to my house. One of my ships has brought you to
this land, and I wish you to find hospitality beneath my roof.
Farewell, Athenian. I also am from Athens, and seeing you I imagine that
the golden lance of Pallas on the height by the Parthenon still shines
before my eyes."

Bidding the Athenian farewell with a smile, Sonnica turned toward the
temple, followed by the slaves.

Actaeon overhead the conversation of Lachares and Polyanthus outside the
temple. They had spent the night before at Sonnica's house. They had
left the table at dawn. Lachares still wore his banquet crown, but the
roses were withered and falling to pieces. When Sonnica heard of the
arrival of the dancing girls from Gades, whom she had so impatiently
awaited to present at her suppers, she took a fancy to see Polyanthus
and his ship, and she wished to make a sacrifice to Aphrodite in
passing, as she did whenever she went to the port. She had come in her
great litter, accompanied by Lachares and the two slaves, proposing to
sleep on the way back, for she generally stayed in bed until well past
the hour of noon.

The pilot withdrew and went toward his ship to disembark the troop of
dancers, and Actaeon walked with Lachares to the entrance of the open
temple.

The interior was simple and beautiful. A great square space remained
roofless to allow the light to enter, and the sun's rays descending
through this opening gave the changing bluish green of sea-water to the
azure columns with their capitals representing shells, dolphins, and
cupids grasping the oar. At the lower end in a soft penumbra, laden with
the perfumes of the sacrifices, stood the goddess, white, arrogant, and
proud in her nudity as when she first emerged from the waves before the
astonished eyes of men.

The altar was near the door. Before it stood the priest in a full linen
mantle, held to his head by a crown of flowers, receiving the offerings
to the goddess from the hands of Sonnica herself.

Coming out upon the peristyle she swept with a loving glance the expanse
of whitecapped sea, the port glistening like a triple mirror, the
immense green valley, and the distant city, gilded by the first rays of
the morning sun.

"How beautiful! Look at our city, Actaeon! Greece is not more exquisite."

At the foot of the great stone steps was her palanquin, which was a
veritable house closed by purple curtains, decorated at their four
corners with plumes of ostrich feathers. It was borne b