the temple of Isis, and request her
to bring a veil and cloak to conceal the girl. Greet the gay Milesian
from me too, and tell her--no, tell her nothing--I shall see her myself
afterwards at the temple of Isis."

During the last words of this conversation, slaves had been enveloping
the two young men in their mantles. They now quitted the tent together,
wished each other success, and set out at a brisk pace; the Roman to
have his horses harnessed, and Lysias to accompany the chief of the
Diadoches in one of the king's chariots, and then to act on the plan he
had agreed upon with Publius.

CHAPTER XIII.

Chariot after chariot hurried out of the great gate of the king's palace
and into the city, now sunk in slumber. All was still in the great
banqueting-hall, and dark-hued slaves began with brooms and sponges to
clean the mosaic pavement, which was strewed with rose leaves and with
those that had fallen from the faded garlands of ivy and poplar; while
here and there the spilt wine shone with a dark gleam in the dim light
of the few lamps that had not been extinguished.

A young flute-player, overcome with sleep and wine, still sat in one
corner. The poplar wreath that had crowned his curls had slipped over
his pretty face, but even in sleep he still held his flute clasped fast
in his fingers. The servants let him sleep on, and bustled about without
noticing him; only an overseer pointed to him, and said laughing:

"His companions went home no more sober than that one. He is a pretty
boy, and pretty Chloes lover besides--she will look for him in vain this
morning."

"And to-morrow too perhaps," answered another; "for if the fat king sees
her, poor Damon will have seen the last of her."

But the fat king, as Euergetes was called by the Alexandrians, and,
following their example, by all the rest of Egypt, was not just then
thinking of Chloe, nor of any such person; he was in the bath attached
to his splendidly fitted residence. Divested of all clothing, he was
standing in the tepid fluid which completely filled a huge basin of
white marble. The clear surface of the perfumed water mirrored statues
of nymphs fleeing from the pursuit of satyrs, and reflected the
shimmering light of numbers of lamps suspended from the ceiling. At the
upper end of the bath reclined the bearded and stalwart statue of the
Nile, over whom the sixteen infant figures--representing the number of
ells to which the great Egyptian stream m