in my hand."

Being urged by his comrades he did this, unwillingly; and I let him
gaze till I saw his eyes grow empty as an owl's eyes in the sun. Then I
suddenly withdrew the wand, and, shifting my countenance into the place
of it, I seized him with my will and stare, and, beginning to turn round
and round, drew him after me, his fierce face drawn fixed, as it were,
almost to my own. Then I moved slowly backwards till I had passed the
gates, still drawing him after me, and suddenly jerked my head away. He
fell to the ground, to rise wiping his brow and looking very foolish.

"Art thou content, most noble Captain?" I said. "Thou seest we have
passed the gates. Would any other noble Sir wish that I should show more
of my skill?"

"By Taranis, Lord of Thunder, and all the Gods of Olympus thrown in,
no!" growled an old Centurion, a Gaul named Brennus, "I like thee not,
I say. The man who could drag our Paulus through those gates by the eye,
as it were, is not a man to play with. Paulus, too, who always goes the
way you don't want him--backwards, like an ass--Paulus! Why, sirrah,
thou needst must have a woman in one eye and a wine-cup in the other to
draw our Paulus thus."

At this moment the talk was broken, for Charmion herself came down the
marble path, followed by an armed slave. She walked calm and carelessly,
her hands folded behind her, and her eyes gazing at nothingness, as it
were. But it was when Charmion thus looked upon nothing that she saw
most. And as she came the officers and men of the guard made way for
her bowing, for, as I learned afterwards, this girl, next to Cleopatra's
self, wielded more power than anyone about the palace.

"What is this tumult, Brennus?" she said, speaking to the Centurion, and
making as if she saw me not; "knowest thou not that the Queen sleeps at
this hour, and if she be awakened it is thou who must answer for it, and
that dearly?"

"Nay, Lady," said the Centurion, humbly; "but it is thus. We have
here"--and he jerked his thumb towards me--"a magician of the most
pestilent--um, I crave his pardon--of the very best sort, for he hath
but just now, only by placing his eyes close to the nose of the worthy
Captain Paulus, dragged him, the said Paulus, through the gates that
Paulus swore the magician should not pass. By the same token, lady, the
magician says that he has business with you--which grieves me for your
sake."

Charmion turned and looked at me carelessly. "Ay, I remem