Isawtheomen，andeveninthebitteranguishofmyheartknewitsevilimport。Butthesetwaintooknonote。”Thoulovestme？”shesaid，mostsweetly；”howknowIthatthoulovestme？PerchanceitisFulviawhomthoulovest——Fulvia，thyweddedwife？””Nay，itisnotFulvia，’tisthou，Cleopatra，andthoualone。Manywomenhavelookedfavourablyuponmefrommyboyhoodup，buttoneveraonehaveIknownsuchdesireastothee，OthouWonderoftheWorld，likeuntowhomnowomaneverwas！Canstthouloveme，Cleopatra，andtomebetrue，notformyplaceorpower，notforthatwhichIcangiveorcanwithhold，notforthesternmusicofmylegion’stramp，orforthelightthatflowsfrommybrightStarofFortune；butformyself，forthesakeofAntony，theroughcaptain，grownoldincamps？
Ay，forthesakeofAntonythereveller，thefrail，theunfixedofpurpose，butwhoyetneverdiddesertafriend，orrobapoorman，ortakeanenemyunawares？Say，canstthouloveme，Egypt？Oh！ifthouwilt，why，IammorehappythanthoughIsatto-nightintheCapitolatRomecrownedabsoluteMonarchoftheWorld！”
And，everashespoke，shegazedonhimwithwonderfuleyes，andinthemshonealightoftruthandhonestysuchaswasstrangetome。”Thouspeakestplainly，”shesaid，”andthywordsaresweettomineears——theywouldbesweet，evenwerethingsotherwisethantheyare，forwhatwomanwouldnotlovetoseetheworld’smasteratherfeet？
Butthingsbeingastheyare，why，Antony，whatcanbesosweetasthysweetwords？Theharbourofhisresttothestorm-tossedmariner——
surelythatissweet！ThedreamofHeaven’sblisswhichcheersthepoorasceticpriestonhispathofsacrifice——surelythatissweet！