im form stole forward, wide-eyed and
white in the electric light.

Then down at her sister's feet dropped Aphrodite, and laid a burning
face against her silken knees. And, "Oh, Iole, Iole," she whispered,
"Iole, Iole, Iole! There is danger, as you say--there is, and I
understand it ... now.... But I love him so--I--I have been so happy--so
happy! Tell me what I have done ... and how wrong it is! Oh, Iole, Iole!
What have I done!"

"Done, child! What in the name of all the gods have you done?"

"Loved him--in the names of all the gods! Oh, Iole! Iole! Iole!"

"----The thrush singing in darkness; the voice of spring calling,
calling me to his arms! Oh, Iole, Iole!--these, and my soul and his,
alone under the pagan moon! alone, save for the old gods whispering in
the dusk----"

"----And listening, I heard the feathery tattoo of wings close by--the
wings of Eros all aquiver like a soft moth trembling ere it flies! Peril
divine! I understood it then. And, stirring in darkness, sweet as the
melody of unseen streams, I heard the old gods laughing.... _Then_ I
knew."

"Is that all, little sister?"

"Almost all."

"What more?"

And when, at length, the trembling tale was told, Iole caught her in her
white arms, looked at her steadily, then kissed her again and again.

"If he is all you say--this miracle--I--I think I can make them
understand," she whispered. "Where is he?"

"D-down-stairs--at b-bay! Hark! You can hear George swearing! Oh, Iole,
don't let him!"

In the silence from the drawing-room below came the solid sobs of the
poet:

"P-pup! P-p-penniless pup!"

"He _must_ not say that!" cried Aphrodite fiercely. "Can't you make
father and George understand that he has nearly six hundred dollars in
the bank?"

"I will try," said Iole tenderly. "Come!"

And with one arm around Aphrodite she descended the great stairway,
where, on the lower landing, immensely interested, sat Chlorippe,
Philodice and Dione, observant, fairly aquiver with intelligence.

"Oh, that young man is catching it!" remarked Dione, looking up as Iole
passed, her arm close around her sister's waist. "George has said
'dammit' seven times and father is rocking--not in a rocking-chair--just
rocking and expressing his inmost thoughts. And Mr. Briggs pretends to
scowl and mutters: 'Hook him over the ropes, George. 'E ain't got no
friends!' Take a peep, Iole. You can just see them if you lean over and
hang on to the banisters----"