"Certainly she shall not--Why, she is charming."

"It is revolting! here, in this assembly!"

"Revolting?" interrupted Plutarch. "Oh dear, no! we must not be too
particular. And how are we to obtain mere children from you antiquity-
mongers?" Then he added pleasantly:

"This lovely creature must I should think, delight your fine sense of
beauty; or are you afraid that she may seem better suited to the part of
Roxana than your own charming daughter? Only listen to the men up there!
Let us see what is going on."

These words referred to a loud discussion which had arisen close by the
couches of the prefect and Verus, the praetor. They, and with them most
of the painters and sculptors present, were of opinion that Arsinoe would
be a wonderfully effective Roxana; they maintained that her face and
figure answered perfectly to those of the Bactrian princes as they were
represented by Action, whose picture was, to a certain extent, to serve
as the basis of the living group. Only Papias and two of his fellow-
artists, declared against this choice, and eagerly asserted that among
all the damsels present one, and one alone, was worthy to appear before
the Emperor as Alexander's bride, and that one was Praxilla, the daughter
of Gabinius. All three were in close business relations with the father
of the young girl, who was tall, and slim, and certainly very lovely, and
they wanted to do a pleasure to the rich and knowing purchaser. Their
zeal even assumed a tone of vehemence, when the dealer, following in the
wake of Plutarch, joined the group of disputants, and they were certain
of being heard by him.