And the price which he offers me--me, the stainless--me, the virgin--me, the un-tamed,--is-his hand! Pallas Athene! dost thou not blush with thy child ?' 'But, my child--my child,--an empire--' 'Would the empire of the world restore my lost self-respect-my just pride?
Would it save my cheek from blushes every time I recollected that I bore the hateful and degrading name of wife ?--The property, the puppet of a man--submitting to his pleasure--bearing his children--wearing myself out with all the nauseous cares of wifehood--no longer able to glory in myself, pure and self-sustained, but forced by day and night to recollect that my very beauty is no longer the sacrament of Athene's love for me, but the plaything of a man;--and such a man as that! Luxurious, frivolous, heartless--courting my society, as he has done for years, only to pick up and turn to his own base earthly uses the scraps which fall from the festal table of the gods! I have encouraged him too much--vain fool that I have been! No, I wrong myself! It was only--I thought--I thought that by his being seen at our doors, the cause of the immortal gods would gain honour and strength in the eyes of the multitude....

I have tried to feed the altars of heaven with earthly fuel....

And this is my just reward! I will write to him this moment,--return by the fitting messenger which he has sent, insult for insult!' 'In the name of Heaven, my daughter!--for your father's sake!--for my sake! Hypatia!--my pride, my joy, my only hope!--have pity on my gray hairs!' And the poor old man flung himself at her feet, and clasped her knees imploringly.
Tenderly she lifted him up, and wound her long arms round him, and laid his head on her white shoulder, and her tears fell fast upon his gray hair; but her lip was firm and determined.
'Think of my pride--my glory in your glory; think of me....

Not for myself! You know I never cared for myself!' sobbed out the old man.

'But to die seeing you empress!' 'Unless I died first in childbed, father, as many a woman dies who is weak enough to become a slave, and submit to tortures only fit for slaves.' 'But--but--said the old man, racking his bewildered brains for some argument far enough removed from nature and common sense to have an effect on the beautiful fanatic--'but the cause of the gods! What you might do for it!....