ing for her grandparents in
Gorgias's arms," she clapped her hands and said, smiling:

"That's the way one loses good manners in this solitude. To disturb the
first meeting of a pair of lovers! But Gorgias treated us in the same way
in Alexandria, so he is now paid in his own coin."

The architect soon entered the room, with Helena leaning on his arm. Hour
by hour he had missed her more and more painfully, and on the eighth day
found it impossible to endure life's burden longer without her. He now
protested that he could approach her mother and grandparents as a suitor
with a clear conscience; for on the third day after Helena's departure
the relation between him and the Queen had changed. In Cleopatra's
presence the image of the granddaughter of Didymus became even more vivid
than that of the peerless sovereign had formerly been in Helena's.
Outside of the pages of poetry he had never experienced longing like that
which had tortured him during the past few days.

CHAPTER XXI.

This time the architect could spend only a few hours on the Serpent
Island, for affairs in the city were beginning to wear a very serious
aspect, and the building of the monument was pushed forward even during
the night. The interior of the first story was nearly completed and the
rough portion of the second was progressing. The mosaic workers, who were
making the floor of the great hall, had surpassed themselves. It was
impossible to wait longer for the sculptures which were to adorn the
walls. At present slabs of polished black marble were to occupy the
places intended for bronze reliefs; the utmost haste was necessary.

Octavianus had already reached Pelusium; even if Seleukus, the commander
of the garrison, held the strong fortress a long time, a part of the
hostile army might appear before Alexandria the following week.

A considerable force, however, was ready to meet him. The fleet seemed
equal to that of the enemy; the horsemen whom Antony had led before the
Queen would delight the eye of any one versed in military affairs; and
the Imperator hoped much from the veterans who had served under him in
former times, learned to know his generosity and open hand in the hour of
prosperity, and probably had scarcely forgotten the eventful days when he
had cheerfully and gaily shared their perils and privations.

Helena remained on the cliff, and her longing for the old couple had
materially diminished. Her hands moved nimbly, and her c