A few moments later he stood in the presence of the Emperor, who
expressed the wish to play the part of listener while Balbilla was
sitting. When the architect, after begging him not to let Pollux know of
the incident, told him of what had occurred in the screened-off studio,
and how angry the young Roman lady had been at the caricature, which was
certainly very offensive, Hadrian rubbed his hands and laughed aloud with
delight. Pontius ground his teeth, and then said very earnestly:

"Balbilla seems to me a merry-hearted girl, but of a noble nature. I see
no reason to laugh at her." Hadrian looked keenly into the daring
architect's eyes, laid his hand on his shoulder, and replied with a
certain threatening accent in his deep voice:

"It would be an evil moment for you, or for any one, who should do so in
my presence. But age may venture to play with edged tools, which
children may not even touch."




CHAPTER XVIII.

Selene entered the gate-way in the endlessly-long walk of sun-dried
bricks which enclosed the wide space where stood the court-yards, water-
tanks and huts, belonging to the great papyrus manufactory of Plutarch,
where she and her sister were accustomed to work. She could generally
reach it in a quarter of an hour, but to-day it had taken more than four
times as long and she herself did not know how she had managed to hold
herself up, and to walk-limp-stumble along, in spite of the acute pain
she was suffering. She would willingly have clung to every passer-by,