Sardou's Cleopatra — page 196: what you’re looking at

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

SARDOU’S CLEOPATRA. 181 Fear not. The general has given you leave to speak.” “Alas, my lord,” faltered Diomedes, “that I should have to say it. On your departure your place was usurped: by another.” “Liar!” roared Antony, now livid with rage; “his name, slave, his name!” But Diomedes was now so alarmed that his lips could scarcely frame the word: ‘“Kephren,” but low as it was uttered, Antony caught it. “Kephren!” he exclaimed. ‘“Kephren!” Diomedes started back before the fury he had roused; but Ventidius was nothing daunted. He had heard the story before from the Egyptian’s lips, and, false though it was, had been deceived ‘by it. So he thoroughly believed that he was speaking the truth, when he said: “Yes, my lord, Kephren, the captain of the euard, whose passion for the queen has long been no secret, is now the favored one. A slave,a lackey, now governs Egypt.” Once more, in mad fury, was Antony’s hand raised to strike, but, as he met Ventidius eyes, it dropped again. Even in his anger, he could not _ find it in his heart to offer a blow to his old and comicbooks:-co