"I'll have a care not to wake the old Boeotian," he said.

He stepped between Laodice and her sleeping servant. The mute with the
stupor of slumber further to disable his dulled hearing, did not move.

"Young!" Philadelphus exclaimed in a whisper. "And new to the life!"

"Pfui!" Julian scoffed. "Sleep makes even Venus look innocent!"

"Then this is the most innocent wickedness I have seen in months!"

"So you catalogue innocence as a charm! It's not here. But if she had
no beauty but that eyelash I'd be speared upon it!"

Philadelphus turned toward the old servant plunged in the exhausted
sleep of weary age.

"Thou grizzled nightmare!" he exclaimed vindictively.

He glanced again at the girl. Julian had knelt beside her. Between the
two men passed a look that was mutually understood.

"Remember," Julian whispered, "you are a married man."

Philadelphus paled suddenly with anger as the intent of his companion
dawned upon him, but he put off his temper shrewdly.

"And so approaching a time when wayside beauties will no longer be
free to me," he said, cutting off his fellow in the beginning of his
preëmption. "And you have a long freedom before you."