e
toward him; and before she left the house she knew that her father and
Philip had returned and had regained their freedom.

The slave had not allowed these joyful tidings to reach his beloved
mistress's ear, that he might have the undivided pleasure of bringing
them himself, and the delight she expressed was fully as great as he had
anticipated. Melissa even hurried back to Johanna to impart to her the
joyful intelligence that she might tell it to her mistress.

When they were in the street the slave told her that, at break of
day, the ship had cast anchor which brought back father and son. The
prisoners had received their freedom while they were still at sea, and
had been permitted to return home at once. All was well, only--he added,
hesitatingly and with tears in his eyes--things were not as they used to
be, and now the old were stronger than the young. Her father had taken
no harm from the heavy work at the oars, but Philip had returned
from the galleys very ill, and they had carried him forthwith to the
bedchamber, where Dido was now nursing him. It was a good thing that she
had not been there to hear how the master had stormed and cursed over
the infamy they had had to endure; but the meeting with his birds had
calmed him down quickly enough.

Melissa and her attendant were walking in the direction of the Serapeum,
but now she declared that she must first see the liberated prisoners.
And she insisted upon it, although Argutis assured her of her father's
intention of seeking her at the house of the high-priest, as soon as
he had removed all traces of his captivity and his shameful work at the
galleys in the bath. Philip she would, of course, find at home, he
being too weak to leave the house. The old man had some difficulty in
following his young mistress, and she soon stepped lightly over the
"Welcome" on the threshold of her father's house. Never had the red
mosaic inscription seemed to shine so bright and friendly, and she heard
her name called in delighted tones from the kitchen.

This joyful greeting from Dido was not to be returned from the door
only. In a moment Melissa was standing by the hearth; but the slave,
speechless with happiness, could only point with fork and spoon, first
to the pot in which a large piece of meat was being boiled down into
a strengthening soup for Philip, then to a spit on which two young
chickens were browning before the fire, and then to the pan where she
was frying the lit