Arethusa

g panel opened, letting in light, and a strange voice told her to get out. She turned inside the palanquin and thrust out her naked feet. As she put them down, expecting to touch

er, so that the men should not see her in her rags; for there was light in the large room where she found herself, and now that she could look about her she saw a dozen or more girls and young women standing in small groups a few paces behind the negress. They surveyed the new arrival curiously, but with different expressions. Some seemed to pity her, others smiled as if to welcome her; one good-looking girl had noticed that she had no shoes, and her lip curled contemptuously at such a proof

and scrutinised her half-clad figure, till she blushed red. Then the daughter of the Caucasian horse-thief laughed rudely, and some of the others tittered while the negress gently pinched Zo?'s bare arms and neck to judge of their firmness and of her

she said in Greek. 'The rest of you, to be

se-work, and had no pretensions to good looks. Their tightly plaited black hair was compressed into the smallest possible space at the backs of their heads, and they wore small red caps, coarsely embroidered, but neat and

to the others, seeing that some of t

ther like sheep at the gate when the dogs drive them into the fold. Having produced this desired re

e our humble roof is honoured by your presence. If you have the slightest cause of

e rolled her terrible eyes. The two maids shrank visibl

e high and mighty personage, of the Emperor himself, perhaps, would have power, if only

o? answered, laying a kindly hand on

o her face with a sort

ded, returning their look. The negress laughed

ied. 'But the Kokóna is hungry and cold,' she continued, in a tone of servile anxiety for Zo?'s co

ece of black bread, 'but as for clothes, I should

re the two maids had wrapp

turned to the negress. 'You seem to b

n woman, all her teeth gleaming in the lampli

a movement of surprise

strong hand than to keep a couple of smooth-faced thieves for gaolers, as most of the people in

things needful for a woman's toilet; there stood also a gilt lamp with three beaks, which shed a pleasant light upon everything; a low curtained door at the end of the room gave access to the small bathroom, where another little lamp was burning. The negress drew the curtain back and showed the place to Zo?, who had certainly not expected to spend her first night of slavery in such luxurious quarters. Rustan's wife opened a large wardrobe, too, and showed her a plentiful supply of fine linen and clothes, neatly folded and lying on shelves. In the middle of the room a round tab

or, for the carpet is good and there are two blankets for them, there in the corner. Good-night

by her name? A resemblance of face could be explained away, but her face and her name together would certainly betray her. It was not so much that she feared the open shame of being recognised as Michael Rhangabé's adopted daughter; she had grown used to the meaning of the word slavery du

Arethusa,

ionate. He says that I am his Zo?, his "life," bec

if Areté had come later to mean virtue, it had meant courage first, manly, unflinching courage; and as Zo? was only a Gr

,' observed her ga

ll I call you

and smiled with satisfied vanity. 'My husband calls me Zo?,' sh

l repeated her own name

ionate. He says that I am his Zo?, his "life," bec

said the

g down in her prison that night she would be

do not come to comb his beard and smooth his pillow, and prepare his drink for the

,' Zo? answered, though the form of

, and swaying her massive hips as she walked. She shu

e their price. But she was no sooner gone than they looked at each other, and their lips began to twitch nervously; in another moment they were both seized with a convulsion of silent laughter. They shook from head to f

e shook her head at the girls and laid her finger on her lips. Their amusement subsided quickly, for though she s

ater. Now and then, when they looked up at her, she patted them on the shoulder and smiled faintly, but her thoughts were far away in the ruined house in the beggars' quart

tle white mice!' said

ike young doves

acket. They were skilful with their hands though they were still so young, and she let them do what they thought she needed, and lay down at last, to

h; then they noiselessly devoured all the sweetmeats left on the table, after which they curled

rags, and Nectaria was hugging the straw to keep a little warmth in her old body. But then she thought of the morrow, and of all that Nectaria would do with the gold for the si

them yet. They were very much alike, she thought, commonplace girls, differing so little from thousands of other young slaves in the great city, that it would be hard for her to recognise them, if she should not see them for a few days. They would be disposed of soon, of course, for there was always a demand for healthy young house slaves who had been properly taught. She envied them their homely features, their coarse black hair,

sound, the door opened, and the negress's flaming head appeared in the sunlight. She saw that Zo? was awake, and she entered the room, shutting the door behind her. She greeted her valuable prisoner in the half-familiar, half-obsequious tone she had adopted from the first

ats,' she observed. 'She eats only a mouth

urprised denial, when she met the terrified eyes of

f sweets,' she an

dresses that lay folded on the shelves within. Zo? watched her curiously. She unfolded garments of apple-green silk, and one of peach-coloured Pe

you do not wish me to

n the embroidery, and it is quite new and fresh. My husband bought it from the Blachern? palace, when Handsome John w

t the mention of the captive Emperor her brown eyes had

t this morning,' objected Rustan's

instinctively drew the b

e exclaimed i

grinned from

ntinued more familiarly, 'but Rustan has consulted the astrologer, who says that these are fortunate days for our buying and our selling. So I do not doubt but that the cu

ht produce an agreeable impression on the expected purchaser. Rustan had once missed

e customer?' asked the gir

ly, but she held her breath

ment's thought. 'He is a foreigner, a rich young mer

?' Zo? asked, cont

retended to

ed as to sell a Christian maid to the Turks? Rustan is a very

y, and how he had driven her to sell herself for Kyría Ag

ved with an affectation of carelessness, though her heart was s

ning over certain fine linen in the wardrobe. 'Yes, he is a good star-gazer, especia

ld up a beautifully embroidered g

house,' she added, 'you may win favour of him by telling him

ted the name, for sh

e church of Saint Sergius and Saint Bacc

remember,

hurches of the poorest quarters, because it was there that starving girls were most often to be seen, praying to heaven for the bread that so rarely came from that direction. Many a good bargain had Rustan made by following a poor little ragged figure with a pretty face to a den of mise

ins of the supper and bring what was already prepared for the morning. The maid obeyed, and was not gone two minutes. Sh

time of day,' observed the mistress of the house. 'By

ooked at Zo? furtiv

fruit is much bett

stood beside the bed an

r is a foreigner, it will be better not to paint you

in my life!' cried the

humour. 'Besides,' she continued, fawning again, 'I am here only to do your bidding a

lever,' objected Zo?, who hardly looke

is a part of our business, a

must be helped,' said Zo?. 'But, inde

stan give his customers a written guarantee, unless I assured him, that there is n

r face away o

ught of that,'

young Kokóna from any trouble or annoyance with our customer! If it will but please her to call herself my mistress and me her s

self of their tyrant's extraordinary offer, but they dare

d skirt in one, worn only by free women. 'I cover my head, in the Kokóna's presence!' She quickly flattened her wild red hair under a kerchief which she

ed precisely like the black slave-women who used to attend the ladies in the Roman bath in Rhangabé

raising herself upon one ha