‘But what harm is there in seeing Ione?’

’That I know not; but if thou wantest a companion, I am willing to talk to thee, little one, for I am solitary enough in my dull cubiculum.  And, by the way, thou art Thessalian—­knowest thou not some cunning amusement of knife and shears, some pretty trick of telling fortunes, as most of thy race do, in order to pass the time.’

’Tush, slave, hold thy peace! or, if thou wilt speak, what hast thou heard of the state of Glaucus?’

’Why, my master has gone to the Athenian’s trial; Glaucus will smart for it!’

‘For what?’

‘The murder of the priest Apaecides.’

‘Ha!’ said Nydia, pressing her hands to her forehead; ’something of this I have indeed heard, but understand not.  Yet, who will dare to touch a hair of his head?’

‘That will the lion, I fear.’

‘Averting gods! what wickedness dost thou utter?’

’Why, only that, if he be found guilty, the lion, or may be the tiger, will be his executioner.’

Nydia leaped up, as if an arrow had entered her heart; she uttered a piercing scream; then, falling before the feet of the slave, she cried, in a tone that melted even his rude heart: 

‘Ah! tell me thou jestest—­thou utterest not the truth—­speak, speak!’

’Why, by my faith, blind girl, I know nothing of the law; it may not be so bad as I say.  But Arbaces is his accuser, and the people desire a victim for the arena.  Cheer thee!  But what hath the fate of the Athenian to do with thine?’

’No matter, no matter—­he has been kind to me:  thou knowest not, then, what they will do?  Arbaces his accuser!  O fate!  The people—­the people!  Ah! they can look upon his face—­who will be cruel to the Athenian!—­Yet was not Love itself cruel to him?’

So saying, her head drooped upon her bosom:  she sunk into silence; scalding tears flowed down her cheeks; and all the kindly efforts of the slave were unable either to console her or distract the absorption of her reverie.

When his household cares obliged the ministrant to leave her room, Nydia began to re-collect her thoughts.  Arbaces was the accuser of Glaucus; Arbaces had imprisoned her here; was not that a proof that her liberty might be serviceable to Glaucus?  Yes, she was evidently inveigled into some snare; she was contributing to the destruction of her beloved!  Oh, how she panted for release!  Fortunately, for her sufferings, all sense of pain became merged in the desire of escape; and as she began to revolve the possibility of deliverance, she grew calm and thoughtful.  She possessed much of the craft of her sex, and it had been increased in her breast by her early servitude.  What slave was ever destitute of cunning?  She resolved to practise upon her keeper; and calling suddenly to mind his superstitious query as to her Thessalian art, she hoped by that handle to work out some method of release.  These doubts occupied her mind during the rest of the day and the long hours of night; and, accordingly, when Sosia visited her the following morning, she hastened to divert his garrulity into that channel in which it had before evinced a natural disposition to flow.