The young man hurried after the thief, as he supposed him to be, but there the spy flung the cloak back to him, saying, in a tone of command, though not loud, for there were still many persons among the graves: "Hands off, son of Heron, unless you want me to call the watch! I have seen your face by the light, and that is enough for this time.

Now we know each other, and we shall meet again in another place!" With these words he vanished in the darkness, and Melissa asked, in great alarm: "In the name of all the gods, who was that ?" "Some rascally carpenter, or scribe, probably, who is in the service of the night-watch as a spy.

At least those sort of folks are often built askew, as that scoundrel was," replied Alexander, lightly.

But he knew the man only too well.

It was Zminis, the chief of the spies to the night patrol; a man who was particularly inimical to Heron, and whose hatred included the son, by whom he had been befooled and misled in more than one wild ploy with his boon companions.