cleopatra-第24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！



now　to　the　secret　of　thy　vision。　It　was　C？sar's　self　thou　sawest

coming　to　thy　side　from　Amenti　in　such　a　guise　as　might　not　be

mistaken。　When　he　embraced　the　child　C？sarion　he　did　it　for　a　sign

that　to　him；　and　him　alone；　had　passed　his　greatness　and　his　love。

When　he　seemed　to　lead　him　hence　he　led　him　forth　from　Egypt　to　be

crowned　in　the　Capitol；　crowned　the　Emperor　of　Rome　and　Lord　of　all

the　Lands。　For　the　rest；　I　know　not。　It　is　hid　from　me。〃



Thus；　then；　I　read　the　vision；　though　to　my　sense　it　had　a　darker

meaning。　But　it　is　not　well　to　prophesy　evil　unto　Kings。



Meanwhile　Cleopatra　had　risen；　and；　having　thrown　back　the　gnat　gauze；

was　seated　upon　the　edge　of　her　couch；　her　eyes　fixed　upon　my　face；

while　her　fingers　played　with　her　girdle's　jewelled　ends。



〃Of　a　truth；〃　she　cried；　〃thou　art　the　best　of　all　magicians；　for　thou

readest　my　heart；　and　drawest　a　hidden　sweet　out　of　the　rough　shell　of

evil　omen！〃



〃Ay；　O　Queen；〃　said　Charmion；　who　stood　by　with　downcast　eyes；　and　I

thought　that　there　was　bitter　meaning　in　her　soft　tones；　〃may　no

rougher　words　ever　affront　thy　ears；　and　no　evil　presage　tread　less

closely　upon　its　happy　sense。〃



Cleopatra　placed　her　hands　behind　her　head　and；　leaning　back；　looked

at　me　with　half…shut　eyes。



〃Come；　show　us　of　thy　magic；　Egyptian；〃　she　said。　〃It　is　yet　hot

abroad；　and　I　am　weary　of　those　Hebrew　Ambassadors　and　their　talk　of

Herod　and　Jerusalem。　I　hate　that　Herod；　as　he　shall　findand　will

have　none　of　the　Ambassadors　to…day；　though　I　yearn　a　little　to　try　my

Hebrew　on　them。　What　canst　thou　do？　Hast　thou　no　new　trick？　By

Serapis！　if　thou　canst　conjure　as　well　as　thou　canst　prophesy；　thou

shalt　have　a　place　at　Court；　with　pay　and　perquisites　to　boot；　if　thy

lofty　soul　does　not　scorn　perquisites。〃



〃Nay；〃　I　answered；　〃all　tricks　are　old；　but　there　are　some　forms　of

magic　to　be　rarely　used；　and　with　discretion；　that　may　be　new　to　thee；

O　Queen！　Art　thou　afraid　to　venture　on　the　charm？〃



〃I　fear　nothing；　go　on　and　do　thy　worst。　Come；　Charmion；　and　sit　by

me。　But；　stay；　where　are　all　the　girls？Iras　and　Merira？they；　too；

love　magic。〃



〃Not　so；〃　I　said；　〃the　charms　work　ill　before　so　many。　Now　behold！〃

and；　gazing　at　the　twain；　I　cast　my　wand　upon　the　marble　and　murmured

a　spell。　For　a　moment　it　was　still；　and　then；　as　I　muttered；　the　rod

slowly　began　to　writhe。　It　bent　itself；　it　stood　on　end；　and　moved　of

its　own　motion。　Next　it　put　on　scales；　and　behold　it　was　a　serpent

that　crawled　and　fiercely　hissed。



〃Fie　on　thee！〃　cried　Cleopatra；　clapping　her　hands；　〃callest　thou　that

magic？　Why；　it　is　an　old　trick　that　any　wayside　conjurer　can　do。　I

have　seen　it　a　score　of　times。〃



〃Wait；　O　Queen；〃　I　answered；　〃thou　hast　not　seen　all。〃　And；　as　I

spoke；　the　serpent　seemed　to　break　in　fragments；　and　from　each

fragment　grew　a　new　serpent。　And　these；　too；　broke　in　fragments　and

bred　others；　till　in　a　little　while　the　place；　to　their　glamoured

sight；　was　a　seething　sea　of　snakes；　that　crawled；　hissed；　and　knotted

themselves　in　knots。　Then　I　made　a　sign；　and　the　serpents　gathered

themselves　round　me；　and　seemed　slowly　to　twine　themselves　about　my

body　and　my　limbs；　till；　save　my　face；　I　was　wreathed　thick　with

hissing　snakes。



〃Oh；　horrible！　horrible！〃　cried　Charmion；　hiding　her　countenance　in

the　skirt　of　the　Queen's　garment。



〃Nay；　enough；　Magician；　enough！〃　said　the　Queen：　〃thy　magic　overwhelms

us。〃



I　waved　my　snake…wrapped　arms；　and　all　was　gone。　There　at　my　feet　lay

the　black　wand　tipped　with　ivory；　and　naught　beside。



The　two　women　looked　upon　each　other　and　gasped　with　wonder。　But　I

took　up　the　wand　and　stood　with　folded　arms　before　them。



〃Is　the　Queen　content　with　my　poor　art？〃　I　asked　most　humbly。



〃Ay；　that　I　am；　Egyptian；　never　did　I　see　its　like！　Thou　art　Court

astronomer　from　this　day　forward；　with　right　of　access　to　the　Queen's

presence。　Hast　thou　more　of　such　magic　at　thy　call？〃



〃Yea；　royal　Egypt；　suffer　that　the　chamber　be　a　little　darkened；　and　I

will　show　thee　one　more　thing。〃



〃Half　am　I　afraid；〃　she　answered；　〃nevertheless　do　thou　as　this

Harmachis　says；　Charmion。〃



So　the　curtains　were　drawn　and　the　chamber　made　as　though　the　twilight

were　at　hand。　I　came　forward；　and　stood　beside　Cleopatra。　〃Gaze　thou

there！〃　I　said　sternly；　pointing　with　my　wand　to　the　empty　space　where

I　had　been；　〃and　thou　shalt　behold　that　which　is　in　thy　mind。〃



Then　for　a　little　space　was　silence；　while　the　two　women　gazed　fixedly

and　half　fearful　at　the　spot。



And　as　they　gazed　a　cloud　gathered　before　them。　Very　slowly　it　took

shape　and　form；　and　the　form　it　took　was　the　form　of　a　man；　though　as

yet　he　was　but　vaguely　mapped　upon　the　twilight；　and　seemed　now　to

grow　and　now　to　melt　away。



Then　I　cried　with　a　loud　voice：



〃Spirit；　I　conjure　thee；　/appear！/〃



And　as　I　cried　the　Thing；　perfect　in　every　part；　leapt　into　form

before　us；　suddenly　as　the　flash　of　day。　His　shape　was　the　shape　of

royal　C？sar；　the　toga　thrown　about　his　face；　and　on　his　form　a

vestment　bloody　from　a　hundred　wounds。　An　instant　so　he　stood；　then　I

waved　my　wand　and　he　was　gone。



I　turned　to　the　two　women　on　the　couch；　and　saw　Cleopatra's　lovely

face　all　clothed　in　terror。　Her　lips　were　ashy　white；　her　eyes　stared

wide；　and　all　the　flesh　was　shaking　on　her　bones。



〃Man！〃　she　gasped；　〃man！　who　and　what　art　thou　who　canst　bring　the

dead　before　our　eyes？〃



〃I　am　the　Queen's　astronomer；　magician；　servantwhat　the　Queen

wills；〃　I　answered；　laughing。　〃Was　this　the　form　that　was　on　the

Queen's　mind？〃



She　made　no　answer；　but；　rising；　left　the　chamber　by　another　door。



Then　Charmion　rose　also　and　took　her　hands　from　her　face；　for　she；

too；　had　been　stricken　with　dread。



〃How　dost　thou　these　things；　royal　Harmachis？〃　she　said。　〃Tell　me；　for

of　a　truth　I　fear　thee。〃



〃Be　not　afraid；〃　I　answered。　〃Perchance　thou　didst　see　nothing　but

what　was　in　my　mind。　All　things　are　shadows。　How　canst　thou；　then；

know　their　nature；　or　what　is　and　what　only　seems　to　be？　But　how　goes

it？　Remember；　Charmion；　this　sport　is　played　to　an　end。〃



〃It　goes　well；〃　she　said。　〃By　to…morrow　morning's　dawn　these　tales

will　have　gone　round；　and　thou　wilt　be　more　feared　than　any　man　in

Alexandria。　Follow　me；　I　pray　thee。〃







CHAPTER　IV



OF　THE　WAYS　OF　CHARMION；　AND　OF　THE　CROWNING　OF　HARMACHIS

AS　THE　KING　OF　LOVE



On　the　following　day　I　received　the　writing　of　my　appointment　as

Astrologer　and　Magician…in…Chief　to　the　Queen；　with　the　pay　and

perquisites　of　that　office；　which　were　not　small。　Rooms　were　given　me

in　the　palace；　also；　through　which　I　passed　at　night　to　the　high

watch…tower；　whence　I　looked　on　the　stars　and　drew　their　auguries。　For

at　this　time　Cleopatra　was　much　troubled　about　matters　political；　and

not　knowing　how　the　great　struggle　among　the　Roman　factions　would　end；

but　being　very　desirous　to　side　with　the　strongest；　she　took　constant

counsel　with　me　as　to　the　warnings　of　the　stars。　These　I　read　to　her

in　such　manner　as　best　seemed　to　fit　the　high　interest　of　my　ends。　For

Antony；　the　Roman　Triumvir；　was　now　in　Asia　Minor；　and；　rumour　ran；

very　wroth　because　it　had　been　told　him　that　Cleopatra　was　hostile　to

the　Triumvirate；　in　that　her　General；　Serapion；　had　aided　Cassius。　But

Cleopatra　protested　loudly　to　me　and　others　that　Serapion　had　acted

against　her　will。　Yet　Charmion　told　me　that；　as　with　Allienus；　it　was

because　of　a　prophecy　of　Dioscorides　the　unlucky　that　the　Queen

herself　had　secretly　ordered　Serapion　so　to　do。　Still；　this　did　not

save　Serapion；　for　to　prove　to　Antony　that　she　was　innocent　she

dragged　the　General　from　the　sanctuary　and　slew　him。　Woe　be　to　those

who　carry　out　the　will　of　tyrants　if　the　scale　should　rise　against

them！　And　so　Serapion　perished。



Meanwhile　all　things　went　well　with　us；　for　the　minds　of　Cleopatra　and

those　about　her　were　so