When Hermon was alone with Thyone and her gray-haired husband, the
conversation frequently turned upon Daphne and her father.

Then the recovered artist learned to whom Archias owed his escape from
being sentenced to death and having his property confiscated. Papers,
undeniably genuine, had proved what large sums had been advanced by the
merchant during the period of the first Queen Arsinoe's conspiracy, and
envious foes had done their best to prejudice the King and his sister-
wife against Archias. Then the gray-haired hero fearlessly interceded
for his friend, and the monarch did not remain deaf to his
representations. King Ptolemy was writing the history of the conqueror
of the world, and needed the aged comrade of Alexander, the sole survivor
who had held a prominent position in the great Macedonian's campaigns.
It might be detrimental to his work, on which he set great value, if he
angered the old warrior, who was a living source of history. Yet the
King was still ill-disposed to the merchant, for while he destroyed
Archias's death sentence which had been laid before him for his
signature, he said to Philippus: "The money-bag whose life I give you was
the friend of my foe. Let him beware that my arm does not yet reach him
from afar!"

Nay, his resentment went so far that he refused to receive Hermon, when
Eumedes begged permission to present the artist whose sight had been so
wonderfully restored.

"To me he is still the unjustly crowned conspirator," Philadelphus
replied. "Let him create the remarkable work which I formerly expected
from him, and perhaps I shall have a somewhat better opinion of him, deem
him more worthy of our favour."