as Pamphila.
With a hasty excuse I left the house and set out to find Milo. Neither
he nor Pamphila was in when I called. But their maid who opened the
door, was such a pretty wench that I did not regret their absence.
Fotis, as she was called, was a graceful, sprightly little thing, with
the loveliest hair I ever saw. I liked the way it fell in soft puffs on
her neck, and rested on her neat linen tunic.

It was a case of love at first sight with both of us. But before I began
to ask her about Pamphila, Milo returned. He welcomed me very warmly,
and put the best room in his house at my disposal, and desired me to
stay to dinner. But in spite of my ardent curiosity, I was, I must
confess, rather afraid of meeting his wife. So I said that my kinswoman
Byrrhena had already engaged me to dine with her.

On arriving at Byrrhena's mansion I was surprised to find that a
splendid banquet had been prepared, and that all the best people in
Hypata were present. We reclined on couches of ivory, covered with
golden drapery, and a throng of lovely girls served us with exquisite
dishes; while pretty curly-headed boys brought the wine round in goblets
of gold and amber.

When the lights were brought in, the talk became freer and gayer;
everybody was bent on laughing and making his neighbours laugh.

"We are, you see, preparing for the great festival to-morrow," Byrrhena
said to me. "Hypata is the only city that keeps the feast of the god of
laughter. You must come, and invent some pleasantry to propitiate the
merriest of all deities."

"By Hercules!" I replied. "If the laughing god will only lend me
inspiration to-night, I will do my best to entertain the townspeople
to-morrow."

_II.--The Feast of the God of Laughter_

It was the jolliest banquet I was ever at. Even in Corinth we did not do
the thing so well. It was not until I got into the open air, and set out
for Milo's house, that I knew how much wine I had taken. But though I
was rather unsteady on my feet, I retained my presence of mind. I
reached the house, and suddenly three great burly fellows sprang up, and
battered furiously at the door. They were clearly robbers of the most
desperate type, and I drew my sword, and, as they came at me one by one,
I plunged it swiftly into their bodies. Fotis was aroused, and opened
the door, and I entered, utterly worn out by the struggle, and went at
once to bed and to sleep.

Early in the morning I was awakened by a great cl