partly by reason of his power over all wild creatures."

"You seem to have met with some remarkable people μετ ̓ ἀμύμονας Αιθιοπῆας. I am not surprised that the Homeric gods were wont to visit that region, and picnic with its ebony inhabitants. Your negro Hathor must have been worth knowing."

"He was. He lived in this temple, which has chamber within chamber, the inmost being hotter from want of air than the hottest room of a Roman bath. I had travelled thus far to see the old inexplicable ruins and the thirteen pyramids, and was surprised to see this gigantic black striding toward me, followed by a tame crocodile. He addressed me in Amharic; and as I know most languages, I had no difficulty in talking to him. He offered me welcome, and we dined together on soup made from a baby hippopotamus, which had only the one fault, that it was too good."

VOL. I.

8

"Did you stay there long?" asked Willie.

"A month or two, I forget exactly. Hathor showed me all the wonderful old temples and pyramids, and I made acquaintance with his animals, and I found out that even black people have souls. They are nearer the animals than we, and so understand them better. Hathor could quell by the power of his eye the most ferocious lion or tiger. Cleopatra, then a kitten, took a great fancy to me, so I brought her away with

me."

When Silvester came in to dinner, he had something to tell his father and mother and sister. They were all astonished by the new arrival. Musical Willie's advent many a year before had been a romance in its way; but the coming of this nephew of his, like a wandering bird, with a knowledge of all regions and of all languages, was quite a sensation.

There was much talk at Silchester that evening about Walter Nugent. Silvester had been

struck by this splendid Heraklide, who patted a tame panther and laughed at big diamonds. The Squire was much amused at the adventures of Willie's nephew. Mrs. Silchester thought that Jessy must have been a wicked little witch to make such mischief. Silvia thought (but I don't think said) that she should like to see the man who had wandered over the world with a panther for companion.

It was not very long before Musical Willie's nephew was on excellent terms at Silchester. After such long wandering, the quiet of an English country house was grateful to him. With the Squire he got on capitally. He had amazing traveller's tales, true enough, yet not at first sight credible. He had also some that probably were not true.

"There is a pool in Egypt," he said, "close to one of the smaller pyramids, which is always dry in winter and always full in summer. If you go there on the night of the full moon, you may see the likeness of any one you

choose, by simply wishing. I wished to see a girl I once thought myself madly in love with; and there in Egypt, under the calm moonlight, the water reflected a very stout woman in a back room, with several children snivelling around her.”

"Did you ask for any one else?" said Sylvia.

66

Yes, I asked for my uncle Willie, here, and found him lazily lying on the sea-sand with a cigar. I thought, you know, he would have been married, with a pleasant family of children around him."

1

"Travellers have seen strange sights since the days of Homer and Herodotus," observed the Squire. "Did you come across a Cyclops

or a Siren ?"

"I don't think you can travel far without meeting them," replied Nugent. “The halfblind fool endowed with brutal strength occupies the world, but we are compensated by the pretty girl who tempts us by loveliness and song."

"Your method of dealing with such things is worthy of a disciple of Odysseus the wanderer," said Willie. "What would Rob Burns have said if he had traversed the same. ground?"

"Perhaps you'll tell us, Willie," said the Squire.

Whereupon Musical Willie began to improvise:

The hero left his wife and boy,

And went to join the siege of Troy;

He didn't want the long annoy

That sieges bring,

Nor was he anxious to destroy

The Asian king.

But then, you see, he gave his oath

On Helen's marriage-pledged his troth,

Was bound to go, however loth,

And bravely try a

Fight with his foes. It made thee wroth,

Penelopeia.

Away he went to Asia's coast,

Advised, amazed, assured the host,

Taught Agamemnon not to boast,

And thrashed Thersites ;

Talked, laughed, and fought, always foremost

Where fun or fight is.