your verses are excellent. Always prophesy good fortune, unless there
is an absolute impossibility of its fulfilment.'

'Besides,' added Calenus, 'if the storm does come, and if it does
overwhelm the accursed ships, have we not prophesied it? and are the
barks not blest to be at rest?--for rest prays the mariner in the AEgean
sea, or at least so says Horace--can the mariner be more at rest in the
sea than when he is at the bottom of it?'

'Right, my Calenus; I wish Apaecides would take a lesson from your
wisdom. But I desire to confer with you relative to him and to other
matters: you can admit me into one of your less sacred apartments?'

'Assuredly,' replied the priest, leading the way to one of the small
chambers which surrounded the open gate. Here they seated themselves
before a small table spread with dishes containing fruit and eggs, and
various cold meats, with vases of excellent wine, of which while the
companions partook, a curtain, drawn across the entrance opening to the
court, concealed them from view, but admonished them by the thinness of
the partition to speak low, or to speak no secrets: they chose the
former alternative.

'Thou knowest,' said Arbaces, in a voice that scarcely stirred the air,
so soft and inward was its sound, 'that it has ever been my maxim to
attach myself to the young. From their flexile and unformed minds I can
carve out my fittest tools. I weave--I warp--I mould them at my will.
Of the men I make merely followers or servants; of the women...'

'Mistresses,' said Calenus, as a livid grin distorted his ungainly
features.