The door opened, and in came, preceded by the scent of half a dozen
different perfumes, a florid, delicate-featured man, gorgeously
dressed out in senatorial costume, his fingers and neck covered with
jewels.

'The representative of the Caesars honours himself by offering at
the shrine of Athene Polias, and rejoices to see in her priestess as
lovely a likeness as ever of the goddess whom she serves .... Don't
betray me, but I really cannot help talking sheer paganism whenever
I find myself within the influence of your eyes.'

'Truth is mighty,' said Hypatia, as she rose to greet him with a
smile and a reverence.

'Ah, so they say--Your excellent father has vanished. He is really
too modest--honest, though--about his incapacity for state secrets.
After all, you know, it was your Minervaship which I came to
consult. How has this turbulent Alexandrian rascaldom been behaving
itself in my absence?'

'The herd has been eating, and drinking, and marrying, as usual, I
believe,' answered Hypatia, in a languid tone.

'And multiplying, I don't doubt. Well, there will be less loss to
the empire if I have to crucify a dozen or two, as I positively
will, the next riot. It is really a great comfort to a statesman
that the masses are so well aware that they deserve hanging, and
therefore so careful to prevent any danger of public justice
depopulating the province. But how go on the schools?'