sed. And, indeed, intoxicated
as he was with heated passion, he made the attempt impossible.

When he spoke it was only to assure her of his love; and when the lady
Euryale at last called her to go, and looked in the girl's glowing face,
Melissa felt as though she were snatched from a rapturous dream.

In the anteroom they were stopped by Andreas. Euryale had indeed
relieved his worst fears, still he was anxious to lay before the girl
the question whether she would not be wise to take advantage of this
very night to make her escape. She, however, her eyes still beaming
with happiness, laid her little hand coaxingly on his bearded mouth, and
begged him not to sadden her high spirits and hopes of a better time by
warnings and dismal forecasts. Even the lady Euryale had advised her to
trust fearlessly to herself, and sitting with her lover she had acquired
the certainty that it was best so. The freedman could not bear to
disturb this happy confidence, and only impressed on Melissa that
she should send for him if ever she needed him. He would find her
a hiding-place, and the lady Euryale had undertaken to provide a
messenger. He then bade them godspeed, and they returned to the
high-priest's dwelling.

In the vestibule they found a servant from the lady Berenike; in his
mistress's name he desired Euryale to send Melissa to spend the night
with her.

This invitation, which would remove Melissa from the Serapeum, was
welcome to them both, and the matron herself accompanied the young girl
down a private staircase leading to a small side-door. Argutis, who
had come to inquire for his young mistress, was to be her escort and to
bring her back early next morning to the same entrance.

The old slave had much to tell her. He had been on his feet all day. He
had been to the harbor to inquire as to the return of the vessel with
the prisoners on board; to the Serapeum to inquire for her; to Dido,
to give her the news. He had met Alexander in the forenoon on the quay
where the imperial galleys were moored. When the young man learned that
the trireme could not come in before next morning at the soonest, he had
set out to cross the lake and see Zeus and his daughter. He had charged
Argutis to let Melissa know that his longing for the fair Agatha gave
him no peace.

He and old Dido disapproved of their young master's feather-brain, which
had not been made more steady and patient even by the serious events
of this day and his sister