come to his house.

He had inherited the dwelling from his father. It was very large and
spacious, almost empty, and they could reach it speedily, as it stood on
the seashore, north of the Forum. The fugitives would be entirely at
liberty there, since he had work on hand which would permit him to spend
no time under his own roof except at night. He soon overcame the trivial
objections made by the philosopher and, fifteen minutes after they had
left the Corner of the Muses, he was permitted to open the door of his
house to his guests, and he did so with genuine pleasure. The old
housekeeper and the grey-haired steward, who had been in his father's
service, looked surprised, but worked zealously after Gorgias had
confided the visitors to their charge. The pressure of business forbade
his fulfilling the duties of host in his own person.

Didymus and his family had reason to be grateful; and when the old sage
found in the large library which the architect placed at his disposal
many excellent books and among them some of his own, he ceased his
restless pacing to and fro and forced himself to settle down. Then he
remembered that, by the advice of a friend, he had placed his property in
the keeping of a reliable banker and, though life still seemed dark grey,
it no longer looked as black as before.

Gorgias briefly related all this to the Nubian, and Dion added that she
would find Archibius with his Roman friend at the house of Berenike's
brother, the philosopher Arius. Like himself, the latter was suffering
from an injury inflicted by a reckless trick of Antyllus. Barine's mother
was there also, so Anukis could inform them of the fate of Didymus and
his brother, and tell them that he, Dion, intended to leave her house and
the city an hour after sunset.

"But," interrupted Gorgias, "no one, not even your hostess Berenike and
her brother, must know your destination.--You look as if you could keep a
secret, woman."

"Though she owes her nickname Aisopion to her nimble tongue," replied
Dion.

"But this tongue is like the little silver fish with scarlet spots in the
palace garden," said Anukis. "They dart to and fro nimbly enough; but as
soon as danger threatens they keep as quiet in the water as though they
were nailed fast. And--by mighty Isis!--we have no lack of peril in these
trying times. Would you like to see the lady Berenike and the others
before your departure?"

"Berenike, yes; but the sons of Arius--they are f