n her
brief visit to Dion's couch she had not learned how he bore his own
misfortunes and Barine's, what view he took of the future, or what he
expected from the woman he loved.

Charmian's ignorance and silence in regard to these very matters
increased the anxiety of the endangered woman, who saw not only her own
life, but those dearest to her, seriously threatened. So she entreated
her hostess to relieve her from the uncertainty which was harder to
endure than the most terrible reality; but the latter either could not
or would not give her any further details of Cleopatra's intentions,
or the fate and present abode of her grandparents and Helena. This
increased her anxiety, for if Alexas's information was correct, her
family must be homeless. When Charmian at last admitted that she had
seen Dion only a few minutes, the tortured Barine's power of quiet
endurance gave way.

She, whose nature was so hopeful that, when the glow of the sunset
faded, she already anticipated with delight the rosy dawn of the next
day, now beheld in Cleopatra's hand the reed which was to sign the
death-sentence of Dion and herself. Her mental vision conjured up her
relatives wounded by the falling house or bleeding under the stones
hurled by the raging populace. She heard Alexas command the executioner
to subject her to the rack, and fancied that Anukis had not returned
because she had failed to find Dion. The Queen's soldiers had probably
carried him to prison, loaded with chains, if Philostratus had not
already instigated the mob to drag him through the streets.

With feverish impetuosity, which alarmed Charmian the more because
it was so unlike her old friend's daughter, Barine described all the
spectres with which her imagination--agitated by terror, longing, love,
and loathing--terrified her; but the former exerted all the power of
eloquence she possessed, by turns reproving her and loading her with
caresses, in order to soothe her and rouse her from her despair. But
nothing availed. At last she succeeded in persuading the unhappy woman
to go with her to the window, which afforded a most beautiful view.
Westward, beyond the Heptastadium, the sun was sinking below the forests
of masts in the harbour of the Eunostus; and Charmian, who had learned
from her intercourse with the royal children how to soothe a troubled
young heart, to divert Barine's thoughts, directed her attention to
the crimson glow in the western sky, and told her how h