life, and when the cares of state demand my strength, vanishes. But you
cannot understand it, boy. These are things which no other mortal can
share with me."

"And it is only to me that you do not scorn to reveal them!" cried
Antinous, who had turned round to face the Emperor, and who with wide
eyes had not lost one word.

"You?" said Hadrian, and a smile, not absolutely free from mockery,
parted his lips. "From you I should no more have a secret than from the
Cupid by Praxiteles, in my study at Rome."

The blood mounted to the lad's cheeks and dyed them flaming crimson. The
Emperor observed this and said kindly:

"You are more to me than the statue, for the marble cannot blush. In the
time of the Athenians Beauty governed life, but in you I can see that the
gods are pleased to give it a bodily existence, even in our own days, and
to look at you reconciles me to the discords of existence. It does me
good. But how should I expect to find that you understand me; your brow
was never made to be furrowed by thought; or did you really understand
one word of all I said?"

Antinous propped himself on his left arm, and lifting his right hand, he
said emphatically:

"Yes."

"And which," asked Hadrian.