oat, looked
at the ground, and said with an embarrassed manner and without a trace of
his former confidence:

"I remain your debtor, and it seems you do not wish this business to be
mixed up with other matters. Well then, I had two thousand drachmae for a
sword that belonged to Antony."

"Then certainly," interrupted Plutarch, "the cup, the gift of Trajan,
must be worth double, particularly to me who am related to the
illustrious owner. May I offer you four thousand drachmae for your
precious possession?"

"I am anxious to oblige you, and so I say yes," replied the steward with
much dignity, and he squeezed Arsinoe's little finger, for she was
standing close to him. Her hand had for some time been touching his in
token of warning that he should adhere to his first intention of making
the cup a present to Plutarch.

As the pair, so unlike each other, quitted the anteroom, Plutarch looked
after them with a meaning smile and thought to himself: "That is well
done. How little pleasure I generally have from my riches! How often when
I see a sturdy porter I would willingly change places with him! But
to-day I am glad to have as much money as I could wish. Sweet child! She
must have a new dress of course for the sake of appearance, but really
her beauty did not suffer from the washed-out rag of a dress. And she
belongs to me, for I have seen her at the factory among the workwomen, of
that I am certain."

Keraunus had gone out with his daughter and once outside the prefect's
house, he could not help chuckling aloud, while he patted his daughter on
the shoulder, and whispered to her:

"I told you so child! we shall be rich yet, we shall rise in life again
and need not be behind the other citizens in any thing."

"Yes, father, but it is just because you believe that, that you ought to
have given the cup to the old man."

"No," replied Keraunus, "business is business, but by and bye I will
repay him tenfold for all he does for you now, by giving him my painting
by Apelles. And Julia shall have the pair of sandal-straps set with
cut-gems that came off a sandal of Cleopatra's."

Arsinoe looked down, for she knew what these treasures were worth, and
said:

"We can consider all that later."

Then she and her father got into the litters that had been waiting for
them, and without which Keraunus thought he could no longer exist, and
they were carried to the garden of Pudeus' widow.

Their visit came to interrupt Selene's