alone, and without any protectress to the meeting. So then Tryphon said
that it would give his wife pleasure to take you to the theatre with her
own daughter. This I half accepted, but I declared at once that you
would not go, if your elder sister were not better. I could not give
any positive consent--you know why."

"Oh, blessings on Antony and his noble spit!" cried Arsinoe. "Now
everything is settled, and you can tell the ship-builder we shall go.
Our white dresses are still quite good, but a few ells of new light blue
ribbon for my hair, and of red for Selene's, you must buy on the way, at
Abibaal, the Phoenician's."

"Very good."

"I will see at once to both the dresses--but, to be sure, when are we to
be ready?"

"In two hours."

"Then, do you know what, dear old father?"

"Well?"

"Our old woman is half blind, and does everything wrong. Do let me go
down to dame Doris at the gate-house, and ask her to help me. She is so
clever and kind, and no one irons so well as she does."

"Silence!" cried the steward, angrily, interrupting his daughter.
"Those people shall never again cross my threshold."