A sweet child! I shall go at once and beg her forgiveness and tell her what we propose.

May I do so noble Julia?
Have I your permission gentlemen ?" In a very few minutes it was known all over the stage, and soon after all through the amphitheatre, that Arsinoe, the daughter of Keraunus, had been selected to represent the character of Roxana.
"But who was Keraunus ?" "How was it that the children of the most illustrious and wealthy citizens had been overlooked in assigning this most prominent part ?" "This was just what might be expected when every thing was left to those reckless artists!" "And where was a poor little girl like that to find the talents which it would cost to procure the costume of an Asiatic princess, Alexander's bride ?" "Plutarch, and the prefect's wife had undertaken that." "A mere beggar." "How well the family jewels would have suited our daughters!" "Do we want to show Caesar nothing but a few silly pretty faces ?--and not something of our wealth and taste ?" "Supposing Hadrian asks who this Roxana is, and had to be told that a collection had to be made to get her a proper costume." "Such things never could happen anywhere but in Alexandria." "Every one wants to know whether she worked in Plutarch's factory.

They say it is not true--but the painted old villain still loves a pretty face.

He smuggled her in, you may be sure; where there is smoke there is fire, and it is beyond a doubt that she gets money from the old man." "What for ?" "Ah! you had better enquire of a priest of Aphrodite.

It is nothing to laugh at, it is scandalous, audacious!" Thus and on this wise ran the comments with which the announcement of Arsinoe's preferment to the part of Roxana was received, and hatred and bitter animosity had grown up in the souls of the dealer and his daughter.