with whose attributes she had, five years previously--though not, it is
true, without some resistance--been represented in marble. When a copy
of this statue had been erected in Alexandria, an evil tongue had made a
speech which was often repeated among the citizens.

"This Aphrodite is triumphant to be sure, for all who see her make haste
to fly; she should be called Cypris the scatterer."

Titianus was still under the excitement of the embittered squabbles and
unpleasing exhibitions of character at which he had just been present
when he entered the presence of the Empress, whom he found in a small
room with no one but the chamberlain and a few ladies-in-waiting. To the
prefect's respectful inquiries after her health, she shrugged her
shoulders and replied:

"How should I be? If I said well it would not be true; if I said ill, I
should be surrounded with pitiful faces, which are not pleasant to look
at. After all we must endure life. Still, the innumerable doors in
these rooms will be the death of me if I am compelled to remain here
long."

Titianus glanced at the two doors of the room in which the Empress was
sitting, and began to express his regrets at their bad condition, which
had escaped his notice; but Sabina interrupted him, saying:

"You men never do observe what hurts us women. Our Verus is the only man
who can feel and understand--who can divine it, as I might say. There
are five and thirty doors in my rooms! I had them counted-five and
thirty! If they were not old and made of valuable wood I should really
believe they had been made as a practical joke on me."