hospitality endures, it would be a crime!"

"Impossible, quite impossible!" cried Orion, who had cast aside the
lute, and was now reading the letter himself. "It is true indeed!
his own handwriting. And that immovable pair are in Egypt--in Memphis!
By Zeus!"--for this was still the favorite oath of the golden youth of
Alexandria and Constantinople, even in these Christian times.--"By Zeus,
I ought to receive them here like princes!--Wait!--of course you must
tell the messenger that I am coming at once--have the four new Pannonians
harnessed to the silver-plated chariot. I must go to my mother; but
there is time enough for that. Desire Sebek to have the guest-chambers
prepared for distinguished guests--those sick people are out of them,
thank God! Take my present room for them too; I will go back to the old
one. Of course they have a numerous suite. Set twenty or thirty slaves
to work. Everything must be ready in two hours at furthest. The two
sitting-rooms are particularly handsome, but where anything is lacking,
place everything in the house at Sebek's command.--Justinus in Egypt!--
But make haste, man! Nay, stay! One thing more. Carry these maps and
scrolls--no; they are too heavy for you. Desire a slave to fetch them,
and take them to Rufinus; he must keep them till I come. Tell him I
meant to use them on the way--he knows."

The secretary rushed off; Orion performed a rapid toilet and had his
mourning dress rearranged in fresh folds; then he went to his mother.
She had often heard of the cordial reception that her son, and her
husband, too, in former days, had met with in the senator's house, and
she took it quite as a matter of course that the strangers' rooms, and
among them that which had been Paula's, should be prepared for the
travellers; all she asked was that it should be explained that she was
suffering, so that she might not have to trouble herself to entertain