all the treasures of my father, Amenemhat, for
I was not minded to go to Alexandria empty-handed and as a suppliant,
but rather as a man of much wealth and condition. Now, as I went, I
learned that Antony, following Cleopatra, had, indeed, fled from Actium,
and knew that the end drew nigh. For this and many other things had
I foreseen in the darkness of the tomb of Tape, and planned to bring
about.

Thus, then, I came to Alexandria, and entered into a house which had
been made ready for me at the palace gates.

And that very night Charmion came to me--Charmion whom I had not seen
for nine long years.

CHAPTER IV

OF THE MEETING OF CHARMION WITH THE LEARNED OLYMPUS; OF HER SPEECH WITH
HIM; OF THE COMING OF OLYMPUS INTO THE PRESENCE OF CLEOPATRA; AND OF THE
COMMANDS OF CLEOPATRA.

Clad in my plain black robe, I sat in the guest-chamber of the house
that had been made ready for me. I sat in a carven lion-footed chair,
and looked upon the swinging lamps of scented oil, the pictured
tapestries, the rich Syrian rugs--and, amidst all this luxury, bethought
me of that tomb of the Harpers which is at Tape, and of the nine long
years of dark loneliness and preparation. I sat; and crouched upon a rug
near to the door, lay the aged Atoua. Her hair was white as snow, and
shrivelled with age was the wrinkled countenance of the woman who, when
all deserted me, had yet clung to me, in her great love forgetting my
great sins. Nine years! nine long years! and now, once again, I set my
foot in Alexandria! Once again in the appointed circle of things I came
forth from the solitude of preparation to be a fate to Cleopatra; and
this second time I came not forth to fail.

And yet how changed the circumstance! I was out of the story: my part
now was but the part of the sword in the hands of Justice; I might no
more hope to make Egypt free and great and sit upon my lawful throne.
Khem was lost, and lost was I, Harmachis. In the rush and turmoil of
events, the great plot of which I had been the pivot was covered up and
forgotten; scarce a memory of it remained. The curtain of dark night
was closing in upon the history of my ancient Race; its very Gods were
tottering to their fall; I could already, in the spirit, hear the shriek
of the Roman eagles as they flapped their wings above the furthest banks
of Sihor.

Presently I roused myself and bade Atoua go seek a mirror and bring it
to me, that I might look therein.

And I saw th