ed the master,--and
Bias's legs never went faster than on that afternoon.

Agis came. Democrates knew his man and had no difficulty in finding his
price. They remained talking together till it was dark, yet in so guarded
a tone that Bias, though he listened closely, was unable to make out
anything. When Agis went away, he carried two letters. One of these he
guarded as if holding the crown jewels of the Great King; the second he
despatched by a discreet myrmidon to the rooms of the Cyprian in Alopece.
Its contents were pertinent and ran thus:--

"Democrates to the stranger calling himself a prince of Cyprus,
greeting:--Know that Themistocles is aware of your presence in Athens, and
grows suspicious of your identity. Leave Athens to-morrow or all is lost.
The confusion accompanying the festival will then make escape easy. The
man to whom I entrust this letter will devise with Hiram the means for
your flight by ship from the havens. May our paths never cross
again!--_Chaire._"

After Agis was gone the old trembling came again to Democrates. He had
Bias light all the lamps. The room seemed full of lurking
goblins,--harpies, gorgons, the Hydra, the Minotaur, every other foul and
noxious shape was waiting to spring forth. And, most maddening of all, the
chorus of AEschylus, that Song of the Furies Democrates had heard recited
at the Isthmus, rang in the miserable man's ears:--

"With scourge and with ban
We prostrate the man,
Who with smooth-woven wile,
And a fair-faced smile
Hath planted a snare for his friend.
Though fleet, we shall find him;
Though strong, we shall bind him,
Who planted a snare for his friend."

Democrates approached the bust of Hermes standing in one corner. The
brazen face seemed to wear a smile of malignant gladness at the fulfilment
of his will.

"Hermes," prayed the orator, "Hermes Dolios, god of craft and lies,
thieves' god, helper of evil,--be with me now. To Zeus, to Athena the pure,
I dare not pray. Prosper me in the deed to which I set my hand,"--he
hesitated, he dared not bribe the shrewd god with too mean a gift, "and I
vow to set in thy temple at Tanagra three tall tripods of pure gold. So be
with me on the morrow, and I will not forget thy favour."

The brazen face still smiled on; the room was very still. Yet Democrates
took comfort. Hermes was a great god and would help him. When the song of
the Furies grew too loud, Democrates silenced it by summonin