Chapter LVIII.—How It All Happened.

Then, turning to my father, he said:  “I gave you leave to salute Appion and Anubion, who, you said, were your friends from boyhood, but not that you should speak with Simon.”  Then my father said:  “I confess I have sinned.”  Then said Anubion:  “I also with him beg and entreat of you to pardon the old man—good and noble man as he is.  He was unhappily seduced and imposed upon by the magician in question; for I will tell you how the thing was done.  When he came to salute us, it happened that at that very time we were standing around him, hearing him tell that he intended to flee away that night, for that he had heard that some persons had come even to this city of Laodicea to apprehend him by command of the emperor, but that he wished to turn all their rage against this Faustinianus, who has lately come hither.  And he said to us:  ‘Only you make him sup with us, and I shall compound a certain ointment, with which, when he has supped, he shall anoint his face, and from that time he shall seem to all to have my countenance.  But you first anoint your faces with the juice of a certain herb, that you may not be deceived as to the change of his countenance, so that to all except you he shall seem to be Simon.’