hamed in Iras's
presence."

She had scarcely finished speaking when the Queen's younger confidante
entered. She was excited and, after casting a searching glance around the
familiar room, she asked, after a curt greeting:

"No one knows where the Queen has gone. Mardion received the procession
in her place. Did she take you into her confidence?"

Charmian answered in the negative, and inquired whether Antony had
arrived, and how she had found him.

"In a pitiable state," was the reply. "I hastened hither to prevent the
Queen from visiting him, if possible. She would have received a rebuff.
It is horrible."

"The disappointment of Paraetonium is added to the other burdens,"
observed Archibius.

"A feather compared with the rest," cried Iras indignantly. "What a
spectacle! A shrivelled soul, never too large, in the body of a powerful
giant. Disaster crushes the courage of the descendant of Herakles. The
weakling will drag the Queen's splendid courage with him into the dust."

"We will do our best to prevent it," replied Archibius firmly. "The
immortals have placed you and Charmian at her side to sustain her, if her
own strength fails. The time to test your powers has arrived."

"I know my duty," replied Iras austerely.

"Prove it!" said Archibius earnestly. "You think you have cause for anger
against Charmian."

"Whoever treats my foes so tenderly can doubtless dispense with my
affection. Where is your ward?"

"That you shall learn later," replied Charmian advancing. "But when you
do know, you will have still better reason to doubt my love; yet it was
only to save one dear to me from misery, certainly not to grieve you,
that I stepped between you and Barine. And now let me say--had you
wounded me to the quick, and everything dear to the Greek heart called to
me for vengeance--I should impose upon myself whatever constraint might
be necessary to deny the impulse, because this breast contains a love
stronger, more powerful, than the fiercest hate. And this love we both
share. Hate me, strive to wound and injure one at whose side you have
hitherto stood like a daughter, but beware of robbing me of the strength
and freedom which I need, to be and to offer to my royal mistress all the
assistance in my power. I have just been consulting my brother about
leaving Cleopatra's service."

"Now?" Iras broke in vehemently. "No, no! Not that! It must not be! She
cannot spare you now."

"More easily, perhaps, than you,"