Then presently the trumpets blared， and， clad in her robes of state， the ur？us crown upon her head， and on her breast， flashing like a star， that great emerald scarab？us which she had dragged from dead Pharaoh's heart， Cleopatra swept in splendour to her throne， followed by a glittering guard of Northmen. Her lovely face was dark， dark were her slumbrous eyes， and none might read their message， though all that Court searched them for a sign of what should come. She seated herself slowly as one who may not be moved， and spoke to the chief of the heralds in the Greek tongue：
"Does the Ambassador of the noble Antony wait？"
The herald bowed low and made assent.
"Let him come in and hear our answer."
The doors were flung wide， and， followed by his train of knights， Dellius， clad in his golden armour and his purple mantle， walked with cat-like step up the great hall， and made obeisance before the throne.
"Most royal and beauteous Egypt，" he said， in his soft voice， "as thou hast graciously been pleased to bid me， thy servant， I am here to take thy answer to the letter of the noble Antony the Triumvir， whom to-morrow I sail to meet at Tarsus， in Cilicia. And I will say this， royal Egypt， craving pardon the while for the boldness of my speech--bethink thee well before words that cannot be unspoken fall from those sweet lips. Defy Antony， and Antony will wreck thee. But， like thy mother Aphrodité， rise glorious on his sight from the bosom of the Cyprian wave， and for wreck he will give thee all that can be dear to woman's royalty--Empire， and pomp of place， cities and the sway of men， fame and wealth， and the Diadem of rule made sure. For mark：
Antony holds this Eastern World in the hollow of his warlike hand； at his will kings are， and at his frown they cease to be."
And he bowed his head and， folding his hands meekly on his breast， awaited answer.
For a while Cleopatra answered not， but sat like the Sphinx Horemkhu， dumb and inscrutable， gazing with lost eyes down the length of that great hall.
Then， like soft music， her answer came； and trembling I listened for Egypt's challenge to the Roman：
"Noble Dellius，--We have bethought us much of the matter of thy message from great Antony to our poor Royalty of Egypt. We have bethought us much， and we have taken counsel from the oracles of the Gods， from the wisest among our friends， and from the teachings of our heart， that ever， like a nesting bird， broods over our people's weal.
Sharp are the words that thou has brought across the sea； methinks they had been better fitted to the ears of some petty half-tamed prince than to those of Egypt's Queen. Therefore we have numbered the legions that we can gather， and the triremes and the galleys wherewith we may breast the sea， and the moneys which shall buy us all things wanting to our war. And we find this， that， though Antony be strong， yet has Egypt naught to fear from the strength of Antony."
She paused， and a murmur of applause of her high words ran down the hall. Only Dellius stretched out his hand as though to push them back.
Then came the end！
"Noble Dellius，--Half are we minded there to bid our tongue stop， and， strong in our fortresses of stone， and our other fortresses built of the hearts of men， abide the issue. And yet thou shalt not go thus. We are guiltless of those charges against us that have come to the ears of noble Antony， and which now he rudely shouts in ours； nor will we journey into Cilicia to answer them."
Here the murmur arose anew， while my heart beat high in triumph； and in the pause that followed， Dellius spoke once more.
"Then， royal Egypt， my word to Antony is word of War？"
"Nay，" she answered； "it shall be one of Peace. Listen； we said that we would not come to make answer to these charges， nor will we. But"--and she smiled for the first time--"we will gladly come， and that swiftly， in royal friendship to make known our fellowship of peace upon the banks of Cydnus."
I heard， and was bewildered. Could I hear aright？ Was it thus that Cleopatra kept her oaths？ Moved beyond the hold of reason， I lifted up my voice and cried：
"O Queen， /remember！/"
She turned upon me like a lioness， with a flashing of the eyes and a swift shake of her lovely head.
"Peace， Slave！" she said； "who bade thee break in upon our counsels？
Mind thou thy stars， and leave matters of the world to the rulers of the world！"
I sank back shamed， and， as I did so， once more I saw the smile of triumph on the face of Charmion， followed by what was， perhaps， the shadow of pity for my fall.
"Now that yon brawling charlatan，" said Dellius， pointing at me with his jewelled finger， "has been rebuked， grant me leave， O Egypt， to thank thee from my heart for these gentle words----"
"We ask no thanks from thee， noble Dellius； nor lies it in thy mouth to chide our servant，" broke in Cleopatra， frowning heavily； "we will take thanks from the lips of Antony alone. Get thee to thy master， and say to him that before he can make ready a fitting welcome our keels shall follow in the track of thine. And now， farewell！ Thou shalt find some small token of our bounty upon thy vessel."
Dellius bowed thrice and withdrew， while the Court stood waiting the Queen's word. And I， too， waited， wondering if she would yet make good her promise， and name me royal Spouse there in the face of Egypt. But she said nothing. Only， still frowning heavily， she rose， and， followed by her guards， left the throne， and passed into the Alabaster Hall. Then the Court broke up， and as the lords and councillors went by they looked on me with mockery. For though none knew all my secret， nor how it stood between me and Cleopatra， yet they were jealous of the favour shown me by the Queen， and rejoiced greatly at my fall. But I took no heed of their mocking as I stood dazed with misery and felt the world of Hope slip from beneath my feet.
