pse into sullen reverie and anger, much
would be gained, and Charmian would do the rest, if she brought a loving
message from her royal mistress.

Hitherto Cleopatra had not interrupted him; but when she expressed the
opinion that a slave's nimble tongue would have little power to change
the deep despondency of a man overwhelmed by the most terrible disaster,
Eros waved his short, broad hand, saying:

"I trust your Majesty will pardon the frankness of a man so humble in
degree, but those in high station often permit us to see what they hide
from one another. Only the loftiest and the lowliest, the gods and the
slaves, behold the great without disguise. May my ears be cropped if
the Imperator's melancholy and misanthropy are so intense! All this is
a disguise which pleases him. You know how, in better days, he enjoyed
appearing as Dionysus, and with what wanton gaiety he played the part
of the god. Now he is hiding his real, cheerful face behind the mask
of unsocial melancholy, because he thinks the former does not suit this
time of misfortune. True, he often says things which make your skin
creep, and frequently broods mournfully over his own thoughts. But
this never lasts long when we are alone. If I come in with a very funny
story, and he doesn't silence me at once, you can rely on his surpassing
it with a still more comical one. A short time ago I reminded him of the
fishing party when your Majesty had a diver fasten a salted herring on
his hook. You ought to have heard him laugh, and exclaim what happy days
those were. The lady Charmian need only remind him of them, and Aisopion
spice the allusion with a jest. I'll give my nose--true, it's only
a small one, but everybody values that feature most--if they don't
persuade him to leave that horrible crow's nest in the middle of the
sea. They must remind him of the twins and little Alexander; for when he
permits me to talk about them his brow smooths most speedily. He still
speaks very often to Lucilius and his other friends of his great
plans of forming a powerful empire in the East, with Alexandria as its
principal city. His warrior blood is not yet calm. A short time ago
I was even ordered to sharpen the curved Persian scimitar he likes to
wield. One could not know what service it might be, he said. Then he
swung his mighty arm. By the dog! The grey-haired giant still has the
strength of three youths. When he is once more with you, among warriors
and battle chargers,