glance, a pressure of the hand, even the light touch of a garment, and
the flame blazes, where such inflammable material lies ready."

"We lament the violence of the conflagration. You are not well disposed
towards Barine."

"I care no more for her than this couch here cares for the statue of
Mercury in the street!" exclaimed Iras, with repellent arrogance. "There
could be no two things in the world more utterly alien than we. Between
the woman whose door stands open, and me, there is nothing in common save
our sex."

"And," replied Archibius reprovingly, "many a beautiful gift which the
gods bestowed upon her as well as upon you. As for the open door, it was
closed yesterday. The thieves of whom you spoke spoiled her pleasure in
granting hospitality. Antyllus forced himself with noisy impetuosity
into her house. This made her dread still more unprecedented conduct in
the future. In a few hours she will be on the way to Irenia. I am glad
for Caesarion's sake, and still more for his mother's, whom we have
wronged by forgetting so long for another."

"To think that we should be forced to do so!" cried Iras excitedly--"
now, at this hour, when every drop of blood, every thought of this poor
brain should belong to the Queen! Yet it could not be avoided.
Cleopatra is returning to us with a heart bleeding from a hundred wounds,
and it is terrible to think that a new arrow must strike her as soon as
she steps upon her native soil. You know how she loves the boy, who is
the living image of the great man with whom she shared the highest joys
of love. When she learns that he, the son of Caesar, has given his young
heart to the cast-off wife of a street orator, a woman whose home