informed, whether he did not think that the artist who had modeled these
figures must be a very clever follow; and when the philosopher assented
conditionally, he declared that he saw some resemblance to himself--in
the features of the apple-dealer. And then he pointed to his own
straight legs, only slightly disfigured by an injury to the ankle, to
show how shamefully unfair it was to compare them with the lower limbs of
a misshapen dwarf. Finally, the figure of the apple-dealer--a hideous
pygmy form, with the head of an old man, like enough to his own--roused
his curiosity. What was the point of this image? What peculiarity was
it intended to satirize? The basket which hung about the neck of the
figure was full of fruit, and the object he held in his hand might be an
apple, or might be anything else.

With eager and constrained cheerfulness, he inquired the opinion of his
"friends," treating as sheer flattery a suggestion from his favorite,
Theocritus, that this was not an apple-dealer, but a human figure, who,
though but a dwarf in comparison with the gods, nevertheless endowed the
world with the gifts of the immortals.

Alexander and Philostratus could offer no explanation; but when the
proconsul, Julius Paulinus, observed that the figure was offering the
apples for money, as Caesar offered the Roman citizenship to the
provincials, he knew for what, Caracalla nodded agreement.

He then provisionally appointed Aristides to the coveted office. The
Egyptian should be informed as to his fate. When the prefect was about
to remove the figures, Caesar hastily forbade it, and ordered the
bystanders to withdraw. Alexander alone was commanded to remain. As
soon as they were together, Caesar sprang up and vehemently demanded to
know what news he had brought. But the young man hesitated to begin his