appiness still remained the purpose of her existence. My father
would have been wiser to take her to the Stoa and impress it upon her
that, if life must have a goal, it should be only to live in accordance
with the sensibly arranged course of the world, and in harmony with
one's own nature. He should have taught her to derive happiness from
virtue. He should have stamped goodness upon the soul of the future
Queen as the fundamental law of her being. He omitted to do this,
because in his secluded life he had succeeded in finding the happiness
which the master promises to his disciples. From Athens to Cyrene, from
Epicurus to Aristippus, is but a short step, and Cleopatra took it when
she forgot that the master was far from recognizing the chief good in
the enjoyment of individual pleasure. The happiness of Epicurus was
not inferior to that of Zeus, if he had only barley bread and water to
appease his hunger and thirst.

"Yet she still considered herself a follower of Epicurus, and later,
when Antony had gone to the Parthian war, and she was a long time alone,
she once more began to strive for freedom from pain and peace of mind,
but the state, her children, the marriage of Antony--who had long been
her lover--to Octavia, the yearning of her own heart, Anubis, magic, and
the Egyptian teachings of the life after death, above all, the burning
ambition, the unresting desire to be loved, where she herself loved, to
be first among the foremost--"

Here he was interrupted by the messenger, who informed him that the ship
was ready.

CHAPTER VII.

Archibius had buried himself so deeply in the past that it was several
minutes ere he could bring himself back to the present. When he did so,
he hastily discussed with the two ladies the date of their departure.

It was hard for Berenike to leave her injured brother, and Barine longed
to see Dion once more before the journey. Both were reluctant to quit
Alexandria ere decisive news had arrived from the army and the fleet.
So they requested a few days' delay; but Archibius cut them short,
requiring them, with a resolution which transformed the amiable friend
into a stern master, to be ready for the journey the next day at sunset.
His Nile boat would await them at the Agathodaemon harbour on Lake
Mareotis, and his travelling chariot would convey them thither, with
as much luggage and as many female slaves as they desired to take with
them. Then softening his tone, he briefly r