d do."

She looked up at him with happy content, but he lifted her hand to his
lips and pressed it to them long and fervently. Then he let it go again
and said, with a sigh that came up from the bottom of his heart:

"Oh Arsinoe, my sweet Arsinoe, how I love you!"

As the words came softly yet hotly from his lips the girl clasped his
arm closely to her bosom, leaned her head on his shoulder, looked up at
him with a wide-eyed, tender gaze, and said softly:

"Oh Pollux, I am so happy, the world is so good!"

"Nay, I could hate it!" cried the sculptor. "To hear this--and to have
an old mother wide awake at home, and to be obliged to walk steadily on
in a street crowded with men--it is unendurable! I shall not hold out
much longer--sweetest of girls--here it is quiet and dark."

Yes, in a little nook made by two contiguous houses, and into which
Pollux drew Arsinoe, it was pitch dark, as he hastily pressed his first
kiss on her innocent lips; but in their hearts it was light-radiant
sunshine.

She had thrown her arms round his neck and would willingly have clung
to him till day should end; but they heard the approach of a noisy
procession of slaves. These unfortunate creatures began soon after
midnight singing and shouting so as to avail themselves to the extremist
limit of the holiday, which released them for a short time from their
tasks and duties; Pollux knew well how unbounded the license of their
pleasures could be, and as he walked on with Arsinoe he enjoined her to
keep with him as close as possible to the houses.

"How jolly they are!" he said pointing to the merry-makers. "Their
masters will wait on themselves a little to-day, and the best day in
the year is just beginning for them, but for us the best day in all our
lives."

"Yes, yes," cried Arsinoe, and she clasped his strong arm with both her
hands.

Then they both laughed merrily, for Pollux had noticed that the old
slave-woman had gone on past them with her head sunk on her breast, and
was following another pair.

"I will call her," Arsinoe said.

"No, no, let her be," said the artist. "The couple in front certainly
require her protection more than we do."

"But how could she possibly mistake that little man for you?" laughed
Arsinoe.

"I wish I were a little smaller," replied Pollux with a sigh. "Only
picture to yourself the vast amount of burning love and tormenting
longing that can be contained in so large a body as mine!" She slapped
h