love is
left to us, still have we all!"

And she fell upon his breast and kissed him wildly.

That same day, Charmion came to me and bade me prepare a poison of
the most deadly power. And this at first I would not do, fearing that
Cleopatra would therewith make an end of Antony before his time. But
Charmion showed me that this was not so, and told me also for what
purpose was the poison. Therefore I summoned Atoua, the skilled in
simples, and all that afternoon we laboured at the deadly work. And
when it was done, Charmion came once more, bearing with her a chaplet of
fresh roses, that she bade me steep in the poison.

This then I did.

That night at the great feast of Cleopatra, I sat near Antony, who was
at her side, and wore the poisoned wreath. Now as the feast went on, the
wine flowed fast, till Antony and the Queen grew merry. And she told him
of her plans, and of how even now her galleys were being drawn by the
canal that leads from Bubastis on the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, to
Clysma at the head of the Bay of Heroopolis. For it was her design,
should Caesar prove stubborn, to fly with Antony and her treasure down
the Arabian Gulf, where Caesar had no fleet, and seek some new home in
India, whither her foes might not follow. But, indeed, this plan came to
nothing, for the Arabs of Petra burnt the galleys, incited thereto by
a message sent by the Jews of Alexandria, who hated Cleopatra and were
hated of her. For I caused the Jews to be warned of what was being done.

Now, when she had made an end of telling him, the Queen called on him to
drink a cup with her, to the success of this new scheme, bidding him, as
she did so, steep his wreath of roses in the wine, and make the draught
more sweet. This, then, he did, and it being done, she pledged him.
But when he was about to pledge her back, she caught his hand, crying
"_Hold!_" whereat he paused, wondering.

Now, among the servants of Cleopatra was one Eudosius, a steward; and
this Eudosius, seeing that the fortunes of Cleopatra were at an end, had
laid a plan to fly that very night to Caesar, as many of his betters
had done, taking with him all the treasure in the palace that he could
steal. But this design being discovered to Cleopatra, she determined to
be avenged upon Eudosius.

"Eudosius," she cried, for the man stood near; "come hither, thou
faithful servant! Seest thou this man, most noble Antony; through
all our troubles he has clung to us and