not make anything out of you. 'Non ex quovis ligno.' But she'd be
doing a good work if she wiled back your brother."

"_He_ does not want wiling any more than I," said Juba, "_I_ dare say!
he's no Christian."

"What's that?" said his uncle, looking round at him in surprise; "Agellius
no Christian?"

"Not a bit of it," answered Juba; "rest assured. I taxed him with it only
last night; let him alone, _he'll_ come round. He's too proud to change,
that's all. Preach to him, entreat him, worry him, try to turn him, work
at the bit, whip him, and he will turn restive, start aside, or run away;
but let him have his head, pretend not to look, seem indifferent to the
whole matter, and he will quietly sit down in the midst of your images
there. Callista has an easy task; she'll bribe him to do what he would
else do for nothing."

"The very best news I have heard since your silly old father died," cried
Jucundus; "the very best--if true. Juba, I'll give you an handsome present
the first sow your brother sacrifices to Ceres. Ha, ha, what fine fun to
see the young farmer over his cups at the Nundinae! Ha, ha, no Christian!
bravo, Juba! ha, ha, I'll make you a present, I say, an Apollo to teach
you manners, or a Mercury to give you wit."

"It's quite true," said Juba; "he would not be thinking of Callista, if he
were thinking of his saints and angels."

"Ha, ha! to be sure!" returned Jucundus; "to be sure! yet why shouldn't he
worship a handsome Greek girl as well as any of those mummies and death's
heads and bogies of his, which I should blush to put up here alongside
even of Anubis, or a scarabaeus?"

"Mother thinks she is not altogether the girl you take her for," said his
nephew.

"No matter, no matter," answered Jucundus, "no matter at all; she may be a
Lais or Phryne for me; the surer to make a man of him."

"Why," said Juba, "mother thinks her head is turning in the opposite way.
D'you see? Strange, isn't it?" he added, annoyed himself yet not unwilling
to annoy his uncle.

"Hm!" exclaimed Jucundus, making a wry face and looking round at him, as
if to say, "What on earth is going to turn up now?"

"To tell the truth," said Juba, gloomily, "I did once think of her myself.
I don't see why I have not as much right to do so as Agellius, if I
please. So I thought old mother might do something for me; and I asked her
for a charm or love potion, which would bring her from her brother down to
the forest yonder. Gurta too