city in stock along
with his philtres.

"An Athenian! Praised be Athena Polias, then. I am from Athens myself. And
his father?"

"The brat will never boast of his father," quoth Dion, rolling his eyes.
"He left the world in a way, I wager five minae, the mother hopes she can
hide from her darling, but the babe's of right good stock, an Alcmaeonid,
and the grandfather is that Hermippus--"

"Hermippus?" The stranger seemed to catch the word out of Dion's mouth. A
donkey had broken loose at the upper end of the Agora; he turned and
stared at it and its pursuers intently.

"If you're Athenian," went on the soothsayer, "the story's an old one--of
Glaucon the Traitor."

The stranger turned back again. For a moment Dion saw he was blinking, but
no doubt it was dust. Then he suddenly began to fumble in his girdle.

"What do you want, girl?" he demanded of Niobe, nigh fiercely.

"Two obols."

"Take two drachmae. I was once a friend to that Glaucon, and traitor though
he has been blazed, his child is yet dear to me. Let me take him."

Without waiting her answer he thrust the coin into her hands, and caught
the child out of them. Phoenix looked up into the strange, bearded face,
and deliberated an instant whether to crow or to weep. Then some friendly
god decided him. He laughed as sweetly, as musically, as ever one can at
his most august age. With both chubby hands he plucked at the black beard
and held tight. The strange sailor answered laugh with laugh, and released
himself right gayly. Then whilst Niobe and Dion watched and wondered they
saw the sailor kiss the child full fifty times, all the time whispering
soft words in his ear, at which Phoenix crowed and laughed yet more.

"An old family servant," threw out Dion, in a whisper.

"Sheep!" retorted the nurse, "do you call yourself wise? Do you think a
man with that face and those long hands ever felt the stocks or the whip?
He's gentleman born, by Demeter!"

"War makes many changes," rejoined Dion. "_Ai!_ is he beside himself or a
kidnapper? He is walking off with the babe."

The stranger indeed had seemed to forget them all and was going with swift
strides up the Agora, but just before Niobe could begin her outcry he
wheeled, and brought his merry burden back to the nurse's arms.

"You ought to be exceeding proud, my girl," he remarked almost severely,
"to have such a precious babe in charge. I trust you are dutiful."

"So I strive, _kyrie_, but he grows ver