use Balbilla might easily become the sinister Hecate. But the malicious
sprite is close at hand, for he is hidden in this little roll."

"A document from Caesar?"

"Oh! no, only a letter from a Jew."

"Possibly the father of some fair daughter!"

"Wrongly guessed--as wrong as possible!"

"You excite my curiosity."

"Mine has already been satisfied by this roll. Horace is wise when he
says that man should never trouble himself about the future."

"An oracle!"

"Something of the kind."

"And can that darken this lovely morning to you? Did you ever see me
melancholy? Yet my future is threatened by a prophecy--such a hideous
prophecy."

"The fate of men is different to the destiny of women."

"Would you like to hear what was prophesied of me?"

"What a question!"

"Listen then; the saying I will repeat to you came to me from no less an
oracle than the Delphic Pythia:

"'That which thou boldest most precious and dear
Shall be torn from thy keeping,
And from the heights of Olympus,
Down shalt thou fall in the dust.'"

"Is that all?"

"Nay--two consolatory lines follow."

"And they are--?"

"Still the contemplative eye
Discerns under mutable sand drifts
Stable foundations of stone,
Marble and natural rock."

"And you are inclined to complain of this oracle?"

"Is it so pleasant to have to wade through dust? We have enough of that
intolerable nuisance here in Egypt--or am I to be delighted at the
prospect of hurting my feet on hard stones?"

"And what do the interpreters say?"

"Only silly nonsense."

"You have never found the right one; but I--I see the meaning of the
oracle."

"You?"

"Ay, I! The stern Balbilla will at last descend from the lofty Olympus of
her high-anti-mightiness and no longer disdain that immutable
foundation-rock, the adoration of her faithful Verus."

"That foundation--that rock!" laughed the girl. "I should think it as
well advised to try to walk on the surface of the sea out there as on
that rock!"

"Only try."

"It is not necessary; Lucilla has made the experiment for me. Your
interpretation is wrong; Caesar gave me a far better one."

"What was that?"

"That I should give up writing poetry and devote myself to strict
scientific studies. He advised me to try astronomy."

"Astronomy," repeated Verus, growing graver. Farewell, fair one; I must
go to Caesar!"

"We were with him yesterday at Lochias. How everything is c