'Inimitables' have
shared all the pleasures, entertainments, and festivities of our noble
pair, faith wavers; for if they were firmly convinced of the brilliant
victory which was announced loudly enough, they would not come
themselves to watch, to spy, to listen. Just look down! There is the
litter of Diogenes--yonder that of Ammonius. The chariot beyond belongs
to Melampous. The slaves in the red bombyx garments serve Hermias. They
all belong to the society of--'Inimitables,' and shared our banquets.
That very Apollonius who, for the last half hour, has been trying to
question the palace servants, day before yesterday ordered fifty oxen
to be slaughtered to Ares, Nike, and the great Isis, as the Queen's
goddess, and when I met him in the temple he exclaimed that this was the
greatest piece of extravagance he had ever committed; for even without
the cattle Cleopatra and Antony would be sure of victory. But now the
wind of rumour has swept away his beautiful confidence also. They are
not permitted to see me. The doorkeepers say that I am in the country.
The necessity of showing every one a face radiant with the joy of
victory would kill me. There comes Apollonius. How his fat face beams!
He believes in the victory, and after sunset none of yonder throng will
appear here; he is already giving orders to his slaves. He will invite
all his friends to a banquet, and won't spare his costly wines. Capital!
At least no one from that company can disturb us. Dion is his cousin,
and will be present also. We shall see what these pleasure-lovers will
do when they are forced to confront, the terrible reality."

"I think," replied Archibius, "they will afford the world a remarkable
spectacle; friends won in prosperity who remain constant in adversity."

"Do you?" asked Iras, with sparkling eyes. "If that proves true, how I
would praise and value men--the majority of whom without their wealth
would be poorer than beggars. But look at yonder figure in the white
robe beside the left obelisk--is it not Dion? The crowd is bearing him
away--I think it was he."

But she had been deceived; the man whom she fancied she had seen,
because her heart so ardently yearned for him, was not near the
Sebasteum, and his thoughts were still farther away.

At first he had intended to give the architect the letter which was
addressed to him. He would be sure to find him at the triumphal arch
which was being erected on the shore of the Bruchium. But on r