m so silly, I cannot help being hurt when you speak coldly.
Of course you are quite right: it is dreadful to think of anyone being
killed or even hurt; and I hope nothing really serious has-- (Her voice
dies away under his contemptuous penetration.)

CAESAR. What has frightened you into this? What have you done? (A
trumpet sounds on the beach below.) Aha! That sounds like the answer.

CLEOPATRA (sinking back trembling on the bench and covering her face
with her hands). I have not betrayed you, Caesar: I swear it.

CAESAR. I know that. I have not trusted you. (He turns from her, and is
about to go out when Apollodorus and Britannus drag in Lucius Septimius
to him. Rufio follows. Caesar shudders.) Again, Pompey's murderer!

RUFIO. The town has gone mad, I think. They are for tearing the palace
down and driving us into the sea straight away. We laid hold of this
renegade in clearing them out of the courtyard.

CAESAR. Release him. (They let go his arms.) What has offended the
citizens, Lucius Septimius?

LUCIUS. What did you expect, Caesar? Pothinus was a favorite of theirs.

CAESAR. What has happened to Pothinus? I set him free, here, not half an
hour ago. Did they not pass him out?

LUCIUS. Ay, through the gallery arch sixty feet above ground, with three
inches of steel in his ribs. He is as dead as Pompey. We are quits now,
as to killing--you and I.

CAESAR. (shocked). Assassinated!--our prisoner, our guest! (He turns
reproachfully on Rufio) Rufio--

RUFIO (emphatically--anticipating the question). Whoever did it was a
wise man and a friend of yours (Cleopatra is qreatly emboldened); but
none of US had a hand in it. So it is no use to frown at me. (Caesar
turns and looks at Cleopatra.)

CLEOPATRA (violently--rising). He was slain by order of the Queen of
Egypt. I am not Julius Caesar the dreamer, who allows every slave to
insult him. Rufio has said I did well: now the others shall judge me
too. (She turns to the others.) This Pothinus sought to make me conspire
with him to betray Caesar to Achillas and Ptolemy. I refused; and he
cursed me and came privily to Caesar to accuse me of his own treachery.
I caught him in the act; and he insulted me--ME, the Queen! To my face.
Caesar would not revenge me: he spoke him fair and set him free. Was I
right to avenge myself? Speak, Lucius.

LUCIUS. I do not gainsay it. But you will get little thanks from Caesar
for it.

CLEOPATRA. Speak, Apollodorus. Was I wrong?