her face
under the panther-skin and on the giant's breast; true, she often with
a swift, upward glance tried to meet his eyes; but he did not see it.

A nude boy about twelve years old, with golden wings on his shoulders,
a bow and quiver fastened by a gold band across his back, was
constantly filling an enormous goblet for the bridegroom, who seemed to
think that his costume required him to drain it at once,--which
diverted his attention more than was desirable from his bride. On a
couch, somewhat above the bridal pair, a very beautiful girl about
eighteen lay in a picturesque attitude. Her noble head, with its golden
hair simply arranged in a Grecian knot, rested on the palm of her left
hand. Her Hellenic outlines and Hellenic statuesque repose rendered her
infinitely more noble and aristocratic than the Carthaginian Astarte.
Two tame doves perched on her right shoulder; she wore a robe of white
Coan gauze, which fell below the knee, but seemed intended to adorn
rather than to conceal her charms. The thin silken web was held around
the hips by an exquisitely wrought golden girdle half a foot wide, from
which hung a purple Ph[oe]nician apron weighted with gold tassels; on
her gold sandals were fastened "sea waves" made of stiff gray and white
silk, which extended to the delicate ankles of the "Foam-born," and at
the right and left of each one, the gleam of two large pearls was
visible at a great distance.

As the ship, drawn by the swans, now came into full view of all the
many thousands, the dazzling sight was greeted with deafening shouts.
As soon as the vessel emerged from the dim light into the radiant
glare, the Aphrodite hastily, desperately, tried to conceal herself;
finding a large piece of coarse sail-cloth lying near, she wrapped it
around her figure.

"How barbaric the whole thing is!" whispered, but very cautiously, one
Roman to another in the harsh throat tones of the African vulgar Latin,
as they stood together under the staging on the opposite side of the
harbor.

"I suppose that is intended to represent Bacchus, neighbor Laurus?"

"And Ariadne."

"I like the Aphrodite."

"Yes, I believe you, friend Victor. It is the beautiful Ionian, Glauke.
She was stolen from Miletus a short time ago by pirates. She is said to
be the child of prosperous parents. She was sold in the harbor forum to
Thrasabad, the bridegroom's brother. They say she cost as much as two
country estates!"

"She is gazing very mo