THE SHIPWRECK. 293

said Trachalio. “I’ll see that you come to no harm.
Go and sit on the altar there.”

“The altar!” said Palestra. ‘“ How will the altar
help us any more than the image?”

“Never you mind; sit you down. I will take care
of you.”

The girls did as they were told, and began to

sing : —
8 “Goddess, hark to our cry,

Where thou sittest on high;

From all mischief defend ;

At thy altar we bend;

And excuse us, we pray,

This unseemly array ;
Nor, though squalid our garb, turn away from our prayer,
’Twas Poseidon, thy uncle, that stripped us so bare.”

When they had finished, Deemones, with his men,
came pushing Labrax out of the temple. “ Out with
you, you scoundrel!” he cried.

“You shall suffer for this,” said the slave-dealer,
as soon as he could get his breath.

Dem. “What! You threaten me?”

Labr. “Yes, 1 do. Those two girls are my slaves,
and I’m not going to be robbed of them for
nothing.”

“Slaves!” cried Trachalio, interrupting. “ Your
slaves! Touch one of them with your little finger
and you'll see.”

Labr. “See what?”

Trach. “Why, see that I’ll beat you into a jelly.”