noble have
vanished, she can not give up the old love and clings steadfastly to
him because, because--I know not why. A woman's loving heart does not
question motives and laws. Besides, he is the father of her children
and, in playing with them, he regains the old joyousness of mood so
enthralling to the heart.

"Since Archibius has taken charge of them, they can dispense with
Euphronion, their tutor. The clever man knows Rome, Octavianus, and
those who surround him, so he was chosen as an envoy. His object was to
induce the conqueror to transfer the sovereignty of Egypt to the boys
Antonius Helios, and Alexander, but Caesar vouchsafed no answer to the
mediator in Antony's affairs--nay, did not even grant him an audience.

"To Cleopatra Octavianus promised friendly treatment, and the fulfilment
of her wish concerning the boys if--and now came the repetition of the
old demand--she would put Antony out of the world or deliver him into
his hands.

"This demand, which contains base treachery, was impossible for her
noble soul. Since she had resolved to build the tomb, granting it became
impossible, yet Octavianus made every effort to tempt her to the base
deed. True, the death of this one man would have spared much bloodshed.
The Caesar knows how to choose his tools. He sent here as negotiator a
clever young man, who possessed great charms of mind and person. No plan
to prejudice the Queen against her husband and persuade her to commit
the treachery was left untried. He went so far as to assure Cleopatra
that in former years she had won the Caesar's heart, and that he
still loved her. She accepted these assurances at their true value and
remained steadfast.

"Antony at first paid no heed to the intriguer. But when he learned what
means he employed, and especially how he made use of the surrender of
one of Caesar's murderers, which he himself had long regretted, to brand
him as an ungrateful traitor, he would not have been Mark Antony if he
had accepted it quietly. He was completely his old self when he ordered
the smooth fellow--who, however, had come as the ambassador of the
mighty victor--to be scourged, sent him back to Rome, and wrote a
letter to Octavianus, in which he complained of the man's arrogance and
presumption, adding--spite of my heavy heart I can not help smiling when
I think of it--that misfortune had rendered him unusually irritable;
yet if his action perhaps displeased Caesar, he might treat his freed