He lifted her hands in both of his, hardly listening to her words. And before he could answer Melantho broke in upon them.
“Great Heavens! Theria, what are you doing? What am I doing to let you stay here? Come back to our aula at once.”
Theria was too happy to be disobedient. She took her mother’s hand and went back with her to the women’s apartment where the door was quickly shut.
CHAPTER XLI
A SCULPTOR’S RESPECTABILITY
Now that abnormal conditions were past, Nikander and his family returned to conventional ways. Theria must not meet nor see Eëtíon. Of course she must not. She must be shut in the women’s court whenever he came to the house.
Nikander gave his formal consent to the marriage. He loved Eëtíon with all his heart. The good youth now would have been his choice for Theria even if Theria had had no wish in the matter. Yet as the days went by Nikander dreaded the marriage. Marriage with a metic was indeed a serious step.
Nikander knew his daughter well. He knew that while she now made the sacrifice gladly that later when she saw her sons excluded from the priesthood, herself excluded from processional rites and perhaps taunted by women of her own class, Theria’s proud spirit would revolt. He even wondered if her love would outlast the strain. Love so burning bright in youth may be strangely quenched by hard conditions.
Nikander’s attitude unconsciously affected Eëtíon. He, too, now that he faced his marriage, realized how sad a sacrifice he was asking of her who had set him free.
He had hoped that Theria would speak to him from her window so that he could ask her of these things face to face. But this Theria was too loyal to do.