She said only a few kind words, but in a voice which seemed to penetrate the inmost depths of her heart and bind her with invisible threads.

Meanwhile Barine's eyes met those of her sovereign, and at first they roused an ardent desire to press her lips even on the hem of her robe, but afterwards she felt as if a venomous serpent had crawled out of the most beautiful flower.
Here Archibius interrupted her with the remark that he remembered perfectly how, after the song, Antony had addressed her at the same time as the Queen, and Cleopatra lacked no feminine weakness.
"Jealousy ?" asked Barine, in astonishment.

"I was not presumptuous enough to admit it.

I secretly feared that Alexas, the brother of Philostratus, had prejudiced her.

He is as ill-disposed towards me as the man who was my husband.