e twins, the children of the city
had been sent to offer their congratulations, and at the same time to
assure their royal mother of the love and devotion of the citizens.

The return to the palace occupied only a few minutes, and as Cleopatra,
hastily donning festal garments, gazed down at the bands of children,
it seemed as if Fate by this fair spectacle had given her a sign of
approval of her design.

She was soon standing hand in hand with the twins upon the balcony
before which the procession had halted. Hundreds of boys and girls of
the same age as the prince and princess had flocked thither, the former
bearing bouquets, the latter small baskets filled with lilies and
roses. Every head was crowned with a wreath, and many of the girls wore
garlands of flowers. A chorus of youths and maidens sang a festal
hymn, beseeching the gods to grant the royal mother and children every
happiness; the leader of the chorus of girls made a short address in the
name of the city, and during this speech the children formed in ranks,
the tallest in the rear, the smallest in the front, and the others
between according to their height. The scene resembled a living garden,
in which rosy faces were the beautiful flowers.

Cleopatra thanked the citizens for the charming greeting sent to her by
those whom they held dearest, and assured them that she returned their
love. Her eyes grew dim with tears as she went with her three children
to the throng who offered their congratulations, and an unusually pretty
little girl whom she kissed threw her arms around her as tenderly as if
she were her own mother. And how beautiful was the scene when the girls
strewed the contents of their little baskets on the ground before her,
and the boys, with many a ringing shout and loving wish, offered the
bouquets to her and the twins!

Charmian had not forgotten to provide the gifts; and when the
chamberlains and waiting-women led the children into a large hall to
offer them refreshments, the Queen's eyes sparkled so brightly that the
companion of her childhood ventured to make her difficult confession.

And, as so often happens, the event we most dread shows, when it
actually occurs, a friendly or indifferent aspect; this was the
case now. Nothing in life is either great or small--the one may be
transformed to the other, according to the things with which it is
compared. The tallest man becomes a dwarf beside a rocky giant of the
mountain chain, the smal