had been fixed on the dealer's lips; but Arsinoe, who had followed his
movements with no less attention, was less easily discouraged, and
pointing to her father's Apelles, she said: And that picture, is that
worth nothing?"

"It grieves me that I cannot tell so fair a damsel that it is inestimably
valuable," said the dealer, stroking his gray whiskers. "But we have here
only a very feeble copy. The original is in the Villa belonging to
Phinius on the Lake of Larius, and which he calls Cothurnus. I have no
use whatever for this piece."

"And this carved cup?" asked Keraunus. "It came from among the
possessions of Plutarch, as I can prove, and it is said to have been the
gift of the Emperor Trajan."

"It is the prettiest thing in your collection," replied Gabinius; "but it
is amply paid for with four hundred drachmae."

"And this cylinder from Cyprus, with the elegant incised work?" The
steward was about to take up the polished crystal, but his hand was
trembling with agitation and pushed instead of lifting it from the table.
It rolled away on the floor and across the smooth mosaic picture as far
as the couches. Keraunus was about to stoop to pick it up, but his
daughters both held him back, and Selene cried out:

"Father, you must not; the physician strictly forbade it."

While the steward pushed the girls away grumbling, the dealer had gone
down on his knees to pick up the cylinder, but it seemed to cost the
slightly-built man much less effort to stoop than to get up again, for
some minutes had elapsed before he once more stood on his feet, in front
of Keraunus. His countenance had put on an expression of eager attention,
and he once more took up the painting attributed to Apelles, sat down
with it on the couch, and appeared wholly absorbed in the contemplation
of the picture, which hid his face from the bystanders.

But his eye was not resting on the work before him, but on the
marriage-scene at his feet, in which he detected each moment some fresh
and unique beauty. As the dealer sat there for some minutes with the
little picture on his knee, the steward's face brightened, Selene drew a
deep breath, and Arsinoe went up to her father to cling to his arm and
whisper in his ear:

"Do not let him have the Apelles cheap--remember my bracelet."

Gabinius now rose, glanced at the various objects lying on the table and
said in a much shorter and more business-like tone than before:

"For all these things I can give