Seeing that Ialma, who sat at a table near by, wore the colors of my rosette, I drew near, and made my bow.
She pointed to a seat beside her, saying, with a smile that set me quite at ease,—
"Ulmene has been very kind: I asked her to have you assigned to me as aid."
At this moment there was a general movement, and we rose with the rest.
"I have an easy department assigned to my share," said she, looking at a tablet she held in her hand; I meanwhile walking by her side, following the crowd. We descended to the spacious basement beneath the lininghall, whither the cebins had descended. Here, we men having hung our outer tunics on pegs, which left us in a sort of lawn-tennis suit, and the ladies having changed their outer tunics in an adjoining apartment, whence they emerged in sober working-slips with short sleeves, all set to work to clear away, much as at home.
To Ialma and me was brought the plate as soon as it was washed. This we packed by sets in proper receptacles and I, under her direction, raised the sometimes heavy cases, and placed them in numbered recesses on shelves. At first, having but little to do, I had time to single out the spot where Reva stood busily engaged with Anvar in putting away the crystal and porcelain as it was brought to them.
"They are a handsome couple," remarked Ialma, with a smile half mischievous, half demure, when she observed the attraction the aforesaid spot seemed to have for my eyes.
The correctness of the remark could not be denied,
