me, until I am at last worthy of the god and

you yourself."

"Excellent!" replied Evander.

follow me, if you please."

"Now

"For ever and for ever," she answered. Thus it came about that when Festus burst into his hut, shouted for Livia and told her that Bacchus directed she must henceforth worship Apollo and command every facility for so doing, the lady was not there to hear his good news.

IX

THE PAIN OF THE PRICE

OR a long time her great achievement obliterated the true Livia. So overwhelmed was she with the splendour of Evander's conduct, that her words came true and she showed him far more reverence and extended to him a worship more complete than Apollo himself won from her. She kept ever in mind the extent of her obligation and the immensity of his condescension. Indeed the remarkable thing that Evander had done, in rescuing Livia from Festus, ran on many tongues round the Larian lake, and the infamy of Livia's husband, flying on rumour's wings, grew greater as it spread, until the people

considered whether he should be slain for his abominable conduct. Evander, on the contrary, though in plain Italian he had run away

with another man's wife, became exalted and all men agreed that he was worthy of praise. To say that the folk were as pleased with him as he was with himself would be but a slight exaggeration. For his part he treated Livia with reverence, and no doubt had she run away with any less excellent person than Evander, many unkindly words might have been spoken. But he was a man above reproach, and though certain brainless fellows of the baser sort held him to be a bore, that was the worst ever whispered against him. When, too, he stated to the inhabitants of the peninsula where now he made his home, that Apollo had personally directed him to save Livia for the faith, none dared criticise. Indeed, Evander came out of the incident with flying colours every way; for it increased his own self-respect, which is always desirable; it gave him for companion an adoring woman-a high fortune enough; and it led the people to regard him as a man of fortitude and character and an acquisition to the peninsula in every way.

His purpose was to educate and elevate all who would listen to him. He designed a sort of priestly ministration and hoped heartily to lessen the woes of the world with Livia's assistance. He credited her with sound judgment, in virtue of her attitude towards himself, and he argued that an intellect ready to accept him as completely and absolutely as she had done, must be of fine material and capable of considerable expansion.

It became his grateful task, therefore, to preach Apollo to Livia, and she for a considerable time made intuition, which she possessed, serve the turn of intellect, which she lacked. She flashed out admirable sentiments and even anticipated an Evander conclusion sometimes. Indeed, she promised well and they lived under one roof in great contentment. But the strain for Livia was severe. A woman can play a part with grace, success and personal enjoyment for a great length of time, but not for ever. The natural feminine instinct is toward a change, and when the actress finds life's play beginning to grow dull, her

unfailing, artistic inspiration is to try something new and expand in a fresh character giving farther scope for her abilities.

Livia was called to play a decidedly difficult part during this season of her picturesque young life. Instead of the pressure diminishing, as she had hoped; instead of creeping presently to the human side of Evander and winning a little respite from his exalted. thinking and plain living, she found an opposite tendency. He was always most courteous and considerate, but he was also always austere and high-principled. He moved on such a plane that Livia sometimes felt the air almost too rarefied for her lungs. She struggled gamely to live up to him and she succeeded. by the exercise of many deceptions and great courage. She kept her admiration and gratitude in the forefront of her mind and blamed her spirit bitterly at any occasional display of weakness, or shadow of doubt.

They lived platonically until Livia should be free, and Evander, though full of wisdom and virtue, failed to perceive that what was the