The Hammer Author:Alfred John Church Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. MENELAUS. Two years have passed, and the fate which Jason had declared to be beyond all limits of probability or possibility has actually over... more »taken him. One of his agents, named Oniah, who has assumed the name of Menelaiis, for the rage for Greek fashions still continues unabated, has outbidden him, and now reigns in his stead, occupying the palace on Mount Sion which he had been at such pains to adorn. If we look into his library we shall see not only the books and statuettes—the silver tankards are gone, melted down into money that was wanted for some sudden exigency—-but our old acquaintance, Cleon. The supple Greek was not one of those who take their friends for better, for worse. Jason was wandering about among the hills of Ammon with scarcely a garment to his back or a shekel that he could call his own, and what use could he find for the company of an accomplished gentleman, who hadas keen an eye as any one for a fine bit of sculpture or painting, and could not be rivalled, out of the profession, in his taste for wine ? The accomplished gentleman knew where he was appreciated, where he was of use, and, naturally, where he was well off. Accordingly he had found means, as such people always do find means, of ingratiating himself with the new occupant of the palace, and was installed as his consulting connoisseur and chief adviser in matters of taste. " A poor creature, certainly," he had replied to some depreciatory criticism which Menelaiis had passed on his predecessor, " but it must be allowed that he had a taste in art." " Or was sensible enough to be guided by those who had," said Menelaiis. Cleon acknowledged the compliment with a bow, and went on, "I never found him make any difficulty about the price. And, of course, if a man goes to work...« less