The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-04-01

"Oh, look at the leopardw A
laughing shrek from girl.
"Look at the bacchante! Is she
wild or tame, Philip?"
"What a visionp
ooh, Bacchusv'
They were young men, mostly
swarthy. Upon their hands rings
set with great jewels caught the
torchight. Philip was beside Cas-
sandra now. His hands gripped
one of hers.
"She's tame TO me, but wild to
every one else. Don't you know
us? Pm Dionysus and this is
Ariadne!''
He had been drinking, but was
not drunk.
"Ave Dionysusl Evoei Evoer'
Every arm was flung up in
mock-royal salutation. Two Of the
girls scattered violets over Philip
and Cassandra with high-pitched
laughter.
There was an outburst of bar
barrie music-the shifting cling
clang of cymbals, the scream Of
pipes, the throbbing thud of .
drum, the thin, cascading rattle Of
dozen tarnbourines. Through the
pillars that were entwined with
gilt vine leaves came nearly naked
slaves grit with the shaggy hides
of goats, wearing false boards and
with goats horns fixed to their
foreheads. Dropsical wine skins
were tucked under their arms and
they pranced as they came, initial
ing the traditional pastures Of
fauns and satyrs.
Every one was now seated upon
he tiger skins. Philip, outstretched
in Cassandra's lap. She was stiff,
self-conscious. The guests were
all cycling her and there was q con-
straint upon her like invisible
bands. Several of the young men
were strikingly handsome. One Of
the girls was blonde of the type
Of the lovely and unfortunate
Clytie, and another tigerishly ar
resting, with marvellous henna-
red hair.
The make-believe satyrs were
pouring wine from the skins they
carried into silver cups encrusted
with. amethyst. Philip had raised
his head, supporting himself on
his elbow.
"For the sake of eli the gods,
drink something, Candrav' he said
irritably. whats turned you into
stone--have you seen the gor-
gon?"
It was strong wine-it burned
her throat as it went down. There
was honey in it, too. A glow over
spread her limbs. Her nervous
ness vanished.
"Oh, I'm not stone yet. How
do | look?''
Beautiful And he kissed her
nude shoulder.
"Oh, / say, Philip, spare usl
It's not fair to eat in front Of
starving menu
eyes! Be mercifulv'
Cassandra laughed. She had
drunk more of the fervid wine
and held out the cup to one of
the false satyrs whose bloated bag
was beginning to collapse upon
itself. She drank again, swallow
ing it right down. 1t was like fire
like molten pleasure running
through her veins. She tilted her
head back and laughed and laughed
without knowing why. She was
divinely happy. They were like
gods lounging on the amaranth
meadows upon Olympus, without
care, with perfect self satisfaction
and everlasting youth.
81 tell you Pm Dionysus-no
one else can handle Ariadne! You
can all look at her, though
don't mind that. You're all my
friends"
Philips utterance had thickened
a trifle. He kissed Cassandra's
shoulder again. There were pro-
testing cries, bursts of laughter.
One of the young men, trying to
initiate a conjuror's balancing
trick, split wine literally over him
self. Another slipped a handful
of stuffed dates down the back of
the Clytie-like girls Greek robe
and she screamed with a high,
piercing note as though she had
been knitted.
Bushes rustled. A troop of
young slave girls ran out from be-
tween the columns of the colon
made. Fluttering wisps of green
gar1ze scarcely blurred the milk
white of their bodies. From their
lifted hands 1loated gauze stream
ers. They threw back their lifted
heads, which were garlanded with
gilt vine leaves, leaped into the air
and curvetted like young goats,
Twenty pairs of cymbals clashed
as though at a given signal. and the
air seemed Jingle with the me-
tallic vibration. A snarl ratified in
the tame leopard's throat and the
end of it's long tail twitched irrit-