fervour.

In the designs for these works his rich and bold gift of invention and
the power of his imagination proved their full value, and even his older
fellow-artists followed him with sincere admiration when, in spite of his
darkened eyes, he brought before them distinctly, and often even with the
charcoal or wax tablet in his hand, what he had in mind. What magnificent
things might not this man have created had he retained his sight, what
masterpieces might not have been expected! and his former works, which
had been condemned as unlovely, offensive, and exaggerated, were now
loudly admired; nay, the furious Maenads struggling on the ground and the
Street Boy Eating Figs, which were no longer his property, were sold at
high prices. No meeting of artists was complete without Hermon, and the
great self-possession which success and wealth bestowed, besides his
remarkable talent and the energy peculiar to him, soon aided him to great
influence among the members of his profession; nay, he would speedily
have reached the head of their leaders had not the passionate impetuosity
of his warlike nature led the more cautious to seek to restrain the
powerful enthusiast.

Archias's wealthy friends had no such apprehension. To them the lauded
blind artist was not much more than a costly dish certain to please their
guests; yet this, too, was no trifle in social circles which spent small
fortunes for a rare fish.

At the banquets of these princes of commerce he often met Daphne, still
more frequently the beautiful Glycera, whose husband, an old ship-owner
of regal wealth, was pleased to see famous men harnessed to his young
wife's chariot of victory. Hermon's heart had little to do with the
flirtation to which Glycera encouraged him at every new meeting, and the
Thracian Althea only served to train his intellect to sharp debates. But
in this manner he so admirably fulfilled her desire to attract attention
that she more than once pointed out to the Queen, her relative, the
remarkably handsome blind man whose acquaintance she had made on a night
of mad revel during the last Dionysia but one. Althea even thought it
necessary to win him, in whom she saw the future son-in-law of the
wealthy Archias, for through the graminateus Proclus the merchant had
been persuaded to advance the King's wife hundreds of talents, and
Arsinoe cherished plans which threatened to consume other large sums.

Thyrone watched Hermon's conduct with increas