Charmian answered in the negative, and inquired whether Antony had arrived, and how she had found him.

“In a pitiable state,” was the reply.  “I hastened hither to prevent the Queen from visiting him, if possible.  She would have received a rebuff.  It is horrible.”

“The disappointment of Paraetonium is added to the other burdens,” observed Archibius.

“A feather compared with the rest,” cried Iras indignantly.  “What a spectacle!  A shrivelled soul, never too large, in the body of a powerful giant.  Disaster crushes the courage of the descendant of Herakles.  The weakling will drag the Queen’s splendid courage with him into the dust.”

“We will do our best to prevent it,” replied Archibius firmly.  “The immortals have placed you and Charmian at her side to sustain her, if her own strength fails.  The time to test your powers has arrived.”

“I know my duty,” replied Iras austerely.

“Prove it!” said Archibius earnestly.  “You think you have cause for anger against Charmian.”

“Whoever treats my foes so tenderly can doubtless dispense with my affection.  Where is your ward?”

“That you shall learn later,” replied Charmian advancing.  “But when you do know, you will have still better reason to doubt my love; yet it was only to save one dear to me from misery, certainly not to grieve you, that I stepped between you and Barine.  And now let me say—­had you wounded me to the quick, and everything dear to the Greek heart called to me for vengeance—­I should impose upon myself whatever constraint might be necessary to deny the impulse, because this breast contains a love stronger, more powerful, than the fiercest hate.  And this love we both share.  Hate me, strive to wound and injure one at whose side you have hitherto stood like a daughter, but beware of robbing me of the strength and freedom which I need, to be and to offer to my royal mistress all the assistance in my power.  I have just been consulting my brother about leaving Cleopatra’s service.”

“Now?” Iras broke in vehemently.  “No, no!  Not that!  It must not be!  She cannot spare you now.”

“More easily, perhaps, than you,” replied Charmian; “yet in many things my services might be hard to replace.”

“Nothing under the sun could do it,” cried Iras eagerly.  “If, in these days of trouble, she should lose you too—­”

“Still darker ones are approaching,” interrupted Archibius positively.  “Perhaps you will learn all to-morrow.  Whether Charmian yields to her desire for rest, or continues in the service of the Queen, depends on you.  If you wish her to remain you must not render it too hard for her to do so.  We three, my child, are perhaps the only persons at this court to whom the Queen’s happiness is more than their own, and therefore we should permit no incident, whatever name it may bear, to cloud our harmony.”