mised to deliver his native city from the
man whose despotic arrogance menaced its freedom, and whose lavish
generosity and boundless love of splendour diminished its wealth. To
Rome, as whose representative the historian appeared, this man's mere
existence meant constant turmoil and civil war. At the restoration of
the flute-player by Gabinius and Mark Antony, Timagenes had been carried
into slavery. Later, when, after his freedom had been purchased by the
son of Sulla, he succeeded in attaining great influence in Rome, he
still remained hostile to Mark Antony, and it had been a welcome
charge to work against him in Alexandria. He hoped to find an ally in
Archibius, whose loyal devotion to the Queen he knew. Arius, Barine's
uncle and Octavianus's former tutor, would also aid him. The most
powerful support of his mission, however, could be rendered by the
venerable chief priest, the head of the whole Egyptian hierarchy. He had
shown the latter that Antony, in any case, was a lost man, and Egypt was
in the act of dropping like a ripe fruit into the lap of Octavianus.
It would soon be in his power to give the country whatever degree
of liberty and independence he might choose. The Caesar had the sole
disposal of the Queen's fate also, and whoever desired to see her remain
on the throne must strive to gain the good-will of Octavianus.

The wise Anubis had considered all these things, but he owed to
Timagenes the hint that Arius was the man whom Octavianus most trusted.
So the august prelate secretly entered into communication with Barine's
uncle. But the dignity of his high office, and the feebleness of extreme
age, forbade Anubis to seek the man who was suspected of friendship
for the Romans. He had therefore sent his trusted secretary, the young
Serapion, to make a compact as his representative with the friend of
Octavianus, whose severe injuries prevented his leaving the house to go
to the chief priest.

During Timagenes's negotiations with the secretary and Arius, Archibius
came to entreat Barine's uncle to do everything in his power to save his
niece; and, as all the Queen's friends were anxious to prevent an act
which, in these times of excitement, could not fail, on account of its
connection with Dion, a member of the Council, to rouse a large number
of the citizens against her, Serapion, as soon as he was made aware of
the matter, eagerly protested his readiness to do his best to save the
imperilled lovers. He car