"And where in this city am I to find such a miracle? Nay, nay, Leukippe,
for the present all shall be left to my old woman. We both do our duty,
we are satisfied with each other and--"

"And time is flying," said the housekeeper, interrupting her master in
his speech. "You are nearly thirty-five years of age, and the girls--"

"Let them be! let them be! They will find other men! Now send Cyrus
with my shoes and cloak, and have my litter got ready, for Paulina has
been kept waiting long enough."

The way from the architect's house to his sister's was long, and on his
way he found ample time for reflection on various matters besides
Leukippe's advice to marry. Still, it was a woman's face and form that
possessed him heart and soul; at first, however, he did not feel inclined
to feast his fancy on Balbilla's image, lovely as it appeared to him; on
the contrary, with self-inflicted severity he sought everything in her
which could be thought to be opposed to the highest standard of feminine
perfections. Nor did he find it difficult to detect many defects and
deficiencies in the Roman damsel; still he was forced to admit that they
were quite inseparable from her character, and that she would no longer
be what she was, if she were wholly free from them. Each of her little
weaknesses presently began to appear as an additional charm to the stern
man who had himself been brought up in the doctrine of the Stoics.

He had learnt by experience that sorrow must cast its shadow over the
existence of every human being; but still, the man to whom it should be
vouchsafed to walk through life hand-in-hand with this radiant child of
fortune could, as it seemed to him, have nothing to look forward to but
pure sunshine. During his journey to Pelusium and his stay there he had