o more! therefore to-morrow
I shall free thee in all, save in the name, and thou shalt once more be
seen at Court as my astronomer. And I will give this reason--that thou
hast cleared thyself; and, moreover, that thy auguries as regards the
war have been auguries of truth--as, indeed, they have, though for
this I have no cause to thank thee, seeing that thou didst suit thy
prophecies to fit thy cause. Now, farewell; for I must return to those
heavy-browed ambassadors; and grow not so sudden wroth, Harmachis, for
who knows what may come to pass betwixt thee and me?"

And, with a little nod, she went, leaving it on my mind that she had it
in her heart to wed me openly. And of a truth, I believe that, at this
hour, such was her thought. For, if she loved me not, still she held me
dear, and as yet she had not wearied of me.

On the morrow Cleopatra came not, but Charmion came--Charmion, whom
I had not seen since that fatal night of ruin. She entered and stood
before me, with pale face and downcast eyes, and her first words were
words of bitterness.

"Pardon me," she said, in her gentle voice, "in that I dare to come to
thee in Cleopatra's place. Thy joy is not delayed for long, for thou
shalt see her presently."

I shrank at her words, as well I might, and, seeing her vantage, she
seized it.

"I come, Harmachis--royal no more!--I come to say that thou art free!
Thou art free to face thine own infamy, and see it thrown back from
every eye which trusted thee, as shadows are from water. I come to tell
thee that the great plot--the plot of twenty years and more--is at its
utter end. None have been slain, indeed, unless it is Sepa, who has
vanished. But all the leaders have been seized and put in chains, or
driven from the land, and their party is broken and scattered. The storm
has melted before it burst. Egypt is lost, and lost for ever, for her
last hope is gone! No longer may she struggle--now for all time she
must bow her neck to the yoke, and bare her back to the rod of the
oppressor!"

I groaned aloud. "Alas, I was betrayed!" I said. "Paulus betrayed us."

"Thou wast betrayed? Nay, thou thyself wast the betrayer! How came it
that thou didst not slay Cleopatra when thou wast alone with her? Speak,
thou forsworn!"

"She drugged me," I said again.

"O Harmachis!" answered the pitiless girl, "how low art thou fallen from
that Prince whom once I knew!--thou who dost not scorn to be a liar!
Yea, thou wast drugged--d