child of his own. She had placed herself under his
protection, and he felt responsible for her fate. Thus he regarded it as
great good fortune that he could be of use in procuring her admission
to the house of Seleukus, for the door-keeper was a fellow-countryman
of his, whom Fate had brought hither from the banks of the Moselle. At
every festival, which secured a few hours' liberty to all the slaves,
they had for years been boon companions, and Argutis knew that his
friend would do for him and his young mistress all that lay in his
power. It would, of course, be difficult to get an audience of the
mistress of a house where Caesar was a guest, but the door-keeper was
clever and ingenious, and would do anything short of the impossible.

So he walked with his head high and his heart full of pride, and it
confirmed his courage when one of Zminis's men, whom they passed in
the brightly illuminated Kanopic street, and who had helped to secure
Philip, looked at him without recognizing him.

There was a great stir in this, the handsomest road through the city.
The people were waiting for Caesar; but stricter order was observed than
on the occasion of his arrival. The guard prohibited all traffic on the
southern side of the way, and only allowed the citizens to walk up and
down the footpath, shaded by trees, between the two roadways paved with
granite flags, and the arcades in front of the houses on either side.
The free inhabitants, unaccustomed to such restrictions, revenged
themselves by cutting witticisms at Caesar's expense, "for clearing the
streets of Alexandria by his men-at-arms as he did those of Rome by the
executioner. He seemed to have forgotten, as he kept the two roads
open, that he only needed one, now that he had murdered his brother and
partner."

Melissa and her companion were ordered to join the crowd on the footway;
but Argutis managed to convince a man on guard that they were two of the
mimes who were to perform before Caesar--the door-keeper at the house of
Seleukus would confirm the fact--and the official himself made way for
them into the vestibule of this splendid dwelling.

But Melissa was as little in the humor to admire all the lavish
magnificence which surrounded her as Alexander had been a few days
since. Still veiled, she modestly took a place among the choir who stood
on each side of the hall ready to welcome Caesar with singing and
music. Argutis stopped to speak with his friend. She dimly