"The member of the Areopagus Melanocles for the bread for two months,
forty drachmas and four obols; let us write in round numbers forty-six
drachmas. By Athena! let us write fifty; my husband will be satisfied!
Ah, that Melanocles! If you were not in a position to bother us about
false weight, I never would give you credit. But we must keep peace
with that locust."

Apollo did not listen to the words. He was intoxicated with the
woman's voice, the charm of her figure, and whispered:

"This one or none!"

The golden-haired woman spoke again, writing further:

"Alcibiades, for cakes on honey from Hymettus for Hetera Chrysalis,
three minae. He never verifies bills, and then he once gave me in Stoa
a slap on the shoulder--we will write four minae. He is stupid; let
him pay for it. And then that Chrysalis! She must feed with cakes her
carp in the pond, or perhaps Alcibiades makes her fat purposely, in
order to sell her afterwards to a Phoenician merchant for an ivory
ring for his harness."

Again Apollo paid no attention to the words--he was enchanted with the
voice alone and whispered to Hermes:

"This one or none!"

But Maya's son suddenly covered the house, the apparition disappeared,
and it seemed to the Radiant Apollo that with it disappeared the
stars, that the moon became black, and the whole world was covered