the gymnasium, and the camp.  Every one who wears garlands or weapons heard of a battle won.  Yesterday, among all the thousands, there was scarcely a single doubter; but to-day-how does it happen?  Even among those who as ‘Inimitables’ have shared all the pleasures, entertainments, and festivities of our noble pair, faith wavers; for if they were firmly convinced of the brilliant victory which was announced loudly enough, they would not come themselves to watch, to spy, to listen.  Just look down!  There is the litter of Diogenes—­ yonder that of Ammonius.  The chariot beyond belongs to Melampous.  The slaves in the red bombyx garments serve Hermias.  They all belong to the society of—­’Inimitables,’ and shared our banquets.  That very Apollonius who, for the last half hour, has been trying to question the palace servants, day before yesterday ordered fifty oxen to be slaughtered to Ares, Nike, and the great Isis, as the Queen’s goddess, and when I met him in the temple he exclaimed that this was the greatest piece of extravagance he had ever committed; for even without the cattle Cleopatra and Antony would be sure of victory.  But now the wind of rumour has swept away his beautiful confidence also.  They are not permitted to see me.  The doorkeepers say that I am in the country.  The necessity of showing every one a face radiant with the joy of victory would kill me.  There comes Apollonius.  How his fat face beams!  He believes in the victory, and after sunset none of yonder throng will appear here; he is already giving orders to his slaves.  He will invite all his friends to a banquet, and won’t spare his costly wines.  Capital!  At least no one from that company can disturb us.  Dion is his cousin, and will be present also.  We shall see what these pleasure-lovers will do when they are forced to confront, the terrible reality.”

“I think,” replied Archibius, “they will afford the world a remarkable spectacle; friends won in prosperity who remain constant in adversity.”

“Do you?” asked Iras, with sparkling eyes.  “If that proves true, how I would praise and value men—­the majority of whom without their wealth would be poorer than beggars.  But look at yonder figure in the white robe beside the left obelisk—­is it not Dion?  The crowd is bearing him away—­I think it was he.”

But she had been deceived; the man whom she fancied she had seen, because her heart so ardently yearned for him, was not near the Sebasteum, and his thoughts were still farther away.

At first he had intended to give the architect the letter which was addressed to him.  He would be sure to find him at the triumphal arch which was being erected on the shore of the Bruchium.  But on reaching the former place he learned that Gorgias had gone to remove the statues of Cleopatra and Antony from the house of Didymus, and erect them in front of the Theatre of Dionysus.  The Regent, Mardion, had ordered it.  Gorgias was already superintending the erection of the foundation.