attempt impossible.

When he spoke it was only to assure her of his love; and when the lady
Euryale at last called her to go, and looked in the girl's glowing face,
Melissa felt as though she were snatched from a rapturous dream.

In the anteroom they were stopped by Andreas. Euryale had indeed relieved
his worst fears, still he was anxious to lay before the girl the question
whether she would not be wise to take advantage of this very night to
make her escape. She, however, her eyes still beaming with happiness,
laid her little hand coaxingly on his bearded mouth, and begged him not
to sadden her high spirits and hopes of a better time by warnings and
dismal forecasts. Even the lady Euryale had advised her to trust
fearlessly to herself, and sitting with her lover she had acquired the
certainty that it was best so. The freedman could not bear to disturb
this happy confidence, and only impressed on Melissa that she should send
for him if ever she needed him. He would find her a hiding-place, and the
lady Euryale had undertaken to provide a messenger. He then bade them
godspeed, and they returned to the high-priest's dwelling.

In the vestibule they found a servant from the lady Berenike; in his
mistress's name he desired Euryale to send Melissa to spend the night
with her.

This invitation, which would remove Melissa from the Serapeum, was
welcome to them both, and the matron herself accompanied the young girl
down a private staircase leading to a small side-door. Argutis, who had
come to inquire for his young mistress, was to be her escort and to bring
her back early next morning to the same entrance.

The old slave had much to tell her. He had been on his feet all day. He
had been to the harbor to inquire as to the return of the vessel with the
prisoners on board; to the Serapeum to inquire for her; to Dido, to give
her the news. He had met Alexander in the forenoon on the quay where the
imperial galleys were moored. When the young man learned that the trireme
could not come in before next morning at the soonest, he had set out to
cross the lake and see Zeus and his daughter. He had charged Argutis to
let Melissa know that his longing for the fair Agatha gave him no peace.

He and old Dido disapproved of their young master's feather-brain, which
had not been made more steady and patient even by the serious events of
this day and his sister's peril; however, he did not allow a word of
blame to escape him. He was