e, who was advancing
toward her with confidently open arms.

Confused for a moment, the Roman put his hand to his heart, as if to
protest his adoration. The woman of Gaul answered the mute language with
a burst of laughter so scornful that Caesar, intoxicated with lust, wine
and anger, seemed to say:

"I have offered riches, I have offered prayers. All in vain; I shall use
force."

Albinik's wife was alone and disarmed. She knew that her cries would
bring her no help. Her resolve was soon taken. The chaste, brave woman
leaped upon the bed, seized the long cord which served to lower the
draperies, and knotted it around her neck. Then she quickly climbed upon
the head of the bed-stead, ready to launch herself into the air, and
strangle herself by the weight of her own body at Caesar's first step
towards her. So desperate was the resolution depicted on Meroe's face
that the Roman general for an instant remained motionless. Then, urged
either by compunction for his violence; or by the certainty that, if he
attempted force, he would have but a corpse in his possession; or, as
the unscrupulous libertine later pretended, by a generous impulse that
had guided him throughout;--whatever his motive, Caesar stepped back
several paces, and raised his hand to heaven as if to call the gods to
witness that he would respect his prisoner. Still suspicious, the Gallic
woman kept herself in readiness to give up her life. The Roman turned
towards the secret opening of the tent, disappeared into the shadows for
a moment, and gave an order in a loud voice. Immediately he returned,
but kept himself at a wide distance from the bed, his arms crossed on
his toga. Not knowing whether the danger she ran was not still to be
increased, Meroe remained standing on the bed-stead with the cord about
her neck. After a few minutes she saw the interpreter enter, accompanied
by Albinik; with one bound she sprang to her husband.

"Your wife is a woman of manful virtue," said the interpreter to
Albinik. "Behold those treasures at her feet; she has spurned them.
Great Caesar's love she has scorned. He pretended to resort to
violence. Your companion, disarmed by a trick, was prepared to take her
own life. Thus gloriously has she come out of the test."

"The test?" answered Albinik, with an air of sinister doubt. "The test?
Who, here, has the right to test the virtue of my wife?"

"The thought of vengeance, which have brought you into the Roman camp,
are t