'Come, Calenus,' said Arbaces, winningly, and with a frank and generous air, 'thou art an old friend, and hast been a faithful servant. Thou canst have no wish to take away my life, nor I a desire to stint thy reward: thou shalt descend with me to that treasury thou referrest to, thou shalt feast thine eyes with the blaze of uncounted gold and the sparkle of priceless gems; and thou shalt for thy own reward, bear away with thee this night as much as thou canst conceal beneath thy robes. Nay, when thou hast once seen what thy friend possesses, thou wilt learn how foolish it would be to injure one who has so much to bestow. When Glaucus is no more, thou shalt pay the treasury another visit. Speak I frankly and as a friend?' 'Oh, greatest, best of men!' cried Calenus, almost weeping with joy, 'canst thou thus forgive my injurious doubts of thy justice, thy generosity?' 'Hush! one other turn and we will descend to the Oscan arches.' Chapter XIII THE SLAVE CONSULTS THE ORACLE. THEY WHO BLIND THEMSELVES THE BLIND MAY FOOL. TWO NEW PRISONERS MADE IN ONE NIGHT. IMPATIENTLY Nydia awaited the arrival of the no less anxious Sosia. Fortifying his courage by plentiful potations of a better liquor than that provided for the demon, the credulous ministrant stole into the blind girl's chamber. 'Well, Sosia, and art thou prepared? Hast thou the bowl of pure water?' 'Verily, yes: but I tremble a little. You are sure I shall not see the demon? I have heard that those gentlemen are by no means of a handsome person or a civil demeanor.' 'Be assured! And hast thou left the garden-gate gently open?' 'Yes; and placed some beautiful nuts and apples on a little table close by?' 'That's well. And the gate is open now, so that the demon may pass through it?' 'Surely it is.' 'Well, then, open this door; there--leave it just ajar. And now, Sosia, give me the lamp.' 'What, you will not extinguish it?' 'No; but I must breathe my spell over its ray. There is a spirit in fire. Seat thyself.' The slave obeyed; and Nydia, after bending for some moments silently over the lamp, rose, and in a low voice chanted the following rude:-- INVOCATION TO THE SPECTRE OF THE AIR Loved alike by Air and Water Aye must be Thessalia's daughter; To us, Olympian hearts, are given Spells that draw the moon from heaven. All that Egypt's learning wrought-- All that Persia's Magian taught-- Won from song, or wrung from flowers, Or whisper'd low by fiend--are ours. Spectre of the viewless air! Hear the blind Thessalian's prayer! By Erictho's art, that shed Dews of life when life was fled-- By lone Ithaca's wise king,