The Nemesis: A Tale Of The Days Of Trajan.

" Come , then , 'twill be Anacreon , the goocl old chin-upper . I could swear that he is a grasshopper , the king of grasshoppers , cricketting among the groves of Teos . " " Bacchus did not treat him well , " said Adrian ,

with a laugh , " it Avas cruel to allow his best Avorshipper to choke Avith a grape stone . I should augur from that circumstance that he has become a frog , and croaks . " A laugh circled the table at this joke , ancl Lais broke out

into"JNature has given to every creature A special and peculiar feature . The bull which thunders on the ground , With horns ol adamant she crowned . "With hoofs she formed the fiery steed , To roam the plain with matchless speed .

She formed the timid hare for flight , And armed tbe lion ' s teeth for fight . Power to the finny tribe she gave To sport within their native wave . And to the ivai-blers for their share , To float on pinions through the air .

And unto man a soul she gave , That scorns the thraldom of the grave . But unto woman—ivhat was left ? Was she of every charm bereft ? JNo ! Matchless beauty was her lot , The mightiest weapon ever

wrought-She needs r . o spear to strike her foes , JNo buckler to avert the blows : Her beauty conquers steel and fire , And makes her very foes admire- "

And so the melancholy evening drove on till the hour of parting arrived . The guests have departed , the inmates retired to rest , all to sleep , save the ill-fated Phryne . From her eyelids sleep fled . She tossed ancl turned upon her bed ,

while her sister Myra lay buried beside her in peaceful slumber . The Avords of Caius still rang in her ears , and banished repose . She rose , ancl sitting by a Avindoiv gazed forth upon the night . "I cannot sleep , " she sighed , " my temples

throb Avith fire , my heart burns in my breast , ancl the voices of old days cry loudly in mine ears . I creep in terror from Myra ' s side , her peaceful slumbers horrify me , for she sleeps the calm and gentle sleep of youth and innocence . No sin has

lain its hideous fold beneath her pure virgin paps ; Avhilst mine—oh horrible , and the poor girl shuddered as she remembered a past ancl awful deed , Avhich time could not obliterate from her memory , nor scar the wound that dropped great tears of

blood from her heart . " Ancl must I marry Caius , too ? " she continued , " marry him , and taint the limpid current of his

blood Avith mine ? Yet AVIIO can tell him , in Rome , the stoiy of my aivful shame , save Lais , she , who tutored me in infancy , after casting me blindfolded over the precipice of dishonour ? She dare not , for AA'e knoAv each other well , ancl I could relate

some pretty tales o : her . I hate her—all—myself —my father most ! in hurrying me a load of shame into the world , nor curbed the Avanron devil in my blood , AA'ho sold me for a purse of beastly gold . I thought Avithout remorse to marry Caius , until his Avords set fire unto my soul , and IIOAV I stand like Tautalus in hell . But let me vieAv the

course . Iu the one case I marry him . I love him , oh good heavens , I fear too well . I bring to him a doAver of guilt . Who knoivs of that ? he ? no ! then all is well , unless some meddling devil comes to mar my joy ; for I will be to him a

true ancl loving wife , will temper me unto his every mood , and make his life ecstatic . On the other hand , I still stay here , condemned to listen to the daily taunts of Lais , ancl my father ' s obscene jests flung at me , at me whom he has made the tainted

thing I am , ancl he can gibe ? No crimson spot reddens Myra's brow . Her very presence yields a holy calm 5 and peace comes Avith her to my soul . Thank Zeus for that . A Avicked mother can , although loaded ivith a hecatomb of sin , still

preserve her daughter sinless ancl pure . Mas , that fathers cannot feel such tender ties , but coldly barter to the highest purse their daughter ' s honour ancl peace of mind . To marry Caius I am resolved upon . What one knoivs not of the loss , one cannot lose . "

" 0 heavens , IIOAV Aveary seems all life , how cold and sinking my heart , IIOAV sad I am , how very very sad , no joy , no peace on earth , but ivoe . Woe in the past , woe in the present , and within that dark and gloomy future , may come upon me a Avave

of Avoe which will end my joys for ever . " Balbus parted from Adrian ancl Caius near to the Pantheon , and took his way homewards . The ; rain AA'as pouring Avith fury , ancl the hail rebounded from the ground . Amid the lulls of the storm ,

he could hear the Tiber roaring clown between its banks , swollen by the rise of mountain torrents . The swish , swish of the rain , ancl the hoarse patter of the hail rang ominously in his ears , ancl although he drew his cloak tightly about him , it was merely

mechanical , for hot drops of SAveat stood upon his broAV . " There is some strange charm upon me , " he thought , as he hurried along , " a charm in Lais ' s-