and
ultimate imbecility, by all the superhuman efforts he may exert! A
pest on the first morose man that made dismal endeavor a virtue!"

She looked at him with amazement, though until that hour she believed
that this man could astonish her no more.

"Misfortune comes often enough without our knocking at her door," he
continued. "Mankind is the only creature with conceit enough to seek
to emulate the gods. It is wrong to think that to be moral is to be
miserable. Nature's scheme for us, faithfully fulfilled, is always
pleasurable. We have only to recognize it, and receive its benefits.
Nothing on earth is luckier than man, if he but knew it. A murrain on
ambition! Let us be glad!"

How could she be glad with such a man! The time, the call of the hour,
the need of her nation, the obligation to her dead father--all these
things stood in her way. How had she felt, were this that engaging
stranger who had called himself Hesper, urging her to be glad with
him! She felt, then and there, the recurrence of guilt which the sight
of the reproachful face of Momus had brought to her when she found
herself forgetting her loyalty in the presence of that winsome man.
The thought stopped the bitter speech that rose to her lips. She
looked away and made no answer. He was close beside her.

"Come away and let this woman who wishes the kingdom have it. She had
liefer be rid of me than not."

She gazed at him with a peculiar blankness stealing over her face.

"Oh, for the quintessence of all compounded oaths to charge my vow!"
he said.

"For what?" she asked.

"My love, Phryne!"

At the old pagan name with which he had affronted her that morning in
the hills, Laodice drew back sharply.

"Dost thou believe in me?" she asked.

"Believe what?"

"That I am thy wife."

"Tut! Back to the old quarrel! No! But by Heaven, thou art my
sweetheart!"

She stopped at the edge of an exclamation and looked at him with
widening eyes.

"Come, let us get out of this place. I can get the dowry! Let her stay
here and be queen over this place if she will. I had rather possess
you than all the kingdoms!"

But Laodice flung him off while a flame of anger crimsoned her face.

"Thou to insult me, thy lawful wife!" she brought out between clenched
teeth. "Thou to offer affront to thine own marriage! I to live in
shame with mine own husband!"

The insult in his speech overwhelmed her and after a moment's
lingering for words to express her r