servant," said Flavius.

"Nonsense! I never had an honest man about me," retorted Timon.

Flavius began to cry.

"What! shedding tears?" said Timon. "Come nearer, then. I will love you
because you are a woman, and unlike men, who only weep when they laugh
or beg."

They talked awhile; then Timon said, "Yon gold is mine. I will make you
rich, Flavius, if you promise me to live by yourself and hate mankind.
I will make you very rich if you promise me that you will see the flesh
slide off the beggar's bones before you feed him, and let the debtor die
in jail before you pay his debt."

Flavius simply said, "Let me stay to comfort you, my master."

"If you dislike cursing, leave me," replied Timon, and he turned his
back on Flavius, who went sadly back to Athens, too much accustomed to
obedience to force his services upon his ailing master.

The steward had accepted nothing, but a report got about that a mighty
nugget of gold had been given him by his former master, and Timon
therefore received more visitors. They were a painter and a poet, whom
he had patronized in his prosperity.

"Hail, worthy Timon!" said the poet. "We heard with astonishment how
your friends deserted you. No whip's large enough for their backs!"

"We have come," put in the painter, "to offer our services."

"You've heard that I have gold," said Timon.

"There was a report," said the painter, blushing; "but my friend and I
did not come for that."

"Good honest men!" jeered Timon. "All the same, you shall have plenty of
gold if you will rid me of two villains."

"Name them," said his two visitors in one breath. "Both of you!"
answered Timon. Giving the painter a whack with a big stick, he said,
"Put that into your palette and make money out of it." Then he gave a
whack to the poet, and said, "Make a poem out of that and get paid for
it. There's gold for you."

They hurriedly withdrew.

Finally Timon was visited by two senators who, now that Athens was
threatened by Alcibiades, desired to have on their side this bitter
noble whose gold might help the foe.

"Forget your injuries," said the first senator. "Athens offers you
dignities whereby you may honorably live."

"Athens confesses that your merit was overlooked, and wishes to atone,
and more than atone, for her forgetfulness," said the second senator.

"Worthy senators," replied Timon, in his grim way, "I am almost weeping;
you touch me so! All I need are the eyes of a woman and the