“Then we really may,” said Arsinoe, and she went up to her father to give him a coaxing pat.  But Keraunus was not in the humor to accept caresses; he pushed her aside with an angry:  “Leave me alone,” and then went on: 

“If Hadrian were to ask me ’Where are your daughters on the occasion of the festival?’ and if I had to reply, ’They were not among the daughters of the noble citizens,’ it would be an insult to Caesar, to whom in fact I feel very well disposed.  All this I had to consider, and I gave your names and promised to send you to the great Theatre to the assembly of young girls.  There you will be met by the noblest matrons and maidens of the city, and the first painters and sculptors will decide to what part of the performance your air and appearance are best fitted.”

“But, father,” cried Selene, “we cannot show ourselves in such an assembly in our common garments, and where are we to find the money to buy new ones?”

“We can quite well show ourselves by any other girls, in clean, white woollen dresses, prettily smartened with fresh ribbons,” declared Arsinoe, interposing between her father and her sister.

“It is not that which troubles me,” replied the steward; “it is the costumes, the costumes!  It is only the daughters of the poorer citizens who will be paid by the council, and it would be a disgrace to be numbered among the poor—­you understand me, children.”

“I will not take part in the procession,” said Selene resolutely, but Arsinoe interrupted her.

“It is inconvenient and horrible to be poor, but it certainly is no disgrace!  The most powerful Romans of ancient times, regarded it as honorable to die poor.  Our Macedonian descent remains to us even if the state should pay for our costumes.”

“Silence,” cried the steward.  “This is not the first time that I have detected this low vein of feeling in you.  Even the noble may submit to the misfortunes entailed by poverty, but the advantages it brings with it he can never enjoy unless he resigns himself to being so no longer.”

It had cost the steward much trouble to give due expression to this idea, which he did not recollect to have heard from another, which seemed new to him, and which nevertheless fully represented what he felt; and he slowly sank, with all the signs of exhaustion, into a couch which formed a divan round a side recess in the spacious sitting-room.

In this room Cleopatra might have held with Antony those banquets of which the unequalled elegance and refinement had been enhanced by every grace of art and wit.  On the very spot where Keraunus now reclined the dining-couch of the famous lovers had probably stood; for, though the whole hall had a carefully-laid pavement, in this recess there was a mosaic of stones of various colors of such beauty and delicacy of finish that Keraunus had always forbidden his children to step upon it.  This, it is true, was less out of regard for the fine work of art than because his father had always prohibited his doing so, and his father again before him.  The picture represented the marriage of Peleus and Thetis, and the divan only covered the outer border of the picture, which was decorated with graceful little Cupids.