me to pass the day with Julia, the
daughter of Diomed?--She wishes it, and was kind to me when I had few
friends.'

'The gods bless thy grateful heart! I will answer for Ione's
permission.'

'Then I may stay over the night, and return to-morrow?' said Nydia,
shrinking from the praise she so little merited.

'As thou and fair Julia please. Commend me to her; and hark ye, Nydia,
when thou hearest her speak, note the contrast of her voice with that of
the silver-toned Ione. Vale!'

His spirits entirely recovered from the effect of the past night, his
locks waving in the wind, his joyous and elastic heart bounding with
every spring of his Parthian steeds, a very prototype of his country's
god, full of youth and of love--Glaucus was borne rapidly to his
mistress.

Enjoy while ye may the present--who can read the future?

As the evening darkened, Julia, reclined within her litter, which was
capacious enough also to admit her blind companion, took her way to the
rural baths indicated by Arbaces. To her natural levity of disposition,
her enterprise brought less of terror than of pleasurable excitement;
above all, she glowed at the thought of her coming triumph over the
hated Neapolitan.

A small but gay group was collected round the door of the villa, as her
litter passed by it to the private entrance of the baths appropriated to
the women.

'Methinks, by this dim light,' said one of the bystanders, 'I recognize
the slaves of Diomed.'

'True, Clodius,' said Sallust: 'it is probably the litter of his
daughter Julia. She is rich, my friend; why dost thou not proffer thy
suit to her?'

'Why, I had once hoped that Glaucus would have married her. She does
not disguise her attachment; and then, as he gambles freely and with
ill-success...'

'The sesterces would have passed to thee, wise Clodius. A wife is a
good thing--when it belongs to another man!'

'But,' continued Clodius, 'as Glaucus is, I understand, to wed the
Neapolitan, I think I must even try my chance with the dejected maid.
After all, the lamp of Hymen will be gilt, and the vessel will reconcile
one to the odor of the flame. I shall only protest, my Sallust, against
Diomed's making thee trustee to his daughter's fortune.'

'Ha! ha! let us within, my comissator; the wine and the garlands wait
us.'

Dismissing her slaves to that part of the house set apart for their
entertainment, Julia entered the baths with Nydia, and declining the
offers of