s
something grand in that unhappy creature."

He had worked without interruption for nearly four hours, when standing
back from the table, he looked anxiously, first at his work and then at
Antinous, and then asked him:

"How will that do?"

The Bithynian gave eager expression to his approbation, and Pollux had,
in fact, done wonders in the short time. The wax began to display in a
much reduced scale the whole figure of the beautiful youth and in the
very same attitude which the young Dionysus carried off by the pirates,
had assumed the day before. The incomparable modelling of the favorite's
limbs and form was soft but not effeminate; and, as Pollux had said to
himself the day before, no artist in his happiest mood, could conceive
the Nysaean god as different from this.

While the sculptor in order to assure himself of the accuracy of his
work was measuring his model's limbs with wooden compasses and lengths
of tape, the sound of chariot-wheels was heard at the gate of the
palace, and soon after the yelping of the Graces. Doris called to the
dogs to be quiet and another high-pitched woman's voice mingled with
hers. Antinous listened and what he heard seemed to be somewhat out of
the common for he suddenly quitted the position in which the sculptor
had placed him only a few minutes before, ran to the window and called
to Pollux in a subdued voice:

"It is true! I am not mistaken! There is Hadrian's wife Sabina talking
out there to your mother."

He had heard rightly; the Empress had come to Lochias to seek out her
husband. She had got out of the chariot at the gate of the old palace
for the paving of the court-yard would not be completed before that
evening.

Dogs, of which her husband was so fond, she detested; the shrewd beasts
returned her aversion, so dame Doris found it more difficult than usual
to succeed in reducing her disobedient pets to silence when they flew
viciously at the stranger. Sabina terrified, vehemently desired the old
woman to release her from their persecution, while the chamberlain
who had come with her and on whom she was leaning kicked out at the
irrepressible little wretches and so increased their spite. At last the
Graces withdrew into the house. Dame Doris drew a deep breath and turned
to the Empress.

She did not suspect who the stranger was for she had never seen Sabina
and had formed quite a different idea of her.

"Pardon me good lady," she said in her frank confiding manner.