cleopatra-第31章

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〃Nay；　I　may　not　stay；　nor　is　it　wise　that　I　should　be　seen　with　thee。

Hold！〃　and　I　called　a　porter　who　was　idling　on　the　quay；　and；　giving

him　a　piece　of　money；　bade　him　guide　the　old　wife　to　the　house。



〃Farewell；〃　she　whispered；　〃farewell　till　to…morrow。　Be　steadfast　and

prosper。〃



Then　I　turned　and　went　my　way　through　the　crowded　streets；　where　the

people　made　place　for　me；　the　astronomer　of　Cleopatra；　for　my　fame　had

spread　abroad。



And　even　as　I　went　my　footsteps　seemed　to　beat　/Be　steadfast；　Be

steadfast；　Be　steadfast/；　till　at　last　it　was　as　though　the　very

ground　cried　out　its　warning　to　me。







CHAPTER　VII



OF　THE　VEILED　WORDS　OF　CHARMION；　OF　THE　PASSING　OF　HARMACHIS

INTO　THE　PRESENCE　OF　CLEOPATRA；　AND　OF　THE　OVERTHROW　OF　HARMACHIS



It　was　night；　and　I　sat　alone　in　my　chamber；　waiting　the　moment　when；

as　it　was　agreed；　Charmion　should　summon　me　to　pass　down　to　Cleopatra。

I　sat　alone；　and　there　before　me　lay　the　dagger　that　was　to　pierce

her。　It　was　long　and　keen；　and　the　handle　was　formed　of　a　sphinx　of

solid　gold。　I　sat　alone；　questioning　the　future；　but　no　answer　came。

At　length　I　looked　up；　and　Charmion　stood　before　meCharmion；　no

longer　gay　and　bright；　but　pale　of　face　and　hollow…eyed。



〃Royal　Harmachis；〃　she　said；　〃Cleopatra　summons　thee；　presently　to

declare　to　her　the　voices　of　the　stars。〃



So　the　hour　had　fallen！



〃It　is　well；　Charmion；〃　I　answered。　〃Are　all　things　in　order？〃



〃Yea；　my　Lord；　all　things　are　in　order：　well　primed　with　wine；　Paulus

guards　the　gates；　the　eunuchs　are　withdrawn　save　one；　the　legionaries

sleep；　and　already　Sepa　and　his　force　lie　hid　without。　Nothing　has

been　neglected；　and　no　lamb　skipping　at　the　shamble　doors　can　be　more

innocent　of　its　doom　than　is　Queen　Cleopatra。〃



〃It　is　well；〃　I　said　again；　〃let　us　be　going；〃　and　rising；　I　placed

the　dagger　in　the　bosom　of　my　robe。　Taking　a　cup　of　wine　that　stood

near；　I　drank　deep　of　it；　for　I　had　scarce　tasted　food　all　that　day。



〃One　word；〃　Charmion　said　hurriedly；　〃for　it　is　not　yet　time：　last

nightah；　last　night〃　and　her　bosom　heaved；　〃I　dreamed　a　dream　that

haunts　me　strangely；　and　perchance　thou　also　didst　dream　a　dream。　It

was　all　a　dream　and　'tis　forgotten：　is　it　not　so；　my　Lord？〃



〃Yes；　yes；〃　I　said；　〃why　troublest　thou　me　thus　at　such　an　hour？〃



〃Nay；　I　know　not；　but　to…night；　Harmachis；　Fate　is　in　labour　of　a

great　event；　and　in　her　painful　throes　mayhap　she'll　crush　me　in　her

gripme　or　thee；　or　the　twain　of　us；　Harmachis。　And　if　that　be　so

well；　I　would　hear　from　thee；　before　it　is　done；　that　'twas　naught　but

a　dream；　and　that　dream　forgot〃



〃Yes；　it　is　all　a　dream；〃　I　said　idly；　〃thou　and　I；　and　the　solid

earth；　and　this　heavy　night　of　terror；　ay；　and　this　keen　knifewhat

are　these　but　dreams；　and　with　what　face　shall　the　waking　come？〃



〃So　now；　thou　fallest　in　my　humour；　royal　Harmachis。　As　thou　sayest；

we　dream；　and　while　we　dream　yet　can　the　vision　change。　For　the

phantasies　of　dreams　are　wonderful；　seeing　that　they　have　no

stability；　but　vary　like　the　vaporous　edge　of　sunset　clouds；　building

now　this　thing；　and　now　that；　being　now　dark　and　heavy；　and　now　alight

with　splendour。　Therefore；　before　we　wake　to…morrow　tell　me　one　word。

Is　that　vision　of　last　night；　wherein　I　/seemed/　to　be　quite　shamed；

and　thou　didst　/seem/　to　laugh　upon　my　shame；　a　fixed　phantasy；　or　can

it；　perchance；　yet　change　its　countenance？　For　remember；　when　that

waking　comes；　the　vagaries　of　our　sleep　will　be　more　unalterable　and

more　enduring　than　are　the　pyramids。　Then　they　will　be　gathered　into

that　changeless　region　of　the　past　where　all　things；　great　and　small

ay；　even　dreams；　Harmachis；　are；　each　in　its　own　semblance；　frozen　to

stone　and　built　into　the　Tomb　of　Time　immortal。〃



〃Nay；　Charmion；〃　I　replied；　〃I　grieve　if　I　did　pain　thee；　but　over

that　vision　comes　no　change。　I　said　what　was　in　my　heart　and　there's

an　end。　Thou　art　my　cousin　and　my　friend；　I　can　never　be　more　to

thee。〃



〃It　is　well'tis　very　well；〃　she　said；　〃let　it　be　forgotten。　And　now

on　from　dreamto　dream；〃　and　she　smiled　with　such　a　smile　as　I　had

never　seen　her　wear　before；　it　was　sadder　and　more　fateful　than　any

stamp　that　grief　can　set　upon　the　brow。



For；　though　being　blinded　by　my　own　folly　and　the　trouble　at　my　heart

I　knew　it　not；　with　that　smile；　the　happiness　of　youth　died　for

Charmion　the　Egyptian；　the　hope　of　love　fled；　and　the　holy　links　of

duty　burst　asunder。　With　that　smile　she　consecrated　herself　to　Evil；

she　renounced　her　Country　and　her　Gods；　and　trampled　on　her　oath。　Ay；

that　smile　marks　the　moment　when　the　stream　of　history　changed　its

course。　For　had　I　never　seen　it　on　her　face　Octavianus　had　not

bestridden　the　world；　and　Egypt　had　once　more　been　free　and　great。



And　yet　it　was　but　a　woman's　smile！



〃Why　lookest　thou　thus　strangely；　girl？〃　I　asked。



〃In　dreams　we　smile；〃　she　answered。　〃And　now　it　is　time；　follow　thou

me。　Be　firm　and　prosper；　royal　Harmachis！〃　and　bending　forward　she

took　my　hand　and　kissed　it。　Then；　with　one　strange　last　look；　she

turned　and　led　the　way　down　the　stair　and　through　the　empty　halls。



In　the　chamber　that　is　called　the　Alabaster　Hall；　the　roof　of　which　is

upborne　by　columns　of　black　marble；　we　stayed。　For　beyond　was　the

private　chamber　of　Cleopatra；　the　same　in　which　I　had　seen　her

sleeping。



〃Abide　thou　here；〃　she　said；　〃while　I　tell　Cleopatra　of　thy　coming；〃

and　she　glided　from　my　side。



I　stood　for　long；　mayhap　in　all　the　half　of　an　hour；　counting　my　own

heart…beats；　and；　as　in　a　dream；　striving　to　gather　up　my　strength　to

that　which　lay　before　me。



At　length　Charmion　came　back；　her　head　held　low　and　walking　heavily。



〃Cleopatra　waits　thee；〃　she　said：　〃pass　on；　there　is　no　guard。〃



〃Where　do　I　meet　thee　when　what　must　be　done　is　done？〃　I　asked

hoarsely。



〃Thou　meetest　me　here；　and　then　to　Paulus。　Be　firm　and　prosper。

Harmachis；　fare　thee　well！〃



And　so　I　went；　but　at　the　curtain　I　turned　suddenly；　and　there　in　the

midst　of　that　lonely　lamplit　hall　I　saw　a　strange　sight。　Far　away；　in

such　a　fashion　that　the　light　struck　full　upon　her；　stood　Charmion；

her　head　thrown　back；　her　white　arms　outstretched　as　though　to　clasp；

and　on　her　girlish　face　a　stamp　of　anguished　passion　so　terrible　to

see　that；　indeed；　I　cannot　tell　it！　For　she　believed　that　I；　whom　she

loved；　was　passing　to　my　death；　and　this　was　her　last　farewell　to　me。



But　I　knew　naught　of　this　matter；　so　with　another　passing　pang　of

wonder　I　drew　aside　the　curtains；　gained　the　doorway；　and　stood　in

Cleopatra's　chamber。　And　there；　upon　a　silken　couch　at　the　far　end　of

the　perfumed　chamber；　clad　in　wonderful　white　attire；　rested

Cleopatra。　In　her　hand　was　a　jewelled　fan　of　ostrich　plumes；　with

which　she　gently　fanned　herself；　and　by　her　side　was　her　harp　of

ivory；　and　a　little　table　whereon　were　figs　and　goblets　and　a　flask　of

ruby…coloured　wine。　I　drew　near　slowly　through　the　soft　dim　light　to

where　the　Wonder　of　the　World　lay　in　all　her　glowing　beauty。　And；

indeed；　I　have　never　seen　her　look　so　fair　as　she　did　upon　that　fatal

night。　Couched　in　her　amber　cushions；　she　seemed　to　shine　as　a　star　on

the　twilight's　glow。　Perfume　came　from　her　hair　and　robes；　music　fell

from　her　lips；　and　in　her　heavenly　eyes　all　lights　changed　and

gathered　as　in　the　ominous　opal's　disc。



And　this　was　the　woman　whom；　presently；　I　must　slay！



Slowly　I　drew　near；　bowing　as　I　came；　but　she　took　no　heed。　She　lay

there；　and　the　jewelled　fan　floated　to　and　fro　like　the　bright　wing　of

some　hovering　bird。



At　length　I　stood　before　her；　and　she　glanced　up；　the　ostrich…plumes

pressed　against　her　breast　as　though　to　hide　its　beauty。



〃What！　friend；　art　thou　come？〃　she　said。　〃It　is　well；　for　I　grew

lonely　here。　Nay；　'tis　a　weary　world！　We　know　so　many　faces；　and　there

are　so　few　whom　we　love　to　see　again。　Well；　stand　not　there　so　mute；