er hands, and goes back to the bench in despair.
Apollodorus shows his sympathy with her by quietly posting himself
behind the bench. The sky has by this time become the most vivid purple,
and soon begins to change to a glowing pale orange, against which the
colonnade and the great image show darklier and darklier.

RUFIO. Caesar: enough of preaching. The enemy is at the gate.

CAESAR (turning on him and giving way to his wrath). Ay; and what has
held him baffled at the gate all these months? Was it my folly, as you
deem it, or your wisdom? In this Egyptian Red Sea of blood, whose hand
has held all your heads above the waves? (Turning on Cleopatra) And yet,
When Caesar says to such an one, "Friend, go free," you, clinging for
your little life to my sword, dare steal out and stab him in the back?
And you, soldiers and gentlemen, and honest servants as you forget that
you are, applaud this assassination, and say "Caesar is in the wrong."
By the gods, I am tempted to open my hand and let you all sink into the
flood.

CLEOPATRA (with a ray of cunning hope). But, Caesar, if you do, you will
perish yourself.

Caesar's eyes blaze.

RUFIO (greatly alarmed). Now, by great Jove, you filthy little Egyptian
rat, that is the very word to make him walk out alone into the city and
leave us here to be cut to pieces. (Desperately, to Caesar) Will you
desert us because we are a parcel of fools? I mean no harm by killing: I
do it as a dog kills a cat, by instinct. We are all dogs at your heels;
but we have served you faithfully.

CAESAR (relenting). Alas, Rufio, my son, my son: as dogs we are like to
perish now in the streets.

APOLLODORUS (at his post behind Cleopatra's seat). Caesar, what you say
has an Olympian ring in it: it must be right; for it is fine art. But
I am still on the side of Cleopatra. If we must die, she shall not want
the devotion of a man's heart nor the strength of a man's arm.

CLEOPATRA (sobbing). But I don't want to die.

CAESAR (sadly). Oh, ignoble, ignoble!

LUCIUS (coming forward between Caesar and Cleopatra). Hearken to me,
Caesar. It may be ignoble; but I also mean to live as long as I can.

CAESAR. Well, my friend, you are likely to outlive Caesar. Is it any
magic of mine, think you, that has kept your army and this whole city
at bay for so long? Yesterday, what quarrel had they with me that they
should risk their lives against me? But to-day we have flung them down
their hero, murdered; and now