cleopatra-第33章

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〃Nay；　nay；　O　Queen！　What　have　I　to　do　with　love？　Let　me　hence！I　am

faintI　am　fordone！〃



〃Never　to　have　loved'tis　strange！　Never　to　have　known　some　woman…

heart　beat　all　in　tune　to　thinenever　to　have　seen　the　eyes　of　thy

adored　aswim　with　passion's　tears；　as　she　sighed　her　vows　upon　thy

breast！Never　to　have　loved！never　to　have　lost　thyself　in　the

mystery　of　another's　soul；　nor　to　have　learned　how　Nature　can　overcome

our　naked　loneliness；　and　with　the　golden　web　of　love　of　twain　weave

one　identity！　Why；　it　is　never　to　have　lived；　Harmachis！〃



And　ever　as　she　murmured　she　drew　nearer　to　me；　till　at　last；　with　a

long；　sweet　sigh；　she　flung　one　arm　about　my　neck；　and　gazed　upon　me

with　blue；　unfathomable　eyes；　and　smiled　her　dark；　slow　smile；　that；

like　an　opening　flower；　revealed　beauty　within　beauty　hidden。　Nearer

she　bent　her　queenly　form；　and　still　more　nearnow　her　perfumed

breath　played　upon　my　hair；　and　now　her　lips　met　mine。



And　woe　is　me！　In　that　kiss；　more　deadly　and　more　strong　than　the

embrace　of　Death；　were　forgotten　Isis；　my　heavenly　Hope；　Oaths；

Honour；　Country；　Friends；　all　thingsall　things　save　that　Cleopatra

clasped　me　in　her　arms；　and　called　me　Love　and　Lord。



〃Now　pledge　me；〃　she　sighed；　〃pledge　me　one　cup　of　wine　in　token　of

thy　love。〃



I　took　the　draught；　and　I　drank　deep；　then　too　late　I　knew　that　it　was

drugged。



I　fell　upon　the　couch；　and；　though　my　senses　still　were　with　me；　I

could　neither　speak　nor　rise。



But　Cleopatra；　bending　over　me；　drew　the　dagger　from　my　robe。



〃/I've　won！/〃　she　cried；　shaking　back　her　long　hair。　〃I've　won；　and

for　the　stake　of　Egypt；　why；　'twas　a　game　worth　playing！　With　this

dagger；　then；　thou　wouldst　have　slain　me；　O　my　royal　Rival；　whose

myrmidons　even　now　are　gathered　at　my　palace　gate？　Art　still　awake？

Now　what　hinders　me　that　I　should　not　plunge　it　to　/thy/　heart？〃



I　heard　and　feebly　pointed　to　my　breast；　for　I　was　fain　to　die。　She

drew　herself　to　the　full　of　her　imperial　height；　and　the　great　knife

glittered　in　her　hand。　Down　it　came　till　its　edge　pricked　my　flesh。



〃Nay；〃　she　cried　again；　and　cast　it　from　her；　〃too　well　I　like　thee。

It　were　pity　to　slay　such　a　man！　I　give　thee　thy　life。　Live　on；　lost

Pharaoh！　Live　on；　poor　fallen　Prince；　blasted　by　a　woman's　wit！　Live

on；　Harmachisto　adorn　my　triumph！〃







Then　sight　left　me；　and　in　my　ears　I　only　heard　the　song　of　the

nightingale；　the　murmur　of　the　sea；　and　the　music　of　Cleopatra's　laugh

of　victory。　And　as　I　sank　away；　the　sound　of　that　low　laugh　still

followed　me　into　the　land　of　sleep；　and　still　it　follows　me　through

life　to　death。







CHAPTER　VIII



OF　THE　AWAKING　OF　HARMACHIS；　OF　THE　SIGHT　OF　DEATH；　OF　THE

COMING　OF　CLEOPATRA；　AND　OF　HER　COMFORTABLE　WORDS



Once　more　I　woke；　it　was　to　find　myself　in　my　own　chamber。　I　started

up。　Surely；　I；　too；　had　dreamed　a　dream？　It　could　be　nothing　but　a

dream？　It　could　not　be　that　I　woke　to　know　myself　a　/traitor！/　That

the　opportunity　had　gone　for　ever！　That　I　had　betrayed　the　cause；　and

that　last　night　those　brave　men；　headed　by　my　uncle；　had　waited　in

vain　at　the　outer　gate！　That　Egypt　from　Abu　to　Athu　was　even　now

waitingwaiting　in　vain！　Nay；　whatever　else　might　be；　this　could　not

be！　Oh；　it　was　an　awful　dream　which　I　had　dreamed！　a　second　such　would

slay　a　man。　It　were　better　to　die　than　face　such　another　vision　sent

from　hell。　But；　though　the　thing　was　naught　but　a　hateful　phantasy　of

a　mind　o'er…strained；　where　was　I　now？　Where　was　I　now？　I　should　be　in

the　Alabaster　Hall；　waiting　till　Charmion　came　forth。



Where　was　I？　and　O　ye　Gods！　what　was　that　dreadful　thing；　whose　shape

was　the　shape　of　a　man？that　thing　draped　in　bloodstained　white　and

huddled　in　a　hideous　heap　at　the　foot　of　the　couch　on　which　I　seemed

to　lie？



I　sprang　at　it　with　a　shriek；　as　a　lion　springs；　and　struck　with　all

my　strength。　The　blow　fell　heavily；　and　beneath　its　weight　the　thing

rolled　over　upon　its　side。　Half　mad　with　terror；　I　rent　away　the　white

covering；　and　there；　his　knees　bound　beneath　his　hanging　jaw；　was　the

naked　body　of　a　manand　that　man　the　Roman　Captain　Paulus！　There　he

lay；　through　his　heart　a　daggermy　dagger；　handled　with　the　sphinx　of

gold！and　pinned　by　its　blade　to　his　broad　breast　a　scroll；　and　on

the　scroll；　writing　in　the　Roman　character。　I　drew　near　and　read；　and

this　was　the　writing：



　　HARMACHIDI。SALVERE。EGO。SUM。QUEM。SUBDERE。NORAS

　　PAULUS。ROMANUS。DISCE。HINC。QUID。PRODERE。PROSIT。



　〃Greeting；　Harmachis！　I　was　that　Roman　Paulus　whom　thou　didst

　　suborn。　Learn　now　how　blessed　are　traitors！〃



Sick　and　faint　I　staggered　back　from　the　sight　of　that　white　corpse

stained　with　its　own　blood。　Sick　and　faint　I　staggered　back；　till　the

wall　stayed　me；　while　without　the　birds　sang　a　merry　greeting　to　the

day。　So　it　was　no　dream；　and　I　was　lost！　lost！



I　thought　of　my　aged　father；　Amenemhat。　Yes；　the　vision　of　him　flashed

into　my　mind；　as　he　would　be；　when　they　came　to　tell　him　his　son's

shame　and　the　ruin　of　all　his　hopes。　I　thought　of　that　patriot　priest；

my　uncle　Sepa；　waiting　the　long　night　through　for　the　signal　which

never　came。　Ah；　and　another　thought　followed　swift！　How　would　it　go

with　them？　I　was　not　the　only　traitor。　I；　too；　had　been　betrayed。　By

whom？　By　yonder　Paulus；　perchance。　If　it　were　Paulus；　he　knew　but

little　of　those　who　conspired　with　me。　But　the　secret　lists　had　been

in　my　robe。　O　Osiris！　they　were　gone！　and　the　fate　of　Paulus　would　be

the　fate　of　all　the　patriots　in　Egypt。　And　at　this　thought　my　mind

gave　way。　I　sank　and　swooned　even　where　I　stood。



My　sense　came　back　to　me；　and　the　lengthening　shadows　told　me　that　it

was　afternoon。　I　staggered　to　my　feet；　the　corpse　of　Paulus　was　still

there；　keeping　its　awful　watch　above　me。　I　ran　desperately　to　the

door。　It　was　barred；　and　without　I　heard　the　tramp　of　sentinels。　As　I

stood　they　challenged　and　grounded　their　spears。　Then　the　bolts　were

shot　back；　the　door　opened；　and　radiant；　clad　in　royal　attire；　came

the　conquering　Cleopatra。　She　came　alone；　and　the　door　was　shut　behind

her。　I　stood　like　one　distraught；　but　she　swept　on　till　she　was　face

to　face　with　me。



〃Greeting；　Harmachis；〃　she　said；　smiling　sweetly。　〃So；　my　messenger

has　found　thee！〃　and　she　pointed　to　the　corpse　of　Paulus。　〃Pah！　he　has

an　ugly　look。　Ho！　guards！〃



The　door　was　opened；　and　two　armed　Gauls　stepped　across　the　threshold。



〃Take　away　this　carrion；〃　said　Cleopatra；　〃and　fling　it　to　the　kites。

Stay；　draw　that　dagger　from　his　traitor　breast。〃　The　men　bowed　low；

and　the　knife；　rusted　red　with　blood；　was　dragged　from　the　heart　of

Paulus　and　laid　upon　the　table。　Then　they　seized　him　by　the　head　and

body　and　staggered　thence；　and　I　heard　their　heavy　footfalls　as　they

bore　him　down　the　stairs。



〃Methinks；　Harmachis；　thou　art　in　an　evil　case；〃　she　said；　when　the

sound　of　the　footfalls　had　died　away。　〃How　strangely　the　wheel　of

Fortune　turns！　But　for　that　traitor；〃　and　she　nodded　towards　the　door

through　which　the　corpse　of　Paulus　had　been　carried；　〃I　should　now　be

as　ill　a　thing　to　look　on　as　he　is；　and　the　red　rust　on　yonder　knife

would　have　been　gathered　from　/my/　heart。〃



So　it　was　Paulus　who　had　betrayed　me。



〃Ay；〃　she　went　on；　〃and　when　thou　camest　to　me　last　night；　I　/knew/

that　thou　camest　to　slay。　When；　time　upon　time；　thou　didst　place　thy

hand　within　thy　robe；　I　knew　that　it　grasped　a　dagger　hilt；　and　that

thou　wast　gathering　thy　courage　to　the　deed　which　thou　didst　little

love　to　do。　Oh！　it　was　a　strange　wild　hour；　well　worth　the　living；　and

I　wondered　greatly；　from　moment　to　moment；　which　of　us　twain　would

conquer；　as　we　matched　guile　with　guile　and　force　to　force！



〃Yea；　Harmachis；　the　guards　tramp　before　thy　door；　but　be　not

deceived。　Did　I　not　know　that　I　hold　thee　to　me　by　bonds　more　strong

than　prison　chainsdid　I　not　know　that　I　am　hedged　from　ill　at　thy

hands　by　a　fence　of　honou