s of her pure womanly
character, the barriers were thrown down rapidly enough; and Cornelia
and Fabia gained, not merely an access to a new world of life and
ideas, but two friends that they could regard almost as sisters.

It was a new thing for these Roman ladies to meet a foreigner on terms
approaching equality. A non-Roman had been for them a servant, an
intelligent underling, nothing more; even Agias and Demetrius they had
regarded as friends, very close and agreeable, but whom it was a
distinct condescension not to treat with ostentatious superiority. But
to sustain this feeling long with Berenice and Monime was impossible.
The young Egyptians were every whit as cultured, as intelligent, as
themselves, every whit as accustomed to deference from others, and
implicitly assumed the right to demand it. The result was that
Cornelia found herself thinking less and less about being a Roman, and
more and more regarded her gracious hosts as persons in every way
equal to herself.

And less and less of a Roman, Cornelia, the Hellene-hater, became.
Greek was the only tongue now that sounded in her ear, unless she
talked privately with Fabia or was beguiled into trying to learn a
little Egyptian--a language Berenice and Monime spoke fluently. The
clothes she wore were no longer stola and palla, but chiton and
himation. The whole atmosphere about her was foreign, down to the
cries on the streets. And Italy was very far away, and the last
memories thereof none the most pleasant.

It chanced that one morning Cleomenes, Monime, and Cornelia were
driving down the great central street, under the shadow of seemingly
endless colonnades.

"_A!_ dearest one," cried Monime, "why must you think of leaving our
lovely Alexandria, of going back to cold, cheerless Rome? What good
thing does Rome send out but stern men and sharp iron?"

Cornelia shook her head and made answer--

"You Alexandrians are not one nation, but all the world; therefore you
think all who are less cosmopolitan poor. See, I count in the crowds
not only the dark Egyptians and fair Greeks, but a Persian in his
splendid long kaftan, and a very venerable Jew, and a wiry little
Arab, and Syrians, and negroes, and, I think, a Hindoo."

"And yourself, my lady, a Roman," concluded Cleomenes. "Truly all the
earth has met in our city."

They whirled down the splendid highway that ran straight as an arrow
the whole length of the city, lined on either side by a forest of t