ess. Who cherishes anxiety when confidently expecting
victory? When he went on board his own ship, after bidding me farewell
far less cordially than usual, I became more troubled. I thought it
was evident that his love was waning. What had I become since we
left Alexandria, and Olympus no longer attended me! Matters could not
continue in this way. I would leave the direction of the war to him, and
vanish from his eyes. After he had looked into the beaker of Nektanebus,
he yielded to my will, but often with indignation. The unconcealed,
ineffaceable lines, and the years, the cruel years!"

"What thoughts are these?" cried Iras. "Let me take oath, my sovereign
mistress, that as you stand before me--"

"Thanks to this toilet-table and the new compounds of Olympus in these
boxes! At that time, I tell you, I was fairly startled at the sight of
my own face. Trouble does not enhance beauty, and what condemnation the
Romans had heaped on the woman who meddled with war, the craft of man! I
had answers for them, but I would not endure it longer. I had previously
determined to hold aloof from the battle on land; but even at the
commencement of the conflict, spite of its favourable promise, I longed
to leave Antony and return to the children. They do not heed the colour
of their mother's hair, nor her wrinkles; and he, when he had looked for
and called me in vain, would feel for the first time what he possessed
in me, would miss me, and with the longing the old love would awaken
with fresh ardour. As soon as the fleet had gained the victory I would
have the prow of my galley turned southward and, without a farewell,
exclaiming only, 'We will meet in Alexandria!' set sail for Egypt.

"I summoned Alexas, who had remained with me, and ordered him to give me
a signal as soon as the battle was decided in our favour. I remained
on deck. Then I saw the ships of the foe describing a wide circle. The
nauarch told me that Agrippa was trying to surround us. This roused a
feeling of discomfort. I began to repent having meddled with men's work.

"Antony looked across at me from his galley. I waved my hand to point
out the peril, but instead of eagerly and lovingly answering the
greeting, as of yore, he turned his back, and in a short time after the
wildest uproar arose around me. One ship became entangled with another,
planks and poles shattered with a loud crash. Shouts, the cries and
moans of the combatants and the wounded, mingled with the