The Emperor, Complete

erous and brighter. In festal illuminations of the harbor pitch cressets on the roof, and long rows of lamps that accumulated architectoni

might wish to proceed from Lochias to the city, or from the city to the peninsula, under the orders of Pontius the architect. And till long past midnight not a quarter of an hour passed in which the people whom the architect had summoned to his aid were not knocking at the harbor gates, which, though not locked were all guard

her table, folding together the dried clothes. The little barking beasts who were thus endowed with the names of the three Graces did not trouble themselves much about her affectionate admonitions; to their sorrow, for it happened more th

murmuring a long ditty. Twice, thrice, four times he repeated it in the same way. Now and again he suddenly let his voice sound more loudly-and though his hair was quite grey his voice was not unpleasing-and sang a few phrases full of expression and with artistic delivery; and then, when the dogs barked too vehemently, he would spring up, and with his lute in his left-hand and a long pliable rattan in his right,

he same threatening gesture and

ittle

when the dogs rushed into the court-yard, not barking this time, but yelping loudly

e Emperor as gulls before a storm. I

door. He picked up the three four-footed Graces who leaped round him, one after the other by the skin of the neck, and gave each a tap on its nose. Then, seeing the old woman,

younger man towards him, and laid one of his broad hands on his own grey h

mestone-as a cedar is like a fir-tree. Both were remarkably tall, had thick hair, dark eyes, and strongly aquiline noses, exactly of the same shape; but the cheerful brightnes

nobility to his head, and of which it was impossible to say whether it lay in

amed it, and I can prove that I expected you, for there, on the

ausage winks at me out of the cabbage-pan. My master, Papias, is gone on ahead, and in the palace there we

is, standing on tip-toe to hold a sausage to the lips of her tall

there may turn out as good a statue as this savory cylinder-

ther?" sa

not a minute must be lost, and if I then leave off for a little whil

rformed with the chorus, as soon as the Empress visits the theatre, and I am to lead the upper part of the old men, who grow young again at the sight of her.

circumstances," sa

your father's Satyr-play,

, when he asks me 'Who is the happy man who begot you?' I will answer: It is Euphorion, the divine poet and singer; and my mother

sang in a fine and powerful voic

been a singer!" e

torted Pollux, "of spending the evening of my

urels with which Papias crowns himself!" an

merit will be recognized; I saw him in my dre

f, has at any rate brought credit and fame to others, although it is all far from resembling the ideal of beauty that here-here-I seem to see far away and behind a cloud; still I feel that if, in a moment of kindness,

es open and work h

luck," muttered the singe

o watch the gay little bird that sat warming and sheltering her nestlings. Close to the cage stood the huge wine-jar and his mother's cup, decorated by his own hand. His eye fell on these, and he pushed them aside in silence. Then, t

gifts," repli

ux entreated, taking his mother by t

tears. "Why for you, if I must, I would drink nothing but wretched

........

gures, names and suggestions on the plan, and on his folding wax-tablets, he was not idle for an instant, though frequently interrupted by the appointed superintenden

t, perhaps, be taken in hand that very night. The matter in question was a statue of Urania, which must be completed in eight days by the same method which Papias had introduced at the last festival of Adonis, and to the scale wh

oaded with tools, boards, clay, gypsum and other raw materials of his art. On the road to Lochias he had informed the young sculptor of the business in hand, and had told him in a condescending tone that he would be per

ng alterations in the completed work, would declare that it was his own. Pollux had for two years been obliged, more than once, to put up with similar treatment; and

w home of his parents, who were poor, and to maintain his younger brother Teuker-who had devoted himself to the same art-during the years of his apprenticeship. Again and again he had thought of telling his master that he should start on his own footing and earn laurels for himself, but what then would become of those who relied o

entively; he never interrupted the speaker, but only stroked his face from time to time, as if to make it smoother than it was already, though it was shaved with pecu

ined for the Emperor, the last of the statues to be resto

nnot b

is said to have been first uttered by more than one sage: 'That it shows more ill-judgment to pronounce a t

d down at his gold-embr

fare against the impossible, than it is to you who work with enormous masses.

"On your side good-will, plenty of assistants and night-wa

nd the architect could but express his entire approbation, in most

once with the necessary preparations. The work must be carried on beh

already erected in the middle of th

and behind these screens Pollux was busied in framing a small model in wax, while h

o inviting, the orange-red crayfish, the golden-brown pasty and the many-hued fruits-he conceived it his duty to inspect the rooms to be restored. It was needful to see whether the slaves who had been set, in the first place to clean out all the rooms, were

g the pavement and scraping the columns loudly clamored for torches and lamps, a young man's head peered over t

we must have light and more light-and when it is lighter here the voice of the people down there, which does not sound very delightful u

at Pollux, who had uttered

, my friend. But do you really believe i

e it is absent, that is to say in th

e architect. "To-morrow in an interval of work we will discuss th

arts, will be beholden to you," cri

orders to Keraunus, the palace-steward, to come to him, and to put the cressets and

g and answered me not a word, but only sent me into a little room with his daughter-whom you must see, for s

der him to

n a second time, when you

the lodging of the negligent official. An unclosed door led him into a dark ante-chamber followed by another room, and finally into a large, well-furnished apartment. All these door-ways, into what seemed to be at once the dining and sitting-room of the steward, were bereft of doors, and could only be closed by stuff curtains, just now drawn wide open. Pontius could therefore

ward from a door beyond the sitting-room, and who now p

eward, breaking the bread slowly and wi

omorrow morning let me buy a piece of meat for

ear. I have nine mouths to fill, not counting the slaves.

but for you i

any more, the other creditors press us, and at the en

d pale, and as

e gold pieces which you said had been given you as a present

d a piece of bread-crumb b

ou twice as much for it as I paid. I tell you the Empress's money was well laid out on the thing." Selene made no answer, but she sighed deeply, and her eye glanced at

o go on about it, but even if it vexes you, I must-the architect, wh

striking his hand on the table. "W

ies; you have your seat in the Council of the Citizens-but do, this time,

diminished; but it is for that very reason that I insist on our illustrious blood being recognized. Pontius sends to command the presence of Keraunus! If it were not infuriating it would be laughable-for who is this man, who? I have told you his

the son of Ptolemy, but the palace-st

nothing to say, not a ste

and sobbed loudly and pitifully. Keraunu

bear this no longer. What

up to the indignant man she said, thou

Caesar's name, and that if you do not obey him you will at once be superseded in your office. And if that were to happen, if that-O f

and pressing his hand to his purple forehead he sank back in his chair as if stricken with apoplexy. His daughter sprang up and offered him the cup

nd as a hereditary dignity in his family. Now Philip's wife had the honor of being the king's mistress-or, as some say, his daughter. There lies the document, drawn up in red and black ink

her, and wringing her hands in despair, "you st

t's blood. But you ought to know what it costs me, to humiliate myself thus; it is intolerable to me, and my heart is breaking-for the architect, the architect has trampled upon me as if I were his servant; he wished-I heard him with these ears-he shrieked after me a villainous hope that I might be smothered in

prompted him and all concerned to act as quickly and energetically as possible, had brought words to his lips which he now wished that he had never spoken. It is true that the steward's false pride had roused his indignation, and who can listen calmly to any comment on a stain on his birth? But the appeal of this miserab

-post of the ante-room, coughed loudly, and then said, bowin

y respects. Excuse the lateness of the hour, but you can

ed out both hands as if suddenly relieved of a nightmare, and a bright expression of such warm and sincere satisfaction ove

ll the slaves. Perhaps there is yet a pheasant in the house, a roas

, and I must return to my work-people. I should be grateful to you if you would accompany me. We must consult toget

r service," said K

dness to give all that you have in the way of cressets, lights and lamps t

arted, Selene exclai

will go now and find the lamps. H

ed Keraunus. "Considering his birth and origi