right-hand of Papias, who, without me does not know what he
ought to do, or how to do it."

"Only keep your eyes open and work hard," cried Doris.

"It is of no use without luck," muttered the singer, shrugging his
shoulders.

The young artist bid his parents good-night, and was about to leave, but
his mother detained him to show him the young goldfinches, hatched only
the day before. Pollux obeyed her wish, not merely to please her, but
because he liked to watch the gay little bird that sat warming and
sheltering her nestlings. Close to the cage stood the huge wine-jar and
his mother's cup, decorated by his own hand. His eye fell on these,
and he pushed them aside in silence. Then, taking courage, he said,
laughing: "The Emperor will often pass by here, mother; give up
celebrating your Dionysiac festival. How would it do if you filled the
jar with one-fourth wine and three-fourths water? It does not taste
badly."

"Spoiling good gifts," replied his mother.

"One-fourth wine-to please me," Pollux entreated, taking his mother by
the shoulders and kissing her forehead.

"To please you, you great boy!" said Doris, as her eyes filled with
tears. "Why for you, if I must, I would drink nothing but wretched
water. Euphorion you may finish what is left in the jar presently."

.........................

Pontius had already begun his labors, at first with aid only of his
assistants who had followed him on foot. Measuring, estimating, sending
short notes and writing figures, names and suggestions on the plan,
and on his folding wax-tablets, he was not idle for an instant, though
frequently interrupted by the appointed superintendents of the workshops
and manufactures in Lochias, whose co-operation he required. They only
came at this late hour because they were called upon by the prefect's
orders.

Papias, the sculptor, introduced himself among the latest, though
Pontius had written to him with his own hand that he had to communicate
to him a very remunerative and particularly pressing commission for the
Emperor, which might, perhaps, be taken in hand that very night. The
matter in question was a statue of Urania, which must be completed in
eight days by the same method which Papias had introduced at the last
festival of Adonis, and to the scale which he, Pontius, indicated,
in the palace of Lochias itself. With regard to several works of
restoration which had to be carried out with equal rapidity, and as to
th