mroth smiled, and said, "You will have little share in that. You will
find your task, no doubt, when you are strong enough; and now you must
go back and make unwilling holiday with your pleasant friends, you have
not much longer to stay there; and surely"--he laughed as he spoke--"you
can endure a little more of those pretty concerts and charming talk of
art and its values and pulsations!"

"I can endure it," I said, laughing, "for it does me good to see you and
to hear you; but tell me, Amroth, what have you been about all this
time? Have you had a thought of me?"

"Yes, indeed," said Amroth, laughing. "I don't forget you, and I love
your company; but I am a busy man myself, and have something pleasanter
to do than to attend these elegant receptions of yours--at which,
indeed, I have sometimes thought you out of place."

As we thus talked we came to the forest lodge. The old pair came running
out to greet me, and I told them that the boy was well bestowed. I could
see in the woman's face that she would soon follow him, and even the
old man had a look that I had not seen in him before; and here Amroth
left me, and I returned to the city, where all was as peaceable as
before.

XIII

But when I saw Cynthia, as I presently did, she too was in a different
mood. She had positively missed me, and told me so with many
endearments. I was not to remain away so long. I was useful to her.
Charmides had become tiresome and lost in thought, but Lucius was as
sweet as ever. Some new-comers had arrived, all pleasant enough. She
asked me where I had been, and I told her all the story. "Yes, that is
beautiful enough," she said, "but I hate all this breaking up and going
on. I am sure I do not wish for any change." She made a grimace of
disgust at the idea of the ugly town I had seen, and then she said that
she would go with me some time to look at it, because it would make her
happier to return to her peace; and then she went off to tell Lucius.

I soon found Charmides, and I told him my adventures. "That is a
curious story," he said. "I like to think of people caring for each
other so; that is picturesque! These simple emotions are interesting.
And one likes to think that people who have none of the finer tastes
should have something to fall back upon--something hot and strong, as we
used to say."

"But," I said, "tell me this, Charmides, was there never any one in the
old days whom you cared for like that?"

"I thoug