rain of flute-playing women, with
Aristarchus to play the part of Socrates. I have often been told that
he and I resemble each other--in many points, say the more sincere; in
every point, say the more polite of my friends."

At these words Publius measured with his eye the frame of the royal
young libertine, enveloped in transparent robes; and recalling to
himself, as he gazed, a glorious statue of that favorite of the
Athenians, which he had seen in the Ilissus, an ironical smile passed
over his lips. It was not unobserved by Euergetes and it offended him,
for there was nothing he liked better than to be compared to the nephew
of Pericles; but he suppressed his annoyance, for Publius Cornelius
Scipio was the nearest relative of the most influential men of Rome,
and, though he himself wielded royal power, Rome exercised over him the
sovereign will of a divinity.

Cleopatra noticed what was passing in her brother's mind, and in
order to interrupt his further speech and to divert his mind to fresh
thoughts, she said cheerfully:

"Let us then give up the procession, and think of some other mode of
celebrating your birthday. You, Lysias, must be experienced in such
matters, for Publius tells me that you were the leader in all the games
of Corinth. What can we devise to entertain Euergetes and ourselves?"

The Corinthian looked for a moment into his cup, moving it slowly about
on the marble slab of the little table at his side, between an oyster
pasty and a dish of fresh asparagus; and then he said, glancing round to
win the suffrages of the company:

"At the great procession which took place under Ptolemy
Philadelphus--Agatharchides gave me the description of it, written by
the eye-witness Kallixenus, to read only yesterday--all kinds of scenes
from the lives of the gods were represented before the people. Suppose
we were to remain in this magnificent palace, and to represent ourselves
the beautiful groups which the great artists of the past have produced
in painting or sculpture; but let us choose those only that are least
known."

"Splendid," cried Cleopatra in great excitement, "who can be more like
Heracles than my mighty brother there--the very son of Alcmene, as
Lysippus has conceived and represented him? Let us then represent
the life of Heracles from grand models, and in every case assign to
Euergetes the part of the hero."

"Oh! I will undertake it," said the young king, feeling the mighty
muscles of his b