d, and bring her wine and water. Then, seating herself,
with a melancholy glance at her embroidery where it lay folded together,
she rested her elbow on the table and her head in her hand, considering
to whom she could appeal to save her father.

First she thought of Caesar himself, whose eye had met hers, and for whom
she had prayed and offered sacrifice. But the blood fired her cheeks at
the thought, and she repelled it at once. Yet her mind would linger at
the Serapeum, where her lover, too, still rested his fevered head. She
knew that the high-priests' spacious lodgings there, with their splendid
rooms and banqueting halls, had been prepared for the emperor; and she
remembered various things which her brother had told her of Timotheus,
who was at the head not only of the heathen priesthood, but also of the
museum. He was said to be a philosopher, and Philip had more than once
been distinguished by him, and invited to his house. Her brother must
apply to him. He, who was in a way Caracalla's host, would easily succeed
in obtaining her father's release, from his imperial guest.

Her grave face brightened at this thought, and, while she ate and drank,
another idea struck her. Alexander, too, must be known to the
high-priest; for Timotheus was the brother of Seleukus, whose daughter
the artist had just painted, and Timotheus had seen the portrait and
praised it highly. Thus it was not improbable that the generous man
would, if Philip besought him, intercede for Alexander. So all might turn
out better than she had ventured to hope.

Firmly convinced that it was her part to rescue her family, she once more
reviewed in her mind every acquaintance to whom she might look for aid;
but even during her meditations her tired frame asserted its rights, and
when Dido came in to remove the remains of the meal and the empty
wine-cup, she found Melissa sunk in sleep.

Shaking her head, and saying to herself that it served the old man right
for his cruel treatment of a dutiful child--though, for Alexander's sake,
she might have tried to keep awake--the faithful soul pushed a cushion
under the girl's head, drew the screen across the window, and stood
waving off the flies which buzzed about her darling's flushed face, till
presently the dog barked, and an energetic knock shook the house-door.
Melissa started from her slumbers, the old woman threw aside the fan,
and, as she hurried to admit the vehement visitor, cried out to Melissa: