s merry life, as if its owner had risen
from the dead. The nights were devoted to feasting in the great
triclinium; Sonnica's friends, the young gallants, accepted her
invitations, and even Euphobias, the philosopher, reached his place at
the table without having to fight his way through the blows of her
slaves.

Sonnica was radiant, clinging to Actaeon and listening to his words as to
sweet music. The guests urged him to relate the story of his adventures
among the Celtiberians, wondering at the customs of the tribes over
which Alorcus reigned. Euphobias, the parasite, did not conceal his
satisfaction at possessing so powerful a friend, and he declared that he
would go to his kingdom to live awhile in comfort, without having to beg
his bread from the merchants of Saguntum. Love's springtime returned for
the Athenian. He spent his days at the villa, lying at Sonnica's feet,
watching her spin the bright colored wool from the distaff or give the
finishing touches to her toilette, assisted by her slaves. At the close
of day they strolled through the garden, and night surprised them in the
grotto, in fond embrace, listening to the song of the water falling into
the alabaster basin with sweet, monotonous melody.

Now and again Actaeon went to the city in the morning to stroll through
the porticos of the Forum listening to the newsmongers with the
curiosity of a Greek accustomed to the grumblings in the Agora. He
noticed extraordinary stir in the great Saguntine market-square. The
idle talked of war; the more bellicose recounted with exaggeration their
achievements on the last expedition against the Turdetani, and the
tranquil merchants left their counters to ask for news, accepting with
gestures of despair the possibility of a coming struggle. As Actaeon came
into Saguntum he saw on the wall hundreds of slaves repairing the
merlons worn by time, and filled with cracks which many years of peace
had opened in them.

Mopsus, the archer, put him in touch with the deliberations of the
elders. Hannibal had sent an emissary with an ultimatum to return to the
Turdetani the conquered territories and the booty taken during their
last expedition. The African threatened with insufferable arrogance, and
the Saguntine Republic had answered with scorn, refusing to listen to
his commands. Saguntum would only obey its strong ally Rome, and, secure
in her protection, she looked with indifference upon the threats of the
Carthaginian. Howeve