“A poor creature, certainly,” he had replied to some depreciatory criticism which Menelaüs had passed on his predecessor, “but it must be allowed that he had a taste in art.”
“Or was sensible enough to be guided by those who had,” said Menelaüs.
Cleon acknowledged the compliment with a bow, and went on, “I never found him make any difficulty about the price. And, of course, if a man goes to work in that spirit, and has good advice, too, he is bound to make a fine collection.”
Menelaüs received the observation with a grimace, and a significant shrug of the shoulders. “ ‘No difficulty about the price,’ you say. Of course not. Why should he? When a man doesn’t pay, he is apt to be easy about the amount. Do you know that the bills for half the things that you see in this room have been sent in to me? Sometimes he had to pay the money down. The ‘Gladiator’ there, from [pg 39]Pergamum could not have been got without ready cash; but wherever he could, he went on credit, and now the dealers are down upon me.”
And he held up a sheaf of bills.
“Here,” he went on, “is a pretty account from Theodotus of Alexandria, the bookseller, you know:
| “ ‘A Manuscript of Anacreon (said to be autograph) | 10 | minæ. |
| The Milesian Tales | 5 | „ |
| Drinking Songs from Cratinus | 2 | „’ |
And so it goes on, with a quantity of books which I am sure the old impostor never read. Two talents and twelve minæ it comes to altogether. Then here is ‘A Group of the Graces, 1 talent;’ ‘Silenus, 20 minæ;’ ‘Satyr and Nymphs, half a talent.’ ‘Set of Flagons, worked with the Labours of Hercules, 2 talents.’ These the villain melted down before he went. Fancy the rascality of that! Why, the silver by weight could not have been worth a fourth part of what it cost with the workmanship.”
“Well,” said Cleon, “the fellows can wait. They can afford it; I know enough about these things to be sure that they get a very handsome profit. I used to travel, you know, for Cleisthenes of Syracuse, and so got to know something about the secrets of the trade. No, you need not be afraid of making them wait.”
“Well, they have waited three years already,” returned Menelaüs; “and very likely will have to be out of their money for as many more. But here is a gentleman who won’t wait. Here is Sostratus” (Sostratus, it should be mentioned, was Governor of the Castle, which was garrisoned by Syrian troops, and so the representative of King Antiochus)—“here is Sostratus asking for the half-year’s tribute, and giving me a pretty strong hint that, if I don’t send it, he shall come and take it for himself. And where is the money to come from?”