This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By Georg Ebers
Melissa, too, would probably have found herself a prisoner, but thatZminis, seeing himself balked of a triumph, and beside himself with rage,rushed after the fugitive with the rest. She had no further occasion toseek the house where her lover was lying, for Agatha knew it well. Itsowner, Proterius, was an illustrious member of the Christian community,and she had often been to see him with her father.
On their way the girls confided to each other what had brought them outinto the streets at so unusual an hour; and when Melissa spoke of hercompanion's extraordinary resemblance to the dead daughter of Seleukus—which, no doubt, had been Alexander's inducement to follow her—Agathatold her that she had constantly been mistaken for her uncle's daughter,so early lost. She herself had not seen her cousin for some few years,for Seleukus had quarreled with his brother's family when they hadembraced Christianity. The third brother, Timotheus, the high-priest ofSerapis, had proved more placable, and his wife Euryale was of all womenthe one she loved best. And presently it appeared that Agatha, too, hadlost her mother, and this drew the girls so closely together, that theyclasped hands and walked on like sisters or old and dear friends.
They were not kept long waiting outside the house of Proterius, forAndreas was in the vestibule arranging the litter for the conveyance ofDiodoros, with the willing help of Ptolemaeus. The freedman was indeedamazed when he heard Melissa's voice, and blamed her for this freshadventure. However, he was glad to see her, for, although it seemedalmost beyond the bounds of possibility, he had already fancied more thanonce, as steps had approached and passed, that she must surely be comingto lend him a helping hand.
It was easy to hear in his tone of voice that her bold venture was atleast as praiseworthy as it was blameworthy in his eyes, and the graveman was as cheerful as he commonly was only when among his flowers.Never before had Melissa heard a word of compliment from his lips, butas Agatha stood with one arm round Melissa's shoulders, he said to thephysician, as he pointed to the pair, "Like two roses on one stem!"
He had good reason, indeed, to be content. Diodoros was no worse, andGalen was certainly expected to visit the sick in the Serapeum. Heregarded it, too, as a dispensation from Heaven that Agatha and Melissashould have happened to meet, and Alexander's happy escape had taken aweight from his mind. He willingly acceded to Melissa's request that hewould take her and Agatha to see the sick man; but he granted them only ashort time to gaze at the sleeper, and then requested the deaconess tofind a room for the two damsels, who needed rest.
The worthy woman rose at once; but Melissa urgently entreated to beallowed to remain by her lover's side, and glanced anxiously at the keysin the matron's hand.
At this Andreas whispered to her: "You are afraid lest I should preventyour coming with us? But it is not so; and, indeed, of what use would itbe? You made your way past the guards to the senator's coach; you cameacross the lake, and through the darkness and the drunken rabble in thestreets; if I were to lock you in, you would be brave enough to jump outof the wi