CHAPTER VI.
CLEOPATRA AND Caesar.
Cleopatra's perplexity .-- She resolves To go to Alexandria .-- Cleopatra's message to Caesar .-- Caesar's reply .-- Apollodorus's stratagem .-- Cleopatra and Caesar--First impressions .-- Caesar's attachment .-- Caesar's wife .-- His fondness for Cleopatra .-- Cleopatra's foes .-- She commits her cause to Caesar .-- Caesar's pretensions .-- He sends for Ptolemy .-- Ptolemy's indignation .-- His complaints against Caesar .-- Great tumult in the city .-- Excitement of the populace .-- Caesar's forces--Ptolemy made prisoner .-- Caesar's address to the people .-- Its effects .-- The mob dispersed .-- Caesar convenes an assembly .-- Caesar's decision.
-- Satisfaction of the assembly .-- Festivals and rejoicings.
-- Pothinus and Achillas .-- Plot of Pothinus and Achillas .-- Escape of Achillas .-- March of the Egyptian army .-- Measures of Caesar.
-- Murder of the messengers .-- Intentions of Achillas--Cold-blooded assassination .-- Advance of Achillas--Caesar's arrangements for defense .-- Cleopatra and Ptolemy .-- Double dealing of Pothinus .-- He is detected .-- Pothinus beheaded--Arsinoe and Ganymede--Flight of Arsinoe--She is proclaimed queen by the army .-- Perplexity of the young Ptolemy.
In the mean time, while the events related in the last chapter were taking place at Alexandria, Cleopatra remained anxious and uneasy in her camp, quite uncertain, for a time, what it was best for her to do.

She wished to be at Alexandria.

She knew very well that Caesar's power in controlling the course of affairs in Egypt would necessarily be supreme.
She was, of course, very earnest in her desire to be able to present her cause before him.

As it was, Ptolemy and Pothinus were in communication with the arbiter, and, for aught she knew, assiduously cultivating his favor, while she was far away, her cause unheard, her wrongs unknown, and perhaps even her existence forgotten.

Of course, under such circumstances, she was very earnest to get to Alexandria.
But how to accomplish this purpose was a source of great perplexity.