y by day at the same hour, she felt an anxious shiver. She felt
as if everything were not quite the same as usual, and just as she had
set her foot on the cop step of the flight leading to the corridor, she
raised her lamp to discover whence came the sound she thought she
could hear, she perceived in the gloom a fearful something which as she
approached it resembled a dog, and which was larger--much larger--than a
dog should be.

Her blood ran cold with terror; for a few moments she stood as if
spellbound, and was only conscious that the growling and snarling that
she heard meant mischief and threatening to herself. At last she found
strength to turn to fly, but at the same instant a loud and furious bark
echoed behind her and she heard the monster's quick leaps as he flew
after her along the stone pavement.

She felt a violent shock, the pitcher flew out of her hand and was
shattered into a thousand fragments, and she sank to the ground under
the weight of a warm, rough, heavy mass. Her loud cries of alarm
resounded from the hard bare walls, and roused the sleepers and brought
them to her side.

"See what it is," cried Hadrian to his slave, who had immediately sprung
up and seized his shield and sword.

"The dog has attacked a woman who wanted to come this way," replied
Mastor.

"Hold him off, but do not beat him," the Emperor shouted after him.
"Argus has only done his duty." The slave hastened down the passage as
fast as possible, loudly calling the dog by his name. But another
had been beforehand and had dragged him off his victim, and this was
Antinous, whose room was close to the scene of action, and who, as soon
as he had heard the dog's bark and Selene's scream, had hurried to hold
back the brute which was really dangerous when on guard and in the dark.

When Mastor appeared the lad had just succeeded in dragging the dog away
from Selene, who was lying on the stairs leading to the corridor. Before
Antinous could reach her Argus was standing over her gnashing his teeth
and growling. Argus, who was quickly quieted by his friends' tone of
kindly admonition, stood aside silent and with his head down while
Antinous knelt by the senseless girl on whom the pale light of early
dawn fell through--wide window. The boy looked with alarm on her pale
face, lifted her helpless arm, and sought on her light-colored dress for
any trace of blood that might have been drawn, but in vain. After he
had assured himself that she