you; you will ask
nothing of me but reverence and love and fidelity."

"I have long had them, and I now would fain repay my Antinous for all
these treasures."

"Only let me stay with you, and if necessary let me die for you."

"I believe, boy, you would be ready to make the sacrifice we were
speaking of for me!"

"At any moment without winking an eyelash."

"I thank you for those words. It has turned out a pleasant evening, and
what a bad one I looked forward to--"

"Because the woman by the tomb startled you?"

"'Dead,' is a grim word. It is true that 'death'--being dead--can
frighten no wise man; but the step out of light into darkness is
fearful. I cannot get the figure of the old hag and her shrill cry out
of my mind. Then the Christian came up, and his discourse was strange
and disturbing to my soul. Before it grew dark he and the limping girl
went homewards; I stood looking after them and my eyes were dazzled by
the sun which was sinking over the Libyan range. The horizon was clear,
but behind the day-star there were clouds. In the west, the Egyptians
say, lies the realm of death. I could not help thinking of this; and the
oracle, the misfortunes that the stars threatened me with in the course
of this year, the cry of the old woman--all these crowded into my mind
together. But then, as I observed how the sun struggled with the clouds
and approached nearer and nearer to the hill-tops on the farther side
of the river, I said to myself: If it sets in full radiance you may look
confidently to the future; if it is swallowed up by clouds before it
sinks to rest, then destiny will fulfil itself; then you must shorten
sail and wait for the storm."

"And what happened?"

"The fiery globe burnt in glowing crimson, surrounded by a million rays.
Each seemed separate from the rest and shone with glory of its own;
it was as though the sinking disc had been the centre of bow-shots
innumerable and golden arrow-shafts radiated to the sky in every
direction. The scene was magnificent and my heart beat high with happy
excitement, when suddenly and swiftly a dark cloud fell, as though
exasperated by the wounds it had received from those fiery darts; a
second followed, and a third, and sinister Daimons flung a dark and
fleecy curtain over the glorious head of Helios, as the executioner
throws a coarse black cloth over the head of the condemned, when he sets
his knee against him to strangle him."

At this narrative Antino