Then she returned to Melissa, and the sight of the sleeping girl touched her heart.

She stood gazing at her for some time in silence, and then bent over her to wake her with a kiss.

She had at last made up her mind to regard the gem-cutter's daughter as her niece, so, determined to treat her as a child of her own, she called Melissa by name.
This awoke the sleeper, and when she had realized that she was still in Polybius's eating-room, she asked for Andreas.
"He has gone back to the town, my child," replied Praxilla.

"He was anxious about your betrothed." "Is he worse, then ?" asked Melissa, in alarm.

"No, no," said the widow, soothingly.