“We must have a Hebe, and must take her where we find her.  If you hesitate to allow the girl to be fetched it shall be done by my orders.  The priests of Serapis are for the most part Greeks, and the high-priest is a Hellene.  He will not trouble himself much about a half-grown-up girl if he can thereby oblige you or me.  He knows as well as the rest of us that one hand washes the other!  The only question now is—­for I would rather avoid all woman’s outcries—­whether the girl will come willingly or unwillingly if we send for her.  What do you think, Lysias?”

“I believe she would sooner get out of prison to-day than to-morrow,” replied Lysias.  “Irene is a lighthearted creature, and laughs as clearly and merrily as a child at play—­and besides that they starve her in her cage.”

“Then I will have her fetched to-morrow!” said Euergetes.

“But,” interrupted Cleopatra, “Asclepiodorus must obey us and not you; and we, my husband and I—­”

“You cannot spoil sport with the priests,” laughed Euergetes.  “If they were Egyptians, then indeed!  They are not to be taken in their nests without getting pecked; but here, as I have said, we have to deal with Greeks.  What have you to fear from them?  For aught I care you may leave our Hebe where she is, but I was once much pleased with these representations, and to-morrow morning, as soon as I have slept, I shall return to Alexandria, if you do not carry them into effect, and so deprive me, Heracles, of the bride chosen for me by the gods.  I have said what I have said, and I am not given to changing my mind.  Besides, it is time that we should show ourselves to our friends feasting here in the next room.  They are already merry, and it must be getting late.”

With these words Euergetes rose from his couch, and beckoned to Hierax and a chamberlain, who arranged the folds of his transparent robe, while Philometor and Cleopatra whispered together, shrugging their shoulders and shaking their heads; and Publius, pressing his hand on the Corinthian’s wrist, said in his ear:  “You will not give them any help if you value our friendship; we will leave as soon as we can do so with propriety.”

Euergetes did not like to be kept waiting.  He was already going towards the door, when Cleopatra called him back, and said pleasantly, but with gentle reproachfulness: 

“You know that we are willing to follow the Egyptian custom of carrying out as far as possible the wishes of a friend and brother for his birthday festival; but for that very reason it is not right in you to try to force us into a proceeding which we refuse with difficulty, and yet cannot carry out without exposing ourselves to the most unpleasant consequences.  We beg you to make some other demand on us, and we will certainly grant it if it lies in our power.”

The young colossus responded to his sister’s appeal with a loud shout of laughter, waved his arm with a flourish of his hand expressive of haughty indifference; and then he exclaimed: