fingers as if she had to touch some
unclean thing. "If you mean a flower-seller or a flute-player or
something of that kind--"

"How could I dare to suggest anything so improper?" Lysias hastily
interposed. "The girl of whom I speak may be sixteen years old; she
is innocence itself incarnate, and she looks like a bud ready to open
perhaps in the morning dew that may succeed this very night, but which
as yet is still enfolded in its cup. She is of Greek race, about as tall
as you are, Cleopatra; she has wonderful gazelle-like eyes, her little
head is covered by a mass of abundant brown hair, when she smiles she
has delicious dimples in her cheeks--and she will be sure to smile when
such a Peitho speaks to her!"

"You are rousing our curiosity," cried Philometor. "In what garden,
pray, does this blossom grow?"

"And how is it," added Cleopatra, "that my husband has not discovered it
long since, and transplanted it to our palace."

"Probably," answered Lysias, "because he who possesses Cleopatra,
the fairest rose of Egypt, regards the violets by the roadside as too
insignificant to be worth glancing at. Besides, the hedge that fences
round my bud grows in a gloomy spot; it is difficult of access and
suspiciously watched. To be brief: our Hebe is a water-bearer in the
temple of Serapis, and her name is Irene."

CHAPTER XI.

Lysias was one of those men from whose lips nothing ever sounds as if it
were meant seriously. His statement that he regarded a serving girl from
the temple of Serapis as fit to personate Hebe, was spoken as naturally
and simply as if he were telling a tale for children; but his words
produced an effect on his hearers like the sound of waters rushing into
a leaky ship.

Publius had turned perfectly white, and it was not till his friend
had uttered the name of Irene that he in some degree recovered his
composure; Philometor had struck his cup on the table, and called out in
much excitement:

"A water-bearer of Serapis to play Hebe in a gay festal performance! Do
you conceive it possible, Cleopatra?"

"Impossible--it is absolutely out of the question," replied the
queen, decidedly. Euergetes, who also had opened his eyes wide at the
Corinthian's proposition, sat for a long time gazing into his cup
in silence; while his brother and sister continued to express
their surprise and disapprobation and to speak of the respect and
consideration which even kings must pay to the priests and servant