though love has wholly disappeared, she still claims consideration, and
Althea did not wish to lose Hermon's regard.

When Amyntas, the head of the conspirators, attracted the attention of
the company by malicious remarks about the King's sister, the Thracian
laid her hand on the blind artist's arm, whispering: "Has the image of
the Arachne which, at Tennis, charmed you even in the presence of the
angry Zeus, completely vanished from your memory? How indifferent you
look! But I tell you"--her deep blue eyes flashed as she spoke--"that so
long as you were still a genuine creating artist the case was different.
Even while putting the last touches of the file to the Demeter, for
which Archias's devout daughter posed as your model, another whom you
could not banish from your mind filled your imagination. Though so loud
a denial is written on your face, I persist in my conviction, and that
no idle delusion ensnares me I can prove!"

Hermon raised his sightless eyes to her inquiringly, but she went on
with eager positiveness: "Or, if you did not think of the weaver while
carving the goddess, how did you happen to engrave a spider on the
ribbon twined around the ears of grain in Demeter's hand? Not the
smallest detail of a work produced by the hand of a valued friend
escapes my notice, and I perceived it before the Demeter came to the
temple and the lofty pedestal. Now I would scarcely be able to discover
it in the dusky cella, yet at that time I took pleasure in the sight of
the ugly insect, not only because it is cleverly done, but because it
reminded me of something"--here she lowered her voice still more--"that
pleased me, though probably it would seem less flattering to the
daughter of Archias, who perhaps is better suited to act as guide to the
blind. How bewildered you look! Eternal gods! Many things are forgotten
after long months have passed, but it will be easy for me to sharpen
your memory. 'At the time Hermon had just finished the Demeter,' the
spider called to me, 'he scratched me on the gold.' But at that very
time--yes, my handsome friend, I can reckon accurately--you had met me,
Althea, in Tennis, I had brought the spider-woman before your eyes. Was
it really nothing but foolish vanity that led me to the conviction
that you were thinking of me also when you engraved on the ribbon the
despised spider-for which, however, I always felt a certain regard--with
the delicate web beneath its slender legs?"

Hitherto