It was not in his nature to keep anything that stirred him deeply to himself, when he was in the society of another, so he murmured to his sister:  “It is just as well that the Macedonian youths of this city should not be able to see what a jewel our old man’s house contains.—­Look how brightly Selene shines on us, and how gloriously the stars burn!  Nowhere do the heavens blaze more brilliantly than here.  As soon as we come out of the shadow that the great walls cast on the road we shall be in broad light.  There is the Serapeum rising out of the darkness.  They are rehearsing the great illumination which is to dazzle the eyes of Caesar when he comes.  But they must show too, that to-night, at least, the gods of the nether world and death are all awake.  You can never have been in the Nekropolis at so late an hour before.”

“How should I?” replied the girl.  And he expressed the pleasure that it gave him to be able to show her for the first time the wonderful night scene of such a festival.  And when he heard the deep-drawn “Ah!” with which she hailed the sight of the greatest temple of all, blazing in the midst of the darkness with tar-pans, torches, and lamps innumerable, he replied with as much pride and satisfaction as though she owed the display to him, “Ay, what do you think of that?”

Above the huge stone edifice which was thus lighted up, the dome of the Serapeum rose high into the air, its summit appearing to touch the sky.  Never had the gigantic structure seemed so beautiful to the girl, who had only seen it by daylight; for under the illumination, arranged by a master-hand, every line stood out more clearly than in the sunlight; and in the presence of this wonderful sight Melissa’s impressionable young soul forgot the trouble that had weighed on it, and her heart beat higher.

Her lonely life with her father had hitherto fully satisfied her, and she had, never yet dreamed of anything better in the future than a quiet and modest existence, caring for him and her brothers; but now she thankfully experienced the pleasure of seeing for once something really grand and fine, and rejoiced at having escaped for a while from the monotony of each day and hour.

Once, too, she had been with her brothers and Diodoros, Alexander’s greatest friend, to see a wild-beast fight, followed by a combat of gladiators; but she had come home frightened and sorrowful, for what she had seen had horrified more than it had interested her.  Some of the killed and tortured beings haunted her mind; and, besides, sitting in the lowest and best seats belonging to Diodoros’s wealthy father, she had been stared at so boldly and defiantly whenever she raised her eyes, by a young gallant opposite, that she had felt vexed and insulted; nay, had wished above all things to get home as soon as possible.  And yet she had loved Diodoros from her childhood, and she would have enjoyed sitting quietly by his side more than looking on at the show.