She was familiar with one of the prisons, whose doors she had opened to many a hapless mortal whose disappearance, in her opinion, might be of service to the Queen.

She had deemed it a duty, aided by the Keeper of the Seal, to anticipate her mistress in cases where her kind heart would have found it difficult to pronounce a severe sentence, and Cleopatra had permitted it, though without commendation or praise.

What happened within its walls--thanks to the silence of the warder--never passed beyond the portals.

If Barine cursed her life there, she would still fare better than she, Iras, who during the past few nights had been on the brink of despair whenever she thought of the man who had disdained her love and abandoned her for another.
As the Syrian held out his hand to take leave, she asked bluntly "And Dion ?" "He cannot be set free," was the reply, "for he loves Barine; nay, the fool was on the eve of leading her home to his beautiful palace as its mistress." "Is that true, really true ?" asked Iras, whose cheeks and lips lost every tinge of colour, though she succeeded in maintaining her composure.
"He confessed it yesterday in a letter to his uncle, the Keeper of the Seal, in which he entreated him to do his utmost for his chosen bride, whom he would never resign.

But Zeno has no liking for this niece.