"For men or for dogs?" he asked his son, as he pointed to it with a rigid
finger.

"For the gods!" replied Pollux. "Take it to mother; she will like to eat
ambrosia for once."

"A jolly evening to you!" cried the singer, bowing to the artists who
were emptying their cups, and he quitted the hall with his pasty and his
dogs. Before he had fairly left the hall with his long strides, Papias,
whose speech had been interrupted, once more raised his wine-cup and
began again:

"Our Deucalion, our more than Deucalion--"

"Pardon me," interrupted Pontius. "If I once more stop your discourse
which began so promisingly; this letter contains important news and our
revels must be over for the night. We must postpone our symposium and
your drinking-speech."

"It was not a drinking-speech, for if ever there was a moderate man--"
Papias began. But Pontius stopped him again, saying:

"Titianus writes me word that he proposes coming to Lochias this evening.
He may arrive at any moment; and not alone, but with my fellow-artist,
Claudius Venator from Rome, who is to assist me with his advice."

"I never even heard his name," said Papias, who was wont to trouble
himself as little about the persons as about the works of other artists.

"I wonder at that," said Pontius, closing the double tablets which
announced the Emperor's advent.

"Can he do anything?" asked Pollux.

"More than any one of us," replied Pontius. "He is a mighty man."

"That is splendid!" exclaimed Pollux. "I like to see great men. When one
looks me in the eye I always feel as if some of his superabundance
overflowed into me, and irresistibly I draw myself up and think how fine
it would be if one day I might reach as high as that man's chin."

"Beware of morbid ambition," said Papias to his pupil in a warning voice.
"It is not the man who stands on tiptoe, but he who does his duty
diligently, that can attain anything great."

"He honestly does his," said the architect rising, and he laid his hand
on the young sculptor's shoulder. "We all do; to-morrow by sunrise each
must be at his post again. For my colleague's sake it will be well that
you should all be there in good time."

The artists rose, expressing their thanks and regrets. "You will not
escape the continuation of this evening's entertainment," cried one of
the painters, and Papias, as he parted from Pontius, said:

"When we next meet I will show you what I understand by a
drinking-speech. It wil