without his Ariadne, Ares without Aphrodite, Zeus without Hera?
Even Artemis has her Endymion; Athens alone remains unwedded; but
only because Hephaestus was too rough a wooer. Such is not he who
now offers to the representative of Athene the opportunity of
sharing that which may be with the help of her wisdom, which without
her is impossible. [Greek expression omitted] Shall Eros, invincible
for ages, be balked at last of the noblest game against which he
ever drew his bow?'....

If Hypatia's colour had faded a moment before under the withering
glance of the old Jewess, it rose again swiftly enough, as she read
line after line of this strange epistle; till at last, crushing it
together in her hand, she rose and hurried into the adjoining
library, where Theon sat over his books.

'Father, do you know anything of this? Look what Orestes has dared
to send me by the hands of some base Jewish witch!'--And she spread
the letter before him, and stood impatient, her whole figure dilated
with pride and anger, as the old man read it slowly and carefully,
and then looked up, apparently not ill pleased with the contents.

'What, father?' asked she, half reproachfully. 'Do not you, too,
feel the insult which has been put upon your daughter?'

'My dear child,' with a puzzled look, 'do you not see that he offers
you--'

'I know what he offers me, father. The Empire of Africa .... I am
to descend from the mountain heights of science, from the
contemplation of the unchangeable and ineffable glories, into the