caesar and cleopatra-第14章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
APOLLODORUS。 Fear not； thou venerable grotesque： I guess its
great worth。 （To the porters） Down with it； I say； and gently； or
ye shall eat nothing but stick for ten days。
The boatman goes down the steps； followed by the porters with the
bale： Ftatateeta and Apollodorus watching from the edge。
APOLLODORUS。 Gently； my sons； my children（with sudden alarm）
gently； ye dogs。 Lay it level in the sternso'tis well。
FTATATEETA （screaming down at one of the porters）。 Do not step on
it； do not step on it。 Oh thou brute beast！
FIRST PORTER （ascending）。 Be not excited； mistress： all is well。
FTATATEETA （panting）。 All well！ Oh； thou hast given my heart a
turn！ （She clutches her side； gasping。）
The four porters have now come up and are waiting at the
stairhead to be paid。
APOLLODORUS。 Here； ye hungry ones。 （He gives money to the first
porter； who holds it in his hand to show to the others。 They
crowd greedily to see how much it is； quite prepared； after the
Eastern fashion； to protest to heaven against their patron's
stinginess。 But his liberality overpowers them。）
FIRST PORTER。 O bounteous prince！
SECOND PORTER。 O lord of the bazaar！
THIRD PORTER。 O favored of the gods！
FOURTH PORTER。 O father to all the porters of the market！
SENTINEL （enviously； threatening them fiercely with his pilum）。
Hence； dogs： off。 Out of this。 （They fly before him northward
along the quay。）
APOLLODORUS。 Farewell； Ftatateeta。 I shall be at the lighthouse
before the Egyptians。 （He descends the steps。）
FTATATEETA。 The gods speed thee and protect my nursling！
The sentry returns from chasing the porters and looks down at the
boat； standing near the stairhead lest Ftatateeta should attempt
to escape。
APOLLODORUS （from beneath； as the boat moves off）。 Farewell；
valiant pilum pitcher。
SENTINEL。 Farewell shopkeeper。
APOLLODORUS。 Ha； ha！ Pull； thou brave boatman； pull。 So
Ho…o…o…o…o！ （He begins to sing in barcarolle measure to the
rhythm of the oars）
My heart； my heart； spread out thy wings：
Shake off thy heavy load of love
Give me the oars； O son of a snail。
SENTINEL （threatening Ftatateeta）。 Now mistress： back to your
henhouse。 In with you。
FTATATEETA （falling on her knees and stretching her hands over
the waters）。 Gods of the seas； bear her safely to the shore！
SENTINEL。 Bear WHO safely？ What do you mean？
FTATATEETA （looking darkly at him）。 Gods of Egypt and of
Vengeance； let this Roman fool be beaten like a dog by his
captain for suffering her to be taken over the waters。
SENTINEL。 Accursed one： is she then in the boat？ （He calls over
the sea） Hoiho； there； boatman！ Hoiho！
APOLLODORUS （singing in the distance）。
My heart； my heart； be whole and free：
Love is thine only enemy。
Meanwhile Rufio； the morning's fighting done； sits munching dates
on a faggot of brushwood outside the door of the lighthouse；
which towers gigantic to the clouds on his left。 His helmet； full
of dates； is between his knees； and a leathern bottle of wine is
by his side。 Behind him the great stone pedestal of the
lighthouse is shut in from the open sea by a low stone parapet；
with a couple of steps in the middle to the broad coping。 A huge
chain with a hook hangs down from the lighthouse crane above his
head。 Faggots like the one he sits on lie beneath it ready to be
drawn up to feed the beacon。
Caesar is standing on the step at the parapet looking out
anxiously； evidently ill at ease。 Britannus comes out of the
lighthouse door。
RUFIO。 Well； my British islander。 Have you been up to the top？
BRITANNUS。 I have。 I reckon it at 200 feet high。
RUFIO。 Anybody up there？
BRITANNUS。 One elderly Tyrian to work the crane； and his son； a
well conducted youth of 14。
RUFIO （looking at the chain）。 What！ An old man and a boy work
that！ Twenty men； you mean。
BRITANNUS。 Two only； I assure you。 They have counterweights； and
a machine with boiling water in it which I do not understand： it
is not of British design。 They use it to haul up barrels of oil
and faggots to burn in the brazier on the roof。
RUFIO。 But
BRITANNUS。 Excuse me： I came down because there are messengers
coming along the mole to us from the island。 I must see what
their business is。 （He hurries out past the lighthouse。）
CAESAR （coming away from the parapet； shivering and out of
sorts）。 Rufio： this has been a mad expedition。 We shall be
beaten。 I wish I knew how our men are getting on with that
barricade across the great mole。
RUFIO （angrily）。 Must I leave my food and go starving to bring
you a report？
CAESAR （soothing him nervously）。 No； Rufio； no。 Eat； my son。 Eat。
（He takes another turn； Rufio chewing dates meanwhile。） The
Egyptians cannot be such fools as not to storm the barricade and
swoop down on us here before it is finished。 It is the first time
I have ever run an avoidable risk。 I should not have come to
Egypt。
RUFIO。 An hour ago you were all for victory。
CAESAR （apologetically）。 Yes： I was a foolrash； Rufioboyish。
RUFIO。 Boyish！ Not a bit of it。 Here。 （Offering him a handful of
dates。）
CAESAR。 What are these for？
RUFIO。 To eat。 That's what's the matter with you。 When a man
comes to your age； he runs down before his midday meal。 Eat and
drink； and then have another look at our chances。
CAESAR （taking the dates）。 My age！ （He shakes his head and bites
a date。） Yes； Rufio： I am an old manworn out nowtrue； quite
true。 （He gives way to melancholy contemplation； and eats another
date。） Achillas is still in his prime： Ptolemy is a boy。 （He eats
another date； and plucks up a little。） Well； every dog has his
day； and I have had mine： I cannot complain。 （With sudden
cheerfulness） These dates are not bad； Rufio。 （Britannus returns；
greatly excited； with a leathern bag。 Caesar is himself again in
a moment。） What now？
BRITANNUS （triumphantly）。 Our brave Rhodian mariners have
captured a treasure。 There！ （He throws the bag down at Caesar's
feet。） Our enemies are delivered into our hands。
CAESAR。 In that bag？
BRITANNUS。 Wait till you hear； Caesar。 This bag contains all the
letters which have passed between Pompey's party and the army of
occupation here。
CAESAR。 Well？
BRITANNUS （impatient of Caesar's slowness to grasp the
situation）。 Well； we shall now know who your foes are。 The name
of every man who has plotted against you since you crossed the
Rubicon may be in these papers； for all we know。
CAESAR。 Put them in the fire。
BRITANNUS。 Put them（he gasps）！！！！
CAESAR。 In the fire。 Would you have me waste the next three years
of my life in proscribing and condemning men who will be my
friends when I have proved that my friendship is worth more than
Pompey's wasthan Cato's is。 O incorrigible British islander： am
I a bull dog； to seek quarrels merely to show how stubborn my
jaws are？
BRITANNUS。 But your honorthe honor of Rome
CAESAR。 I do not make human sacrifices to my honor； as your
Druids do。 Since you will not burn these； at least I can drown
them。 （He picks up the bag and throws it over the parapet into
the sea。）
BRITANNUS。 Caesar： this is mere eccentricity。 Are traitors to be
allowed to go free for the sake of a paradox？
RUFIO （rising）。 Caesar： when the islander has finished preaching；
call me again。 I am going to have a look at the boiling water
machine。 （He goes into the lighthouse。）
BRITANNUS （with genuine feeling）。 O Caesar； my great master； if I
could but persuade you to regard life seriously； as men do in my
country！
CAESAR。 Do they truly do so； Britannus？
BRITANNUS。 Have you not been there？ Have you not seen them？ What
Briton speaks as you do in your moments of levity？ What Briton
neglects to attend the services at the sacred grove？ What Briton
wears clothes of many colors as you do； instead of plain blue； as
all solid； well esteemed men should？ These are moral questions
with us。
CAESAR。 Well； well； my friend： some day I shall settle down and
have a blue toga； perhaps。 Meanwhile； I must get on as best I can
in my flippant Roman way。 （Apollodorus comes past the
lighthouse。） What now？
BRITANNUS （turning quickly； and challenging the stranger with
official haughtiness）。 What is this？ Who ar
