But his eye was not resting on the work before him, but on the marriage-scene at his feet, in which he detected each moment some fresh and unique beauty.  As the dealer sat there for some minutes with the little picture on his knee, the steward’s face brightened, Selene drew a deep breath, and Arsinoe went up to her father to cling to his arm and whisper in his ear: 

“Do not let him have the Apelles cheap—­remember my bracelet.”

Gabinius now rose, glanced at the various objects lying on the table and said in a much shorter and more business-like tone than before: 

“For all these things I can give you—­wait a minute—­twenty-seventy-four hundred—­four hundred and fifty—­I can give you six hundred and fifty drachmae, not a sesterce more!”

“You are joking,” cried Keraunus.

“Not a sesterce more,” answered the other coldly.  “I do not want to make anything, but you as a business man will understand that I do not wish to buy with a certain prospect of loss.  As regards the Apelles—­”

“Well?”

“It may be of some value to me, but only under certain conditions.  The case is quite different as regards buying pictures.  Your two young damsels know of course that my line of business leads me to admire and value all that is beautiful, but still I must request you to leave me alone with your father for a little while.  I want to speak with him about this curious painting.”  Keraunus signed to his daughters, who immediately left the room.  Before the door was closed upon them the dealer called after them: 

“It is already growing dark, might I ask you to send me as bright a light as possible by one of your slaves.”

“What about the picture?” asked Keraunus.

“Till the light is brought let us talk of something else,” said Gabinius.

“Then take a seat on the couch,” said Keraunus.  “You will be doing me a pleasure and perhaps yourself as well.”

As soon as the two men were seated on the divan, Gabinius began: 

“Those little things which we have collected with particular liking, we do not readily part with—­that I know by long experience.  Many a man who has come into some property after he has sold all his little antiquities has offered me ten times the price I have paid him to get them back again, generally in vain, unfortunately.  Now, what is true of others is true of you, and if you had not been in immediate need of money you would hardly have offered me these things.”

“I must entreat you,” began the steward, but the dealer interrupted him, saying: 

“Even the richest are sometimes in want of ready money; no one knows that better than I, for I—­I must confess—­have large means at my command.  Just at present it would be particularly easy for me to free you from all embarrassment.”

“There stands my Apelles,” exclaimed the steward.  “It is yours if you make a bid that suits me.”