and
Fabia was their never exacting, ever beneficent, guardian goddess.

Drusus and Cornelia were neither of them the same young persons who
had met in the gardens of the villa of the Lentuli two short years
before. They saw life with a soberer gaze; they had both the wisdom
that experience teaches. Yet for the time not a cloud was drifting
across their sky. Their passions and hates had been too fierce, too
pagan, to feel the death of even Cornelia's uncle very keenly. Lucius
Ahenobarbus was dead--they had no more thought for him than for a dead
viper. Lucius Domitius was dead. Gabinius and Dumnorix were dead.
Pompeius, the tool of guiltier men than himself, was dead. Pratinas
alone of all those who had crossed their path remained; but the wily
Greek was a mere creature of self-interest--what had he to gain by
pressing his animosity, if he had any, against them? Caesar was
triumphant. His enemies were barely lifting their heads in Africa.
Doubtless there was stern work awaiting the Imperator there, but what
of it? Was he not invincible? Was he not about to commence a new order
of things in the world, to tear down the old and decaying, to raise up
a steadfast fabric? Therefore the little party took its pleasure, and
enjoyed every ancient temple of the Amenhoteps, Thothmeses, and
Ramesides that they hurriedly visited; won the favour of the wrinkled
old priests by their plentiful votives of bright philippi; heard a
hundred time-honoured tales that they knew not whether to believe or
laugh at; speculated among themselves as to the sources of the Nile,
the cause of the vocal Memnon, and fifty more darkened wonders, and
resolved to solve every mystery during a second and more prolonged
visit.

So they came to Alexandria, but on the way called at the Nile villa
where was Artemisia, and, to the great satisfaction of that young lady
and of Agias, carried her along with them to the house of Cleomenes,
where that affable host and Berenice and Monime received them with
open arms.

Their pleasure at this reunion, however, began to abate when they
realized the disturbed state of the city.

"I can't say I like the situation," admitted Cleomenes, as soon as he
had been introduced to Drusus, and the first greetings were over; "you
know when Caesar landed he took his consular insignia with him, and the
mob made this mean that he was intending to overthrow the government
and make Egypt a Roman province. If you had not left for Pelusiu