Keraunus shrugged his shoulders, and after desiring Selene to ask the physician when she might be taken home, he went away.

“I will not leave you here an instant longer than is necessary,” he said as urgently as though she were in some infected house; he kissed her forehead, bowed to Hannah as loftily as though he had just bestowed an alms upon her, and departed, without listening to Selene’s assurances that she was extremely happy and comfortable with the widow.

The ground had long burnt under his feet, and the money in his pocket, he was now possessed of ample means to acquire a good new slave, perhaps, if he threw old Sebek into the bargain, they might even suffice to procure him a handsome Greek, who might teach the children to read and write.  He could direct his first attention to the external appearance of the new member of his household, if he were a scholar as well, he would feel justified in the high price he expected to be obliged to pay for him.

As Keraunus approached the slave-market he said, not without some conscious emotion at his own paternal devotion: 

“All for the credit of the house, all, and only, for the children.”

Arsinoe carried out her intention of staying with Selene; her father was to fetch her on his way home.  After he was gone, Hannah and Mary left the two sisters together, for they supposed that they must wish to discuss a variety of things without the presence of strangers.

As soon as the girls were alone Arsinoe began:  “Your cheeks are rosy, Selene, and you look cheerful—­ah! and I, I am so happy—­so happy!”

“Because you are to fill the part of Roxana?”

“That is very nice too, and who would have thought only yesterday morning that we should be so rich today.  We hardly know what to do with all the money.”

“We?”

“Yes, for father has sold two objects out of his collection for six thousand drachmae.”

“Oh!” cried Selene clasping her hands, “then we can pay our most pressing debts.”

“To be sure, but that is not nearly all.”

“No?”

“Where shall I begin?  Ah!  Selene, my heart is so full.  I am tired, and yet I could dance and sing and shout all day and all the night through till to-morrow.  When I think how happy I am, my head turns, and I feel as if I must use all my self-control to keep myself from turning giddy.  You do not know yet how you feel when the arrow of Eros has pierced you.  Ah!  I love Pollux so much, and he loves me too.”

At these words all the color fled from Selene’s cheeks, and her pale lips brought out the words: 

“Pollux?  The son of Euphorion, Pollux the sculptor?”

“Yes, our dear, kind, tall Pollux!” cried Arsinoe.  “Now prick up your ears, and you shall hear how it all came to pass.  Last night on our way to see you he confessed how much he loved me, and now you must advise me how to win over my father to our side, and very soon too.  By-and-bye he will of course say yes, for Pollux can do anything he wants, and some day he will be a great man, as great as Papias, and Aristaeus, and Kealkes all put together.  His youthful trick with that silly caricature—­but how pale you are, Selene!”