alluded. The cheerful patience of her soul had found ample satisfaction
in the cultivation of her art, and in social intercourse with men who
permitted her to share their own intellectual life. Today she had
learned that the first great passion of her heart had met with a
response. Now she was bound to her lover, and knew herself to be pure
and guiltless, far better entitled to demand respect from sterner judges
of morality than the woman who condemned her, or the spiteful Iras, who
had not ceased to offer her love to Dion.

The sorrowful feeling of being misunderstood and unjustly condemned,
mingled with fear of the terrible fate to which she might be sentenced by
the omnipotent sovereign, whose clear intellect was clouded by jealousy
and the resentment of a mother's wounded heart, paralyzed her tongue.
Besides, she was confused by the angry emotion which the sight of Iras
awakened. Twice, thrice she strove to utter a few words of explanation,
defence, but her voice refused to obey her will.

When Charmian at last approached to encourage her, it was too late; the
indignant Queen had turned away, exclaiming to Iras: "let her be taken
back to Lochias. Her guilt is proved; but it does not become the injured
person, the accuser, to award the punishment. This must be left to the
judges before whom we will bring her."

Then Barine once more recovered the power of speech. How dared Cleopatra
assert that she was convicted of a crime, without hearing her defence?

As surely as she felt her own innocence she must succeed in proving it,
and with this consciousness she cried out to the Queen in a tone of
touching entreaty: "O your Majesty, do not leave me without hearing me!
As truly as I believe in your justice, I can ask you to listen to me once