Is it not likely, then, that the gallant knight of the Holland House is really a member of some opera company, that he knew of these examples and followed them ?" "It is not unlikely, Ruth, yet I do not believe that is the explanation." "Well," said the Judge, throwing his cigarette into the fire, "if the singer had never heard of De Reszke and Parepa Rosa, we may suppose him a gentleman of such culture as to be familiar with the exquisite Greek legend of Phoebus Apollo--that story would be sufficient to inspire any man with his voice.

Do you know it ?" Both girls answered with an enthusiastic entreaty for its recital, and the Judge went to the library and returned with a queer-looking little book, bound in marbled paper.
"It was my father's copy," he said, "an Oxford edition." And he turned the leaves with loving carefulness until he came to the incident.

Then being a fine reader, the words fell from his lips in a stately measure better than music: "After Troy fell there came to Argos a scarred soldier seeking alms.
Not deigning to beg, he played upon a lyre; but the handling of arms had robbed him of his youthful power, and he stood by the portico hour after hour, and no one dropped him a lepton.

Weary, hungry and thirsty, he leaned in despair against a pillar.

A youth came to him and asked, 'Why not play on, Akeratos ?' And Akeratos meekly answered, 'I am no longer skilled.' 'Then,' said the stranger, 'hire me thy lyre; here is a didrachmon.