[A Friend of Caesar by William Stearns Davis]@TWC D-Link bookA Friend of Caesar CHAPTER XII 10/42
Calatinus will get consolation for losing his dear spouse.
I suppose Pratinas wishes to indemnify him, but he himself will make a good bit at the same time." In a twinkling a thought had flashed through Agias's mind, that made a cold sweat break out all over him, and a hot surge of blood mount to his head. "Man, man!" he cried, grasping Pisander's wrists with all his strength, "speak! Don't look at me this way! Don't say that you mean Artemisia ?" "_Ai!_ You know the girl, then ?" said the other, with the most excruciating inquisitiveness. "Know her ?" raged Agias, "I love the sunbeam on which her eyes rest. Speak! Tell me all, everything, all about it I Quick! I must know!" Pisander drew himself together, and with a deliberation that was nearly maddening to his auditor, began:-- "Well, you see, I had occasion this morning to be in Calatinus's library.
Yes, I remember, I was just putting the new copy of Theognis back into the cupboard, when I noticed that the Mimnermus was not neatly rolled, and so I happened to stay in the room, and--" "By Zeus, speak faster and to the point!" cried Agias. "Oh, there wasn't very much to it all! Why, how excited you are! Pratinas came into the atrium, and Calatinus was already there.
I heard the latter say, 'So I am to give you forty thousand sesterces for the little girl you had with you at the circus yesterday ?' And Pratinas replied, 'Yes, if she pleases you.
I told you her name was Artemisia, and that I always taught her to believe that she was my niece.'" "_Hei! Hei!_" groaned Agias, rushing up and down the room, half frantic.
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