ukis, who asked if her mistress would see
Iras at this late hour. "Admit her," replied Archibius, after hastily
exchanging glances with his sister, whose face had paled at his demand.
He perceived it and, as the servant withdrew, he clasped her hand,
saying with earnest affection: "I gave you my opinion, but at our age we
must take counsel with ourselves, and you will find the right path."

"I have already found it," she answered softly with downcast eyes. "This
visitor brought a speedy decision. I must not feel ashamed in Iras's
presence."

She had scarcely finished speaking when the Queen's younger confidante
entered. She was excited and, after casting a searching glance around
the familiar room, she asked, after a curt greeting:

"No one knows where the Queen has gone. Mardion received the procession
in her place. Did she take you into her confidence?"

Charmian answered in the negative, and inquired whether Antony had
arrived, and how she had found him.

"In a pitiable state," was the reply. "I hastened hither to prevent the
Queen from visiting him, if possible. She would have received a rebuff.
It is horrible."

"The disappointment of Paraetonium is added to the other burdens,"
observed Archibius.

"A feather compared with the rest," cried Iras indignantly. "What a
spectacle! A shrivelled soul, never too large, in the body of a powerful
giant. Disaster crushes the courage of the descendant of Herakles. The
weakling will drag the Queen's splendid courage with him into the dust."

"We will do our best to prevent it," replied Archibius firmly. "The
immortals have placed you and Charmian at her side to sustain her, if
her own strength fails. The time to test your powers has arrived."

"I know my duty," replied Iras austerely.

"Prove it!" said Archibius earnestly. "You think you have cause for
anger against Charmian."

"Whoever treats my foes so tenderly can doubtless dispense with my
affection. Where is your ward?"

"That you shall learn later," replied Charmian advancing. "But when you
do know, you will have still better reason to doubt my love; yet it was
only to save one dear to me from misery, certainly not to grieve you,
that I stepped between you and Barine. And now let me say--had you
wounded me to the quick, and everything dear to the Greek heart called
to me for vengeance--I should impose upon myself whatever constraint
might be necessary to deny the impulse, because this breast contains a
love