Egypt -- History -- 30 B.C.-640 A.D. -- Fiction; German fiction -- Translations into English; Hadrian, Emperor of Rome, 76-138 -- Fiction
"Where did you get the new head?" asked Pontius. "From the secret
archives of my memory," replied Pollux. "Have you seen it?"
"Yes."
"And do you like it?"
"Very much."
"Then it is worthy to live," sang the sculptor, and, as he quitted the
hall, he waved his left-hand to the architect, and with his right-hand
stuck a pink, which he had picked in the morning, behind his ear.
At the rotunda his pupil had done his business better than his master
could have expected, but Pollux was by no means satisfied with his own
arrangements. His work, like several others standing on the same side of
the platform, turned its back on the steward's balcony, and the only
reason why he had parted with the portrait of Selene's mother, of which
he was so fond, was that his playfellow might gaze at the face whenever
she chose. He found, however, to his satisfaction, that the busts were
held in their places on their tall pedestals only by their own weight,
and he then resolved to alter the historical order of the portrait-heads
by changing their places, and to let the famous Cleopatra turn her back
upon the palace, so that his favorite bust might look towards it.
In order to carry out this purpose then and there, he called some slaves
up to help him in the alteration. This gave rise, more than once, to a
warning cry, and the loud talking and ordering on this spot, for so many
years left solitary and silent, attracted an inquirer, who, soon after
the apprentice had begun his work, had shown herself on the balcony, but
who had soon retreated after casting a glance at the dirty lad, splashed
from head to foot with plaster. This time, however, she remained to
watch, following every movement of Pollux as he directed the slaves;
though, all the time and whatever he was doing, he turned his back upon
her.
At last the portrait-head had found its right position, shrouded still in
a cloth to preserve it from the marks of workmen's hands. With a deep
breath the artist turned full on the steward's house, and immediately a
clear merry voice called out:
"What, tall Pollux! It really is tall Pollux; how glad I am!"
With these words the girl on the balcony loudly clapped her hands; and as
the sculptor hailed her in return, and shouted:
"And you are little Arsinoe, eternal gods! What the little thing has
come to!" She stood on tip-toe to seem taller, nodded at him pleasantly,
and laughed out: "I have not done growing yet; but as for you, you look
quite dignified with the beard on your chin, and your eagle's nose.
Selene did not tell me till to-day that you were living down there with
the others."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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