is age, and he had to be present in the
evening at a banquet to which Caesar had invited himself in the house of
Seleukus the merchant.

"The high-priest's brother?" asked Melissa, in surprise, for death had
but just bereft that house of the only daughter.

"The same," said the Roman, gayly. Then he gave her his hand, with the
assurance that the thought of her would make it a pleasure to remember
Alexandria.

As she clasped his hand, Andreas came up, bowed gravely, and asked
whether it would be overbold in him, as a faithful retainer of the
maiden's family, to crave a favor, in her name, of Caesar's illustrious
and familiar friend.

The Roman eyed Andreas keenly, and the manly dignity, nay, the defiant
self-possession of the freedman--the very embodiment of all he had
expected to find in a genuine Alexandrian--so far won his confidence
that he bade him speak without fear. He hoped to hear something
sufficiently characteristic of the manners of the provincial capital to
make an anecdote for Caesar's table. Then, when he understood that
the matter concerned Melissa's brother, and a distinguished artist, he
smiled expectantly. Even when he learned that Alexander was being hunted
down for some heedless jest against the emperor, he only threatened
Melissa sportively with his finger; but on being told that this jest
dealt with the murder of Geta, he seemed startled, and the tone of his
voice betrayed serious displeasure as he replied to the petitioner, "Do
you suppose that I have three heads, like the Cerberus at the feet of
your god, that you ask me to lay one on the block for the smile of a
pretty girl?"

He signed to his charioteer, and the horses whirled the light vehicle
across the square and down the street of Hermes.

Andreas gazed after him, and muttered, with a shrug

"My first petition to a great man, and assuredly my last."

"The coward!" cried Melissa; but Andreas said, with a superior smile.

"Let us take a lesson from this, my child. Those who reckon on the
help of man are badly off indeed. We must all trust in God, and each in
himself."

CHAPTER XIII.

Andreas, who had so much on his shoulders, had lost much time, and was
urgently required at home. After gratifying Melissa's wish by describing
how Diodoros had immediately recovered consciousness on the completion
of the operation performed by Galen, and painting the deep amazement
that had fallen on all the other physicians at the skill of t