“Yes, yes,” I said; “why troublest thou me thus at such an hour?”

“Nay, I know not; but to-night, Harmachis, Fate is in labour of a great event, and in her painful throes mayhap she’ll crush me in her grip—­me or thee, or the twain of us, Harmachis.  And if that be so—­well, I would hear from thee, before it is done, that ’twas naught but a dream, and that dream forgot——­”

“Yes, it is all a dream,” I said idly; “thou and I, and the solid earth, and this heavy night of terror, ay, and this keen knife—­what are these but dreams, and with what face shall the waking come?”

“So now, thou fallest in my humour, royal Harmachis.  As thou sayest, we dream; and while we dream yet can the vision change.  For the phantasies of dreams are wonderful, seeing that they have no stability, but vary like the vaporous edge of sunset clouds, building now this thing, and now that; being now dark and heavy, and now alight with splendour.  Therefore, before we wake to-morrow tell me one word.  Is that vision of last night, wherein I seemed to be quite shamed, and thou didst seem to laugh upon my shame, a fixed phantasy, or can it, perchance, yet change its countenance?  For remember, when that waking comes, the vagaries of our sleep will be more unalterable and more enduring than are the pyramids.  Then they will be gathered into that changeless region of the past where all things, great and small—­ay, even dreams, Harmachis, are, each in its own semblance, frozen to stone and built into the Tomb of Time immortal.”

“Nay, Charmion,” I replied, “I grieve if I did pain thee; but over that vision comes no change.  I said what was in my heart and there’s an end.  Thou art my cousin and my friend, I can never be more to thee.”

“It is well—­’tis very well,” she said; “let it be forgotten.  And now on from dream—­to dream,” and she smiled with such a smile as I had never seen her wear before; it was sadder and more fateful than any stamp that grief can set upon the brow.

For, though being blinded by my own folly and the trouble at my heart I knew it not, with that smile, the happiness of youth died for Charmion the Egyptian; the hope of love fled; and the holy links of duty burst asunder.  With that smile she consecrated herself to Evil, she renounced her Country and her Gods, and trampled on her oath.  Ay, that smile marks the moment when the stream of history changed its course.  For had I never seen it on her face Octavianus had not bestridden the world, and Egypt had once more been free and great.

And yet it was but a woman’s smile!

“Why lookest thou thus strangely, girl?” I asked.

“In dreams we smile,” she answered.  “And now it is time; follow thou me.  Be firm and prosper, royal Harmachis!” and bending forward she took my hand and kissed it.  Then, with one strange last look, she turned and led the way down the stair and through the empty halls.