When her adoptive mother had discovered how often she looked out into the street she thought she had found out the reason of her pupil’s distracted attention and only waited the return of her brother, the architect, in order to have the window blocked up.
As Pontius entered the lofty hall of his sister’s house, Arsinoe came to meet him. Her cheeks were flushed, she had hurried to fly down as fast as possible from her window to the ground floor, in order to speak to the architect before he went into the inner rooms or had talked with his sister, and she looked lovelier than ever. Pontius gazed at her with delight. He knew that he had seen this sweet face before, but he could not at once remember where; for a face we have met with only incidentally is not easily recognized when we find it again where we do not expect it.
Arsinoe did not give him time to speak to her, for she went straight up to him, greeted him, and asked timidly:
“You do not remember who I am?”
“Yes, yes,” said the architect, “and yet—for the moment—”
“I am the daughter of Keraunus, the palace-steward at Lochias, but you know of course”
“To be sure, to be sure! Arsinoe is your name; I was asking to-day after your father and heard to my great regret—”
“He is dead.”
“Poor child! How everything has changed in the old palace since I went away. The gate-house is swept away, there is a new steward and there-but, tell me how came you here?”
“My father left us nothing and Christians took its in. There were eight of us.”
“And my sister shelters you all?”
“No, no; one has been taken into one house and others into others. We shall never be together again.” And as she spoke the tears ran down Arsinoe’s cheeks; but she promptly recovered herself, and before Pontius could express his sympathy she went on:
“I want to ask of you a favor; let me speak before any one disturbs us.”
“Speak, my child.”
“You know Pollux—the sculptor Pollux?”
“Certainly.”
And you were always kindly disposed toward him?”
“He is a good man and an excellent artist.”