her). A child at its breast! A divine child!

THE GIRL. Come up quickly. You must get up at its side and creep
round.

CAESAR (amazed). Who are you?

THE GIRL. Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt.

CAESAR. Queen of the Gypsies, you mean.

CLEOPATRA. You must not be disrespectful to me, or the Sphinx
will let the Romans eat you. Come up. It is quite cosy here.

CAESAR (to himself). What a dream! What a magnificent dream! Only
let me not wake, and I will conquer ten continents to pay for
dreaming it out to the end. (He climbs to the Sphinx's flank, and
presently reappears to her on the pedestal, stepping round its
right shoulder.)

CLEOPATRA. Take care. That's right. Now sit down: you may have
its other paw. (She seats herself comfortably on its left paw.)
It is very powerful and will protect us; but (shivering, and with
plaintive loneliness) it would not take any notice of me or keep
me company. I am glad you have come: I was very lonely. Did you
happen to see a white cat anywhere?

CAESAR (sitting slowly down on the right paw in extreme
wonderment). Have you lost one?