see to it all myself. The rich juice of choicest
grape stands yonder. Let me fetch it--let me be serving-maid to such
noble guests.'

'Wayward child! A whim of thine, I suppose. Go thy way;' and the girl
danced off on the lightest foot to the Golden Room.

She grasped the goblets of gold, poured into them the rarest essence of
the vine, and looked down into their rosy depths, and saw mirrored there
the consummation of her hopes.

'One thing is needful,' said she, 'to complete the chain. Link after
link have I forged it, and now for the last to form a chain of love so
strong, so powerful as to bind the Greek to me for _ever_!'

She placed her hand within her girdle of rubies, and drew forth two
phials--one azure, the other rose. She held them aloft, one in each
jewelled hand. The sunlight came through the windows of coloured marble,
and the phials sparkled like the jewels round her waist.

She gazed on them, a smile lighting up her face. On them hung her life's
joy--if such a thing as joy could ever warm the heart of Nika, the Roman
girl.

Yes, if she were doomed, she would be damned beneath the shelter of
Chios.

The goblets lay on the ivory table. One had a serpent around its base,
emblem of eternity; into that she poured the contents of the
rose-coloured phial.

'This for Chios,' said she.

The other vessel had a chaste design of lilies, into which she poured
the liquid from the azure phial.

'This for the Roman. Eternity for Chios--the fading flowers for Varro!'

On a golden plate begemmed with emeralds she placed them, and went forth
from the Golden Room bearing the charmed wine.

'Drink!' said Nika. 'Drink joy to the house of Venusta and Lucius!'

And they pledged themselves in Ionian wine.

CHAPTER XXIV

THE MINSTREL

Chios sat lazily in his studio. Work he could not; something had come
over him--an influence unseen hovered near. He was not sad, nor was he
joyous. There was a deep quiet reigning such as he had never before
experienced. He seemed to be moving into a new faith; a serenity of
softest light lingered around his spirit--a mild delight into which one
would sink until it blossomed into ecstatic joy.

The light streamed through the open doorway, and fell into the shadows
which dwelt behind the marble pillars.

He heard soft strains from a distant lyre, and they sweetly moved his
soul. The melody of song floated on the evenin