Cornelia saw half-naked Numidian footmen thrusting back the crowd that bustled in the Omphalos—­the great square where the two highroads met.  Behind them pushed a squadron of light cavalry in silvered armour and splendid purple and scarlet uniforms.  Then, in the midst of all, moved a chariot drawn by four horses white as snow, the harness resplendent with gold and jewels; at either side ran fan-bearers, waving great masses of bright ostrich plumes; a gaudy parasol swept over the carriage itself.  There were three occupants, whereof two stood:  an Egyptian, gaunt and of great height, clad in plain white linen, who was driving, and a handsome, gaudily dressed Greek youth, who was holding the parasol.  Cornelia could just catch the profile of a young woman seated between them.  The face was not quite regular, but marvellously intelligent and sensitive; the skin not pale, yet far from dark, and perfectly healthy and clear; the eyes restive and piercing.  The queen was dressed plainly in Greek fashion; her himation was white, her only ornament a great diamond that was blazing like a star on her breast.  Upon the coils of her heavy, dark hair sat a golden circlet faced in front with the likeness of the head of the venomous uraeus snake—­the emblem of Egyptian royalty.  This was all Cornelia could observe in the brief time the queen was in view.  Some of the people—­Egyptians mostly—­cried out to her in their own tongue:—­

“Hail to the ever glorious Daughter of Ra!”

But the queen paid them little heed.  Once her restless eyes lit on the carriage of Cleomenes, and she made a slight inclination of the head in return to that gentleman’s salute, for Cleomenes had standing at court as one of the “friends of the king."[172]

  [172] A high order of Egyptian nobility.

The cortege rolled away toward the palace.

“This Cleopatra is a rather remarkable woman,” observed Cornelia, for the sake of saying something.

“Indeed, that is true,” replied Cleomenes, as he turned to drive homeward.  “She is worthy to have lived in the days of the first Ptolemies, of Ptolemaeus Soter and Philadelphus and Euergetes.  She is still very young, only twenty, and yet five years ago she was so fascinating that when Antonius, of whom I have heard you speak, came here with Gabinius’s expeditions he quite lost his heart to her.  She has a marvellous talent for statecraft and intrigue and diplomacy.  You know that, nominally at least, she has to share her crown with young Ptolemaeus, her younger brother.  He is a worthless rascal, but his tutor, the eunuch Pothinus, really wields him.  Pothinus, as the custom is, was brought up with him as his playmate, and now Pothinus wants to drive out the queen, and rule Egypt through his power over the king.  His ambition is notorious, but the queen has not been able to lay hands on him for treason.”