[130] One of their functions made these officers practically chiefs
  of police.

  [131] A part of these public officers performed police duty.

“Eho!” cried Pisander, “then you’d better leave your treasure here awhile, for us to take care of.”

“Not at all,” replied Agias; “I could have taken her out of the city at once, but in the daytime we should have been certainly noticed and subsequently tracked.  No one will imagine Artemisia is here—­at least for a while.  But this is a large familia; all may be my friends, but all may not have prudent tongues in their heads.  The reward is large, and perhaps some will be tempted;” he glanced at Iasus, who, to do him justice, had never thought of a second deed of baseness.  “I cannot risk that.  No, Artemisia goes out of the city to-night, and she must get ready without the least delay.”

Artemisia, who was charmed with her present surroundings and adulation, demurred at leaving her entertainers; but Agias was imperative, and the others realized well enough that there was not much time to be lost.  Agias, however, waited until it had become tolerably dark before starting.  Meantime, he proceeded to make certain changes of his own and Artemisia’s costume that indicated the rather serious character of the risk he was preparing to run.  For himself he put on a very full and flowing crimson evening dress, as if he were proceeding to a dinner-party; he piled a dozen odd rings upon his fingers, and laughingly asked Semiramis to arrange his hair for him in the most fashionable style, and anoint it heavily with Valeria’s most pungent perfumes.  At the same time, Arsinoe was quite transforming Artemisia.  Valeria’s cosmetic vials were for once put into play for a purpose, and when Artemisia reappeared from the dressing-room after her treatment, Agias saw before him no longer a fair-skinned little Greek, but a small, slender, but certainly very handsome Egyptian serving-lad, with bronzed skin, conspicuous carmine lips, and features that Arsinoe’s paint and pencils had coarsened and exaggerated.  Fortunately, the classic costume both for men and women was so essentially alike, that Artemisia did not have to undergo that mortification from a change of clothes which might have befallen one at the present day in a like predicament.  Her not very long black hair was loose, and shaken over her shoulders.  Agias had brought for her a short, variegated lacerna[132] which answered well enough as the habit of a boy-valet who was on good terms with his master.

  [132] A sort of mantle held on the shoulders by a clasp.

“Eho!” cried Agias, when he had witnessed the transformation, “we must hasten or Valeria will be anxious to keep you as her serving-boy!  Ah, I forgot she is going with her dear Pratinas to Egypt.  Now, Arsinoe, and you, Semiramis, I shall not forget the good turn you have done me; don’t let Valeria miss her unguents and ask questions that might prove disagreeable.  Farewell, Iasus and Pisander; we shall soon meet again, the gods willing.”