POTHINUS. I will deal plainly. I know not by what strange gods you have been enabled to defend a palace and a few yards of beach against a city and an army. Since we cut you off from Lake Mareotis, and you dug wells in the salt sea sand and brought up buckets of fresh water from them, we have known that your gods are irresistible, and that you are a worker of miracles. I no longer threaten you---- RUFIO (_sarcastically_). Very handsome of you, indeed. POTHINUS. So be it: you are the master. Our gods sent the north west winds to keep you in our hands; but you have been too strong for them. CAESAR (_gently urging him to come to the point_). Yes, yes, my friend. But what then? RUFIO. Spit it out, man. What have you to say? POTHINUS. I have to say that you have a traitress in your camp. Cleopatra---- THE MAJOR-DOMO (_at the table, announcing_). The Queen! (_Caesar and Rufio rise._) RUFIO (_aside to Pothinus_). You should have spat it out sooner, you fool. Now it is too late. _Cleopatra, in gorgeous raiment, enters in state through the gap in the colonnade, and comes down past the image of Ra and past the table to Caesar. Her retinue, headed by Ftatateeta, joins the staff at the table. Caesar gives Cleopatra his seat, which she takes._ CLEOPATRA (_quickly, seeing Pothinus_). What is _he_ doing here? CAESAR (_seating himself beside her, in the most amiable of tempers_). Just going to tell me something about you. You shall hear it. Proceed, Pothinus. POTHINUS (_disconcerted_). Caesar-- (_He stammers._) CAESAR. Well, out with it. POTHINUS. What I have to say is for your ear, not for the Queen's. CLEOPATRA (_with subdued ferocity_). There are means of making you speak. Take care. POTHINUS (_defiantly_). Caesar does not employ those means. CAESAR. My friend: when a man has anything to tell in this world, the difficulty is not to make him tell it, but to prevent him from telling it too often. Let me celebrate my birthday by setting you free. Farewell: we'll not meet again. CLEOPATRA (_angrily_). Caesar: this mercy is foolish. POTHINUS (_to Caesar_). Will you not give me a private audience? Your life may depend on it. (_Caesar rises loftily._) RUFIO (_aside to Pothinus_). Ass! Now we shall have some heroics. CAESAR (_oratorically_). Pothinus---- RUFIO (_interrupting him_). Caesar: the dinner will spoil if you begin preaching your favourite sermon about life and death. CLEOPATRA (_priggishly_). Peace, Rufio. I desire to hear Caesar. RUFIO (_bluntly_). Your Majesty has heard it before. You repeated it to Apollodorus last week; and he thought it was all your own. (_Caesar's dignity collapses. Much tickled, he sits down again and looks roguishly at Cleopatra, who is furious. Rufio calls as before_) Ho there, guard! Pass the prisoner out. He is released. (_To Pothinus_) Now off with you. You have lost your chance. POTHINUS (_his temper overcoming his prudence_). I _will_ speak.