“You are a man,” the matron exclaimed indignantly, “and what thousands have done before you—­”

“There,” he loudly protested, “I should surely fail; for, you dear woman, who mean so kindly by me, my fate is worse than theirs.  Do you know what just forced from my lips the exclamation of pain which alarmed you?  I, the only child of the devout Erigone, for whose sake you are so well disposed toward me, am doomed to misfortune as surely as the victim dragged to the altar is certain of death.  Of all the goddesses, there is only one in whose power I believe, and to whom I just raised my hands in prayer.  It is the terrible one to whom I was delivered by hate and the deceived love which is now dragging me by the hair, and will rob and torture me till I despair of life.  I mean the gray daughter of Night, whom no one escapes, dread Nemesis.”

Thyone sank down into the chair by the blind artist’s side, asking softly, “And what gave you into her avenging hands, hapless boy?”

“My own abominable folly,” he answered mournfully and, with the feeling that it would relieve his heart to pour out to this true friend what he would usually have confided only to his Myrtilus, he hurriedly related how he had recognised in Ledscha the best model for his Arachne, how he had sought her love, and then, detained by Althea, left her in the lurch and most deeply offended and insulted her.  Lastly, he gave a brief but vivid description of his meeting with the vengeful barbarian girl in the Temple of Nemesis, how Ledscha had invoked upon him the wrath of the terrible goddess, and how the most horrible punishment had fallen upon him directly after the harsh accusation of the Biamite.

The matron had listened to this confession in breathless suspense.  Now she fixed her eyes on the floor, shook her gray head gently, and said anxiously:  “Is that it?  It certainly puts things in a different light.  As the son of your never-to-be-forgotten mother, you are indeed dear to my heart; but Daphne is not less dear to me, and though in your marriage I just saw happiness for you both, that is now past.  What is poverty, what is blindness!  Eros would reconcile far more difficult problems, but his arrows are shattered on the armour of Nemesis.  Where there is a pair of lovers, and she raises her scourge against one of them, the other will also be struck.  Until you feel that you are freed from this persecutor, it would be criminal to bind a loving woman to you and your destiny.  It is not easy to find the right path for you both, for even Nemesis and her power do not make the slightest change in the fact that you need faithful care and watching in your blindness.  Daylight brings wisdom, and we will talk further to-morrow.”

She rose as she spoke; but Hermon detained her, while from his lips escaped the anxious question, “So you will take Daphne away from me, and leave me alone in my blindness?”

“You in your blindness?” cried Thyone, and the mere reproachful tone of the question banished the fear.  “I would as quickly deprive my own son of my support as I would you just at this time, my poor boy; but whether my conscience will permit me to let Daphne remain near you only grant me, I repeat it, until sunrise to-morrow for reflection.  My old heart will then find the right way.”