The Tour Part 26

"Yes, master," Lucius lied, "and he's my uncle. And one day I shall be his heir."

"Then you will do well to hold him in honour, sir," said the master, growing very respectful. "Whew! That's a prospect not to be sneezed at! What a n.o.ble ship! What a magnificent quadrireme! But tell me, master," he continued, more and more inquisitively, "in that case why don't you stay with your uncle?"

"Because it's not a good thing, master, for poor relations to be always hanging round the rich. For then you only annoy them and they end by cutting you off with a shilling. And that is why, master,"

said Lucius, pressing Cora, by his side, to him "after seeing and admiring Egypt at my rich uncle's expense, I am now paying a visit to Babylon with my father, my wife and my little slave. From there we shall go through a.s.syria and Asia Minor to the island of Cos, where my wife was born and where I want to settle down as a sculptor."

The master thought this very natural; and, as the wind was now blowing a stiff breeze, with the first cold, autumnal gusts, Lucius, happy, gay and healthy, led Cora into her cabin, while Tarrar squatted outside, like a faithful, clever little monkey, and Thrasyllus, within, carefully rolled up the maps, books and itineraries which he had consulted during their tour.

POSTSCRIPT.

Caleb of Mariaba (Saba), joint proprietor of the Great Diversorium, the Hermes House, at Alexandria, near the Canopian Gate, to the ever n.o.ble Lord Publius Lucius Sabinus, sculptor, at Cos.

"Written at Alexandria, at the second hour of the fourteenth day of the month of Pacothi, in the ninth year of the benevolent reign of our gracious Emperor Tiberius Augustus.

"My ever n.o.ble Lord, greeting!

"It is a pleasure to me, Caleb of Mariaba, to inform you by this letter, entrusted to Alexandros of Alexandria, master of the merchant trireme Berenice, that by chance and great good fortune I have succeeded in disposing of the valuable quadrireme, the pleasure-ship Aphrodite, once your property, n.o.ble lord, and in the presence of witnesses, free men, transferred to me at Cape Dire, by the Pillars of Sesostris [6] ... selling her at Arsinoe, previous to the pa.s.sage through the Nechao Ca.n.a.l (which would probably have been liable to legal objections), at the very profitable price (as, considering all the circ.u.mstances, it appears to me, your most obedient, humble servant, friend, guide and companion in the chase) of (after deducting my commission and all my expenses) 900,000 (say, nine hundred thousand) sesterces, a sum reckoned according to the Roman value, item that n.o.ble quadrireme Aphrodite and three hundred rowers (slaves), item all the necessary and most complete equipment, item costly furniture, carpets, plate and treasures of art, which would probably have produced large sums had it been possible to sell them separately, without danger of seizure in the name of our gracious Emperor Tiberius Augustus, but the separate sale of which would, in the circ.u.mstances aforesaid, have entailed innumerable drawbacks;

"Whereas I, Caleb of Mariaba, acting and appearing on my own behalf, as actual owner of the n.o.ble quadrireme Aphrodite, have been able to sell this magnificent pleasure-ship to the n.o.ble Lord Baabab, a Persian satrap, residing at Susa;

"Wishing, my n.o.ble Lord Lucius, companion of the chase and friend, to act to your ever n.o.ble advantage, I propose, in order to reduce to a minimum all risks of shipwreck and piracy and other fatal accidents (such as a jealous fate keeps ever hanging over the heads of us poor mortals), to remit to you at frequent intervals, by the intermediary of a master of merchant-vessels, one trusted by all and personally known to myself and sailing to and fro between Alexandria and the Archipelago, a small sum in gold coin or bar, with account and settlement, so that you, my n.o.ble lord, may at the earliest moment possess your whole capital in your own hands.

"And I also send you, in memory of your most beautiful ship, a few pieces of furniture and valuables (withheld and smuggled away), including two bronze bedsteads, a citron-wood table, a Babylonian carpet, some Ethiopian ostrich-feather coverings, the silver statue of Aphrodite, patroness of your ship, and a few minor trifles of taste and convenience.

"I take advantage of the opportunity, my n.o.ble lord, dear friend and stout companion of the chase, to tell you that at Mariaba, during a temporary stay in my beloved country, Sabaea, I bought myself a most beautiful slave, a Greek like Cora and excelling in many gifts, which slave, in order to bind her with greater certainty to my affection, I set free at Mariaba, leaving her, however, as my wife in my house in that city, where I hope one day, after achieving my fortune, to enjoy a life of bliss, fearing lest my brother Ghizla might allow his rights on her to prevail (according to the manners of our country) and hoping to visit her each time that my conduct of n.o.ble lords shall bring me to the pillars of Sesostris, from which my beloved country is easily reached.

"Wishing you, my n.o.ble lord and friend and companion of the chase, the blessing of the G.o.ds upon your house, upon your new work and your household, upon your wife and your servants, the wise Thrasyllus and the faithful Tarrar, together with an always possible change of fortune, I bow low before you, in all humility and friendship, with one hand on my heart and one hand on my lips.

"Your ever most obedient, humble servant and guide and friend and companion of the chase,

"Caleb of Mariaba (Saba), joint proprietor of the Great Diversorium, the Hermes House, at Alexandria, near the Canopian Gate."

THE END