“Well, there is Medon, the brass-founder,” said Xenocles. “He’s a pleasanter fellow to bargain with. Do you know him?—A stout, sun-burned man, who loves wine and is always laughing. His family is even more numerous than the one of which Megas is head.”
“Why not win them both?” asked Hipyllos.
“There isn’t money enough,” replied Thuphrastos.
“Shall it be Medon?” said Xenocles.
After some discussion, this was generally approved.
“But,” said Hipyllos, more thoughtful than some of the older men, “if Megas finds out that we go to Medon—will he not be vexed and perhaps betray us?”
XI.
As a captain in the mounted police Hipyllos was obliged to have a helmet, breast-plate, shield, lance, sword, and spurs; besides the armor required for the forehead, chest, and flanks of the horse. The greater part of this costly equipment was made by the armorer Sauros. The latter did not live, like most of those who followed his trade, in the Scambonidae quarter of the city, but in the street of the sun-dials, and his forge was in the alley obliquely opposite to the side-building of Xenocles’ house. This was a place Hipyllos never wearied of visiting; merely to know he was near pretty Clytie was a delight to him.
The day after the meeting at Thuphrastos’ house, he was to try on the cuirass. He reached Sauros’ shop just at twilight. The smith had gone out, but a young slave who was filing a metal plate thought he would soon return. The work-shop was filled with smoke and unpleasant odors, so Hipyllos preferred to wait outside.
A luxuriant garden extended to a slope, along which ran a walk overgrown with vines supported on cross-bars resting on tall poles. The end of this walk, where Hipyllos stood, was closed by a dilapidated wall.