om her brows, and she shook loose her heavy
weight of hair that fell about her like a garment.

"Take back thy crown, royal Egypt," he said, speaking low, "take it from
my hand; I will not rob thee of it, but rather set it more firmly on
that beauteous brow."

"What means my Lord?" she asked, smiling and looking into his eyes.

"What mean I? Why then, this: thou camest hither at my bidding to make
answer of the charges laid against thee as to matters politic. And
knowest thou, Egypt, that hadst thou been other than thou art thou
hadst not gone back to queen it on the Nile; for of this I am sure, the
charges against thee are true in fact. But, being what thou art--and
look thou! never did Nature serve a woman better!--I forgive thee all.
For the sake of thy grace and beauty I forgive thee that which had not
been forgiven to virtue, or to patriotism, or to the dignity of age! See
now how good a thing is woman's wit and loveliness, that can make kings
forget their duty and cozen even blindfolded Justice to peep ere she
lifts her sword! Take back thy crown, O Egypt! It is now my care that,
though it be heavy, it shall not chafe thee."

"These are royal words, most notable Antony," she made answer; "gracious
and generous words, such as befit the Conqueror of the world! And
touching my misdeeds in the past--if misdeeds there have been--I say
this, and this alone--then I knew not Antony. For, knowing Antony, who
could sin against him? What woman could lift a sword against one who
must be to all women as a God--one who, seen and known, draws after him
the whole allegiance of the heart, as the sun draws flowers? And what
more can I say and not cross the bounds of woman's modesty? Why, only
this--set that crown upon my brow, great Antony, and I will take it as
a gift from thee, by the giving made doubly dear, and to thy uses I will
guard it.

"There, now I am thy vassal Queen, and through me all old Egypt that I
rule does homage to Antony the Triumvir, who shall be Antony the Emperor
of Rome and Khem's Imperial Lord!"

And, having set the crown upon her locks, he stood gazing on her, grown
passionate in the warm breath of her living beauty, till at length
he caught her by both hands and drawing her to him kissed her thrice,
saying:

"Cleopatra, I love thee, Sweet--I love thee as I never loved before."
She drew back from his embrace, smiling softly; and as she did so the
golden circlet of the sacred snakes fell, being but