CHAPTER XIII.

The night had been almost as sleepless to Keraunus' daughter Selene as
it had been to the hapless slave. Her father's vain wish to let Arsinoe
take a part with the daughters of the wealthier citizens had filled the
girl's heart with fresh terrors. It was the final blow which would
demolish the structure of their social existence, standing as it did on
quaking ground, and which must fling her family and herself into disgrace
and want. When their last treasure of any value was sold, and the
creditors could no longer be put off, particularly during the Emperor's
presence in the city, when they should try to sell up all her father's
little property, or to carry him off to a debtor's prison, was it not
then as good as certain that some one else would be appointed to fill his
place, and that she and the other children would fall into misery? And
there lay Arsinoe by her side, and slept with as calm and deep a breath
as blind Helios and the other little ones.

Before going to bed she had tried with all the fervency and eloquence of
which she was mistress, to persuade, entreat, and implore the heedless
girl to refuse as positively as she herself had refused to take any part
in the processions; but Arsinoe had at first repulsed her crossly, and
finally had defiantly declared that means might yet very likely be found,
and that what her father permitted, Selene had no right to interfere in,
still less to forbid. And when afterwards she saw Arsinoe sleeping so
calmly by her side, she felt as if she would like to shake her; but she
was so accustomed to bear all the troubles of the family alone, and to be
unkindly repelled by her sister whenever she attempted to admonish her,
that she forbore.