upon this earth, thou shalt never
wake again. Oh! fear not Death: Death is thy hope; and, surely, thou
shalt pass sinless and pure of heart into the dreadful presence of the
Gods!"

She trembled. "And if the heart be not altogether pure, tell me--thou
dark man--what then? Nay, I fear not the Gods! for if the Gods of Hell
be men, there I shall Queen it also. At the least, having once been
royal, royal I shall ever be."

And, as she spoke, suddenly from the palace gates came a great clamour,
and the noise of joyful shouting.

"Why, what is this?" she said, springing from her couch.

"Antony! Antony!" rose the cry; "Antony hath conquered!"

She turned swiftly and ran, her long hair streaming on the wind. I
followed her, more slowly, down the great hall, across the courtyards,
to the palace gates. And here she met Antony, riding through them,
radiant with smiles and clad in his Roman armour. When he saw her
he leapt to the ground, and, all armed as he was, clasped her to his
breast.

"What is it?" she cried; "is Caesar fallen?"

"Nay, not altogether fallen, Egypt: but we have beat his horsemen back
to their trenches, and, like the beginning, so shall be the end, for,
as they say here, 'Where the head goes, the tail will follow.' Moreover,
Caesar has my challenge, and if he will but meet me hand to hand, the
world shall soon see which is the better man, Antony or Octavian."
And even as he spoke and the people cheered there came the cry of "A
messenger from Caesar!"

The herald entered, and, bowing low, gave a writing to Antony, bowed
again, and went. Cleopatra snatched it from his hand, broke the silk and
read aloud:

"Caesar to Antony, greeting.

"This answer to thy challenge: Can Antony find no better way of death
than beneath the sword of Caesar? Farewell!"

And thereafter they cheered no more.

The darkness came, and before it was midnight, having feasted with his
friends who to-night went over his woes and to-morrow should betray him,
Antony went forth to the gathering of the captains of the land-forces
and of the fleet, attended by many, among whom was I.

When all were come together, he spoke to them, standing bareheaded in
their midst, beneath the radiance of the moon. And thus he most nobly
spoke:

"Friends and companions in arms! who yet cling to me, and whom many a
time I have led to victory, hearken to me now, who to-morrow may lie in
the dumb dust, disempired and dishonoured. This is our d