The dealer had caught Plutarch's words, and asked him, when they had gone a few steps from Arsinoe, with eager indignation: "Did I hear you rightly?
a work-woman in your factory, and here among our daughters ?" "So it is--two busy hands among so many idle ones," said the old man, gaily.
"Then she must have forced her way in, and must be turned out." "Certainly she shall not--Why, she is charming." "It is revolting! here, in this assembly!" "Revolting ?" interrupted Plutarch.

"Oh dear, no! we must not be too particular.

And how are we to obtain mere children from you antiquity-mongers ?" Then he added pleasantly: "This lovely creature must I should think, delight your fine sense of beauty; or are you afraid that she may seem better suited to the part of Roxana than your own charming daughter?
Only listen to the men up there! Let us see what is going on." These words referred to a loud discussion which had arisen close by the couches of the prefect and Verus, the praetor.

They, and with them most of the painters and sculptors present, were of opinion that Arsinoe would be a wonderfully effective Roxana; they maintained that her face and figure answered perfectly to those of the Bactrian princes as they were represented by Action, whose picture was, to a certain extent, to serve as the basis of the living group.

Only Papias and two of his fellow-artists, declared against this choice, and eagerly asserted that among all the damsels present one, and one alone, was worthy to appear before the Emperor as Alexander's bride, and that one was Praxilla, the daughter of Gabinius.