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Perhaps her arrival would relieve hier, out of his own sphere, he felt chilled a these closely united men and women, to whom no tie bound him save the presence of the sale individual except the raph Crates, who for several months had been one of the members of the Museum, and who had attached himself to Hermon at Straton's lectures

The artist was surprised to find this man in such a circle, but he learned fro member of the Museum was a relative of Proclus, and a suitor of the beautiful Nico, one of the Queen's ladies in waiting, as auests

Crates had really been invited in order to win hi fair-haired Nico had been co Arsinoe's praises a his professional associates

The rest of the men present stood in close connection with Arsinoe, and were fellow-conspirators against her husband's throne and life The ladies whom Proclus had invited were all confidants of Arsinoe, the wives and daughters of his other guests All were hest class of society, and their manners showed the entire freedom from restraint that existed in the Queen's i Hermon's only acquaintance here So, when he took his place on the cushion at her side, she greeted hi time, wherever they met, and in a low voice told hi sarcasuests

The hest of all in the Queen's favour because he had good reason to hate the other Arsinoe, the sister of the King His son had been this royal dame's first husband, and she had deserted hi of Thrace

The Rhodian Chrysippus, her leech and trusted counsellor, also possessed great influence over the Queen

"The noble lady," whispered Althea, "needs the faithful devotion of every well-disposed subject, for perhaps you have already learned how cruelly the King embitters the life of the iven the suffering Ptolee places with the coood appetite, and who is now tortured by the gout; yet he watches the hapless woh he himself is openly faithless to her What is the Queen to him, since theof Lysimachus returned from Thrace--no, from Cassandrea, Ephesus, and sacred Samothrace, or whatever other places there are which would no longer tolerate the murderess?"