“It is indeed.”

“And what ‘if’ or ‘but’ remains behind?” asked the old man.  “Let us be reckless for once, brother!  If the whole business were not so diabolically serious, it would be quite laughable.  The young one for me and the old one for you in our leisure hours, my son; better washed linen; clothes without holes in them; no dust on our books; a pleasant ‘Rejoice’ every morning, or at meal-times;—­only look at the fruit on that dish!  No better than the oats they strew before horses.  At the old man’s everything was as nice as it used to be in my own home at Philae:  Supper a little work of art, a feast for the eye as well as the appetite!  Pulcheria seems to understand all that as well as my poor dead sister did.  And then, when I want to rise, such a kind, pretty little hand to help one up!  I have long hated this dwelling.  Lime and dust fall from the ceiling in my bedroom, and here there are wide gaps in the flooring-I stumbled over one yesterday—­and our niggardly landlords, the officials, say that if we want anything repaired we may do it ourselves, that they have no money left for such things.  Now, under that worthy old man’s roof everything was in the best order.”  The philosopher chuckled aloud and rubbed his hands as he went on:  “Supposing we kick over the traces for once, Philip.  Supposing we were to carry out our friend’s dying wish?  Merciful Isis!  It would certainly be a good action, and I have not many to boast of.  But cautiously—­what do you say?  We can always throw it up at a month’s notice.”

Then he grew grave again, shook his head, and said meditatively:  “No, no; such plans only disturb one’s peace of mind.  A pleasant vision!  But scarcely feasible.”

“Not for the present, at any rate,” replied the leech.

“So long as Paula’s fate remains undecided, I beg you to let the matter rest.”

The old man muttered a curse on her; then he said with a vicious, sharp flash in his eyes:  “That patrician viper!  Every where in everything—­she spoils it all!  But wait a while!  I fancy she will soon be removed from our path, and then...  No, even now, at the present time, I will not allow that we should be deprived of what would embellish life, of doing a thing which may turn the scale in my favor in the day of judgment.  The wishes of a dying man are sacred:  So our fathers held it; and they were right.  The old man’s will must be done!  Yes, yes, yes.  It is settled.  As soon as that hindrance is removed, we will keep house with the two women.  I have said; and I mean it.”

At this point the gardener came in again, and the old man called out to him: 

“Listen, man.  We shall live together after all; you shall hear more of this later.  Stay with my people till sundown, but you must keep your own counsel, for they are all listeners and blabs.  The physician here will now take the melancholy tidings to the unfortunate widow, and then you can talk it all over with her at night.  Nothing startling must take place at the house there; and with regard to your master, even his death must remain a secret from every one but us and his family.”