had
done. His heart was bursting with anguish, still he neither groaned nor
stirred.

CHAPTER XIII.

The night had been almost as sleepless to Keraunus' daughter Selene as
it had been to the hapless slave. Her father's vain wish to let Arsinoe
take a part with the daughters of the wealthier citizens had filled
the girl's heart with fresh terrors. It was the final blow which would
demolish the structure of their social existence, standing as it did
on quaking ground, and which must fling her family and herself into
disgrace and want. When their last treasure of any value was sold,
and the creditors could no longer be put off, particularly during the
Emperor's presence in the city, when they should try to sell up all her
father's little property, or to carry him off to a debtor's prison, was
it not then as good as certain that some one else would be appointed
to fill his place, and that she and the other children would fall into
misery? And there lay Arsinoe by her side, and slept with as calm and
deep a breath as blind Helios and the other little ones.

Before going to bed she had tried with all the fervency and eloquence of
which she was mistress, to persuade, entreat, and implore the heedless
girl to refuse as positively as she herself had refused to take any part
in the processions; but Arsinoe had at first repulsed her crossly,
and finally had defiantly declared that means might yet very likely
be found, and that what her father permitted, Selene had no right to
interfere in, still less to forbid. And when afterwards she saw Arsinoe
sleeping so calmly by her side, she felt as if she would like to shake
her; but she was so accustomed to bear all the troubles of the family
alone, and to be unkindly repelled by her sister whenever she attempted
to admonish her, that she forbore.

Arsinoe had a good and tender heart, but she was young, pretty, and
vain. With affectionate persuasion she might be won over to anything,
but Selene, when ever she remonstrated with her, made her feel her
superiority over herself, acquired from her care of the family and her
maternal character. Thus, not a day passed without some quarrelling and
tears between these two sisters who were so dissimilar, and yet, both
so well disposed. Arsinoe was always the first to offer her hand for a
reconciliation, but Selene would rarely have a kinder answer ready to
her affectionate advances than, "Let be," or "Oh yes, I know!" and their
outward i