His great happiness made Aristomachus look younger by many years, and he cried to Rhodopis: "Truly, my friend, your house is for me a house of blessing; for this is the second gift that the gods have allowed to fall to my lot, since I entered it."-- "What was the first ?" asked Rhodopis.

"A propitious oracle."-- "But," cried Phanes, "you have forgotten the third; on this day the gods have blessed you with the acquaintance of Rhodopis.

But, tell me, what is this about the oracle ?"--"May I repeat it to our friends ?" asked the Delphian.
Aristomachus nodded assent, and Phryxus read aloud a second time the answer of the Pythia: "If once the warrior hosts from the snow-topped mountains descending Come to the fields of the stream watering richly the plain, Then shall the lingering boat to the beckoning meadows convey thee Which to the wandering foot peace and a home will afford.
When those warriors come from the snow-topped mountains descending Then will the powerful Five grant thee what they long refused." Scarcely was the last word out of his mouth, when Kallias the Athenian, springing up, cried: "In this house, too, you shall receive from me the fourth gift of the gods.

Know that I have kept my rarest news till last: the Persians are coming to Egypt!" At this every one, except the Sybarite, rushed to his feet, and Kallias found it almost impossible to answer their numerous questions.

"Gently, gently, friends," he cried at last; "let me tell my story in order, or I shall never finish it at all.