CHAPTER VIII.

The sleepless wretch on whom some trouble has fallen, so long as night
surrounds him, sees his future life as a boundless sea in which he is
sailing round and round like a shipwrecked man, but when the darkness
yields, the new and helpful day shows him a boat for escape close at
hand, and friendly shores in the distance.

The unfortunate Pollux also awoke towards morning with sighs many and
deep; for it seemed to him that last evening he had ruined his whole
future prospects. The workshop of his former master was henceforth
closed to him, and he no longer possessed even all the tools requisite
for the exercise of his art.

Only yesterday he had hoped with happy confidence to establish himself
on a footing of his own, to-day this seemed impossible, for the most
indispensable means were lacking to him. As he felt his little money-
bag, which he was wont to place under his pillow, he could not forbear
smiling in spite of all his troubles, for his fingers sank into the
flaccid leather, and found only two coins, one of which he knew alas!
was of copper, and the dried merry-thought bone of a fowl, which he had
saved to give to his little nieces.

Where was he to find the money he was accustomed to give his sister on
the first day of every month? Papias was on friendly terms with all the
sculptors of the city, and it was only to be expected that he would warn
them against him, and do his best to make it difficult to him to find a
new place as assistant. His old master had also been witness of
Hadrian's anger against him, and was quite the man to take every