on a tile, and which requested Publius to come quite alone to the spot
indicated, since she dare not speak with him in the temple. Finally he
was invited to write his answer on the other side of the square of clay.
As Klea heard these words, put into her own mouth by a villain, she
could have sobbed aloud heartily with anguish, shame, and rage; but the
point now was to keep her ears wide open, for Euergetes asked his odious
tool:

"And what was the Roman's answer?" Eulaeus must have handed the tile to
the king, for he laughed loudly again, and cried out:

"So he will walk into the trap--will arrive by half an hour after
midnight at the latest, and greets Klea from her sister Irene. He
carries on love-making and abduction wholesale, and buys water-bearers
by the pair, like doves in the market or sandals in a shoe maker's
stall. Only see how the simpleton writes Greek; in these few words there
are two mistakes, two regular schoolboys' blunders.

"The fellow must have had a very pleasant day of it, since he must have
been reckoning on a not unsuccessful evening--but the gods have an ugly
habit of clenching the hand with which they have long caressed their
favorites, and striking him with their fist.

"Amalthea's horn has been poured out on him today; first he snapped up,
under my very nose, my little Hebe, the Irene of Irenes, whom I hope
to-morrow to inherit from him; then he got the gift of my best Cyrenaan
horses, and at the same time the flattering assurance of my valuable
friendship; then he had audience of my fair sister--and it goes more to
the heart of a republican than you would believe when crowned heads
are graciously disposed towards him--finally the sister of his pretty
sweetheart invites him to an assignation, and she, if you and Zoe speak
the truth, is a beauty in the grand style. Now these are really too many
good things for one inhabitant of this most stingily provided world; and
in one single day too, which, once begun, is so soon ended; and justice
requires that we should lend a helping hand to destiny, and cut off
the head of this poppy that aspires to rise above its brethren; the
thousands who have less good fortune than he would otherwise have great
cause to complain of neglect."

"I am happy to see you in such good humor," said Eulaeus.

"My humor is as may be," interrupted the king. "I believe I am only
whistling a merry tune to keep up my spirits in the dark. If I were on
more familiar term