cleopatra-第50章

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peep　ere　she　lifts　her　sword！　Take　back　thy　crown；　O　Egypt！　It　is　now

my　care　that；　though　it　be　heavy；　it　shall　not　chafe　thee。〃



〃These　are　royal　words；　most　notable　Antony；〃　she　made　answer；

〃gracious　and　generous　words；　such　as　befit　the　Conqueror　of　the

world！　And　touching　my　misdeeds　in　the　pastif　misdeeds　there　have

beenI　say　this；　and　this　alonethen　I　knew　not　Antony。　For；　knowing

Antony；　who　could　sin　against　him？　What　woman　could　lift　a　sword

against　one　who　must　be　to　all　women　as　a　Godone　who；　seen　and

known；　draws　after　him　the　whole　allegiance　of　the　heart；　as　the　sun

draws　flowers？　And　what　more　can　I　say　and　not　cross　the　bounds　of

woman's　modesty？　Why；　only　thisset　that　crown　upon　my　brow；　great

Antony；　and　I　will　take　it　as　a　gift　from　thee；　by　the　giving　made

doubly　dear；　and　to　thy　uses　I　will　guard　it。



〃There；　now　I　am　thy　vassal　Queen；　and　through　me　all　old　Egypt　that　I

rule　does　homage　to　Antony　the　Triumvir；　who　shall　be　Antony　the

Emperor　of　Rome　and　Khem's　Imperial　Lord！〃



And；　having　set　the　crown　upon　her　locks；　he　stood　gazing　on　her；

grown　passionate　in　the　warm　breath　of　her　living　beauty；　till　at

length　he　caught　her　by　both　hands　and　drawing　her　to　him　kissed　her

thrice；　saying：



〃Cleopatra；　I　love　thee；　SweetI　love　thee　as　I　never　loved　before。〃

She　drew　back　from　his　embrace；　smiling　softly；　and　as　she　did　so　the

golden　circlet　of　the　sacred　snakes　fell；　being　but　loosely　set　upon

her　brow；　and　rolled　away　into　the　darkness　beyond　the　ring　of　light。



I　saw　the　omen；　and　even　in　the　bitter　anguish　of　my　heart　knew　its

evil　import。　But　these　twain　took　no　note。



〃Thou　lovest　me？〃　she　said；　most　sweetly；　〃how　know　I　that　thou　lovest

me？　Perchance　it　is　Fulvia　whom　thou　lovestFulvia；　thy　wedded　wife？〃



〃Nay；　it　is　not　Fulvia；　'tis　thou；　Cleopatra；　and　thou　alone。　Many

women　have　looked　favourably　upon　me　from　my　boyhood　up；　but　to　never

a　one　have　I　known　such　desire　as　to　thee；　O　thou　Wonder　of　the　World；

like　unto　whom　no　woman　ever　was！　Canst　thou　love　me；　Cleopatra；　and

to　me　be　true；　not　for　my　place　or　power；　not　for　that　which　I　can

give　or　can　withhold；　not　for　the　stern　music　of　my　legion's　tramp；　or

for　the　light　that　flows　from　my　bright　Star　of　Fortune；　but　for

myself；　for　the　sake　of　Antony；　the　rough　captain；　grown　old　in　camps？

Ay；　for　the　sake　of　Antony　the　reveller；　the　frail；　the　unfixed　of

purpose；　but　who　yet　never　did　desert　a　friend；　or　rob　a　poor　man；　or

take　an　enemy　unawares？　Say；　canst　thou　love　me；　Egypt？　Oh！　if　thou

wilt；　why；　I　am　more　happy　than　though　I　sat　to…night　in　the　Capitol

at　Rome　crowned　absolute　Monarch　of　the　World！〃



And；　ever　as　he　spoke；　she　gazed　on　him　with　wonderful　eyes；　and　in

them　shone　a　light　of　truth　and　honesty　such　as　was　strange　to　me。



〃Thou　speakest　plainly；〃　she　said；　〃and　thy　words　are　sweet　to　mine

earsthey　would　be　sweet；　even　were　things　otherwise　than　they　are；

for　what　woman　would　not　love　to　see　the　world's　master　at　her　feet？

But　things　being　as　they　are；　why；　Antony；　what　can　be　so　sweet　as　thy

sweet　words？　The　harbour　of　his　rest　to　the　storm…tossed　mariner

surely　that　is　sweet！　The　dream　of　Heaven's　bliss　which　cheers　the

poor　ascetic　priest　on　his　path　of　sacrificesurely　that　is　sweet！

The　sight　of　Dawn；　the　rosy…fingered；　coming　in　his　promise　to　glad

the　watching　Earthsurely　that　is　sweet！　But；　ah！　not　one　of　these；

nor　all　dear　delightful　things　that　are；　can　match　the　honey…sweetness

of　thy　words　to　me；　O　Antony！　For　thou　knowest　notnever　canst　thou

knowhow　drear　my　life　hath　been；　and　empty；　since　thus　it　is

ordained　that　in　love　only　can　woman　lose　her　solitude！　And　I　have

/never/　lovednever　might　I　lovetill　this　happy　night！　Ay；　take　me

in　thy　arms；　and　let　us　swear　a　great　vow　of　lovean　oath　that　may

not　be　broken　while　life　is　in　us！　Behold！　Antony！　now　and　for　ever　I

do　vow　most　strict　fidelity　unto　thee！　Now　and　for　ever　I　am　thine；

and　thine　alone！〃







Then　Charmion　took　me　by　the　hand　and　drew　me　thence。



〃Hast　seen　enough？〃　she　asked；　when　we　were　once　more　within　the

chamber　and　the　lamp　was　lit。



〃Yea；〃　I　answered；　〃my　eyes　are　opened。〃







CHAPTER　XVI



OF　THE　PLAN　OF　CHARMION；　OF　THE　CONFESSION　OF　CHARMION；　AND

OF　THE　ANSWER　OF　HARMACHIS



For　some　while　I　sat　with　bowed　head；　and　the　last　bitterness　of　shame

sank　into　my　soul。　This；　then；　was　the　end。　For　this　I　had　betrayed　my

oaths；　for　this　I　had　told　the　secret　of　the　pyramid；　for　this　I　had

lost　my　Crown；　my　Honour；　and；　perchance；　my　hope　of　Heaven！　Could

there　be　another　man　in　the　wide　world　so　steeped　in　sorrow　as　I　was

that　night？　Surely　not　one！　Where　should　I　turn？　What　could　I　do？　And

even　through　the　tempest　of　my　torn　heart　the　bitter　voice　of　jealousy

called　aloud。　For　I　loved　this　woman；　to　whom　I　had　given　all；　and　she

at　this　momentshe　was　Ah！　I　could　not　bear　to　think　of　it；　and

in　my　utter　agony；　my　heart　burst　in　a　river　of　tears　such　as　are

terrible　to　weep！



Then　Charmion　drew　near　me；　and　I　saw　that　she；　too；　was　weeping。



〃Weep　not；　Harmachis！〃　she　sobbed；　kneeling　at　my　side。　〃I　cannot

endure　to　see　thee　weep。　Oh！　why　wouldst　thou　not　be　warned？　Then

hadst　thou　been　great　and　happy；　and　not　as　now。　Listen；　Harmachis！

Thou　didst　hear　what　that　false　and　tigerish　woman　saidto…morrow　she

hands　thee　over　to　the　murderers！〃



〃It　is　well；〃　I　gasped。



〃Nay：　it　is　not　well。　Harmachis；　give　her　not　this　last　triumph　over

thee。　Thou　hast　lost　all　save　life：　but　while　life　remains；　hope

remains　also；　and　with　hope　the　chance　of　vengeance。〃



〃Ah！〃　I　said；　starting　from　my　seat。　〃I　had　not　thought　of　that。　Ay

the　chance　of　vengeance！　It　would　be　sweet　to　be　avenged！〃



〃It　would　be　sweet；　Harmachis；　and　yet　thisVengeance　is　an　arrow

that　in　falling　oft　pierces　him　who　shot　it。　MyselfI　know　it；〃　and

she　sighed。　〃But　a　truce　to　talk　and　grief。　There　will　be　time　for　us

twain　to　grieve；　if　not　to　talk；　in　all　the　heavy　coming　years。　Thou

must　flybefore　the　coming　of　the　light　must　thou　fly。　Here　is　a

plan。　To…morrow；　ere　the　dawn；　a　galley　that　but　yesterday　came　from

Alexandria；　bearing　fruit　and　stores；　sails　thither　again；　and　its

captain　is　known　to　me；　but　to　thee　he　is　not　known。　Now；　I　will　find

thee　the　garb　of　a　Syrian　merchant；　and　cloak　thee；　as　I　know　how；　and

furnish　thee　with　a　letter　to　the　captain　of　the　galley。　He　shall　give

thee　passage　to　Alexandria；　for　to　him　thou　wilt　seem　but　as　a

merchant　going　on　the　business　of　thy　trade。　Brennus　is　officer　of　the

guard　to…night；　and　Brennus　is　a　friend　to　me　and　thee。　Perhaps　he

will　guess　somewhat；　or；　perhaps；　he　will　not　guess；　at　the　least；　the

Syrian　merchant　shall　safely　pass　the　lines。　What　sayest　thou？〃



〃It　is　well；〃　I　answered　wearily；　〃little　do　I　reck　the　issue。〃



〃Rest　thou；　then；　here；　Harmachis；　while　I　make　these　matters　ready；

and；　Harmachis；　grieve　not　overmuch；　there　are　others　who　should

grieve　more　heavily　than　thou。〃　And　she　went；　leaving　me　alone　with　my

agony　which　rent　me　like　a　torture…bed。　Had　it　not　been　for　that

fierce　desire　of　vengeance　which　from　time　to　time　flashed　across　my

tormented　mind　as　the　lightning　over　a　midnight　sea；　methinks　my

reason　had　left　me　in　that　dark　hour。　At　length　I　heard　her　footstep

at　the　door；　and　she　entered；　breathing　heavily；　for　she　bore　a　sack

of　clothing　in　her　arms。



〃It　is　well；〃　she　said：　〃here　is　the　garb　with　spare　linen；　and

writing…tablets；　and　all　things　needful。　I　have　seen　Brennus　also；　and

told　him　that　a　Syrian　merchant　would　pass　the　guard　an　hour　before

the　dawn。　And　though　he　made　pretence　of　sleep；　I　think　he　understood；

for　he　answered；　yawning；　that　if　they　but　had　the　pass…word；

'Antony；'　fifty　Syrian　merchants　might　go　through　about　their　lawful

business。　And　here　is　the　letter　to　the　captainthou　canst　not

mistake　the　galley；　for　she　is　moored　along　to　the　righta　sm