ure; but this Ares was dismissed by Venus, and so,
if only to keep up my self-respect, I was forced to conclude that the
girl, with all her pertness, was of a better sort than we had supposed.
My presents, which would have tempted any other girl in Alexandria to
follow a cripple to Hades, she took as an insult; she positively cried
with indignation, and I really respect pretty little Dada!"

"She is my very own sister's child," Herse threw in, honestly angered
by the cheap estimation in which every one seemed to hold her adopted
child. "My own sister's," she insisted, with an emphasis which seemed to
imply that she had a whole family of half-sisters. "Though we now earn
our bread as singers, we have seen better days; and in these hard
times Croesus to-day may be Irus to-morrow. As for us, Karnis did not
dissipate his money in riotous living. It was foolish perhaps but it
was splendid--I believe we should do the same again; he spent all his
inheritance in trying to reinstate Art. However, what is the use of
looking after money when it is gone! If you can win it, or keep it you
will be held of some account, but if you are poor the dogs will snap at
you!--The girl, Dada--we have taken as much care of her as if she were
our own, and divided our last mouthful with her before now. Karnis used
to tease her about training her voice--and now, when she could really do
something to satisfy even good judges--now, when she might have helped
us to earn a living-now..."

The good woman broke down and burst into tears, while Karnis tried to
soothe and comfort her.

"We shall get on without them somehow," he said. "'Nil desperandum' says
Horace the Roman. And after all they are not lizards that can hide in
the cracks of the walls; I know every corner of Alexandria and I will go
and hunt them up at once."

"And I will help you, my friend," said Demetrius, "We will go to the
Hippodrome--the gentry you will meet with there are capital blood-hounds
after such game as the daughter of your 'own sister,' my good woman. As
to the black-haired Christian girl--I have seen her many a time on board
ship..."

"Oh! she will take refuge with some fellow-Christians," remarked
Porphyrius. "Olympius told me all about her. I know plenty of the same
sort in the Church. They fling away life and happiness as if they were
apple-peelings to snatch at something which they believe to constitute
salvation. It is folly, madness! pure unmitigated madness! To h