The Sisters, v1

occupied also by other persons attached to the service of the temple, and by numbers of pilgrims. These a

thern end of the Pastophorium; here there was no door, but at the level of about a man's height from the ground there were six unclosed windows opening on the road. From the first of these the pale and much wrinkled face of an old man looked down on the girl as she approached. She shouted up to him in cheerful accents t

x windows she paused, for she plainly heard voices and steps, and presently, at the end of the Pastophorium towards which she was proceeding and which opened into a small grove of acacias dedicated to Serapis-which was of much greater extent outside the enc

re reading to his audience out of an invisible book, and whom the hearers are unwilling to interrupt with questions, because they know that his knowledge scarcely extends beyond exactly what he says. Of his two rema

zed at him with admiration and astonishment, but when she had feasted her eyes on the stuffs and ornaments

it was here that those pious recluses had their cells who served the god in voluntary captivity, as being consecrated to Serapis, and that they received their food through those windows-here he pointed upwards with his staff when suddenly a shutter, which the cicerone of this ill-matched pair had touched with his stick, flew

ing lasted you for three weeks-to-day's I hope may act a little longer. You, gentlemen there, listen to me. Just as the raven follows an army to batten on the dead, so that fellow there stalks on in front of strangers in order to empty their pockets-and you, who call yourself an interpreter, and in learning Greek have forgotten the little Egyptian you ever knew, mark this: When you have to guide strangers take them to see the Sphinx, or to consult the Apis in the temple of Ptah, or lead them to the ki

ly for an instant, for the rusty hinges on which the shutter was hanging were not strong enough to bear such violent treatment, and slowly giving way it was about to fall. The blustering hermit stretched out an arm to support it and save it; but

ge! so, push away, a little more. There, I have propped up the wretched thing and there it may

. "I will send you a carpenter who shall refix the shutter, and we offer you

ong and you speak fairly, and I might like you well enough if you were in other company. I don't want your carpent

in a thin and effeminate voice. "What can a man do when the boys

ou can scarcely have forgotten the way there since you advised the king to escape thither with all his treasure. But

ckoned to the young Roman; he however was not inclined to follow, for the scolding old oddity had taken his fancy-perhaps because he was conscious that the old man, who general

, and do not let me detain you any longer from

he king entrusted me with your safe conduct; permit m

n's cell, and had begun a conversation with him which she could not venture to interrupt. She set down the platter with the bread and dates that had been entrusted

are quite mistaken in thinking that I came to

on, or any such couple as those now waiting for you under the acacias, and invoking anything rather than blessings on your head;

now to accuse y

o take back the coin I am ready to pay away. Have you come to have a dream in

man, "as to want to go to bed agai

e end of yesterday, and that at the fag-end of some revelry it occurred

u in the street I should take you for a ship's captain or a master-builder who had to manage a number of unruly workmen. Ac

ughing. "I ask you notwithstanding the

ere to tell you the whole truth I should run into imminent danger

and the worst are not for those who treat me to that rare dish-a little tr

ugh. "He can describe me completely, and give you the whole

one out of every thr

ipios," continued the youth in a low voice, as though

ut of his window. "But I knew that beforehand, for at your age and with such slender a

t you wish to know. When I was told that in this temple there were people who had themselves locked into their little chambers never to

up or else it will die of a snake-bite. In consequence of this luckless prediction many of those born on the same day as myself were, like me, shut up at an early age in this cage. My father would very willingly have left me at liberty, but my uncle, a caster of horoscopes in the temple of Ptah, who was all in all in my mother's estimation, and his friends with him, found many other evil signs about my body, read misfortune for me in the stars, declared that the Hathors had destined me to nothing but evil, and set upon her so persistently that at last I was destined to the cloister-we lived here at Memphis. I owe this misery to my dear mother and it was out of pure affection that she brought it upon me. You loo

ian-that was the hardest thing to bear. When at last the poor, good little woman, who could so fondly persuade me-a wild scamp-implored me on her death-bed to return to my retreat, I yielded, and swore to her that I would stay in my prison patiently to the

chains far more rebelliously than you, and I fancy it must d

e tasted the noble juice of the grape, and stretching his matted head as far as possible ou

are standing as if you were waiting

th her other hand, and as she approached the men, coloring sligh

, who now emerged from the acacia-grove and joined th

you can hear it said, Publius, and not reply that she

s hand behind his ear, so as to shake hands with his friend Publius; then he turned his fair, saucy, almost girlish

ue-that is the inner-freedom; for who can be freer than he who needs nothing? And as none can be nobler than the freest of the free, accept the tribute of my respect, and scorn not the greeting of Lysias of Corinth,

to speak to her as if she were a flute-player will have to deal with me, her protector. Yes, with me; and your friend here will bear me witness that

ice what she had done, and that her sister Klea was even now waiting for her return, Serap

p to my window, as if it were not an over-fed girl that stood in her garments,

ce up to Serapion, nodding her pretty head at him again and again, and as

y that breakfast is a thing of the past and beyond recall; nothing is left of it b

Serapis sent by old Phi

"So long as it is for a god-surely he might do

who has made an incautious speech before his pupils en

rds the acacias. Do you see my favorite, your cicerone, and the bread and roast fowls that your slave has brought him in that leathern wallet? And now he is setting a wine-jar on the carpet he has spread at the big feet of Eulaeus-they will be calling you to share the meal in a minute, but I kn

own at the ground; but the Greek answered with prompt zea

back by the shoulder. "Serapion's request was addressed to m

awkwardness. Well! I call that making short work of it-a Roman never asks before he takes; he has got all he wants and Eulaeus looks after him like a cow whose calf has been stolen from her; to be sure I myself would rather eat peaches than see them carried away! Oh

aughing, and he handed two dishes into the anchorite's

eaten bread, half of the roast bird, already divided by Eulaeus, and two peaches, and whispered to he

tening white teeth set in her nether lip, speechless, face to face with the young Roma

make any pretty speeches, b

f this delightful morning. I should very much like to possess one of

er hair and holding them out to the Roman; but before he could ta

hand. My sister Klea got them

ese words, and he asked with c

e give you these flowers? Yes-do you say? Well then, she had the bunch from me, but although she accepted them she see

g the flowers over the h

d guiltless of their loss. Give m

Serapion in your own person when you kept me from going to fetch the peache

blossom on the trencher in the maiden's hand; she felt the rough manners of the young Roman as

fully after her till L

perchance wandered by mistake into the

ies at the foot of our God, would soon pluck the fluttering wings of th

be caught by the three

now, Publius; Eulaeus h

swered the Roman, "I wil

rd to say t

o the acacia-grove where Eulaeus was still feasting. When the Roman

n tell the nature of a man by watching him eat. You know I sit in my cage unwillingly enough, but I am thankful for one thing about it, a

a philosopher than you

bl

nothing," answer

urbed, and who thinks his own thoughts about many things is a philosopher, you may call me one if you like. If at any ti

oman, "I should be glad from my

aeus, who of all the scoundrels I ever came across is the very worst. It may be as well to tell you at once that what I might require

blius frankly. "There is something in her mien and in her eyes which perhaps may re

laeus. Now go, and understand me when I say the girls are well guarded. This observation is for the benefit of

asure," replied Publius; he took leave o

htful morning

eplied Eulaeus, "if you had not deprived

he Roman, "that I have staye

ashion of your race," s

n kings waiting in

us evasively. "And if any one should know

rrupted Eulaeus, the old courtier may submit, even

urning to Lysias. "Now you may answe