und ample satisfaction in the
cultivation of her art, and in social intercourse with men who permitted
her to share their own intellectual life. Today she had learned that the
first great passion of her heart had met with a response. Now she was
bound to her lover, and knew herself to be pure and guiltless, far better
entitled to demand respect from sterner judges of morality than the woman
who condemned her, or the spiteful Iras, who had not ceased to offer her
love to Dion.

The sorrowful feeling of being misunderstood and unjustly condemned,
mingled with fear of the terrible fate to which she might be sentenced by
the omnipotent sovereign, whose clear intellect was clouded by jealousy
and the resentment of a mother's wounded heart, paralyzed her tongue.
Besides, she was confused by the angry emotion which the sight of Iras
awakened. Twice, thrice she strove to utter a few words of explanation,
defence, but her voice refused to obey her will.

When Charmian at last approached to encourage her, it was too late; the
indignant Queen had turned away, exclaiming to Iras: "let her be taken
back to Lochias. Her guilt is proved; but it does not become the injured
person, the accuser, to award the punishment. This must be left to the
judges before whom we will bring her."

Then Barine once more recovered the power of speech. How dared Cleopatra
assert that she was convicted of a crime, without hearing her defence?

As surely as she felt her own innocence she must succeed in proving it,
and with this consciousness she cried out to the Queen in a tone of
touching entreaty: "O your Majesty, do not leave me without hearing me!
As truly as I believe in your justice, I can ask you to listen to me once
more. Do not give me up to the woman who hates me because the man whom
she--"

Here Cleopatra interrupted her. Royal dignity forbade her to hear one
woman's jealous accusation of another, but, with the subtle discernment
with which women penetrate one another's moods, she heard in Barine's
piteous appeal a sincere conviction that she was too severely condemned.
Doubtless she also had reason to believe in Iras's hate, and Cleopatra
knew how mercilessly she pursued those who had incurred her displeasure.
She had rejected and still shuddered at her advice to remove the singer
from her path; for an inner voice warned her not to burden her soul now
with a fresh crime, which would disturb its peace. Besides, she had at
first been much a