She was beautiful and fascinating still, but she began to grow selfish, heartless, and designing.

Her little brother,--he was but eleven years of age, it will be recollected, when Caesar arranged the marriage between them,--was an object of jealousy to her.

He was now, of course, too young to take any actual share in the exercise of the royal power, or to interfere at all in his sister's plans or pleasures.

But then he was growing older.

In a few years he would be fifteen,--which was the period of life fixed upon by Caesar's arrangements, and, in fact, by the laws and usages of the Egyptian kingdom,--when he was to come into possession of power as king, and as the husband of Cleopatra.