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[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
The house facing the garden of the Paneum, where Barine lived, was theproperty of her mother, who had inherited it from her parents. Theartist Leonax, the young beauty's father, son of the old philosopherDidymus, had died long before.
After Barine's unhappy marriage with Philostratus was dissolved, she hadreturned to her mother, who managed the affairs of the household. Shetoo, belonged to a family of scholars and had a brother who had won highrepute as a philosopher, and had directed the studies of the youngOctavianus. This had occurred long before the commencement of thehostility which separated the heirs of Caesar and Mark Antony. But evenafter the latter had deserted Octavia, the sister of Octavianus, toreturn to Cleopatra, the object of his love, and there was an open breachbetween the two rivals for the sovereignty of the world, Antony had beenfriendly to Arius and borne him no grudge for his close relations to hisrival. The generous Roman had even given his enemy's former tutor a finehouse, to show him that he was glad to have him in Alexandria and nearhis person.
The widow Berenike, Barine's mother, was warmly attached to her onlybrother, who often joined her daughter's guests. She was a quiet, modestwoman whose happiest days had been passed in superintending the educationof her children, Barine, the fiery Hippias, and the quiet Helena, who forseveral years had lived with her grandparents and, with faithfuldevotion, assumed the duty of caring for them. She had been more easilyguided than the two older children; for the boy's aspiring spirit hadoften drawn him beyond his mother's control, and the beautiful, vivaciousgirl had early possessed charms so unusual that she could not remainunnoticed.
Hippias had studied oratory, first in Alexandria and later in Athens andRhodes. Three years before, his uncle Arius had sent him with excellentletters of introduction to Rome to become acquainted with the life of thecapital and try whether, in spite of his origin, his brilliant gifts ofeloquence would forward his fortunes there.
Two miserable years with an infamous, unloved husband had changed thewild spirits of Barine's childhood into the sunny cheerfulness now one ofher special charms. Her mother was conscious of having desired only herbest good in uniting the girl of sixteen to Philostratus, whom thegrandfather Didymus then considered a very promising young man, and whoseadvancement, in addition to his own talents, his brother Alexas, Antony'sfavourite, promised to aid. She had believed that this step would affordthe gay, beautiful girl the best protection from the perils of thecorrupt capital; but the worthless husband had caused both mother anddaughter much care and sorrow, while his brother Alexas, who constantlypursued his young sister-in-law with insulting attentions, was the sourceof almost equal trouble. Berenike often gazed in silent astonishment atthe child, who, spite of such sore grief and humiliation, had preservedthe innocent light-heartedness which made her seem as if life had offeredher only thornless roses.
Her father, Leonax, had been one of the most distinguished artists of theday, and Barine had inherited from him the elastic artist temperamentwhich speedily rebounds from the heaviest