"Oh, blessings on Antony and his noble spit!" cried Arsinoe. "Now everything is settled, and you can tell the ship-builder we shall go. Our white dresses are still quite good, but a few ells of new light blue ribbon for my hair, and of red for Selene's, you must buy on the way, at Abibaal, the Phoenician's."
"Very good."
"I will see at once to both the dresses—but, to be sure, when are we to be ready?"
"In two hours."
"Then, do you know what, dear old father?"
"Well?"
"Our old woman is half blind, and does everything wrong. Do let me go down to dame Doris at the gate-house, and ask her to help me. She is so clever and kind, and no one irons so well as she does."
"Silence!" cried the steward, angrily, interrupting his daughter.
"Those people shall never again cross my threshold."
"But look at my hair; only look at the state it is in," cried Arsinoe, excitedly, and thrusting her fingers into her thick tresses which she pulled into disorder. "To do that up again, plait it with new ribbons, iron our dresses, and sew on the brooches—why the Empress' ladies-maid could not do all that in two hours."
"Doris shall never cross this threshold," repeated Keraunus, for all his answer.