Lives of Alcyone

matter with Sirius, and his suspicions came near to the truth. His
sister begged him not to press her any further as the deed was now
done and could not be undone, and they must all make the best of it.
She had other children, but they all died, and her dreary life
dragged on for twenty years. Her husband’ s fiery passion had died
away long ago, but he never ill treated her, and she preferred his
neglect to his attentions while she had no objection to any other
intrigues in which he might engage. Now that he was quite careless
as to what she did and where she went, she contrived to see Sirius
much more frequently.
Some change had been introduced into the life of the latter by
the circumstances connected with a certain military expedition to the
far south, in which a young noble named Ramasthenes (Mercury)
had been taken prisoner. This young captive was entertained in turn
by several of the Egyptian captains, and spent two years in the
house of Sirius. His interest in philosophy and occult problems was
marked, and as Uranus, Sirius and Alcyone all delighted in them
also, there was much discussion. Now Mercury was introduced to
certain high authorities of one of the chief temples by Castor, who
was also an officer in Egyptian army, and had been with Sirius at the
time when Mercury was taken prisoner. The father of Castor had
been one of the most munificent patrons of this temple, and had
held certain important lay offices in connection with it, to which
Castor had succeeded, so that he was a person of great influence
with the priests, and his recommendation carried Mercury at once
into the heart of things. The latter at once became an enthusiastic