n pomp and it was day.

[*] That is, "Horus on the horizon"; and signifies the power
of Light and Good overcoming the power of Darkness and Evil
incarnate in his enemy, Typhon.--Editor.

Passing the temple of granite and of alabaster that was built before the
days of Khufu, to the glory of the Majesty of Horemkhu, we descended
the slope, and came to the banks of the canal. There we drank; and
that draught of muddy water was sweeter than all the choicest wine of
Alexandria. Also we washed the mummy dust and grime from our hands
and brows and made us clean. As she bathed her neck, stooping over the
water, one of the great emeralds slipped from Cleopatra's breast and
fell into the canal, and it was but by chance that at length I found
it in the mire. Then, once more, I lifted Cleopatra onto the beast, and
slowly, for I was very weary, we marched back to the banks of Sihor,
where our craft was. And having at length come thither, seeing no one
save some few peasants going out to labour on the lands, I turned the
ass loose in that same field where we had found him, and we boarded the
craft while the crew were yet sleeping. Then, waking them, we bade them
make all sail, saying that we had left the eunuch to sojourn a while
behind us, as in truth we had. So we sailed, having first hidden away
the gems and such of the ornaments of gold as we could bring to the
boat.

We spent four days and more in coming to Alexandria, for the wind
was for the most part against us; and they were happy days! At first,
indeed, Cleopatra was somewhat silent and heavy at heart, for what she
had seen and felt in the womb of the pyramid weighed her down. But soon
her Imperial spirit awoke and shook the burden from her breast, and she
became herself again--now gay, now learned; now loving, and now cold;
now queenly, and now altogether simple--ever changing as the winds of
heaven, and as the heaven, deep, beauteous, and unsearchable!

Night after night for those four perfect nights, the last happy hours I
ever was to know, we sat hand in hand upon the deck and heard the waters
lap the vessel's side, and watched the soft footfall of the moon as she
trod the depths of Nile. There we sat and talked of love, talked of our
marriage and all that we would do. Also I drew up plans of war and of
defence against the Roman, which now we had the means to carry out; and
she approved them, sweetly saying that what seemed good to me was good
to her.