said:

"To-morrow the council does not sit on account of the festival, and that
is well; all the world will congratulate me, question me, and notice me,
and the gilding on my circlet is quite shabby; and in some places the
silver shines through. Your outfit will now cost nothing, and it is quite
necessary that before the next meeting I should go to a goldsmith and
exchange that wretched thing for one of real gold. A man should show what
he is."

He spoke the words pompously, and Arsinoe eagerly acquiesced, and only
begged him, as they went in at the open door, to leave enough for
Selene's costume; he laughed quietly to himself, and said:

"We need no longer be so very cautious. I should like to know who the
Alexander will be who will be the first to ask for my Roxana as his wife.
Rich old Plutarch's only son already has a seat in the council, and has
not yet taken a wife. He is no longer very young, but he is a fine man
still."

The radiant father's dream of the future was interrupted by Doris, who
came out of the gate-house and called him by his name. Keraunus stood
still. When the old woman went on:

"I must speak with you."

He answered, repellently: "But I shall not listen to you--neither now nor
at any time."

"It was certainly not for my pleasure," retorted Doris, "that I called to
you; I have only to tell you that you will not find your daughter Selene
at home."

"What do you say?" cried Keraunus.

"I say that the poor girl with her damaged foot could at last walk no
farther, and that she had to be carried into a strange house where she is
being taken care of."

"Selene!" cried Arsinoe, falling from all her clouds of happiness,
startled and grieved--"do you know where she is?"

Before Doris could reply, Keraunus stormed out:

"It is all the fault of the Roman architect and his raging beast of a
dog. Very good! very good! now Caesar will certainly help me to my
rights. He will give a lesson to those who throw Roxana's sister into a
sick-bed, and hinder her from taking any part in the processions. Very
good! very good indeed!"

"It is sad enough to cry over!" said the gatekeeper's wife, indignantly.
"Is this the thanks she gets for all her care of her little brothers and
sisters! Only to think that a father can speak so, when his best child is
lying with a broken leg, helpless among strangers!"

"With a broken leg," whimpered Arsinoe.

"Broken!" repeated Keraunus slowly, and now sincerely anxio