l
not Glaucon the Beautiful live again? Will he not grow to man's estate to
avenge his murdered father?" The lady spoke without passion, but with a
cold bitterness that made Democrates cease from smiling. He turned away
from the babe.

"Forgive me, dear lady," he answered her, "I am wiser at ruling the
Athenians than at ruling children, but I see nothing of Glaucon about the
babe, though much of his beautiful mother."

"You had once a better memory, Democrates," said Hermione, reproachfully.

"I do not understand your Ladyship."

"I mean that Glaucon has been dead one brief year. Can you forget _his_
face in so short a while?"

But here Lysistra interposed with all good intent.

"You are fond and foolish, Hermione, and like all young mothers are
enraged if all the world does not see his father's image in their
first-born."

"Democrates knows what I would say," said the younger woman, soberly.

"Since your Ladyship is pleased to speak in riddles and I am no seer nor
oracle-monger, I must confess I cannot follow. But we will contend no more
concerning little Phoenix. Enough that he will grow up fair as the Delian
Apollo and an unspeakable joy to his mother."

"Her only joy," was Hermione's icy answer. "Wrap up the child, Cleopis. My
father is coming. It is a long walk home to the city."

With a rustle of white Hermione went down the slope in advance of her
mother. Hermippus and Lysistra were not pleased. Plainly their daughter
kept all her prejudice against Democrates. Her cold contempt was more
disappointing even than open fury.

Once at home Hermione held little Phoenix long to her heart and wept over
him. For the sake of her dead husband's child, if for naught else, how
could she suffer them to give her to Democrates? That the orator had
destroyed Glaucon in black malice had become a corner-stone in her belief.
She could at first give for it only a woman's reason--blind intuition. She
could not discuss her conviction with her mother or with any save a
strange confidant--Phormio.

She had met the fishmonger in the Agora once when she went with the slaves
to buy a mackerel. The auctioneer had astonished everybody by knocking
down to her a noble fish an obol under price, then under pretext of
showing her a rare Boeotian eel got her aside into his booth and whispered
a few words that made the red and white come and go from her cheeks, after
which the lady's hand went quickly to her purse, and she spoke quick