Sardou's Cleopatra — page 174: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SARDOU’S CLEOPATRA. . 159 patra, he had watched in a state of feverish excite- ment for the coming of the queen. He was moody, absent-minded, and silent, with no thoughts but for the queen’s arrival, and no inter- est in any other plans. He was constantly on the look-out for her, and he would frequently wander away alone by himself to the shore, and, gazing out upon the sea, torture himself with speculations as to whether she would come. Even the arrival of the fleet and army of Oc- tavius, which was of such dire import, roused him but little. In vain did Ventidius and the other leaders urge him to action, in vain were the signs of dissatisfaction among his followers pointed out to him; he refused to make any move or declare any decision as to the future, until Cleopatra’s coming was no longer in doubt. Beneath a clump of trees, at a little distance from the moody general, stood Ventidius, Derce- tas and Eros. This dotage of Antony’s had driven them to their wits’ end. ‘There was notling more to be done save wait and pray to tlie gods for some miracle to restore to them their leader in all his old-time force and brilliancy. Suddenly Ventidius started, and, grasping Dercetas by the arm, he pointed down the wind- VJeEomicbooks (ee) =)