, the murmur of the sea,
the whisper of the olive trees, and the monotonous croaking of the frogs
hidden in the marshes, floated to him muffled, as if lulled by the great
calm of night.

Again and again the Greek heard a strident, dismal cry, like the howl of
a wolf. Suddenly it whined behind him, he felt a warm breath on his
back, and as he turned he saw a woman bending toward him, her hands on
her knees, her mouth rent by a stupid smile which displayed gums, in
places lacking teeth.

"Greeting, handsome stranger! I saw you flee from the tumult. You must
be sad here all alone. I have come to make you happy.----What! Can it
not be?"

The Greek recognized her immediately--a "she-wolf" from the port, a
wretched woman such as he had seen swarming around the wharves in many
countries; miserable, cosmopolitan strumpets, flames for a single night
of men of all colors and races, with no other ambition than to earn a
few oboli, slinking near a stone or in the shadow of a boat, old hetaerae
sunk in brutality, fugitive slaves seeking liberty in obscenity and
drunkenness; females who represented all that cruel men of the sea knew
of love; poor beasts, weakened in their youth by excessive caresses, and
destined to be treated with blows in their old age.

The stranger looked at the woman, who was still young, and detected some
traces of beauty. But she was wasted, her eyes lachrymose, her mouth
disfigured by broken teeth. She was wrapped in an ample mantle which
must have been of beautiful weave but was now dirty and threadbare; her
feet were naked, and her tangled hair, in which the unhappy creature
had thrust a branch of wild flowers, was held by a copper comb.

"You are wasting your time here," said the Greek with a kindly smile. "I
have not so much as an obolus in my pouch."

The man's gentle accent seemed to intimidate the poor unfortunate. She
was accustomed to blows; man to her represented brutal assault,
gratification revealed with bites, and in the presence of the Greek's
tender manner she seemed disconcerted and shy, as if she suspected
danger.

"Have you no money?" she said with humility, after a long silence. "It
matters not; here I am. You please me; I am your slave. Among all those
people rioting at the hostelry my eyes have turned to you."

She bent over the Greek, caressing his curly hair with her calloused
hands, while he regarded her with compassionate eyes, seeing her
shrunken breast and hollow form. Hun