When he thought of this one, it was to
think of the other, no longer woman merely, but idealized and uplifted
into all that he could imagine of purity, a something too fine for
earth. In place of humble Kalia, he pictured that fair patrician face as
his soul's eyes saw it, glorified with the mother-love upon it, brooding
over a round little head in the hollow of her breast. Holy gods, the
maddening, sweet mockery of it! He shook himself as one who throws off a
weight upon him, and turned in at the house of Nicodemus, whistling,
with aching throat and sombre eyes of pain.

It was later than he had thought, and the evening meal was over. This
troubled him not at all, for in that house he was sovereign lord, and
knew his power. Myleia and her ursine spouse served him quite as though
they had been his slaves. A roasted pigeon hot from the coals, beans
cooked in oil with garlic, a cake of barley-bread baked in the ashes,
honey, and a pitcher of wine--no lord could have fared better than their
idol.

Nicodemus carried an empty platter to Myleia in the kitchen, showing it
to her with immense pride.

"He hath eaten all!" he rumbled in a rasping whisper. "The first time
these three weeks. Come! that is doing better. We'll have him around
yet, my girl--this spoiled baby of ours."

"Who spoileth him?" she retorted, pinching his ear gently. "Thou art
worse over him than a mother whose babe hath cut its first tooth. Thou
art foolish in thine old age, my great ugly bear."

"Soul of my heart, a man must find something to be foolish over!" he
declared, vastly pleased. "And it is high time I left off being foolish
over thee. Eh, sweeting, what sayest thou?"

He ruffled her hair with his great hand. Nicanor looked in upon them
from the threshold.

"At it again, thou old lion and his mate? Thou also!" he said, and
smiled at them. "I go down to the ford--there be a party of men riding
over the hill. Wilt come, Nico?"

The two went forth into the evening, leaving Myleia to watch them with
fond eyes of pride from the low doorway.

Along the street people had begun to gather, with more of curiosity to
see what might be seen than of apprehension. Woodmen with bundles of
fagots on their shoulders, fishermen with strings of fish, itinerant
wine-sellers rattling strings of horn cups, with skins of cheap red
wine, vendors of the black sticky sweetmeats made of the blood of beeves
mixed with rice and honey,--all these ceased to cry custo