saw something longappear, as if through, a mist. It was only the thorny acacia tree athis tent; but the sight of the most beautiful of beautiful things neverfilled him with more joyful gratitude. Then he ordered the less valuable of his two rings to be sold to offer asacrifice to health-bestowing Isis, who had a little temple in Clysma. How fervently he now prayed also to the great Apollo, the foe ofdarkness and the lord of everything light and pure! How yearningly hebesought Aphrodite to bless him again with the enjoyment of eternalbeauty, and Eros to heal the wound which his arrow had inflicted uponhis heart and Daphne's, and bring them together after so much distressand need! When, after the lapse of another week, the bandage was again removed, his inmost soul rejoiced, for his eyes showed him the ripplingemerald-green surface of the Red Sea, and the outlines of the palms, thetents, the Amalekite woman, her boy, and her two long-eared goats. How ardently he thanked the gracious deities who, in spite of Straton'sprecepts, were no mere figments of human imagination and, as if hehad become a child again, poured forth his overflowing heart with mutegratitude to his mother's soul! The artist nature, yearning to create, began to stir within moreceaselessly than ever before. Already he saw clay and wax assuming formsbeneath his skilful hands; already he imagined himself, with fresh powerand delight, cutting majestic figures from blocks of marble, or, byhammering, carving, and filing, shaping them from gold and ivory. And he would not take what he intended to create solely from the worldof reality perceptible to the senses. Oh, no! He desired to show throughhis art the loftiest of ideals. How could he still shrink from using theliberty which he had formerly rejected, the liberty of drawing from hisown inner consciousness what he needed in order to bestow upon the idealimages he longed to create the grandeur, strength, and sublimity inwhich he beheld them rise before his purified soul! Yet, with all this, he must remain faithful to truth, copy from Naturewhat he desired to represent. Every finger, every lock of hair, mustcorrespond with reality to the minutest detail, and yet the whole mustbe pervaded and penetrated, as the blood flows through the body, by thethought that filled his mind and soul. A reflected image of the ideal and of his own mood, faithful to truth, free, and yet obedient to the demands of moderation--in this sentenceHermon summed up the result of his solitary meditations upon art andworks of art. Since he had found the gods again, he perceived that theMuse had confided to him a sacerdotal office. He intended to perform itsduties, and not only attract and please the beholder's eyes through hisworks, but elevate his heart and mind, as beauty, truth, grandeur, andeternity uplifted his own soul. He recognised in the tireless creativepower which keeps Nature ever new, fresh, and bewitching, the presenceof the same deity whose rule manifested itself in the life of his ownsoul. So long as he denied its existence, he had recognised no being morepowerful than himself; now that he again felt insignificant beside it, he knew himself to be stronger than ever before, that the greatestof all powers had become his ally. Now it was difficult for him tounderstand how he could have turned away from the deity. As an artisthe, too, was a creator, and, while he believed those who consideredthe universe had come into existence of itself, instead of having beencreated, he had robbed himself of the most sublime model. Besides, thegreatest charm of his noble profession was lost to him. Now he knew it, and was striving toward the goal attainable by the artist alone amongmortals--to hold intercourse with the deity, and by creations full ofits essence elevate the world to its grandeur and beauty. One day, at the end of the second month of his stay in the desert, when the Amalekite woman removed the bandage, her boy, whose form hedistinguished as if through a veil, suddenly exclaimed: "The white coveron your eyes is melting! They are beginning to sparkle a little, andsoon they will be perfectly well, and you can carve the lion's head onmy cane. " Perhaps the artist might really have succeeded in doing so, but heforbade himself the attempt. He thought that the time for departure had now arrived, and anirresistible longing urged him back to the world and Daphne. But he could not resist the entreaties of the old sheik and his daughternot to risk what he had gained, so he continued to use the shade ofleaves, and allowed himself to be persuaded to defer his departure untilthe dimness which still prevented his seeing anything distinctly passedaway. True, the beautiful peace which he had enjoyed of late was over and, besides, anxiety for the dear ones in distant lands was constantlyincreasing. He had had no news of them for a long time, and when heimagined what fate might have overtaken Archias, and his daughter withhim, if he had been carried back to the enraged King in Alexandria, aterrible dread took possession of him, which scattered even joy inhis wonderful recovery to the four winds, and finally led him to theresolution to return to the world at any risk and devote himself tothose whose fate was nearer to his heart than his own weal and woe. CHAPTER XIII. Hermon, filled with longing, went down toward evening to the shore. The sun was setting, and the riot of colours in the western horizonseemed like a mockery of the torturing anxiety which had mastered hissoul. He did not notice the boat that was approaching the land; manytravellers who intended to go through Arabia Petrea landed here, andfor several days--he knew why--there had been more stir in these quietwaters. Suddenly he was surprised by the ringing shout with which he hadformerly announced his approach to Myrtilus. Unconsciously agitated by joy, as if the sunset glow before him hadsuddenly been transformed into the dawn of a happy day, he answered by aloud cry glad with hope. Although his dim eyes did not yet permit him todistinguish who was standing erect in the boat, waving greetings to him, he thought he knew whom this exquisite evening was bringing. Soon his own name reached him. It was his "wise Bias" who shouted, andsoon, with a throbbing heart, he held out both hands to him. The freedman had performed his commission in the best possible manner, and was now no longer bound to silence by oath. Ledscha had left him and Myrtilus to themselves and, as Bias thoughthe had heard, had sailed with the Gaul Lutarius for Paraetonium, thefrontier city between the kingdom of Egypt and that of Cyrene. Myrtilus felt stronger than he had done for a long time, and had senthim back to the blind friend who would need him more than he did. But worthy Bias also brought messages from Archias and Daphne. They werewell, and his uncle now had scarcely any cause to fear pursuers. Before the landing of the boat, the shade had covered Hermon's eyes;but when, after the freedman's first timid question about his sight, heraised it again, at the same time reporting and showing what progresshe had already made toward recovery, the excess of joy overpoweredthe freedman, and sometimes laughing, sometimes weeping, he kissed theconvalescent's hands and simple robe. It was some time before he calmedhimself again, then laying his forefinger on the side of his nose, hesaid: "Therein the immortals differ from human beings. We sculptors canonly create good work with good tools, but the immortals often use thevery poorest of all to accomplish the best things. You owe your sight tothe hate of this old witch and mother of pirates, so may she find peacein the grave. She is dead. I heard it from a fellow-countryman whom Imet in Herocipolis. Her end came soon after our visit. " Then Bias related what he knew of Hermon's uncle, of Daphne, andMyrtilus. Two letters were to give him further particulars. They came from the woman he loved and from his friend, and as soon asBias had lighted the lamp in the tent, at the same time telling hismaster in advance many items of news they contained, he set about thedifficult task of reading. He had certainly scarcely become a master of this art on board theHydra, yet his slow performance did all honour to the patience of histeacher Myrtilus. He began with Daphne's letter, but by the desire of prudent Archias itcommunicated few facts. But the protestations of love and expressions oflonging which filled it pierced the freedman's soul so deeply that hisvoice more than once failed while reading them. Myrtilus's letter, on the contrary, gave a minute description of hismode of life, and informed his friend what he expected for him andhimself in the future. The contents of both relieved Hermon's sorelytroubled heart, made life with those who were dearest to him possible, and explained many things which the reports of the slave had notrendered perfectly clear. Archias had gone with Daphne to the island of Lesbos, his mother'snative city. The ships which conveyed travellers to Pergamus, whereMyrtilus was living, touched at this port, and Bias, to whom Hermon hadconfided the refuge of the father and daughter, had sought them there, and found them in a beautiful villa. After being released from his oath, Myrtilus had put himself intocommunication with his uncle, and just before Bias's departure themerchant had come to Pergamus with his daughter. As he had the mostcordial reception from the Regent Philetaerus, he seemed inclined tosettle permanently there. As for Myrtilus, he had cast anchor with Ledscha in the little Mysianseaport town of Pitane, near the mouth of the Caicus River, on which, farther inland, was the rapidly growing city of Pergamus. She had found a hospitable welcome in the family of a seafarer who wererelatives, while the Gaul continued his voyage to obtain informationabout his tribe in Syria. But he had already returned when Bias reachedPitane with the two talents intended for him. Myrtilus had availedhimself of Ledscha's permission long before and gone to Pergamus, wherehe had lived and worked in secrecy until, after the freedman's returnfrom Ledscha, who at once left Pitane with the Gaul, he was releasedfrom his oath. During the absence of Bias he had modelled a large relief, a triumphalprocession of Dionysus, and as the renown of his name had previouslyreached Pergamus, the artists and the most distinguished men in the cityflocked to his studio to admire the work of the famous Alexandrian. Soon Philetoerus, who had founded the Pergamenian kingdom seven yearsbefore, and governed it with great wisdom, came to Myrtilus. Like his nephew and heir Eumenes, he was a friend to art, and inducedthe laurel-crowned Alexandrian to execute the relief, modelled in clay, in marble for the Temple of Dionysus at Pergamus. The heir to the throne of Philetaerus, who was now advancing in years, was especially friendly to Myrtilus, and did everything in his power tobind him to Pergamus. He succeeded, for in the beautiful house, located in an extremelyhealthful site, which Eumenes had assigned for a residence and studio tothe Alexandrian artist, whose work he most ardently admired, and whom heregarded as the most welcome of guests, Myrtilus felt better physicallythan he had for years. Besides, he thought that, for many reasons, his friend would be less willing to settle in Alexandria, and that thepresence of his uncle and Daphne would attract him to Pergamus. Moreover, Hermon surely knew that if he came to him as a blind man hewould find a brother; if he came restored to sight, he would also find abrother, and likewise a fellow-artist with whom he could live and work. Myrtilus had told the heir to the throne of Pergamus of his richlygifted blind relative, and of the peculiarity of his art, and Eumeneseagerly endeavoured to induce his beloved guest to persuade his friendto remove to his capital, where there was no lack of distinguishedleeches. If Hermon remained blind, he would honour him; if he recovered hissight, he would give him large commissions. How deeply these letters moved the heart of the recovering man! Whatprospects they opened for his future life, for love, friendship, and, not least, for his art! If he could see--if he could only see again! This exclamation blendedwith everything he thought, felt, and uttered. Even in sleep it hauntedhim. To regain the clearness of vision he needed for his work, he wouldwillingly have submitted to the severest tortures. In Alexandria alone lived the great leeches who could complete the workwhich the salve of an ignorant old woman had begun. Thither he mustgo, though it cost him liberty and life. The most famous surgeon of theMuseum at the capital had refused his aid under other circumstances. Perhaps he would relent if Philippus, a friend of Erasistratus, smoothedthe way for him, and the old hero was now living very near. The ships, whose number on the sea at his feet was constantly increasing, wereattracted hither by the presence of the Egyptian King and Queen on theisthmus which connects Asia and Africa. The priest of Apollo at Clysma, and other distinguished Greeks whom he met there, had told him the daybefore yesterday, and on two former visits to the place, what wasgoing on in the world, and informed him how great an honour awaited theeastern frontier in these days. The appearance of their Majesties inperson must not only mean the founding of a city, the reception of avictorious naval commander, and the consecration of a restored temple, but also have still deeper causes. During the last few years severe physical suffering had brought theunfortunate second king of the house of Ptolemy to this place to seekthe aid of the ancient Egyptian gods, and, besides the philosophy, busyhimself with the mystic teachings and magic arts of their priesthood. Only a short period of life seemed allotted to the invalid ruler, andthe service of the time-honoured god of the dead, to whom he had erectedone of the most magnificent temples in the world at Alexandria, to whichEgyptians and Hellenes repaired with equal devotion, opened hopes forthe life after death which seemed to him worthy of examination. For this reason also he desired to secure the favour of the Egyptianpriesthood. For this purpose, for the execution of his wise and beneficentarrangements, as well as for the gratification of his expensive tastes, large sums of money were required; therefore he devoted himself withespecial zeal to enlarging the resources of his country, already so richby nature. In all these things he had found an admirable assistant in his sisterArsinoe. As the daughter of the father and mother to whom he himselfowed existence, he could claim for her unassailable legitimacy the samerecognition from the priesthood, and the same submission from the peoplerendered to his own person, whom the religion of the country commandedthem to revere as the representative of the sun god. As marriages between brothers and sisters had been customary fromancient times, and were sanctioned by religion and myth, he had marriedthe second Arsinoe, his sister, immediately after the banishment of thefirst Queen of this name. After the union with her, he called himself Philadelphus--brotherlylove--and honoured his sister and wife with the same name. True, this led the sarcastic Alexandrians to utter many a biting, moreor less witty jest, but he never had cause to regret his choice; inspite of her forty years, and more than one bloody deed which before hermarriage to him she had committed as Queen of Thrace and as a widow, thesecond Arsinoe was always a pattern of regally aristocratic, dignifiedbearing and haughty womanly beauty. Though the first Philadelphus could expect no descendants from her, hehad provided for securing them through her, for he had induced her toadopt the first Arsinoe's three children, who had been taken from theirexiled mother. Arsinoe was now accompanying her royal husband Philadelphus to theeastern frontier. There the latter expected to name the city to be newlyfounded "Arsinoe" for her, and-to show his esteem for the priesthood--toconsecrate in person the new Temple of Tum in the city of Pithom, nearHeroopolis. Lastly, the monarch had been endeavouring to form new connectionswith the coast countries of eastern Africa, and open them to Egyptiancommerce. Admiral Eumedes, the oldest son of Philippus and Thyone, had succeededin doing this most admirably, for the distinguished commander had notonly founded on the Ethiopian shore of the Red Sea a city which he namedfor the King "Ptolemais, " but also won over the princes and tribes ofthat region to Egypt. He was now returning from Ethiopia with a wealth of treasures. After the brilliant festivals the invalid King, with his new wife, wasto give himself up to complete rest for a month in the healthful air ofthe desert region which surrounded Pithom, far from the tumult of thecapital and the exhausting duties of government. The magnificent shows which were to be expected, and the presence of theroyal pair, had attracted thousands of spectators on foot or horseback, and by water, and the morning after Bias's return the sea near Clysmawas swarming with vessels of all kinds and sizes. It was more than probable that Philippus, the father, and Thyone, themother of the famous returning Admiral Eumedes, would not fail to bepresent at his reception on his native soil, and therefore Hermon wishedto seek out his dear old friends in Heroopolis, where the greeting wasto take place, and obtain their advice. The boat on which the freedman had come was at the disposal of hismaster and himself. Before Hermon entered it, he took leave, with anagitated heart and open hand, of his Amalekite friends and, in spiteof the mist which still obscured everything he beheld, he perceived howreluctantly the simple dwellers in the wilderness saw him depart. When the master and servant entered the boat, in spite of the sturdysailors who manned it, it proved even more difficult than they hadfeared to make any progress; for the whole narrow end of the arm of thesea, which here extended between Egypt and Arabia Petrea, was coveredwith war galleys and transports, boats and skiffs. The two mostmagnificent state galleys from Heroopolis were coming here, bearing theambassadors who, in the King's name, were to receive the fleet and itscommander. Other large and small, richly equipped, or unpretending shipsand boats were filled with curious spectators. What a gay, animated scene! What brilliant, varied, strange, hithertounseen objects were gathered here: vessels of every form and size, sailswhite, brown, and black, and on the state galleys and boats purple, blue, and every colour, adorned with more or less costly embroidery!What rising and falling of swiftly or slowly moving oars! "From Alexandria!" cried Bias, pointing to a state galley which the Kingwas sending to the commander of the southern fleet. "And there, " remarked Hermon, proud of his regained power ofdistinguishing one thing from another, and letting his eyes rest onone of the returning transports, on whose deck stood six huge Africanelephants, whose trumpeting mingled with the roaring of the lions andtigers on the huge freight vessels, and the exulting shouts of the menand women in the ships and boats. "After the King's heart!" exclaimed Bias. "He probably never received atone time before so large an accession to his collection of rare animals. What is the transport with the huge lotus flower on the prow probablybringing?" "Oh, and the monkeys and parrots over yonder!" joyously exclaimed theAmalekite boy who had been Hermon's guide, and had accompanied himinto the boat. Then he suddenly lowered his voice and, fearing that hisdelight might give pain to the less keen-sighted man whom he loved, heasked, "You can see them, my lord, can't you?" "Certainly, my boy, though less plainly than you do, " replied Hermon, stroking the lad's dark hair. Meanwhile the admiral's ship had approached the shore. Bias pointed to the poop, where the commander Eumedes was standingdirecting the course of the fleet. As if moulded in bronze, a man thoroughly equal to his office, heseemed, in spite of the shouts, greetings, and acclamations thunderingaround him, to close his eyes and ears to the vessels thronging abouthis ship and devote himself body and soul to the fulfilment of his duty. He had just embraced his father and mother, who had come here to meethim. "The King undoubtedly sent by his father the laurel wreath on hishelmet, " observed Bias, pointing to the admiral. "So many honourswhile he is still so young! When you went to the wrestling school inAlexandria, Eumedes was scarcely eight years older than you, and Iremember how he preferred you to the others. A sign, and he will noticeus and allow you to go on his ship, or, at any rate, send us a boat inwhich we can enter the canal. " "No, no, " replied Hermon. "My call would disturb him now. " "Then let us make ourselves known to the Lady Thyone or her husband, "the freedman continued. "They will certainly take us on their largestate galley, from which, though your eyes do not yet see as far as afalcon's, not a ship, not a man, not a movement will escape them. " But Hermon added one more surprise to the many which he had alreadygiven, for he kindly declined Bias's well-meant counsel, and, restinghis hand on the Amalekite boy's shoulder, said modestly: "I am no longerthe Hermon whom Eumedes preferred to the others. And the Lady Thyonemust not be reminded of anything sad in this festal hour for themother's heart. I shall meet her to-morrow, or the day after, and yet Ihad intended to let no one who is loyal to me look into my healing eyesbefore Daphne. " Then he felt the freedman's hand secretly press his, and it comfortedhim, after the sorrowful thoughts to which he had yielded, amid theshouts of joy ringing around him. How quietly, with what calm dignity, Eumedes received the well-merited homage, and how disgracefully thefalse fame had bewildered his own senses! Yet he had not passed through the purifying fire of misfortune in vain!The past should not cloud the glad anticipation of brighter days! Drawing a long breath, he straightened himself into a more erectposture, and ordered the men to push the boat from the shore. Then hepressed a farewell kiss on the Amalekite boy's forehead, the lad sprangashore, and the journey northward began. At first the sailors feared that the crowd would be too great, and theboat would be refused admission to the canal; but the helmsman succeededin keeping close behind a vessel of medium size, and the Macedonianguards of the channel put no obstacle in their countryman's way, whileboats occupied by Egyptians and other barbarians were kept back. In the Bitter Lakes, whose entire length was to be traversed, the shipshad more room, and after a long voyage through dazzling sunlight, andalong desolate shores, the boat anchored at nightfall at Heroopolis. Hermon and Bias obtained shelter on one of the ships which the sovereignhad placed at the disposal of the Greeks who came to participate in thefestivals to be celebrated. Before his master went to rest, the freedman--whom he had sent out tolook for a vessel bound to Pelusium and Alexandria the next day or thefollowing one--returned to the ship. He had talked with the Lady Thyone, and told Hermon from her that shewould visit or send for him the next day, after the festival. His own mother, the freedman protested, could not have rejoiced morewarmly over the commencement of his recovery, and she would have comewith him at once had not Philippus prevented his aged wife, who wasexhausted by the long journey. The next morning the sun poured a wealth of radiant light upon thedesert, the green water of the harbour, and the gray and yellow walls ofthe border fortress. Three worlds held out their hands to one another on this water waysurrounded by the barren wilderness--Egypt, Hellas, and Semitic Asia. To the first belonged the processions of priests, who, with images ofthe gods, consecrated vessels, and caskets of relics, took their placesat the edge of the harbour. The tawny and black, half-naked soldierswho, with high shields, lances, battle-axes and bows, gathered aroundstrangely shaped standards, joined them, amid the beating of drums andblare of trumpets, as if for their protection. Behind them surged a vastmultitude of Egyptians and dark-skinned Africans. On the other side of the canal the Asiatics were moving to and fro. The best places for spectators had been assigned to the petty kings andprinces of tribes, Phoenician and Syrian merchants, and well-equipped, richly armed warriors. Among them thronged owners of herds and seafarersfrom the coast. Until the reception began, fresh parties of bearded sonsof the desert, in floating white bernouse, mounted on noble steeds, wereconstantly joining the other Asiatics. The centre was occupied by the Greeks. The appearance of everyindividual showed that they were rulers of the land, and that theydeserved to be. How free and bold was their bearing! how brightly andjoyously sparkled the eyes of these men, whose wreaths of green leavesand bright-hued flowers adorned locks anointed for the festivals! Strongand slender, they were conspicuous in their stately grace among thelean Egyptians, unbridled in their jests and jeers, and the excitableAsiatics. Now the blare of trumpets and the roll of drums shook the air likeechoing lightning and heavy peals of thunder; the Egyptian priests sanga hymn of praise to the God King and Goddess Queen, and the aristocraticpriestesses of the deity tinkled the brass rings on the sistrum. Then achorus of Hellenic singers began a polyphonous hymn, and amid its full, melodious notes, which rose above the enthusiastic shouts of "Hail!"from the multitude, King Ptolemy and his sister-wife showed themselvesto the waiting throng. Seated on golden thrones borne on the broadshoulders of gigantic black Ethiopians, and shaded by lofty canopies, both were raised above the crowd, whom they saluted by graciousgestures. The athletic young bearers of the large round ostrich-feather fans whichprotected them from the sunbeams were followed in ranks by the monarch's"relatives" and "friends, " the dignitaries, the dark and fair-hairedbands of the guards of Grecian youths and boys, as well as divisions ofthe picked corps of the Hetairoi, Diadochi, and Epigoni, in beautifulplain Macedonian armour. They were followed in the most informal manner by scholars from theMuseum, many Hellenic artists, and wealthy gentlemen of Alexandria ofGreek and Jewish origin, whom the King had invited to the festival. In his train they went on board the huge galley on which the receptionwas to take place. Scarcely had the last one stepped on the deck when itbegan. Eumedes came from the admiral's galley to the King's. Ptolemy embracedhim like a friend, and Arsinoe added a wreath of fresh roses to thelaurel crown which the sovereign had sent the day before. At the same time thundering plaudits echoed from the walls of thefortifications and broke, sometimes rising, sometimes falling, againstthe ships and masts in the calm water of the harbour. The King had little time to lose. Even festal joy must move swiftly. There were many and varied things to be seen and done; but in the courseof an hour--so ran the order--this portion of the festivities must beover, and it was fully obeyed. The hands and feet of the woolly-headed blacks who, amid loudacclamations, carried on shore the cages in which lions, panthers, andleopards shook the bars with savage fury, moved as if they were winged. The slender, dark-brown Ethiopians who led giraffes, apes, gazelles, andgreyhounds past the royal pair rushed along as if they were under thelash; and the sixty elephants which Eumedes and his men had caught inthe land of Chatyth moved at a rapid pace past the royal state galley. At the sight of them the King joined in the cheers of thousands ofvoices on the shore; these giant animals were to him auxiliarieswho could put to flight a whole corps of hostile cavalry, andArsinoe-Philadelphus, the Queen, sympathized with his pleasure. She raised her voice with her royal husband, and it seemed to thespectators on the shore as if they had a share in the narrative when shelistened to Eumedes's first brief report. Only specimens of the gold and ivory, spices and rare woods, junipertrees and skins of animals which the ships brought home could be bornepast their Majesties, and the black and brown men who carried them movedat a breathless rate. The sun was still far from the meridian when the royal couple and theirtrain withdrew from the scene of the reception ceremonial, and drove, ina magnificent chariot drawn by four horses, to the neighbouring cityof Pithoin, where new entertainments and a long period of rest awaitedthem. Hermon had seen, as if through a veil of white mists, the objectsthat aroused the enthusiasm of the throng, and so, he said to himself, it had been during the whole course of his life. Only the surface of thephenomena on which he fixed his eyes had been visible to him; he hadnot learned to penetrate further into their nature, fathom them to theirdepths, until he became blind. If the gods fulfilled his hope, if he regained his vision entirely, andeven the last mists had vanished, he would hold firmly to the capacityhe had gained, and use it in life as well as in art. CHAPTER XIV. The messenger from Philippus appeared in the afternoon. It was the younghipparch who had studied in Athens and accompanied the commandant ofPelusium to Tennis the year before. He came charged with the commissionto convey the artist, in the carriage of the gray-haired comrade ofAlexander, to the neighbouring city of Pithom, where Philippus, by theKing's command, was now residing. On the way the hipparch told the sculptor that the Lady Thyone hadrecently done things unprecedented for a woman of her age. She had been present at the founding of the city of Arsinoe, as wellas at the laying of the corner stone of the temple which was to beconsecrated to the new god Serapis in the neighbourhood. The day beforeshe had welcomed her returning son before the entry of the fleet intothe canal, and to-day had remained from the beginning to the end of hisreception by the King, without being unduly wearied. Her first thought, after the close of the ceremony, had concernedher convalescing young friend. New entertainments, in which the Queencommanded her to participate, awaited her in Pithom, but pleasure at thereturn of her famous son appeared to double her power of endurance. Pithom was the sacred name of the temple precincts of the desert city ofThekut--[The biblical Suchot]--near Heroopolis, where the citizens livedand pursued their business. The travellers reached the place very speedily. Garlands of flowers andhangings adorned the houses. The sacred precinct Pithom, above whichtowered the magnificently restored temple of the god Turn, was alsostill adorned with many superb ones, as well as lofty masts, banners, and triumphal arches. Before they reached it the equipage passed the sumptuous tents which hadbeen erected for the royal pair and their attendants. If Hermon hadnot known how long the monarch intended to remain here, their size andnumber would have surprised him. A regular messenger and carrier-dove service had been establishedbetween Alexandria and Pithom for the period of Ptolemy's relaxation;and the sovereign was accompanied not only by several of the chiefcouncillors and secretaries, but artists and some of the Museumscientists with whom he was on specially intimate terms, who were toadorn the festival on the frontier with their presence, and cheer theinvalid King, who needed entertainment. Singers and actors also belongedto the train. As they passed the encampment of the troops who accompanied thesovereign, the hipparch could show Hermon a magnificent militaryspectacle. Heroopolis was fortified, and belonged to the military colonies whichAlexander the Great had established throughout all Egypt in order to winit over more quickly to Grecian customs. A Hellenic phalanx and Libyanmercenaries formed the garrison there, but at Pithom the King hadgathered the flower of his troops around him, and this circumstanceshowed how little serious consideration the cautious ruler, who usuallycarefully regarded every detail, gave to the war with Cyrene, in whichhe took no personal part. The four thousand Gauls whom he had sentacross the frontier as auxiliary troops promised to become perilous tothe foe, who was also threatened in the rear by one of the most powerfulLibyan tribes. Therefore, the artist was assured by his military companion, Philadelphus could let the campaign take its course, and permit himselfthe brief period of rest in this strangely chosen place, which theleeches had advised. The house where the aged couple lived with their son, Admiral Eumedes, was on the edge of the precincts of the temple. It belonged to themost distinguished merchant in the place, and consisted of a large opencourtyard in the form of a square, surrounded by the building and itscommunicating wings. When the hipparch led Hermon into this place a number of people hadalready assembled there. Soldiers and sailors stood in groups in thecentre, awaiting the orders of the old general and his subordinateofficers. Messengers and slaves, coming and going on various errands, were crossing it, and on the shady side benches and chairs stood undera light awning. Most of these were occupied by visitors who came tocongratulate the mother of the fame-crowned admiral. Thyone was reclining on a divan in their midst, submitting with a sighto the social duties which her high position imposed upon her. Her face was turned toward the large doorway of the main entrance, whileshe sometimes greeted newly introduced guests, sometimes bade farewellto departing ones, and meanwhile answered and asked questions. She had been more wearied by the exertions of the last few days than heranimated manner revealed. Yet as soon as Hermon, leaning on the younghipparch's arm, approached her, she rose and cordially extended bothhands to him. True, the recovering man was still unable to see herfeatures distinctly, but he felt the maternal kindness with which shereceived him, and what his eyes could not distinguish his ears taughthim in her warm greetings. His heart dilated and, after he had kissedher dear old hand more than once with affectionate devotion, she ledhim among her guests and presented him to them as the son of her dearestfriend. A strange stir ran through the assembled group, nearly all whose membersbelonged to the King's train, and the low whispers and murmurs aroundhim revealed to Hermon that the false wreaths he wore had by no meansbeen forgotten in this circle. A painful feeling of discomfort overwhelmed the man accustomed to thesilence of the desert, and a voice within cried with earnest insistence, "Away from here!" But he had no time to obey it; an unusually tall, broad-shouldered man, with a thick gray beard and grave, well-formed features, in whom hethought he recognised the great physician Erasistratus, approachedThyone, and asked, "The recluse from the desert with restored sight?" "The same, " replied the matron, and whispered to the other, who wasreally the famous scientist and leech whom Hermon had desired to seekin Alexandria. "Exhaustion will soon overcome me, and how many importantmatters I had to discuss with you and the poor fellow yonder!" The physician laid his hand on the matron's temples, and, raising hisvoice, said in a tone of grave anxiety: "Exhaustion! It would be betterfor you, honoured lady, to keep your bed. " "Surely and certainly!" the wife of the chief huntsman instantlyassented. "We have already taxed your strength far too long, my noblefriend. " This welcome confession produced a wonderful effect upon the othervisitors, and very soon the last one had vanished from the space underthe awning and the courtyard. Not a single person had vouchsafed Hermona greeting; for the artist, divested of the highest esteem, hadbeen involved in the ugly suspicion of having driven his uncle fromAlexandria, and the monarch was said to have spoken unfavourably of him. When the last one had left the courtyard, the leech exchanged a quickglance of understanding, which also included Hermon, with Thyone, and the majordomo received orders to admit no more visitors, whileErasistratus exclaimed gaily, "It is one of the physician's principalduties to keep all harmful things--including living ones--from hispatient. " Then he turned to Hermon and had already begun to question him abouthis health, when the majordomo announced another visitor. "A verydistinguished gentleman, apparently, " he said hastily; "Herophilus ofChalcedon, who would not be denied admittance. " Again the eyes of Erasistratus and the matron met, and the formerhastened toward his professional colleague. The two physicians stopped in the middle of the courtyard and talkedeagerly together, while Thyone, with cordial interest, asked Hermon totell her what she had already partially learned through the freedmanBias. Finally Erasistratus persuaded the matron, who seemed to haveforgotten her previous exhaustion, to share the consultation, but theconvalescent's heart throbbed faster as he watched the famous leeches. If these two men took charge of his case, the most ardent desire of hissoul might be fulfilled, and Thyone was certainly trying to induce themto undertake his treatment; what else would have drawn her away from himbefore she had said even one word about Daphne? The sculptor saw, as if through a cloud of dust, the three consultingtogether in the centre of the courtyard, away from the soldiers andmessengers. Hermon had only seen Erasistratus indistinctly, but before his eyes wereblinded he had met him beside the sick-bed of Myrtilus, and no one whohad once beheld it could forget the manly bearded face, with the grave, thoughtful eyes, whose gaze deliberately sought their goal. The other also belonged to the great men in the realm of intellect. Hermon knew him well, for he had listened eagerly in the Museum to thelectures of the famous Herophilus, and his image also had stamped itselfupon his soul. Even at that time the long, smooth hair of the famous investigator hadturned gray. From the oval of his closely shaven, well-formed face, withthe long, thin, slightly hooked nose, a pair of sparkling eyes hadgazed with penetrating keenness at the listeners. Hermon had imaginedAristotle like him, while the bust of Pythagoras, with which he wasfamiliar, resembled Erasistratus. The convalescent could scarcely expect anything more than beneficialadvice from Herophilus; for this tireless investigator rarely renderedassistance to the sick in the city, because the lion's share of his timeand strength were devoted to difficult researches. The King favouredthese by placing at his disposal the criminals sentenced to death. Inhis work of dissection he had found that the human brain was the seat ofthe soul, and the nerves originated in it. Erasistratus, on the contrary, devoted himself to a large medicalpractice, though science owed him no less important discoveries. The circle of artists had heard what he taught concerning the bloodin the veins and the air bubbles in the arteries, how he explained theprocess of breathing, and what he had found in the investigation of thebeating of the heart. But he performed his most wonderful work with the knife in his hand as asurgeon. He had opened the body of one of Archias's slaves, who had beennursed by Daphne, and cured him after all other physicians had given himup. When this man's voice reached Hermon, he repeated to himself the wordsof refusal with which the great physician had formerly declined todevote his time and skill to him. Perhaps he was right then--and howdifferently he treated him to-day! Thyone had informed the famous scientist of everything which she knewfrom Hermon, and had learned of the last period of his life throughBias. She now listened with eager interest, sometimes completing Hermon'sacknowledgments by an explanatory or propitiating word, as the leechessubjected him to a rigid examination, but the latter felt that hisstatements were not to serve curiosity, but an honest desire to aid him. So he spoke to them with absolute frankness. When the examination was over, Erasistratus exclaimed to hisprofessional colleague: "This old woman! Precisely as I would haveprescribed. She ordered the strictest diet with the treatment. Sherejected every strong internal remedy, and forbade him wine, much meat, and all kinds of seasoning. Our patient was directed to live on milk andthe same simple gifts of Nature which I would have ordered for him. Theherb juice in the clever sorceress's salve proved the best remedy. Theincantations could do no harm. On the contrary, they often produce awonderful effect on the mind, and from it proceed further. " Here Erasistratus asked to have a description of the troubles whichstill affected Hermon's vision, and the passionate eagerness with whichthe leeches gazed into his eyes strengthened the artist's budding hope. Never had he wished more ardently that Daphne was back at his side. He also listened with keen attention when the scientists finallydiscussed in low tones what they had perceived, and caught the words, "White scar on the cornea, " "leucoma, " and "operation. " He also heardHerophilus declare that an injury of the cornea by the flame of thetorch was the cause of the blindness. In the work which led him to thediscovery of the retina in the eye he had devoted himself sedulously tothe organs of sight. This case seemed as if it had been created for hisfriend's keen knife. What expectations this assurance aroused in the half-cured man, who feltas if the goal was already gained, when, shortly after, Erasistratus, the greatest physician of his time, offered to make the attempt inAlexandria to remove, by a few little incisions, what still dimmed hisimpaired vision! Hermon, deeply agitated, thanked the leech, and when Thyone perceivedwhat was passing in his mind she ventured to ask the question whetherit would not be feasible to perform the beneficent work here, and, ifpossible, the next day, and the surgeon was ready to fulfil the wishof the matron and the sufferer speedily. He would bring the necessaryinstruments with him. It only depended upon whether a suitable roomcould be found in the crowded city, and Thyone believed that such a onecould not be lacking in the great building at her disposal. A short conversation with the steward confirmed this opinion. Then Erasistratus appointed the next morning for the operation. Duringthe ceremony of consecrating the temple it would be quiet in the houseand its vicinity. The preliminary fasting which he imposed upon hispatients Hermon had already undergone. "The pure desert air here, " he added, "will be of the utmost assistancein recovery. The operation is slight, and free from danger. A few dayswill determine its success. I shall remain here with their Majesties, only"--and here he hesitated doubtfully--"where shall I find a competentassistant?" Herophilus looked his colleague in the face with a sly smile, saying, "If you credit the old man of Chalcedon with the needful skill, he is atyour disposal. " "Herophilus!" cried Thyone, and tears of emotion wet her aged eyes, which easily overflowed; but when Hermon tried to give expression to hisfervent gratitude in words, Erasistratus interrupted him, exclaiming, as he grasped his comrade's hand, "It honours the general in his purplerobe, when he uses the spade in the work of intrenchment. " Many other matters were discussed before the professional friendswithdrew, promising to go to work early the next morning. They kept their word, and while the temple of the god Turn resoundedwith music and the chanting of hymns by the priests, whose dying notesentered the windows of the sick-room, while Queen Arsinoe-Philadelphusled the procession, and the King, who was prevented by the gout fromentering and passing around the sanctuary at her side, ordered amonument to be erected in commemoration of this festival, the famousleeches toiled busily. When the music and the acclamations of the crowd died away, theirtask was accomplished. The great Herophilus had rendered his equallydistinguished colleague the aid of an apprentice. When Hermon's lipsagain tried to pour forth his gratitude, Herophilus interrupted himwith the exclamation: "Use the sight you have regained, young master, increating superb works of art, and I shall be in your debt, since, withlittle trouble, I was permitted to render a service to the whole Grecianworld. " Hermon spent seven long days and nights full of anxious expectation ina darkened room. Bias and a careful old female slave of the Lady Thyonewatched him faithfully. Philippus, his wife, and his famous son Eumedeswere allowed to pay him only brief visits; but Erasistratus watched thesuccess of the operation every morning. True, it had been by no meansdangerous, and certainly would not have required his frequent visits, but it pleased the investigator, reared in the school of Stoics, towatch how this warm-blooded young artist voluntarily submitted tolive in accord with reason and Nature--the guiding stars of his ownexistence. But Hermon opened his soul to his learned friend, and what Erasistratusthus learned strengthened the conviction of this great alleviatorof physical pain that suffering and knowledge of self were the bestphysicians for the human soul. The scientist, who saw in the artsthe noblest ornament of mortal life, anticipated with eager interestHermon's future creative work. On the seventh day the leech removed the bandage from his patient'seyes, and the cry of rapture with which Hermon clasped him in his armsrichly rewarded him for his trouble and solicitude. The restored man beheld in sharp, clear, undimmed outlines everything atwhich the physician desired him to look. Now Erasistratus could write to his friend Herophilus in Alexandria thatthe operation was successful. The sculptor was ordered to avoid the dazzling sunlight a fortnightlonger, then he might once more use his eyes without restriction, andappeal to the Muse to help in creating works of art. Thyone was present at this explanation. After she had conquered thegreat emotion which for a time sealed her lips, her first question, after the physician's departure, was: "And Nemesis? She too, I think, has fled before the new light?" Hermon pressed her hand still more warmly, exclaiming with joyousconfidence: "No, Thyone! True, I now have little reason to fear theavenging goddess who pursues the criminal, but all the more the otherNemesis, who limits the excess of happiness. Will she not turn her swiftwheel, when I again, with clear eyes, see Daphne, and am permitted towork in my studio once more with keen eyes and steady hand?" Now the barriers which had hitherto restricted Hermon's socialintercourse also fell. Eumedes, the commander of the fleet, oftenvisited him, and while exchanging tales of their experiences they becamefriends. When Hermon was alone with Thyone and her gray-haired husband, theconversation frequently turned upon Daphne and her father. Then the recovered artist learned to whom Archias owed his escape frombeing sentenced to death and having his property confiscated. Papers, undeniably genuine, had proved what large sums had been advanced by themerchant during the period of the first Queen Arsinoe's conspiracy, and envious foes had done their best to prejudice the King and hissister-wife against Archias. Then the gray-haired hero fearlesslyinterceded for his friend, and the monarch did not remain deaf to hisrepresentations. King Ptolemy was writing the history of the conquerorof the world, and needed the aged comrade of Alexander, the solesurvivor who had held a prominent position in the great Macedonian'scampaigns. It might be detrimental to his work, on which he set greatvalue, if he angered the old warrior, who was a living source ofhistory. Yet the King was still ill-disposed to the merchant, for whilehe destroyed Archias's death sentence which had been laid before him forhis signature, he said to Philippus: "The money-bag whose life I giveyou was the friend of my foe. Let him beware that my arm does not yetreach him from afar!" Nay, his resentment went so far that he refused to receive Hermon, whenEumedes begged permission to present the artist whose sight had been sowonderfully restored. "To me he is still the unjustly crowned conspirator, " Philadelphusreplied. "Let him create the remarkable work which I formerly expectedfrom him, and perhaps I shall have a somewhat better opinion of him, deem him more worthy of our favour. " Under these circumstances it was advisable for Archias and Daphne toremain absent from Alexandria, and the experienced couple could onlyapprove Hermon's decision to go to Pergamus as soon as Erasistratusdismissed him. A letter from Daphne, which reached Thyone's hands atthis time, increased the convalescent's already ardent yearning tothe highest pitch. The girl entreated her maternal friend to tell herfrankly the condition of her lover's health. If he had recovered, hewould know how to find her speedily; if the blindness was incurable, she would come herself to help him bear the burden of his darkenedexistence. Chrysilla would accompany her, but she could leave her fatheralone in Pergamus a few months without anxiety, for he had a secondson there in his nephew Myrtilus, and had found a kind friend inPhiletaerus, the ruler of the country. From this time Hermon daily urged Erasistratus to grant him entireliberty, but the leech steadfastly refused, though he knew whither hisyoung friend longed to go. Not until the beginning of the fourth week after the operation didhe himself lead Hermon into the full sunlight, and when the recoveredartist came out of the house he raised his hands in mute prayer, gushingfrom the inmost depths of his heart. The King was to return to Alexandria in a few days, and at the sametime Philippus and Thyone were going back to Pelusium. Hermon wished toaccompany them there and sail thence on a ship bound for Pergamus. With Eumedes he visited the unfamiliar scenes around him, and his newlyrestored gift of sight presented to him here many things that formerlyhe would scarcely have noticed, but which now filled him with gratefuljoy. Gratitude, intense gratitude, had taken possession of his wholebeing. This feeling mastered him completely and seemed to be fosteredand strengthened by every breath, every heart throb, every glance intohis own soul and the future. Besides, many beauties, nay, even many marvels, presented themselves tohis restored eyes. The whole wealth of the magic of beauty, intellect, and pleasure in life, characteristic of the Greek nature, appearedto have followed King Ptolemy and Queen Arsinoe-Philadelphus hither. Gardens had been created on the arid, sandy soil, whose gray and yellowsurface extended in every direction, the water on the shore of the canalwhich united Pithom with the Nile not sufficing to render it possibleto make even a narrow strip of arable land. Fresh water flowed frombeautiful fountains adorned with rich carvings, and the pure fluidfilled large porphyry and marble basins. Statues, single and in groups, stood forth in harmonious arrangement against green masses of leafage, and Grecian temples, halls, and even a theatre, rapidly constructed inthe noblest forms from light material, invited the people to devotion, to the enjoyment of the most exquisite music, and to witness the perfectperformance of many a tragedy and comedy. Statues surrounded the hurriedly erected palaestra where the Ephebievery morning practised their nude, anointed bodies in racing, wrestling, and throwing the discus. What a delight it was to Hermon tofeast his eyes upon these spectacles! What a stimulus to the artist, solong absorbed in his own thoughts, who had so recently returned fromthe wilderness to the world of active life, when he was permitted, inErasistratus's tent, to listen to the great scholars who had accompaniedthe King to the desert! Only the regret that Daphne was not present toshare his pleasure clouded Hermon's enjoyment, when Eumedes relatedto his parents, himself, and a few chosen friends the adventuresencountered, and the experiences gathered in distant Ethiopia, on landand water, in battle and the chase, as investigator and commander. The utmost degree of variety had entered into the simplicity of themonotonous desert, the most refined abundance for the intellect and theneed of beauty appeared amid its barrenness. The poet Callimachus had just arrived with a new chorus of singers, tablets by Antiphilus and Nicias had come to beautify the last days ofthe residence in the desert--when doves, the birds of Aphrodite, flewwith the speed of lightning into Pithom, but instead of bringing a newmessage of love and announcing the approach of fresh pleasure, they boreterrible tidings which put joy to flight and stifled mirthfulness. The unbridled greed of rude barbarians had chosen Alexandria for itsgoal, and startled the royal pair and their chosen companions from thesea of pleasure where they would probably have remained for weeks. The four thousand Gauls who had been obtained to fight against Cyrenewere in the act of rushing rapaciously upon the richest city in theworld. The most terrible danger hung like a black cloud over the capitalfounded by Alexander, whose growth had been so rapid. True, GeneralSatvrus asserted that he was strong enough, with the troops at hisdisposal, to defeat the formidable hordes; but a second dove, sentby the epitropus who had remained in Alexandria, alluded to seriousdisaster which it would scarcely be possible to avert. The doves now flew swiftly to and fro; but before the third arrived, Eumedes, the commander of the fleet just from Ethiopia, was already onthe way to Alexandria with all the troops assembled on the frontier. The King and Queen, with the corps of pages and the corps of youths, entered the boats waiting for them to return, drawn by teams of fourswift horses, to Memphis, to await within the impregnable fortress ofthe White Castle the restoration of security in the capital. The Greeks prized the most valiant fearlessness so highly that no shadowcould be suffered to rest upon the King's, and therefore the monarch'shurried departure was made in a way which permitted no thought offlight, and merely resembled impatient yearning for new festivals andthe earnest desire to fulfil grave duties in another portion of thekingdom. Many of the companions of the royal pair, among them Erasistratus, accompanied them. Hermon bade him farewell with a troubled heart, andthe leech, too, parted with regret from the artist to whom, a yearbefore, he had refused his aid. CHAPTER XV. Hermon went, with Philippus and Thyone, on board the ship which was toconvey them through the new canal to Pelusium, where the old commandanthad to plan all sorts of measures. In the border fortress the artistwas again obliged to exercise patience, for no ship bound to Pergamus orLesbos could be found in the harbour. Philippus had as much work ashe could do, but all his arrangements were made when carrier dovesannounced that the surprise intended by the Gauls had been completelythwarted, and his son Eumedes was empowered to punish them. The admiral would take his fleet to the Sebennytic mouth of the Nile. Another dove came from King Ptolemy, and summoned the old general atonce to the capital. Philippus resolved to set off without delay and, asthe way led past that mouth of the Nile, met his son on the voyage. Hermon must accompany him and his wife to Alexandria, whence, withoutentering the city, he could sail for Pergamus; ships bound to all theports in the Mediterranean were always in one of the harbours of thecapital. A galley ready to weigh anchor was constantly at the disposalof the commandant of the fortress, and the next noon the noble pair, with Hermon and his faithful Bias, went on board the Galatea. The weather was dull, and gray clouds were sweeping across the sky overthe swift vessel, which hugged the coast, and, unless the wind shifted, would reach the narrow tongue of land pierced by the Sebennytic mouth ofthe Nile before sunrise. Though the general and his wife went to rest early, Hermon could notendure the close air of the cabin. Wrapped in his cloak he went on deck. The moon, almost full, was sailing in the sky, sometimes covered by darkclouds, sometimes leaving them behind. Like a swan emerging from theshadow of the thickets along the shore upon the pure bosom of thelake, it finally floated into the deep azure of the radiant firmament. Hermon's heart swelled. How he rejoiced that he was again permitted to behold the starry sky, and satiate his soul with the beauty of creation! What delight it gavehim that the eternal wanderers above were no longer soulless forms, that he again saw in the pure silver disk above friendly Selene, in therolling salt waves the kingdom of Poseidon! To-morrow, when the deepblue water was calm, he would greet the sea-god Glaucus, and when snowyfoam crowned the crests of the waves, white-armed Thetis. The wind wasno longer an empty sound to him; no, it, too, came from a deity. AllNature had regained a new, divine life. Doubtless he felt much nearer tohis childhood than before, but he was infinitely less distant from theeternal divinity. And all the forms, so full of meaning, which appearedto him from Nature, and from every powerful emotion of his own soul, were waiting to be represented by his art in the noblest of forms, thoseof human beings. There were few with whose nature he had not becomefamiliar in the darkness and solitude that once surrounded him. When he began to create again, he had only to summon them, and heawaited, with the suspense of the general who is in command of newtroops on the eve of battle, the success of his own work after the greattransformation which had taken place in him. What a stress and tumult! He had controlled it since the first hour when he regained his fullvision. He would fain have transformed the moon into the sun, the shipinto the studio, and begun to model. He knew, too, what he desired to create. He would model an Apollo trampling under foot the slain dragon ofdarkness. He would succeed in this work now. And as he looked up and saw Selenejust emerging again from the black cloud island, the thought entered hismind that it was a moonlight night like this when all the unspeakablyterrible misfortune occurred--which was now past. Yet neither the calm wanderer above nor a resentful woman had exposedhim to the persecution of Nemesis. In the stillness of the desert he hadperceived what had brought all this terrible suffering upon him; buthe would not repeat it to himself now, for he felt within his soul thepower to remain faithful to his best self in the future. With clear eyes he gazed keenly and blithely at the new life. Nothing, least of all, futile self-torturing regret for faults committed, shouldcloud the fair morning dawning anew for him, which summoned him toactive work, to gratitude and love. Uttering a sigh of relief, he paced the deck--now brilliantlyilluminated by silvery light--with long strides. The moon above his head reminded him of Ledscha. He was no longer angrywith her. The means by which she had intended to destroy him had beentransformed into a benefit, and while in the desert he had perceivedhow often man finally blesses, as the highest gain, what he at firstregarded as the most cruel affliction. How distinctly the image of the Biamite again stood before his agitatedsoul! Had he not loved her once? Or how had it happened that, though his heart was Daphne's, and hersalone, he had felt wounded and insulted when his Bias, who was leaningover the railing of the deck yonder, gazing at the glittering waves, hadinformed him that Ledscha had been accompanied in her flight from herunloved husband by the Gaul whose life he, Hermon, had saved? Was thisdue to jealousy or merely wounded vanity at being supplanted in a heartwhich he firmly believed belonged, though only in bitter hate, solely tohim? She certainly had not forgotten him, and while the remembrance of herblended with the yearning for Daphne which never left him, he sat downand gazed out into the darkness till his head drooped on his breast. Then a dream showed the Biamite to the slumbering man, yet no longer inthe guise of a woman, but as the spider Arachne. She increased beforehis eyes to an enormous size and alighted upon the pharos erected bySostratus. Uninjured by the flames of the lighthouse, above which shehovered, she wove a net of endlessly long gray threads over the wholecity of Alexandria, with its temples, palaces, and halls, harbours andships, until Daphne suddenly appeared with a light step and quietly cutone after the other. Suddenly a shrill whistle aroused him. It was the signal of theflute-player to relieve the rowers. A faint yellow line was now tingeing the eastern horizon of the gray, cloudy sky. At his left extended the flat, dull-brown coast line, whichseemed to be lower than the turbid waves of the restless sea. The coldmorning wind was blowing light mists over the absolutely barren shore. Not a tree, not a bush, not a human dwelling was to be seen in thisdreary wilderness. Wherever the eye turned, there was nothing but sandand water, which united at the edge of the land. Long lines of surfpoured over the arid desert, and, as if repelled by the desolation ofthis strand, returned to the wide sea whence they came. The shrill screams of the sea-gulls behind the ship, and the hoarse, hungry croaking of the ravens on the shore blended with the roaring ofthe waves. Hermon shuddered at this scene. Shivering, he wrapped hiscloak closer around him, yet he did not go to the protecting cabin, butfollowed the nauarch, who pointed out to him the numerous vessels which, in a wide curve, surrounded the place where the Sebennytic arm of theNile pierced the tongue of land to empty into the sea. The experienced seaman did not know what ships were doing there, but itwas hardly anything good; for ravens in a countless multitude were to beseen on the shore and all moved toward the left. Philippus's appearance on deck interrupted the nauarch. He anxiouslyshowed the birds to the old hero also, and the latter's only reply was, "Watch the helm and sails!" Yonder squadron, Philippus said to the artist, was a part of his son'sfleet; what brought it there was a mystery to him too. After the early meal, the galley of Eumedes approached his father'strireme. Two other galleys, not much inferior in size, were behind, andprobably fifty smaller vessels were moving about the mouth of the Nileand the whole dreary tongue of land. All belonged to the royal war fleet, and the deck of every one wascrowded with armed soldiers. On one a forest of lances bristled in the murky air, and upon itssouthward side a row of archers, each man holding his bow in his hand, stood shoulder to shoulder. At what mark were their arrows to be aimed? The men on board the Galateasaw it distinctly, for the shore was swarming with human figures, herestanding crowded closely together, like horses attacked by a pack ofwolves; yonder running, singly or in groups, toward the sea or into theland. Dark spots on the light sand marked the places where others hadthrown themselves on the ground, or, kneeling, stretched out their armsas if in defence. Who were the people who populated this usually uninhabited, inhospitableplace so densely and in so strange a manner? This could not be distinguished from the Galatea with the naked eye, but Philippus thought that they were the Gauls whose punishment had beenintrusted to his son, and it soon proved that the old general was right;for just as the Galatea was approaching the shore, a band of twenty orthirty men plunged into the sea. They were Gauls. The light complexionsand fair and red bristling hair showed this--Philippus knew them, andHermon remembered the hordes of men who had rushed past him on the rideto Tennis. But the watchers were allowed only a short time for observation; briefshouts of command rang from the ships near them, long bows were raisedin the air, and one after another of the light-hued forms in the waterthrew up its arms, sprang up, or sank motionless into the waves aroundthem, which were dyed with a crimson stain. The artist shuddered; the gray-haired general covered his head with hiscloak, and the Lady Thyone followed his example, uttering her son's namein a tone of loud lamentation. The nauarch pointed to the black birds in the air and close above theshore and the water; but the shout, "A boat from the admiral's galley!"soon attracted the attention of the voyagers on the Galatea in a newdirection. Thirty powerful rowers were urging the long, narrow boat toward them. Sometimes raised high on the crest of a mountain wave, sometimes sinkinginto the hollow, it completed its trip, and Eumedes mounted a swingingrope ladder to the Galatea's deck as nimbly as a boy. Here the young commander of the fleet hastened toward his parents. Hismother sobbed aloud at his anything but cheerful greeting; Philippussaid mournfully, "I have heard nothing yet, but I know all. " "Father, " replied the admiral, and raising the helmet from his head, covered with brown curls, he added mournfully: "First as to these menhere. It will teach you to understand the other terrible things. YourUncle Archias's house was destroyed; yonder men were the criminals. " "In the capital!" Philippus exclaimed furiously, and Hermon cried in noless vehement excitement: "How did my uncle get the ill will of thesemonsters? But as the vengeance is in your hands, they will atone forthis breach of the peace!" "Severely, perhaps too severely, " replied Eumedes gloomily, andPhilippus asked his son how this evil deed could have happened, and thepurport of the King's command. The admiral related what had occurred in the capital since his departurefrom Pithom. The four thousand Gauls who had been sent by King Antiochus to theEgyptian army as auxiliary troops against Cyrene refused, beforereaching Paraetonium, on the western frontier of the Egyptian kingdom, to obey their Greek commanders. As they tried to force them to continuetheir march, the barbarians left them bound in the road. Theyspared their lives, but rushed with loud shouts of exultation towardAlexandria, which was close at hand. They had learned that the city was almost stripped of troops, and themost savage instinct urged them toward the wealthy capital. Without encountering any resistance, they broke through the necropolisinto Alexandria, crossed the Draco canal, and marched past theunfinished Temple of Serapis through the Rhakotis. At the Canopic Waythey turned eastward and rushed through this main artery of traffictill, in the Brucheium, they hastened in a northerly direction towardthe sea. South of the Theatre of Dionysus they halted. One division turned towardthe market-place, another toward the royal palaces. Until they reached the Brucheium the hordes, so eager for booty, hadrefrained from plunder and pillage. Their whole strength was to be reserved, as the examination proved, forthe attack upon the royal palaces. Several people who were thoroughlyfamiliar with Alexandria had acted as guides. The instigator of the mutiny was said to be a Gallic captain who hadtaken part in the surprise of Delphi, but, having ventured to punishdisobedient soldiers, he was killed. A bridge-builder from the ranks, and his wife, who was not of Gallic blood, had taken his place. This woman, a resolute and obstinate but rarely beautiful creature, whenthe division that was to attack the royal palaces was marching past thehouse which Hermon had occupied as the heir of Myrtilus, pressed forwardherself across the threshold, to order the mutineers who followed her todestroy and steal whatever came in their way. The bridge-builder went tothe market-place, and in pillaging the wealthy merchants' housesbegan with Archias's. Meanwhile it was set on fire and, with the largewarehouses adjoining it, was burned to the foundation walls. But the robbers were to obtain no permanent success, either in themarket-place or in Myrtilus's house, which was diagonally oppositeto the palaestra; for General Satyrus, at the first tidings of theirapproach, had collected all the troops at his disposal and the crews ofseveral war galleys, and imprisoned the division in the market-placeas though in a mouse-trap. The bands to which the woman belonged wereforced by the cavalry into the palaestra and the neighbouring Maander, and kept there until Eumedes brought re-enforcements and compelled theGauls to surrender. The King sent from Memphis the order to take the vanquished men tothe tongue of land where they now were, and could easily be imprisonedbetween the sea and the Sebennytic inland lake. They were guilty ofdeath to the last man, and starvation was to perform the executioner'soffice upon them. He, Eumedes, the admiral concluded, was in the King's service, and mustdo what his commander in chief ordered. "Duty, " sighed Philippus; "yet what a punishment!" He held out his hand to his son as he spoke, but the Lady Thyone shookher head mournfully, saying: "There are four thousand over yonder; andthe philosopher and historian on the throne, the admirable art criticwho bestows upon his capital and Egypt all the gifts of peace, whounderstands how to guard and develop it better than any one else--yetwhat influence the gloomy powers exert upon him!" Here she hesitated, and went on in a low whisper: "The blood of twobrothers stains his hand and his conscience. The oldest, to whomthe throne would have belonged, he exiled. And our friend, DemetriusPhalereus, his father's noble councillor! Because you, Philippus, interceded for him--though you were in a position of command, becausePtolemy knows your ability--you were sent to distant Pelusium, and therewe should be still--" "Guard your tongue, wife!" interrupted the old general in a toneof grave rebuke. "The vipers on the crowns of Upper and Lower Egyptsymbolize the King's swift power over life and death. To the Egyptiansthe Philadelphi, Ptolemy and Arsinoe, are gods, and what cause have weto reproach them except that they use their omnipotence?" "And, mother, " Eumedes eagerly added, "do not the royal pair on thethrone merely follow the example of far greater ones among the immortalgods? When the very Gauls who are devoted to death yonder, greedy forbooty, attacked Delphi, four years ago, it was the august brother andsister, Apollo and Artemis, who sent them to Hades with their arrows, while Zeus hurled his thunderbolts at them and ordered heavy bouldersto fall upon them from the shaken mountains. Many of the men over therefled from destruction at Delphi. Unconverted, they added new crimesto the old ones, but now retribution will overtake them. The worse thecrime, the more bloody the vengeance. "Even the last must die, as my sovereign commands; only I shalldetermine the mode of death according to my own judgment, and at thesame time, mother, feel sure of your approval. Instead of lingeringstarvation, I shall use swift arrows. Now you know what you were obligedto learn. It would be wise, mother, for you to leave this abode ofmisery. Duty summons me to my ship. " He held out his hand to his parentsand Hermon as he spoke, but the latter clasped it firmly, exclaiming ina tone of passionate emotion, "What is the name of the woman to whom, though she is not of their race, the lawless barbarians yielded?" "Ledscha, " replied the admiral. Hermon started as if stung by a scorpion, and asked, "Where is she?" "On my ship, " was the reply, "if she has not yet been taken ashore withthe others. " "To be killed with the pitiable band there?" cried Thyone angrily, looking her son reproachfully in the face. "No, mother, " replied Eumedes. "She will be taken to the others underthe escort of trustworthy men in order, perhaps, to induce her to speak. It must be ascertained whether there were accomplices in the attack onthe royal palaces, and lastly whence the woman comes. " "I can tell you that myself, " replied Hermon. "Allow me to accompanyyou. I must see and speak to her. " "The Arachne of Tennis?" asked Thyone. Hermon's mute nod of assentanswered the question, but she exclaimed: "The unhappy woman, who calleddown the wrath of Nemesis upon you, and who has now herself fallen aprey to the avenging goddess. What do you want from her?" Hermon bent down to his old friend and whispered, "To lighten herterrible fate, if it is in my power. " "Go, then, " replied the matron, and turned to her son, saying, "LetHermon tell you how deeply this woman has influenced his life, and, whenher turn comes, think of your mother. " "She is a woman, " replied Eumedes, "and the King's mandate only commandsme to punish men. Besides, I promised her indulgence if she would make aconfession. " "And she?" asked Hermon. "Neither by threats nor promises, " answered the admiral, "can thissinister, beautiful creature be induced to speak. " "Certainly not, " said the artist, and a smile of satisfaction flittedover his face. CHAPTER XVI. A short row took Hermon and Eumedes the admiral's galley. Ledscha hadalready been carried ashore. There she was to be confronted with the menwho were suspected of having showed the mutineers the way to the city. Absorbed in his own thoughts, Hermon waited for the admiral, who atfirst was claimed by one official duty after another. The artist'sthoughts lingered with Daphne. To her father the loss of his house, nay, perhaps of his wealth, would seem almost unendurable, yet even were hebeggared, provision was made for him and his daughter. He, Hermon, couldagain create, as in former days, and what happiness it would be if hewere permitted to repay the man to whom he owed so much for the kindnessbestowed upon him! He longed to give to the woman he loved again and again, and it wouldhave seemed to him a favour of fortune if the flames had consumed eventhe last drachm of her wealthy father. Completely engrossed by these reflections, he forgot the horrors beforehim, but when he raised his eyes and saw the archers continuing theirterrible work he shuddered. The admiral's galley lay so near the shore that he distinguished thefigures of the Gauls separately. Some, obeying the instinct of selfpreservation, fled from the places which could be reached by the arrowsof the archers on the ships, but others pressed toward the shafts. A frightful, heart-rending spectacle, yet how rich in food for thelong-darkened eyes of the artist! Two brothers of unusual height, who, nude like all their comrades in death, offered their broad, beautifullyarched chests to the arrows, would not leave his memory. It was aterrible sight, yet grand and worthy of being wrested from oblivion byart, and it impressed itself firmly on his mind. After noon Eumedes could at last devote himself to his young friend. Although the wind drove showers of fine rain before it, the admiralremained on deck with the sculptor. What cared they for the inclementweather, while one was recalling to mind and telling his friend how thehate of an offended woman had unchained the gloomy spirits of revengeupon him, the other, who had defied death on land water, listened to hisstory, sometimes in surprise, sometimes with silent horror? After the examination to which she had been subjected, Eumedes hadbelieved Ledscha to be as Hermon described her. He found nothingpetty in this beautiful, passionate creature who avenged the injusticeinflicted upon her as Fate took vengeance, who, with unsparing energy, anticipated the Nemesis to whom she appealed, compelled men's obedience, and instead of enriching herself cast away the talents extorted to bringdown fresh ruin upon the man who had transformed her love to hate. While the friends consulted together with lowered voices, theirconjecture became conviction that it was the Biamite's inextinguishablehate which had led her to the Gauls and induced her to share the attackupon the capital. The assault upon the houses of Archias and Myrtilus was a proof ofthis, for the latter was still believed to be Hermon's property. She hadprobably supposed that the merchant's palace sheltered Daphne, in whom, even at Tennis, she had seen and hated her successful rival. Only the undeniable fact that Ledscha was the bridge-builder's companionpresented an enigma difficult to solve. The freedman Bias hadremained on Philippus's galley, and could not now be appealed to fora confirmation of his assertions, but Hermon distinctly remembered hisstatement that Ledscha had allowed the Gaul, after he had received themoney intended for him, to take her from Pitane to Africa. When the short November day was drawing to a close, and the friends hadstrengthened themselves with food and drink, the rain ceased and, asthe sun set, its after-glow broke through the rifts and fissures in theblack wall of clouds in the western horizon like blazing flames in theconflagration of a solid stone building. Yet the glow vanished swiftlyenough. The darkness of night spread over the sea and the arid strip ofland in the south, but the greedy croaking of the ravens and vulturesechoed more and more loudly from the upper air. From time to time theoutbursts of rage and agony of despairing men, and horrible jeeringlaughter, drowned the voices of the flocks of birds and the roaringof the tempestuous sea. Sometimes, too, a sharp word of command, or asignal heard for a long distance, pierced through the awful sounds. Here and there, and at last everywhere on the squadron, which surroundedthe tongue of land in a shallow curve, dim lights began to appear on themasts and prows of the ships; but darkness brooded over the coast. Onlyin the three fortified guardhouses, which had been hastily erected here, the feeble light of a lantern illumined the gloom. Twinkling lights also appeared in the night heavens between the swiftlyflying clouds. One star after another began to adorn the blue islands inthe cloudy firmament, and at last the full moon burst through the heavybanks of dark clouds, and shone in pure brilliancy above their heads, like a huge silver vessel in the black catafalque of a giant. At the end of the first hour after sunset Eumedes ordered the boat to bemanned. Armed as if for battle, he prepared for the row to the scene of misery, and requested Hermon to buckle a coat of mail under his chlamys andput on the sword he gave him. True, a division of reliable Macedonianwarriors was to accompany them, and Ledscha was in a well-guardedplace, yet it might perhaps be necessary to defend themselves againstan outburst of despair among the condemned prisoners. On the short trip, the crests of the tossing waves sometimes shone with a flickering light, while elsewhere long shadows spread like dark sails over the sea. Theflat coast on which both men soon stepped was brightly illumined by themoonbeams, and the forms of the doomed men stood forth, like the blackfigures on the red background of a vase, upon the yellowish-brown sandon which they were standing, running, walking, or lying. At the western end of the tongue of land a sand hill had been surroundedby a wall and moat, guarded by heavily armed soldiers and severalarchers. The level ground below had been made secure against any attack, and on the right side was a roof supported by pillars. The officials intrusted with the examination of the ringleaders hadremained during the day in this hastily erected open hut. The latter, bound to posts, awaited their sentence. The only woman among them was Ledscha, who crouched, unfettered, on theground behind the enclosure, which consisted of short stakes fastened bya rope. Without presenting any serious obstacle, it merely indicated how farthe prisoners might venture to go. Whoever crossed it must expect tobe struck down by an arrow from the wall. This earthwork, it is true, menaced those held captive here, but they also owed it a debt ofgratitude, for it shut from their eyes the horrible incidents on thesandy plain between the sea and the inland lake. This spot was now made as light as day by the rays of the full moonwhich floated in the pure azure sky far above the black cloud mountains, like a white lotus flower on clear waters, and poured floods of silveryradiance upon the earth. Eumedes commanded the Macedonians who formed his escort to remain at thefortress on the dune, and, pointing out Ledscha by a wave of the hand, he whispered to Hermon: "By the girdle of Aphrodite! she is terriblybeautiful! For whom is the Medea probably brewing in imagination thepoisoned draught?" Then he gave the sculptor permission to promise her immunity frompunishment if she would consent at least to explain the Gauls'connection with the royal palaces; but Hermon strenuously refused toundertake this or a similar commission to Ledscha. Eumedes had expected the denial, and merely expressed to his friend hisdesire to speak to the Biamite after his interview was over. Howeverrefractory she might be, his mother's intercession should benefit her. Hermon might assure her that he, the commander, meant to deal leniently. He pressed the artist's hand as he spoke, and walked rapidly away toascertain the condition of affairs in the other guardhouses. Never had the brave artist's heart throbbed faster in any danger than onthe eve of this meeting; but it was no longer love that thrilled it sopassionately, far less hate or the desire to let his foe feel that herrevenge was baffled. It was easy for the victor to exercise magnanimity, and easiest of allfor the sculptor in the presence of so beautiful an enemy, and Hermonthought he had never seen the Biamite look fairer. How exquisitelyrounded was the oval, how delicately cut the profile of her face, howlarge were the widely separated, sparkling eyes, above which, even inthe pale moonlight, the thick black brows were visible, united under theforehead as if for a dark deed to be performed in common! Time had rather enhanced than lessened the spell of this wonderful youngcreature. Now she rose from the ground where she had been crouching andpaced several times up and down the short path at her disposal; butshe started suddenly, for one of the Gauls bound to the posts, in whomHermon recognised the bridge-builder, Lutarius, called her name, andwhen she turned her face toward him, panted in broken Greek like oneoverwhelmed by despair: "Once more--it shall be the last time--I beseechyou! Lay your hand upon my brow, and if that is too much, speak but onekind word to me before all is over! I only want to hear that you do nothate me like a foe and despise me like a dog. What can it cost you? Youneed only tell me in two words that you are sorry for your harshness. " "The same fate awaits us both, " cried Ledscha curtly and firmly. "Leteach take care of himself. When my turn comes and my eyes grow dim indeath, I will thank them that they will not show you to me again, basewretch, throughout eternity. " Lutarius shrieked aloud in savage fury, and tore so frantically at thestrong ropes which bound him that the firm posts shook, but Ledschaturned away and approached the hut. She leaned thoughtfully against one of the pillars that supported theroof, and the artist's eyes watched her intently; every movement seemedto him noble and worth remembering. With her hand shading her brow, she gazed upward to the full moon. Hermon had already delayed speaking to her too long, but he would havedeemed it criminal to startle her from this attitude. So must Arachnehave stood when the goddess, in unjust anger, raised the weaver'sshuttle against the more skilful mortal; for while Ledscha's browfrowned angrily, a triumphant smile hovered around her mouth. At thesame time she slightly opened her exquisitely formed lips, and thelittle white teeth which Hermon had once thought so bewitchinglybeautiful glittered between them. Like the astronomer who fixes his gaze and tries to imprint upon hismemory some rare star in the firmament which a cloud is threatening toobscure, he now strove to obtain Ledscha's image. He would and couldmodel her in this attitude, exactly as she stood there, without herveil, which had been torn from her during the hand-to-hand conflict whenshe was captured, with her thick, half-loosened tresses falling overher left shoulder; nav, even with the slightly hooked nose, which wasopposed to the old rule of art that permitted only the straight bridgeof the nose to be given to beautiful women. Her nature harmonized withthe ideal even in the smallest detail; here any deviation from realitymust tend to injure the work. She remained motionless for minutes in the same attitude, as if she knewthat she was posing to an artist; but Hermon gazed at her as if spellbound till the fettered Gaul again called her name. Then she left the supporting pillar, approached the barrier, stopped atthe rope which extended from one short stake to another, and gazed atthe man who was following her outside of the rope. It was a Greek who stood directly opposite to her. A black beard adornedhis grave, handsome countenance. He, too, had a chlamys, such as she hadformerly seen on another. Only the short sword, which he wore suspendedat his right side in the Hellenic fashion, would not suit that other;but suddenly a rush of hot blood crimsoned her face. As if to saveherself from falling, she flung out both arms and clutched a stake withher right and her left hand, thrusting her head and the upper portion ofher body across the rope toward the man whose appearance had created sowild a tumult in her whole being. At last she called Hermon's name in such keen suspense that it fell uponhis ear like a shrill cry. "Ledscha, " he answered warmly, extending both hands to her in sinceresympathy; but she did not heed the movement, and her tone of calmself-satisfaction surprised him as she answered: "So you seek me inmisfortune? Even the blind man knows how to find me here. " "I would far rather have met you again in the greatest happiness!"he interrupted gently. "But I am no longer blind. The immortals againpermit me, as in former days, to feast my eyes upon your marvellousbeauty. " A shrill laugh cut short his words, and the "Not blind!" which fellagain and again from her lips sounded more like laughter than speech. There are tears of grief and of joy, and the laugh which is anaccompaniment of pleasure is also heard on the narrow boundary betweensuffering and despair. It pierced the artist's heart more deeply than the most savage outburstof fury, and when Ledscha gasped: "Not blind! Cured! Rich and possessedof sight, perfect sight!" he understood her fully for the first time, and could account for the smile of satisfaction which had just surprisedhim on her lips. He gazed at her, absolutely unable to utter a word; but she went onspeaking, while a low, sinister laugh mingled with her tones: "So thisis avenging justice! It allows us women to be trampled under foot, andholds its hands in its lap! My vengeance! How I have lauded Nemesis!How exquisitely my retaliation seemed to have succeeded! And now? It wasmere delusion and deception. He who was blind sees. He who was to perishin misery is permitted, with a sword at his side, to gloat over ourdestruction. Listen, if the good news has not already reached you! I, too, am condemned to death. But what do I care for myself? Even lessthan those to whom we pray and offer sacrifices for the betrayed woman. Now I am learning to know them! Thus Nemesis thanks me for the lavishgifts I have bestowed upon her? Just before my end she throws you, therewarded traitor, into my way! I must submit to have the hated foe, whose blinding was the sole pleasure in my ruined life, look me in theface with insolent joy. " Hermon's quick blood boiled. With fierce resentment he grasped her hand, which lay on the rope, pressed it violently in his strong clasp, and exclaimed, "Stop, madwoman, that I may not be forced to think of you as a poisonous serpentand repulsive spider!" Ledscha had vainly endeavoured to withdraw her hand while he wasspeaking. Now he himself released it; but she looked up at him inbewilderment, as if seeking aid, and said sadly: "Once--you know thatyourself--I was different--even as long as I supposed my vengeance hadsucceeded. But now? The false goddess has baffled every means with whichI sought to punish you. Who averted the sorest ill treatment from myhead? And I was even defrauded of the revenge which it was my right, nay, my duty, to exercise. " She finished the sentence with drooping head, as if utterly crushed, andthis time she did not laugh, but Hermon felt his wrath transformedto sympathy, and he asked warmly and kindly if she would let nothingappease her, not even if he begged her forgiveness for the wrong he haddone her, and promised to obtain her life, nay, also her liberty. Ledscha shook her head gently, and gravely answered: "What is left mewithout hate? What are the things which others deem best and highest toa miserable wretch like me?" Here Hermon pointed to the bridge-builder, bound to the post, saying, "Yonder man led you away from the husband whom you had wedded, and fromhim you received compensation for the love you had lost. " "From him?" she cried furiously, and, raising her voice in a tone of themost intense loathing: "Ask yonder scoundrel himself! Because I needed aguide, I permitted him to take me away from my unloved husband and fromthe Hydra. Because he would help me to shatter the new and undeservedgood fortune which you--yes, you--do you hear?--enjoyed, I remained withhim among the Gauls. More than one Alexandrian brought me the news thatyou were revelling in golden wealth, and the wretch promised to make youand your uncle beggars if the surprise succeeded. He did this, though heknew that it was you who took him up from the road and saved his life;for nothing good and noble dwells in his knavish soul. He yearned forme, and still more ardently for the Alexandrians' gold. Worse than thewolf that licked the hand of the man who bandaged its wounds, he wouldhave shown his teeth to the preserver of his life. I have learned this, and if he dies here of starvation and thirst he will receive only whathe deserves. He knows, too, what I think of him. The greedy beast ofprey was not permitted even to touch my hand. Just ask him! There he is. Let him tell you how I listened to his vows of love. Before I wouldhave permitted yonder wretch to recall to life what you crushed in thisheart--" Here Lutarius interrupted her with a flood of savage, scarcelyintelligible curses, but very soon one of the guards, who came out ofthe hut, stopped him with a lash. When the Gaul, howling under the blows, was silenced, Hermon asked, "Soyour mad thirst for vengeance also caused this suicidal attack?" "No, " she answered simply; "but when they determined upon the assault, and had killed their leader, Belgius, yonder monster stole to theirhead. So it happened--I myself do not know how--that they also obeyedme, and I took advantage of it and induced them to begin with your houseand Archias's. When they had captured the royal palaces, they intendedto assail the Temple of Demeter also. " "Then you thought that even the terrible affliction of blindness wouldnot suffice to punish the man you hated?" asked Hermon. "No, " she answered firmly; "for you could buy with your gold everythinglife offers except sight, while in me--yes, in me--gloom darker than theblackest night shrouded my soul. Through your fault I was robbed ofall, all that is clear to woman's heart: my father's house, his love, my sister. Even the pleasure in myself which had been awakened by yoursweet flatteries was transformed by you into loathing. " "By me?" cried Hermon, amazed by the injustice of this severe reproach;but Ledscha answered his question with the resolute assertion, "By youand you alone!" and then impatiently added: "You, who, by your art, could transform mortal women into goddesses, wished to make me ahumiliated creature, with the rope which was to strangle her about herneck, and at the same time the most repulsive of creeping insects. 'The hideous, gray, eight-legged spider!' I exclaimed to myself, when Iraised my arms and saw my shadow on the sunlit ground. 'The spider!'I thought, when I shook the distaff to draw threads from the flax inleisure hours. 'Your image!' I said, when I saw spiders hanging in dustycorners, and catching flies and gnats. All these things made me a horrorto myself. And at the same time to know that the Demeter, on whom youbestowed the features of the daughter of Archias, was kindling thewhole great city of Alexandria with enthusiasm, and drawing countlessworshippers to her sanctuary! She, an object of adoration to thousands, I--the much-praised beauty--a horror to myself! This is what fed mydesire for vengeance with fresh food by day and night; this urged meto remain with yonder wretch; for he had promised, after pillaging theroyal palaces, to shatter your Demeter, the image of the daughter ofArchias, which they lauded and which brought you fame and honour--it wasto be done before my eyes--into fragments. " "Mad woman!" Hermon again broke forth indignantly, and hastily told herhow she had been misinformed. Ledscha's large black eyes dilated as if some hideous spectre was risingfrom the ground before her, while she heard that the Demeter was thework of Myrtilus and not his; that his friend's legacy had long sinceceased to belong to him, and that he was again as poor as when he was inTennis during the time of their love. "And the blindness?" she asked sadly. "It transformed life for me into one long night, illumined by no singleray of light, " was the reply; "but, the immortals be praised, I wascured of it, and it was old Tabus, on the Owl's Nest at Tennis, whosewisdom and magic arts you so often lauded, who gave the remedy andadvice to which I owe my recovery. " Here he hesitated, for Ledscha had seized the rope with one hand and thestake at her right with the other, in order not to fall upon her knees;but Hermon perceived how terribly his words agitated her, and spoketo her soothingly. Ledscha did not seem to hear him, for while stillclinging to the rope she looked sometimes at the sand at her feet, sometimes up to the full moon, which was now flooding both sky and earthwith light. At last she dropped it, and said in a hollow tone: "Now I understandeverything. You met her when Bias gave her the bridal dowry which wasto purchase my release from my husband. How it must have enraged her! Ithought of it all, pondered and pondered how to spare her; but throughwhom, except Tabus, could I return to Hanno the property, won in battleby his blood, which he had thrown away for me? Tabus kept the familywealth. And she--the marriage bond which two persons formed was sacredand unassailable--the woman who broke her faith with her husband andturned from him--was an abomination to her. How she loved her sons andgrandsons! I knew that she would never forgive the wrong I did Hanno. From resentment to me she cured the man whom I hated. " "Yet probably also, " said Hermon, "because my blighted youth aroused herpity. " "Perhaps so, " replied Ledscha hesitatingly, gazing thoughtfully intovacancy. "She was what her demons made her. Hard as steel and gentleas a tender girl. I have experienced it. Oh, that she should diewith rancour against me in her faithful old heart! She could be sokind!--even when I confessed that you had won my love, she still held medear. But there are many great and small demons, and most of them wereprobably subject to her. Tabus must have learned through them how deeplyI offended her son Satabus, and how greatly his son Hanno's life wasdarkened through me. That is why she thwarted my vengeance, and herspirits aided her. Thus all these things happened. I suspected it whenI heard that she had succumbed to death, which I--yes, I here--had heldback from her with severe toil through many a sleepless night. O thesedemons! They will continue to act in the service of the dead. WhereverI may go, they will pursue me and, at their mistress's bidding, bafflewhat I hope and desire. I have learned this only too distinctly!" "No, Ledscha, no, " Hermon protested. "Every power ceases with death, even that of the sorceress over spirits. You shall be freed, poor woman!You will be permitted to go wherever you desire; and I shall model nospider after your person, but the fairest of women. Thousands will seeand admire her, and--if the Muse aids me--whoever, enraptured by herbeauty, asks, 'Who was the model for this work which inflames the mostobdurate heart?' will be told, 'It was Ledscha, the daughter of Shalit, the Biamite, whom Hermon of Alexandria found worthy of carving in costlymarble. " Ledscha uttered a deep sigh of relief, and asked: "Is that true? May Ibelieve it?" "As true, " he answered warmly, "as that Selene, who promised to grantyou in her full radiance the greatest happiness, is now shedding hermild, forgiving light upon us both. " "The full moon, " she murmured softly, gazing upward at the shining disk. Then she added in a louder tone: "Old Tabus's demons promised mehappiness--you know. It was the spider which so cruelly shadowed it forme on every full moon, every day, and every night. Will you now swear tomodel a statue from me, the statue of a beautiful human being thatwill arouse the delight of all who see it? Delight--do you hear?--notloathing--I ask again, will you?" "I will, and I shall succeed, " he said earnestly, holding out his handacross the rope. She clasped it, looked up to the full moon again, andwhispered: "This time--I will believe it--you will keep your promisebetter than when you were in Tennis. And I--I will cease to wish youevil, and I will tell you why. Bend your ear nearer, that I may confessit openly. " Hermon willingly obeyed the request, but she leaned her headagainst his, and he felt her laboured breathing and the warm tears thatcoursed silently down her cheeks as she said, in a low whisper: "Becausethe moon is full, and will yet bring me what the demons promised, andbecause, though strong, I am still a woman. Happiness! How long ago Iceased to expect it!--but now-yes, it is what I now feel! I am happy, and yet can not tell why. My love--oh, yes! It was more ardent than theburning hate. Now you know it, too, Hermon. And I--I shall be free, you say? And Tabus, how she lauded rest--eternal rest! Oh dearest--thissorely tortured heart, too--you can not even imagine how weary I am!" Here she was silent, but the man into whose face she was gazing withloving devotion felt a sudden movement at his side as she uttered theexclamation. He did not notice it, for the sweet tone of her voice was penetratingthe inmost depths of his heart. It sounded as though she was speakingfrom the happiest of dreams. "Ledscha!" he exclaimed warmly, extending his arm toward her--butshe had already stepped back from his side, and he now perceived theterrible object--she had snatched his sword from its sheath, and as, seized by sudden terror, he gazed at her, he saw the shining bladeglitter in the moonlight and suddenly vanish. In an instant he swung his agile body over the rope and rushed to her. But she had already sunk to her knees, and while he clasped her inis arms to support her, he heard her call his own name tenderly, thenmurmur it in a lower tone, and the words "Full moon" and "Happiness"escape her lips. Then she was silent, and her beautiful head dropped on her breast like aflower broken by a tempest. CHAPTER XVII. "It was best so for her and for us, " said Eumedes, after gazing long atLedscha's touchingly beautiful, still, dead face. Then he ordered her to be buried at once and shouted to the guards:"Everything must be over on this strip of land early to-morrow morning!Let all who bear arms begin at once. Selene will light the men brightlyenough for the work. " The terrible order given in mercy was fulfilled, and hunger and thirstwere robbed of their numerous prey. When the new day dawned the friendswere still on deck, engaged in grave conversation. The cloudless sky nowarched in radiant light above the azure sea. White seagulls came flyingfrom the right across the ship, and sportive dolphins gambolled aroundher keel. The flutes of the musicians, marking time for the rowers, echoed gailyup from the hold, and, obedient to quick words of command, the seamenwere spreading the sails. The voyage began with a favourable wind. As Hermon looked back for thelast time, the flat, desolate tongue of land appeared like a line ofgray mist in the southeastern horizon; but over it hovered, like agloomy thundercloud, the flocks of vultures and ravens, whose numberswere constantly increasing. Their greedy screaming could still be heard, though but faintly, yet the eye could no longer distinguish anythingin the fast-vanishing abode of horror, save the hovering whirl of darkspots--ravens and vultures, vultures and ravens. Whatever human life had moved there yesterday, now rested from bloodygreed for booty, after victory and defeat, mortal terror, fury, anddespair. Eumedes pointed out the quiet grave by the sea to his parents, saying:"The King's command is fulfilled. Not even the one man who is usuallyspared to carry the news remains out of the four thousand. " "I thank you, " exclaimed Alexander's gray-haired comrade, shaking hisson's right hand, but Thyone laid her hand on Hermon's arm, saving:"Where the birds are darkening the air behind us lies buried whatincensed Nemesis against you. You must leave the soil of Egypt. True, it is said that to live in foreign lands, far from the beloved home, darkens the existence; yet Pergamus, too, is Grecian soil, and thereI see the two noblest of stars illumine your path with their purelight-art and love. " And his old friend's premonition was fulfilled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The story of Arachne is ended. It closed on the Nile. Hermon's new lifebegan in Pergamus. As Daphne's husband, under the same roof with the wonderfullyinvigorated Myrtilus, his Uncle Archias, and faithful Bias, Hermon foundin the new home what had hovered before the blind man as the fairestgoal of existence in art, love, and friendship. He did not long miss the gay varied life of Alexandria, because he founda rich compensation for it, and because Pergamus, too, was a rapidlygrowing city, whose artistic decoration was inferior to no other inGreece. Of the numerous works which Hermon completed in the service of the firstthree art-loving rulers of the new Pergamenian kingdom, Philetaerus, Eumenes, and Attalus, nothing was preserved except the head of a Gaul. This noble masterpiece proves how faithful Hermon remained to truth, which he had early chosen for the guiding star of his art. It is themodest remnant of the group in which Hermon perpetuated in marble thetwo Gallic brothers whom he saw before his last meeting with Ledscha, asthey offered their breasts to the fatal shafts. One had gazed defiantly at the arrows of the conquerors; the other, whose head has been preserved, feeling the inevitable approach ofdeath, anticipates, with sorrowful emotion, the end so close at hand. Philetaerus had sent this touching work to King Ptolemy to thank him forthe severity with which he had chastised the daring of the barbarians, who had not spared his kingdom also. The Gaul's head was again found onEgyptian soil. [Copied in Th. Schrieber's The Head of the Gaul in the Museum of Ghizeh in Cairo. Leipsic, 1896. With appendix. By H. Curschmann. ] Hermon also took other subjects in Pergamus from the domain of reallife, though, in most of his work he crossed the limits which he hadformerly imposed upon himself. But one barrier, often as he rushedforward to its outermost verge, he never dared to pass--moderation, thenoblest demand, to which his liberty-loving race subjected themselveswillingly in life as well as in art. The whole infinite, limitless worldof the ideal had opened itself to the blind man. He made himself at home in it by remaining faithful to the rule which hehad found in the desert for his creative work, and the genuine happinesswhich he enjoyed through Daphne's love and the great fame his sculpturesbrought him increased the strong individuality of his power. The fruits of his tireless industry, the much-admired god of light, Phoebus Apollo, slaying the dragons of darkness, as well as hisbewitching Arachne, gazing proudly at the fabric with which shethinks she has surpassed the skill of the goddess, were overtaken bydestruction. In this statue Bias recognised his countrywoman Ledscha, and often gazed long at it with devout ecstasy. Even Hermon's works ofcolossal size vanished from the earth: the Battle of the Amazons andthe relief containing numerous figures: the Sea Gods, which the RegentEumenes ordered for the Temple of Poseidon in Pergamus. The works of his grandson and grandson's pupils, however, are preservedon the great altar of victory in Pergamus. The power and energy natural to Hermon, the skill he had acquired inRhodes, everything in the changeful life of Alexandria which had inducedhim to consecrate his art to reality, and to that alone, and whateverhe had, finally, in quiet seclusion, recognised as right and inharmony with the Greek nature and his own, blend in those works of hissuccessor, which a gracious dispensation of Providence permits us stillto admire at the present day, and which we call in its entirety, the artof Pergamus. The city was a second beloved home to him, as well as to his wife andMyrtilus. The rulers of the country took the old Alexandrian Archiasinto their confidence and knew how to honour him by many a distinction. He understood how to value the happiness of his only daughter, thebeautiful development of his grandchildren, and the high place thatHermon and Myrtilus, whom he loved as if they were his own sons, attained among the artists of their time. Yet he struggled vainlyagainst the longing for his dear old home. Therefore Hermon deemed itone of the best days of his life when his turn came to make Daphne'sfather a happy man. King Ptolemy Philadelphus had sent laurel to the artist who had fallenunder suspicion in Egypt, and his messenger invited him and Myrtilus, and with them also the exiled merchant, to return to his presence. Ingratitude for the pleasure which Hermon's creation afforded him and hiswife, the cause that kept the fugitive Archias from his home should beforgiven and forgotten. The gray-haired son of the capital returned with the Bithynian Gras tohis beloved Alexandria, as if his lost youth was again restored. Therehe found unchanged the busy, active life, the Macedonian Council, thebath, the marketplace, the bewitching conversation, the biting wit, theexquisite feasts of the eyes--in short, everything for which hisheart had longed even amid the happiness and love of his dear ones inPergamus. For two years he endeavoured to enjoy everything as before; but whenthe works of the Pergamenian artists, obtained by Ptolemy, had beenexhibited in the royal palaces, he returned home with a troubled mind. Like the rest of the world, he thought that the reliefs of Myrtilus, representing scenes of rural life, were wonderful. The Capture of Proserpina, a life-size marble group by his son-in-lawHermon, seemed to him no less perfect; but it exerted a peculiarinfluence upon his paternal heart, for, in the Demeter, he recognisedDaphne, in the Proserpina her oldest daughter Erigone, who bore the nameof Hermon's mother and resembled her in womanly charm. How lovely thisbudding girl, who was his grand-daughter, seemed to the grandfather!How graceful, in spite of the womanly dignity peculiar to her, was themother, encircling her imperilled child with her protecting arm! No work of sculpture had ever produced such an effect upon the oldpatron of art. Gras heard him, in his bedroom, murmur the names "Daphne" and "Erigone, "and therefore it did not surprise him when, the next morning, hereceived the command to prepare everything for the return to Pergamus. It pleased the Bithynian, for he cared more for Daphne, Hermon, andtheir children than all the pleasures of the capital. A few weeks later Archias found himself again in Pergamus with hisfamily, and he never left it, though he reached extreme old age, and waseven permitted to gaze in wondering admiration at the first attempts ofthe oldest son of Hermon and Daphne, and to hear them praised by others. This grandson of the Alexandrian Archias afterward became the master whotaught the generation of artists who created the Pergamenian works, inexamining which the question forced itself upon the narrator of thisstory: How do these sculptures possess the qualities which distinguishthem so strongly from the other statues of later Hellenic antiquity? Did the great weaver Imagination err when she blended them, through themighty wrestler Hermon, with a tendency of Alexandrian science andart, which we see appearing again among us children of a period so muchlater? Science, which is now once more pursuing similar paths, ought and willfollow them further, but Hermon's words remain applicable to the presentclay: "We will remain loyal servants of the truth; yet it alone does nothold the key to the holy of holies of art. To him for whom Apollo, thepure among the gods, and the Muses, friends of beauty, do not open itat the same time with truth, its gates will remain closed, no matter howstrongly and persistently he shakes them. " ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS FOR THE ENTIRE ARACHNE: Aimless life of pleasure Camels, which were rarely seen in Egypt Cast my warning to the winds, pity will also fly away with it Cautious inquiry saves recantation Forbidden the folly of spoiling the present by remorse Must--that word is a ploughshare which suits only loose soil Nature is sufficient for us Regular messenger and carrier-dove service had been established Tender and uncouth natural sounds, which no language knows There is nothing better than death, for it is peace There are no gods, and whoever bows makes himself a slave Tone of patronizing instruction assumed by the better informed Two griefs always belong to one joy Wait, child! What is life but waiting? Waiting is the merchant's wisdom Woman's hair is long, but her wit is short