cleopatra-第41章

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indeed；　but　two　great　pearls；　wrapped　in　linen；　such　as　never　have

been　seen。　And　of　these　pearls　more　hereafter。



So　it　was　done；　and　all　the　mighty　treasure　lay　glittering　in　a　heap

before　us。　There　it　lay；　and　there；　too；　lay　the　regalia　of　gold；　the

spiced　and　sickly…scented　wrappings；　and　the　torn　body　of　white…haired

Pharaoh　Menkau…ra；　the　Osirian；　the　ever　living　in　Amenti。



We　rose；　and　a　great　awe　fell　upon　us；　now　that　the　deed　was　done　and

our　hearts　were　no　more　upborne　by　the　rage　of　searchso　great　an

awe；　indeed；　that　we　could　not　speak。　I　made　a　sign　to　Cleopatra。　She

grasped　the　head　of　Pharaoh　and　I　grasped　his　feet；　and　together　we

lifted　him；　climbed　the　Sphinx；　and　placed　him　once　more　within　his

coffin。　I　piled　the　torn　mummy　cloths　over　him　and　on　them　laid　the

lid　of　the　coffin。



And　now　we　gathered　up　the　great　gems；　and　such　of　the　ornaments　as

might　be　carried　with　ease；　and　I　hid　them　as　many　as　I　could；　in　the

folds　of　my　robe。　Those　that　were　left　Cleopatra　hid　upon　her　breast。

Heavily　laden　with　the　priceless　treasure；　we　gave　one　last　look　at

the　solemn　place；　at　the　sarcophagus　and　the　Sphinx　on　which　it

rested；　whose　gleaming　face　of　calm　seemed　to　mock　us　with　its

everlasting　smile　of　wisdom。　Then　we　turned　and　went　from　the　tomb。



At　the　shaft　we　halted。　I　called　to　the　eunuch；　who　stayed　above；　and

methought　a　faint　mocking　laugh　answered　me。　Too　smitten　with　terror

to　call　again；　and　fearing　that；　should　we　delay；　Cleopatra　would

certainly　swoon；　I　seized　the　rope；　and　being　strong　and　quick　mounted

by　it　and　gained　the　passage。　There　burnt　the　lamp：　but　the　eunuch　I

saw　not。　Thinking；　surely；　that　he　was　a　little　way　down　the　passage；

and　sleptas；　in　truth；　he　didI　bade　Cleopatra　make　the　rope　fast

about　her　middle；　and　with　much　labour；　drew　her　up。　Then；　having

rested　awhile；　we　moved　with　the　lamps　to　seek　for　the　eunuch。



〃He　was　stricken　with　terror　and　has　fled；　leaving　the　lamp；〃　said

Cleopatra。　〃O　ye　Gods！　who　is　/that/　seated　there？〃



I　peered　into　the　darkness；　thrusting　out　the　lamps；　and　this　was　what

their　light　fell　onthis　at　the　very　dream　of　which　my　soul　sickens！

There；　facing　us；　his　back　resting　against　the　rock；　and　his　hands

splayed　on　either　side　upon　the　floor；　sat　the　eunuch/dead！/　His

eyes　and　mouth　were　open；　his　fat　cheeks　dropped　down；　his　thin　hair

yet　seemed　to　bristle；　and　on　his　countenance　was　frozen　such　a　stamp

of　hideous　terror　as　well　might　turn　the　beholder's　brain。　And　lo！

fixed　to　his　chin；　by　its　hinder　claws；　hung　that　grey　and　mighty　bat；

which；　flying　forth　when　we　entered　the　pyramid；　vanished　in　the　sky；

but；　returning；　had　followed　us　to　its　depths。　There　it　hung　upon　the

dead　man's　chin　slowly　rocking　itself　to　and　fro；　and　we　could　see　the

fiery　eyes　shining　in　its　head。



Aghast；　utterly　aghast；　we　stood　and　stared　at　the　hateful　sight；　till

presently　the　bat　spread　his　huge　wings　and；　losing　his　hold；　sailed

to　us。　Now　he　hovered　before　Cleopatra's　face；　fanning　her　with　his

white　wings。　Then　with　a　scream；　like　a　woman's　shriek　of　fury；　the

accursed　Thing　flittered　on；　seeking　his　violated　tomb；　and　vanished

down　the　well　into　the　sepulchre。　I　fell　against　the　wall。　But

Cleopatra　sank　in　a　heap　upon　the　floor；　and；　covering　her　head　with

her　arms；　she　shrieked　till　the　hollow　passages　rang　with　the　echoes

of　her　cries；　that　seemed　to　grow　and　double　and　rush　along　the　depths

in　volumes　of　shrill　sound。



〃Rise！〃　I　cried；　〃rise　and　let　us　hence　before　the　Spirit　shall　return

to　haunt　us！　If　thou　dost　suffer　thyself　to　be　overwhelmed　in　this

place　thou　art　lost　for　ever。〃



She　staggered　to　her　feet；　and　never　may　I　forget　the　look　upon　her

ashy　face　or　in　her　glowing　eyes。　Seizing　lamps　with　a　rush；　we　passed

the　dead　eunuch's　horrid　form；　I　holding　her　by　the　hand。　We　gained

the　great　chamber；　where　was　the　sarcophagus　of　the　Queen　of

Menkau…ra；　and　traversed　its　length。　We　fled　along　the　passage。　What

if　the　Thing　had　closed　the　three　mighty　doors？　No；　they　were　open；

and　we　sped　through　them；　the　last　only　did　I　stay　to　close。　I　touched

the　stone；　as　I　knew　how；　and　the　great　door　crashed　down；　shutting　us

off　from　the　presence　of　the　dead　eunuch　and　the　Horror　that　had　hung

upon　the　eunuch's　chin。　Now　we　were　in　the　white　chamber　with　the

sculptured　panels；　and　now　we　faced　the　last　steep　ascent。　Oh　that

last　ascent！　Twice　Cleopatra　slipped　and　fell　upon　the　polished　floor。

The　second　timeit　was　when　half　the　distance　had　been　doneshe　let

fall　her　lamp；　and　would；　indeed；　have　rolled　down　the　slide　had　I　not

saved　her。　But　in　doing　thus　I；　too；　let　fall　my　lamp　that　bounded

away　into　shadow　beneath　us；　and　we　were　in　utter　darkness。　And

perchance　about　us；　in　the　darkness；　hovered　that　awful　Thing！



〃Be　brave！〃　I　cried；　〃O　love；　be　brave；　and　struggle　on；　or　both　are

lost！　The　way；　though　steep；　is　not　far；　and；　though　it　be　dark；　we

can　scarce　come　to　harm　in　this　straight　shaft。　If　the　gems　weight

thee；　cast　them　away！〃



〃Nay；〃　she　gasped；　〃that　I　will　not；　this　shall　not　be　endured　to　no

end。　I　die　with　them！〃



Then　it　was　that　I　saw　the　greatness　of　this　woman's　heart；　for　in　the

dark；　and　notwithstanding　the　terrors　we　had　passed　and　the　awfulness

of　our　state；　she　clung　to　me　and　clambered　on　up　that　dread　passage。

On　we　clambered；　hand　in　hand；　with　bursting　hearts；　till　there；　by

the　mercy　or　the　anger　of　the　Gods；　at　length　we　saw　the　faint　light

of　the　moon；　creeping　through　the　little　opening　in　the　pyramid。　One

struggle　more；　now　the　hole　was　gained；　and　like　a　breath　from　heaven；

the　sweet　night　air　played　upon　our　brows。　I　climbed　through；　and；

standing　on　a　pile　of　stones；　lifted　and　dragged　Cleopatra　after　me。

She　fell　to　the　ground　and　then　sank　down　upon　it　motionless。



I　pressed　upon　the　turning　stone　with　trembling　hands。　It　swung　to　and

caught；　leaving　no　mark　of　the　secret　place　of　entry。　Then　I　leapt

down　and；　having　pushed　away　the　pile　of　stones；　looked　on　Cleopatra。

She　had　swooned；　and　notwithstanding　the　dust　and　grime　upon　her　face；

it　was　so　pale　that　at　first　I　believed　she　must　be　dead。　But　placing

my　hand　upon　her　heart　I　felt　it　stir　beneath；　and；　being　spent；　I

flung　myself　down　beside　her　upon　the　sand；　to　gather　up　my　strength

again。







CHAPTER　XII



OF　THE　COMING　BACK　OF　HARMACHIS；　OF　THE　GREETING　OF　CHARMION；

AND　OF　THE　ANSWER　OF　CLEOPATRA　TO　QUINTUS　DELLIUS；

THE　AMBASSADOR　OF　ANTONY　THE　TRIUMVIR



Presently　I　lifted　myself；　and；　laying　the　head　of　Egypt's　Queen　upon

my　knee；　strove　to　call　her　back　to　life。　How　fair　she　seemed；　even　in

her　disarray；　her　long　hair　streaming　down　her　breast！　how　deadly　fair

she　seemed　in　the　faint　lightthis　woman　the　story　of　whose　beauty

and　whose　sin　shall　outlive　the　solid　mass　of　the　mighty　pyramid　that

towered　over　us！　The　heaviness　of　her　swoon　had　smoothed　away　the

falseness　of　her　face；　and　nothing　was　left　but　the　divine　stamp　of

Woman's　richest　loveliness；　softened　by　shadows　of　the　night　and

dignified　by　the　cast　of　deathlike　sleep。　I　gazed　upon　her　and　all　my

heart　went　out　to　her；　it　seemed　that　I　did　but　love　her　more　because

of　the　depth　of　the　treasons　to　which　I　had　sunk　to　reach　her；　and

because　of　the　terrors　we　had　outfaced　together。　Weary　and　spent　with

fears　and　the　pangs　of　guilt；　my　heart　sought　hers　for　rest；　for　now

she　alone　was　left　to　me。　She　had　sworn　to　wed　me　also；　and　with　the

treasure　we　had　won　we　would　make　Egypt　strong　and　free　her　from　her

foes；　and　all　should　yet　be　well。　Ah！　could　I　have　seen　the　picture

that　was　to　come；　how；　and　in　what　place　and　circumstance；　once　again

this　very　woman's　head　should　be　laid　upon　my　knee；　pale　with　that

cast　of　death！　Ah！　could　I　have　seen！



I　chafed　her　hand　between　my　hands。　I　bent　down　and　kissed　her　on　the

lips；　and　at　my　kiss　she　woke。　She　woke　with　a　little　sob　of　feara

shiver　ran