you--I lay a wager you have drunk nothing but milk all day and eaten
nothing but bread and radishes. I thought so? Then the chicken must
pretend to be a pheasant and you, wife, will eat this leg. The girls are
gone to bed? Why here is some wine too! Fill up your cup, boy. A
libation to the God! Glory to Dionysus !" The two men poured the
libation on the floor and drank; then the father thrust his knife into
the breast of the bird and began his meal with a will, while Orpheus, the
son, went on with his story:

"Well, the temple of Dionysus was not to be found, for Bishop Theophilus
has had it destroyed; so to what divinity could we offer our wreath and
cake? Here in Egypt there is none but the great Mother Isis. Her
sanctuary is on the shore of Lake Mareotis and mother found it at once.
There she fell into conversation with a priestess who, as soon as she
learnt that my mother belonged to a family of musicians--though Dame
Herse was cautious in announcing this fact--and hoped to find employment
in Alexandria, led her away to a young lady who was closely veiled. This
lady," Orpheus went on--he not only played the flute but took the higher
parts for a man's voice and could also strike the lyre--"desired us to go
to her later at her own house, where she would speak with us. She drove
off in a fine carriage and we, of course followed her orders; Agne was
with us too. A splendid house! I never saw anything handsomer in Rome
or Antioch. We were kindly received, and with the lady there were
another very old lady and a tall grave man, a priest I should fancy or a
philosopher, or something of that kind."

"Not some Christian trap?" asked Karnis suspiciously. "You do not know
this place, and since the edict. . ."

"Never fear, father! There were images of the gods in the halls and