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
In the extreme northern portion of the little city of Tennis a large,perfectly plain whitewashed building stood on an open, grass-grownsquare.
The side facing the north rested upon a solid substructure of hard blocksof hewn stone washed by the waves.
This protecting wall extended along both sides of the long, plainedifice, and prevented the water from overflowing the open space whichbelonged to it.
Archias, the owner of the largest weaving establishment in Tennis, thefather of the Alexandrian aristocrat who had arrived the evening before,was the owner of the house, as well as of the broad plain on which he hadhad it built, with the indestructible sea wall, to serve as a storehouseto receive the supplies of linen, flax, and wool which were manufacturedin his factories.
It was favourably situated for this purpose, for the raw materials couldbe moved from the ships which brought them to Tennis directly into thebuilding. But as the factories were at a considerable distance, thetransportation required much time and expense, and therefore Archias hadhad a canal dug connecting the workshops with the water, and at its enderected a new storehouse, which rendered a second transportation of theships' cargoes unnecessary.
The white mansion had not yet been devoted to any other purpose when theowner determined to offer the spacious empty rooms of the ware house tohis nephews, the sculptors Hermon and Myrtilus, for the production of twoworks with whose completion he associated expectations of good fortuneboth for the young artists, who were his nephews and wards, and himself.
The very extensive building which now contained the studios and spaciousliving apartments for the sculptors and their slaves would also haveafforded ample room for his daughter and her attendants, but Daphne hadlearned from the reports of the artists that rats, mice, and otherdisagreeable vermin shared the former storehouse with them, so she hadpreferred to have tents pitched in the large open space which belongedit.
True, the broad field was exposed to the burning sun, and its soil wascovered only with sand and pitiably scorched turf, but three palm trees,a few sunt acacias, two carob trees, a small clump of fig trees, and thesuperb, wide-branched sycamore on the extreme outer edge had won for itthe proud name of a "garden."
Now a great change in its favour had taken place, for Daphne's beautifultent, with walls and top of blue and white striped sail-cloth, and thesmall adjoining tents of the same colours, gave it a brighter aspect.
The very roomy main tent contained the splendidly furnished sitting anddining rooms. The beds occupied by Daphne and her companion, Chrysilla,had been placed in an adjoining one, which was nearly as large, and thecook, with his assistants, was quartered in a third.
The head keeper, the master of the hounds, and most of the slavesremained in the transports which had followed the state galley. Some hadslept under the open sky beside the dog kennel hastily erected forDaphne's pack of hounds.
So, on the morning after the wholly unexpected arrival of the owner'sdaughter, the "garden" in front of the white house, but yesterdaya desolate fie