CHAPTER XI.
Lysias was one of those men from whose lips nothing ever sounds as if itwere meant seriously. His statement that he regarded a serving girl fromthe temple of Serapis as fit to personate Hebe, was spoken as naturallyand simply as if he were telling a tale for children; but his wordsproduced an effect on his hearers like the sound of waters rushing intoa leaky ship.
Publius had turned perfectly white, and it was not till his friendhad uttered the name of Irene that he in some degree recovered hiscomposure; Philometor had struck his cup on the table, and called out inmuch excitement:
"A water-bearer of Serapis to play Hebe in a gay festal performance! Doyou conceive it possible, Cleopatra?"
"Impossible--it is absolutely out of the question," replied thequeen, decidedly. Euergetes, who also had opened his eyes wide at theCorinthian's proposition, sat for a long time gazing into his cupin silence; while his brother and sister continued to expresstheir surprise and disapprobation and to speak of the respect andconsideration which even kings must pay to the priests and servants ofSerapis.
At length, once more lifting his wreath and crown, he raised his curlswith both hands, and said, quite calmly and decisively;
"We must have a Hebe, and must take her where we find her. If youhesitate 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-priestis a Hellene. He will not trouble himself much about a half-grown-upgirl if he can thereby oblige you or me. He knows as well as the rest ofus that one hand washes the other! The only question now is--for I wouldrather avoid all woman's outcries--whether the girl will come willinglyor 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 clearlyand merrily as a child at play--and besides that they starve her in hercage."
"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 theywere Egyptians, then indeed! They are not to be taken in their nestswithout getting pecked; but here, as I have said, we have to deal withGreeks. What have you to fear from them? For aught I care you mayleave our Hebe where she is, but I was once much pleased with theserepresentations, and to-morrow morning, as soon as I have slept, Ishall return to Alexandria, if you do not carry them into effect, andso deprive me, Heracles, of the bride chosen for me by the gods. I havesaid 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 inthe next room. They are already merry, and it must be getting late."
With these words Euergetes rose from his couch, and beckoned to Hieraxand a chamberlain, who arranged the folds of his transparent robe, whilePhilometor and Cleopatra whispered together, shrugging their shouldersand shaking their heads; and Publius, pressing his hand on theCorinthian's wrist, said in his ear: "You will not give them any helpif you value our friendship; we will leave as soon as we can do so withpropriety."
Euergetes did not like to be kept waiting. He was already going towardsthe door, when Cleopatra called him back, and said pleasantly, but withgentle reproachfulness:
"You know that we are willing to follow the Egyptian custom of carryingout as far as possible the wishes of a friend and brother for hisbirthday festival; but for that very reason it is not right in you totry to force us into a proceeding which we refuse with difficulty, andyet cannot carry out without exposing ourselves to the most unpleasantconsequences. We beg you to make some other demand on us, and we willcertainly grant it if it lies in our power."
The young colossus responded to his sister's appeal with a loud shoutof laughter, waved his arm with a flourish of his hand expressive ofhaughty indifference; and then he exclaimed:
"The only thing I really had a fancy for out of all your possessions youare not willing to concede, and so I must abide by my word--or I go onmy way."
Again Cleopatra and her husband exchanged a few muttered words and rapidglances, Euergetes watching them the while; his legs straddled apart,his huge body bent forward, and his hands resting on his hips. Hisattitude expressed so much arrogance and puerile, defiant, unrulyaudacity, that Cleopatra found it difficult to suppress an exclamationof disgust before she spoke.
"We are indeed brethren," she said, "and so, for the sake of the peacewhich has been restored and preserved with so much difficulty, we givein. The best way will be to request Asclepiodorus--"
But here Euergetes interrupted the queen, clapping his hands loudly andlaughing:
"That is right, sister! only find me my Hebe! How you do it is youraffair, and is all the same to me. To-morrow evening we will have arehearsal, and the day after we will give a representation of which ourgrandchildren shall repeat the fame. Nor shall a brilliant audience belacking, for my complimentary visitors with their priestly splendorand array of arms will, it is to be hoped, arrive punctually. Come, mylords, we will go, and see what there is good to drink or to listen toat the table in the next room."
The doors were opened; music, loud talking, the jingle of cups, and thenoise of laughter sounded through them into the room where the princeshad been supping, and all the king's guests followed Euergetes, with theexception of Eulaeus. Cleopatra allowed them to depart without speakinga word; only to Publius she said: "Till we meet again!" but she detainedthe Corinthian, saying:
"You, Lysias, are the cause of this provoking business. Try now torepair the mischief by bringing the girl to us. Do not hesitate! I willguard her, protect her with the greatest care, rely upon me."
"She is a modest maiden," replied Lysias, "and will not accompanyme willingly, I am sure. When I proposed her for the part of Hebe Icertainly supposed that a word from you, the king and queen, wouldsuffice to induce the head of the temple to entrust her to you for a fewhours of harmless amusement. Pardon me if I too quit you now; I have thekey of my friend's chest still in my possession, and must restore it tohim."
"Shall we have her carried off secretly?" asked Cleopatra of herhusband, when the Corinthian had followed the other guests.
"Only let us have no scandal, no violence," cried Philometor anxiously."The best way would be for me to write to Asclepiodorus, and beg him ina friendly manner to entrust this girl--Ismene or Irene, or whatever theill-starred child's name is--for a few days to you, Cleopatra, for yourpleasure. I can offer him a prospect of an addition to the gift of landI made today, and which fell far short of his demands."
"Let me entreat your majesty," interposed Eulaeus, who was now alonewith the royal couple, "let me entreat you not to make any greatpromises on this occasion, for the moment you do so Asclepiodorus willattribute an importance to your desire--"
"Which it is far from having, and must not seem to have," interruptedthe queen. "It is preposterous to waste so many words about amiserable creature, a water-carrying girl, and to go through so muchdisturbance--but how are we to put an end to it all? What is youradvice, Eulaeus?"
"I thank you for that enquiry, noble princess," replied Eulaeus. "Mylord, the king, in my opinion, should have the girl carried off, butnot with any violence, nor by a man--whom she would hardly follow soimmediately as is necessary--but by a woman.
"I am thinking of the old Egyptian tale of 'The Two Brothers,' which youare acquainted with. The Pharaoh desired to possess himself of the wifeof the younger one, who lived on the Mount of Cedars, and he sent armedmen to fetch her away; but only one of them came back to him, for Batauhad slain all the others. Then a woman was sent with splendid ornaments,such as women love, and the fair one followed her unresistingly to thepalace.
"We may spare the ambassadors, and send only the woman; your lady inwaiting, Zoe, will execute this commission admirably. Who can blame usin any way if a girl, who loves finery, runs away from her keepers?"
"But all the world will see her as Hebe," sighed Philometor, "andproclaim us--the sovereign protectors of the worship of Serapis--asviolators of the temple, if Asclepiodorus leads the cry. No, no, thehigh-priest must first be courteously applied to. In the case ofhis raising any difficulties, but not otherwise, shall Zoe make theattempt."
"So be it then," said the queen, as if it were her part to express herconfirmation of her husband's proposition.
"Let your lady accompany me," begged Eulaeus, "and prefer your requestto Asclepiodorus. While I am speaking with the high-priest, Zoe can atany rate win over the girl, and whatever we do must be done to-morrow,or the Roman will be beforehand with us. I know that he has cast an eyeon Irene, who is in fact most lovely. He gives her flowers, feeds hispet bird with pheasants and peaches and other sweetmeats, lets himselfbe lured into the Serapeum by his lady-love as often as possible, staysthere whole hours, and piously follows the processions, in order topresent the violets with which you graciously honored him by giving themto his fair one--who no doubt would rather wear royal flowers than anyothers--"
"Liar!" cried the queen, interrupting the courtier in such violentexcitement and such ungoverned rage, so completely beside herself, thather husband drew back startled.
"You are a slanderer! a base calumniator! The Roman attacks you withnaked weapons, but you slink in the dark, like a scorpion, and tryto sting your enemy in the heel. Apelles, the painter, warns us--thegrandchildren of Lagus--against folks of your kidney in the picture hepainted against Antiphilus; as I look at you I am reminded of his Demonof Calumny. The same spite and malice gleam in your eyes as in hers, andthe same fury and greed for some victim, fire your flushed face! Howyou would rejoice if the youth whom Apelles has represented Calumny asclutching by the hair, could but be Publius! and if only the lean andhollow-eyed form of Envy, and the loathsome female figures of Cunningand Treachery would come to your did as they have to hers! But Iremember too the steadfast and truthful glance of the boy she has flungto the ground, his arms thrown up to heaven, appealing for protectionto the goddess and the king--and though Publius Scipio is man enoughto guard himself against open attack, I will protect him against beingsurprised from an ambush! Leave this room! Go, I say, and you shall seehow we punish slanderers!"
At these words Eulaeus flung himself at the queen's feet, but she,breathing hurriedly and with quivering nostrils, looked away over hishead as if she did not even see him, till her husband came towards her,and said in a voice of most winning gentleness:
"Do not condemn him unheard, and raise him from his abasement. At leastgive him the opportunity of softening your indignation by bringing thewater-bearer here without angering Asclepiodorus. Carry out this affairwell, Eulaeus, and you will find in me an advocate with Cleopatra."
The king pointed to the door, and Eulaeus retired, bowing deeply andfinding his way out backwards. Philometer, now alone with his wife, saidwith mild reproach:
"How could you abandon yourself to such unmeasured anger? So faithfuland prudent a servant--and one of the few still living of those towhom our mother was attached--cannot be sent away like a mere clumsyattendant. Besides, what is the great crime he has committed? Is it aslander which need rouse you to such fury when a cautious old man saysin all innocence of a young one--a man belonging to a world which knowsnothing of the mysterious sanctity of Serapis--that he has taken a fancyto a girl, who is admired by all who see her, that he seeks her out, andgives her flowers--"
"Gives her flowers?" exclaimed Cleopatra, breaking out afresh. "No, heis accused of persecuting a maiden attached to Serapis--to Serapis Isay. But it is simply false, and you would be as angry as I am if youwere ever capable of feeling manly indignation, and if you did not wantto make use of Eulaeus for many things, some of which I know, and otherswhich you choose to conceal from me. Only let him fetch the girl; andwhen once we have her here, and if I find that the Roman's indictmentagainst Eulaeus--which I will hear to-morrow morning--is well founded,you shall see that I have manly vigor enough for both of us. Come awaynow; they are waiting for us in the other room."
The queen gave a call, and chamberlains and servants hurried in; hershell-shaped litter was brought, and in a few minutes, with her husbandby her side, she was borne into the great peristyle where the grandeesof the court, the commanders of the troops, the most prominent of theofficials of the Egyptian provinces, many artists and savants, and theambassadors from foreign powers, were reclining on long rows of couches,and talking over their wine, the feast itself being ended.
The Greeks and the dark-hued Egyptians were about equally represented inthis motley assembly; but among them, and particularly among the learnedand the fighting men, there were also several Israelites and Syrians.
The royal pair were received by the company with acclamations and marksof respect; Cleopatra smiled as sweetly as ever, and waved her fangraciously as she descended from her litter; still she vouchsafed notthe slightest attention to any one present, for she was seeking Publius,at first among those who were nearest to the couch prepared for her,and then among the other Hellenes, the Egyptians, the Jews, theambassadors--still she found him not, and when at last she enquired forthe Roman of the chief chamberlain at her side, the official was sentfor who had charge of the foreign envoys. This was an officer of veryhigh rank, whose duty it was to provide for the representatives offoreign powers, and he was now near at hand, for he had long beenwaiting for an opportunity to offer to the queen a message ofleave-taking from Publius Cornelius Scipio, and to tell her from him,that he had retired to his tent because a letter had come to him fromRome.
"Is that true?" asked the queen letting her feather fan droop, andlooking her interlocutor severely in the face.
"The trireme Proteus, coming from Brundisium, entered the harborof Eunostus only yesterday," he replied; "and an hour ago a mountedmessenger brought the letter. Nor was it an ordinary letter but adespatch from the Senate--I know the form and seal."
"And Lysias, the Corinthian?"
"He accompanied the Roman."
"Has the Senate written to him too?" asked the queen annoyed, andironically. She turned her back on the officer without any kind ofcourtesy, and turning again to the chamberlain she went on, in incisivetones, as if she were presiding at a trial:
"King Euergetes sits there among the Egyptians near the envoys fromthe temples of the Upper Country. He looks as if he were giving them adiscourse, and they hang on his lips. What is he saying, and what doesall this mean?"
"Before you came in, he was sitting with the Syrians and Jews, andtelling them what the merchants and scribes, whom he sent to the South,have reported of the lands lying near the lakes through which the Nileis said to flow. He thinks that new sources of wealth have revealedthemselves not far from the head of the sacred river which can hardlyflow in from the ocean, as the ancients supposed."
"And now?" asked Cleopatra. "What information is he giving to theEgyptians?"
The chamberlain hastened towards Euergetes' couch, and soon returned tothe queen--who meanwhile had exchanged a few friendly words with Onias,the Hebrew commander--and informed her in a low tone that the kingwas interpreting a passage from the Timaeus of Plato, in which Soloncelebrates the lofty wisdom of the priests of Sais; he was speaking withmuch spirit, and the Egyptians received it with loud applause.
Cleopatra's countenance darkened more and more, but she concealed itbehind her fan, signed to Philometor to approach, and whispered to him:
"Keep near Euergetes; he has a great deal too much to say to theEgyptians. He is extremely anxious to stand well with them, and thosewhom he really desires to please are completely entrapped by hisportentous amiability. He has spoiled my evening, and I shall leave youto yourselves."
"Till to-morrow, then."
"I shall hear the Roman's complaint up on my roof-terrace; there isalways a fresh air up there. If you wish to be present I will send foryou, but first I would speak to him alone, for he has received lettersfrom the Senate which may contai
n something of importance. So, tillto-morrow."