into the enemy's ships in the Naumachia."

The girl's pretty cheeks had flushed with her eager reminiscence of what
she had seen, and, as she spoke, moving her hands with expressive
gestures, the tall structure of curls which crowned her small head shook
from side to side.

"Your description begins to be quite poetical," said the Empress,
interrupting her young companion. "Perhaps the Muse may even inspire you
with verse."

"All the Pierides," said the praetor, "are represented at Lochias. We
saw eight of them, but the ninth, that patroness of the arts, who
protects the stargazer, the lofty Urania, has at present, in place of a
head--allow me to leave it to you to guess divine Sabina?"

"Well--what?"

"A wisp of straw."

"Alas," sighed the Empress. "What do you say, Florus? Are there not
among your learned and verse spinning associates certain men who resemble
this Urania?"

"At any rate," replied Florus, "we are more prudent than the goddess, for
we conceal the contents of our heads in the hard nut of the skull, and
under a more or less abundant thatch of hair. Urania displays her straw
openly."

"That almost sounds," said Balbilla laughing and pointing to her abundant