be,
mourned for her offspring, had broken the stony spell which held her to
Sipylos, and had decked herself to receive the greatest of all earthly
guests as radiant as Juno at the golden table of the gods.

The lady succeeded in controlling herself and listening to the end of
these pompous phrases without interrupting the speaker. Every word which
flowed so glibly from his tongue fell on her ear as bitter mockery; and
he himself was so repugnant to her, that she felt it a release when,
after exchanging a few words with the master of the house, he begged
leave to retire, as important business called him away. And this,
indeed, was the truth. For no consideration would he have left this duty
to another, for it was to communicate to Titianus, who had offended him,
the intelligence that Caesar had deprived him of the office of prefect,
and intended to examine into certain complaints of his administration.

The second envoy, however, remained, though he refused Seleukus's
invitation to fill his place at the banquet. He exchanged a few words
with the lady Berenike, and presently found himself taken aside by
the senator, and, after a short explanation, led up to Melissa,
whom Coeranus desired to appeal for help to Philostratus, the famous
philosopher, who enjoyed Caesar's closest confidence.

Coeranus then obeyed a sign from Berenike, who wished to know whether
he would be answerable for introducing this rarely pretty girl, who had
placed herself under their protection--and whom she, for her part, meant
to protect--to a courtier of whom she knew nothing but that he was a
writer of taste.

The question seemed to amuse Coeranus, but, seeing that his
sister-in-law was very much in earnest, he dropped his flippant tone
and admitted that Philostratus, as a young man, had been one of the
last with whom he would trust a girl. His far-famed letters sufficiently
proved that the witty philosopher had been a devoted and successful
courtier of women. But that was all a thing of the past. He still, no
doubt, did homage to female beauty, but he led a regular life, and had
become one of the most ardent and earnest upholders of religion and
virtue. He was one of the learned circle which gathered round Julia
Domna, and it was by her desire that he had accompanied Caracalla, to
keep his mad passions in check when it might be possible.

The conversation between Melissa and the philosopher had meanwhile taken
an unexpected turn. At his very