h manner as best seemed to fit the high interest of my ends. For
Antony, the Roman Triumvir, was now in Asia Minor, and, rumour ran, very
wroth because it had been told him that Cleopatra was hostile to the
Triumvirate, in that her General, Serapion, had aided Cassius. But
Cleopatra protested loudly to me and others that Serapion had acted
against her will. Yet Charmion told me that, as with Allienus, it was
because of a prophecy of Dioscorides the unlucky that the Queen herself
had secretly ordered Serapion so to do. Still, this did not save
Serapion, for to prove to Antony that she was innocent she dragged the
General from the sanctuary and slew him. Woe be to those who carry
out the will of tyrants if the scale should rise against them! And so
Serapion perished.

Meanwhile all things went well with us, for the minds of Cleopatra and
those about her were so set upon affairs abroad that neither she nor
they thought of revolt at home. But day by day our party gathered
strength in the cities of Egypt, and even in Alexandria, which is to
Egypt as another land, all things being foreign there. Day by day, those
who doubted were won over and sworn to the cause by that oath which
cannot be broken, and our plans of action more firmly laid. And every
other day I went forth from the palace to take counsel with my uncle
Sepa, and there at his house met the Nobles and the great priests who
were for the party of Khem.

I saw much of Cleopatra, the Queen, and I was ever more astonished at
the wealth and splendour of her mind, that for richness and variety
was as a woven cloth of gold throwing back all lights from its changing
face. She feared me somewhat, and therefore wished to make a friend of
me, asking me of many matters that seemed to be beyond the province of
my office. I saw much of the Lady Charmion also--indeed, she was ever at
my side, so that I scarce knew when she came and when she went. For she
would draw nigh with that soft step of hers, and I would turn to find
her at hand and watching me beneath the long lashes of her downcast
eyes. There was no service that was too hard for her, and no task too
long; for day and night she laboured for me and for our cause.

But when I thanked her for her loyalty, and said it should be had in
mind in that time which was at hand, she stamped her foot, and pouted
with her lips, like an angry child, saying that, among all the things
which I had learned, this had I not learned--that Lo