nduced to enter a Christian dwelling. Both these facts might be a
serious hindrance to her scheme; yet she would not now stop to reflect.
They had got back to the great street of Hermes, leading from the temple
of that god to the Serapeum, and must cross it to reach the lake, their
immediate destination. As in all the principal streets of Alexandria, a
colonnade bordered the street in front of the houses on each side of the
wide and handsome roadway. Under these arcades the foot-passengers were
closely packed, awaiting Caesar's passage. He must soon be coming, for
the reception, first at the Kanopic Gate, and then at the Gate of the
Sun, was long since over; and, even if he had carried out his purpose
of halting at the tomb of Alexander the Great, he could not be detained
much longer. The distance hither down the Kanopic Way was not great, and
swift horses would quickly bring him down the Aspendia street to that
of Hermes, leading straight to the Serapeum. His train was not to follow
him to the Soma, the mausoleum of the founder of the city, but to turn
off to the southward by the Paneum, and make a round into the street of
Hermes.

The praetorians, the German body-guard, the imperial Macedonian phalanx,
and some mounted standard-bearers had by this time reached the spot
where Melissa was proceeding up the street holding Andreas's hand.
Close by them came also a train of slaves, carrying baskets full of
palm-leaves and fresh branches of ivy, myrtle, poplar, and pine, from
the gardens of the Paneum, to be carried to the Serapeum. They were
escorted by lictors, endeavoring with their axes and fasces to make a
way for them through the living wall which barred their way.

By the help of the mounted troops, who kept the main road clear, space
was made for them; and Andreas, who knew one of the overseers of the
garden-slaves, begged him as a favor to allow Melissa and himself to
walk among his people. This was willingly granted to so well-known a
man; and the way was quite free for the moment, because the imperial
cartage had not followed immediately on the soldiers who had now all
marched past. Thus, among the flower-bearers, they reached the middle of
the street; and while the slaves proceeded on their way to the Serapeum,
the freedman tried to cross the road, and reach the continuation of the
street they had come by, and which led to the lake. But the attempt was
frustrated, for some Roman lictors who had just come up stoo