“That was a drink—­I never tasted a better in the whole course of my life.”

“Muddy water out of a nasty earthen pitcher!” answered the girl.

“And it tasted better than wine from Byblos out of a golden goblet.”

“You had honestly earned the refreshment, and thirst gives flavor to the humblest liquor.”

“You forget the hand that gave it me,” replied the architect warmly.

Balbilla colored and looked at the floor in confusion, but presently raised her face and said, as gayly and carelessly as ever: 

“So that you have been deliciously refreshed; and now that is done you will go home and the poor thirsty soul will once more become the great architect.  But before that happens, pray inform us what god it was that brought you hither from Pelusium in the very nick of time when the fire broke out, and how matters look now in the palace at Lochias?”

“My time is short,” replied Pontius, and he then rapidly told her that, after he had finished his work at Pelusium, he had returned to Alexandria with the imperial post.  As he got out of the chariot at the post-house he observed the reflection of fire over the sea and was immediately after told by a slave that it was the palace that was burning.  There were horses in plenty at the post-house; he had chosen a strong one and had got to the spot before the crowd had collected.  How the fire had originated, so far remained undiscovered.  “Caesar,” he said, “was in the act of observing the heavens when a flame broke out in a store-shed close to the tower.  Antinous was the first to detect it, cried ‘Fire,’ and warned his master.  I found Hadrian in the greatest agitation; he charged me to superintend the work of rescuing all that could be saved.  At Lochias.  Verus helped me greatly and indeed with so much boldness and judgment that I owe very much to him.  Caesar himself kept his favorite within the palace, for the poor fellow burned both his hands.”

“Oh!” cried Balbilla with eager regret.  “How did that happen?”

“When Hadrian and Antinous first came down from the tower they brought with them as many of the instruments and manuscripts as they could carry.  When they were at the bottom Caesar observed that a tablet with important calculations had been left lying up above and expressed his regret.  Meanwhile the fire had already caught the slightly-built turret and it seemed impossible to get into it again.  But the dreamy Bithynian can wake out of his slumbers it would seem, and while Caesar was anxiously watching the burning bundles of flax which the wind kept blowing across to the harbor the rash boy rushed into the burning building, flung the tablet down from the top of the tower and then hurried down the stairs.  His bold action would indeed have cost the poor fellow his life if the slave Mastor; who meanwhile had hurried to the spot, had not dragged him down the stone stair of the old tower on which the new one stood and carried him into the open air.  He was half suffocated at the top of them and had dropped down senseless.”