he had scarcely set her
grey hair in order, and her kind bright eyes, usually the best feature
of her face, were red with many tears. The neat brisk little mother
looked to-day anything rather than smart and bright; in the Emperor's
eyes she was in no way distinguished from any other old woman, and he
regarded all old women as of evil omen, if he met them as he went out of
any place he was in.

"Oh, Caesar, Great Caesar!" cried Doris throwing up her hands which
still bore many traces of her labors over the hearth. "My son, my
unfortunate Pollux!"

"Out of my way!" said Hadrian sternly.

"He is an artist, a good artist, who already excels many a master, and
if the gods--"

"Out of the way, I told you. I do not want to hear anything about the
insolent fellow," said Hadrian angrily.

"But Great Caesar, he is my son, and a mother, as you know--"

"Mastor," interrupted the monarch, "carry away this old woman and make
way for me."

"Oh! my lord, my lord!" wailed the agonized woman while the slave pulled
her up, not without difficulty. "Oh! my lord, how can you find it in
your heart to be so cruel? And am I no longer old Doris whom you have
even joked with, and whose food you have eaten?"

These words recalled to the Emperor's fancy the moment of his arrival at
Lochias; he felt that he was somewhat in the old woman's debt, and being
wont to pay with royal liberality he broke in with:

"You shall be paid for your excellent dish a sum with which you can
purchase a new house, for the future your maintenance too shall be
provided for, but in three hours you must have quitted Lochias."

The Emperor spoke rapidly as though desirous of bringing a disagreeable
business to a prompt termination, and he stalked past Doris who was now
standing on her feet and leaning as if stunned against the doorpost.
Indeed if Hadrian had not left her there and had he been in the mood to
hear her farther, she was not now in a fit state to answer him another
word.

The Emperor received the honors due to Zeus and his fiat had ruined the
happiness of a contented home as completely as the thunderbolt wielded
by the Father of the gods could have done.

But this time Doris had no tears. The frightful shock that had fallen
in her soul was perceptible also to her body; her knees shook, and being
quite incapable just then of going home at once, she sunk upon a seat
and stared hopelessly before her while she reflected what next, and what
more woul