n hand with you as before; for you two--as I have said--are
necessary to her. In other respects--I shall follow my own path."

CHAPTER XVII.

Cleopatra had sought the venerable Anubis, who now, as the priest
of Alexander, at the age of eighty, ruled the whole hierarchy of the
country. It was difficult for him to leave his arm-chair, but he had
been carried to the observatory to examine the adverse result of the
observation made by the Queen herself. The position of the stars,
however, had been so unfavourable that the more deeply Cleopatra entered
into these matters, the less easy he found it to urge the mitigating
influences of distant planets, which he had at first pointed out.

In his reception-hall, however, the chief priest had assured her that
the independence of Egypt and the safety of her own person lay in
her hands; only--the planets showed this--a terrible sacrifice was
required--a sacrifice of which his dignity, his eighty years, and his
love for her alike forbade him to speak. Cleopatra was accustomed to
hear these mysterious sayings from his lips, and interpreted them in her
own way. Many motives had induced her to seek the venerable prelate at
this late hour. In difficult situations he had often aided her with
good counsel; but this time she was not led to him by the magic cup of
Nektanebus, which the eight pastophori who accompanied it had that day
restored to the temple, for since the battle of Actium the superb vessel
had been a source of constant anxiety to her.

Cleopatra had now asked the teacher of her childhood the direct question
whether the cup--a wide, shallow vessel, with a flat, polished bottom
could really have induced Antony to leave the battle and follow her
ere the victory was decided. She had used it just before the conflict
between the galleys, and this circumstance led Anubis to answer
positively in the affirmative.

Long ago the marvellous chalice had been exhibited to her among the
temple treasures, and she was told that every one who induced another
person to be reflected from its shining surface obtained the mastery
over his will. Her wish to possess it, however, was not gratified, and
she did not ask for it again until the limitless devotion and ardent
love of Antony had seemed less fervent than of yore. From that time she
had never ceased to urge her aged friend to place the wondrous cup in
her keeping. At first he had absolutely refused, predicting that its use
would b