his chiton above his hips and once more went out into the night to judge
by the stars what hour it was. He saw the slender sickle of the waning
moon-the same moon which at the full had been mirrored in the sea when he
had gone into the water to save Selene. The image of the pale girl rose
before him, tangibly distinct. He felt as if he held her once more in
his arms--saw her once more lying on her bed-could once more press his
lips to her cold brow. Then the vision vanished; instead he was
possessed by a wild desire to see her, and he said to himself that he
could not die without having seen her once more.

He looked about him in indecision. Before him lay one of the largest of
the storehouses that surrounded the tower. With his torch in one hand he
went in at the open door. In the large shed lay the chests and cases,
the hemp, linseed, straw and matting that had been used in packing the
vessels and works of art with which the palace had been newly furnished.
This he knew; and now, looking up at the stars once more and seeing that
the second hour after midnight had almost run to an end, a fearful
thought flashed through his mind, and without daring to consider, he
flung the torch into the open shed, crammed to the roof with inflammable
materials, and stood motionless, with his arms crossed, to watch through
the door of the shed the rapidly spreading flame, the soaring smoke, the
struggle and mingling of the noiseless wreaths of black vapor from the
various combustibles with the ruddy light, the victory of the fire and
the leaping flames as they flew upward.

The roof, thatched with palm-leaves and reeds, had begun to crackle when
Antinous rushed into the tower only a few paces off crying: "Fire--fire!"
and up the stairs which led to the observatory of the imperial stargazer.