"She is said to be," replied the other; and after a moment's pause he
added: "Yes, Agatha is a rarely accomplished woman; but I know better
things of her than that. It stirs my gall to think that her sacred
purity can arouse unholy thoughts. I love your brother dearly; for
your mother's sake I can forgive him much; but if he tries to ensnare
Agatha--"

"Have no fear," said Melissa, interrupting his wrathful speech.
"Alexander is indeed a butterfly, fluttering from flower to flower,
and apt to be frivolous over serious matters, but at this moment he is
enslaved by a vision--that of a dead girl; and only last night,
I believe, he pledged himself to Ino, the pretty daughter of our neighbor
Skopas. Beauty is to him the highest thing in life; and how should it be
otherwise, for he is an artist! For the sake of beauty he defies every
danger. If you saw rightly, he is no doubt in pursuit of Zeno's
daughter, but most likely not to pay court to her, but for some other
season."

"No praiseworthy reason, you may be sure," said Andreas. "Here we are.
Now take your kerchief out of the basket. It is damp and cool after
sundown, especially over there where I am draining the bog. The land we
are reclaiming by this means will bring your future husband a fine income
some day."

They disembarked, and ere long reached the little haven belonging to
Polybius's estate. There were boats moored there, large and small, and
Andreas hailed the man who kept them, and who sat eating his supper, to
ask him whether he had unmoored the green skiff for Alexander.