er? Dame Doris noticed his indecision and cried:

"Yes, go; the festival is for pleasure, besides, the architect can
perhaps advise you on many points, and recommend you to his friends."

"Your mother is right," said Antinous. "Claudius Venator can be very
touchy, but he can also be grateful, and I wish you sincerely well--"

"Good then, I will come," Pollux interposed while the Bithynian was
still speaking, for he felt himself strongly attracted by Hadrian's
imposing personality and considered that under the circumstances, it
might be very desirable to revel with him for a while.

"I will come, but first I must let Pontius know that I am going to fly
from the heat of the fray for a few hours to-day."

"Leave that to Venator," replied the favorite, "and you must find some
amusing disguise and procure masks for him and for me and, if you like,
for yourself too. He wants to join the revel as a satyr and I in some
other disguise."

"Good," replied the sculptor. "I will go at once and order what is
requisite. A quantity of dresses for the Dionysiac processions are lying
in our workshop and in half an hour I will be back with the things."

"But pray make haste," Antinous begged him. "My master cannot bear to be
kept waiting, and besides--one thing--"

At these words Antinous had grown embarrassed and had gone quite close
up to the artist. He laid his hand on his shoulder and said in a low
voice but impressively:

"Venator stands very near to Caesar. Beware of saying anything before
him that is not in Hadrian's favor."

"Is your master Caesar's spy?" asked Pollux, looking suspiciously at
Antinous. "Pontius has already, given me a similar warning, and if that
is the case--"

"No, no," interrupted the lad hastily.

"Anything but that; but the two have no secrets from each other and
Venator talks a good deal--cannot hold his tongue--"

"I thank you and will be on my guard."

"Aye do so--I mean it honestly." The Bithynian held out his hand to the
artist with an expression of warm regard on his handsome features and
with an indescribably graceful gesture. Pollux took it heartily, but
dame Doris, whose old eyes had been fixed as if spellbound on Antinous,
seized her son's arm and quite excited by the sight of his beauty cried
out:

"Oh! what a splendid creature! moulded by the gods! sacred to the gods!
Pollux, boy! you might almost think one of the immortals had come down
to earth."

"Look at my old woman!" excl