cleopatra-第53章

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everywhere　to　slay　me；　Brennus　did　me　a　service。　For　he　swore　that　as

he　kept　his　watch　alone　an　hour　after　midnight　he　saw　me　come　and

stand　upon　the　parapet　of　the　roof；　that　then　I　stretched　out　my　robes

and　they　became　wings　on　which　I　floated　up　to　Heaven；　leaving　him

astonished。　And　all　those　about　the　Court　lent　ear　to　this　history；

believing　in　it；　because　of　the　great　fame　of　my　magic；　and　they

wondered　much　what　the　marvel　might　portend。　The　tale　also　travelled

into　Egypt；　and　did　much　to　save　my　good　name　among　those　whom　I　had

betrayed；　for　the　more　ignorant　among　them　believed　that　I　acted　not

of　my　will；　but　of　the　will　of　the　dread　Gods；　who　of　their　own

purpose　wafted　me　into　Heaven。　And　thus　to　this　day　the　saying　runs

that　〃/When　Harmachis　comes　again　Egypt　shall　be　free。/〃　But　alas；

Harmachis　comes　no　more！　Only　Cleopatra；　though　she　was　much　afraid；

doubted　her　of　the　tale；　and　sent　an　armed　vessel　to　search　for　the

Syrian　merchant；　but　not　to　find　him；　as　shall　be　told。







When　I　reached　the　galley　of　which　Charmion　had　spoken；　I　found　her

about　to　sail；　and　gave　the　writing　to　the　captain；　who　conned　it；

looking　on　me　curiously；　but　said　nothing。



So　I　went　aboard；　and　immediately　we　dropped　swiftly　down　the　river

with　the　current。　And　having　come　to　the　mouth　of　the　river

unchallenged；　though　we　passed　many　vessels；　we　put　out　to　sea　with　a

strong　favouring　wind　that　before　night　freshened　to　a　great　gale。

Then　the　sailor　men；　being　much　afraid；　would　have　put　about　and　run

for　the　mouth　of　Cydnus　again；　but　could　not　because　of　the　wildness

of　the　sea。　All　that　night　it　blew　furiously；　and　by　dawn　our　mast　was

carried　away；　and　we　rolled　helplessly　in　the　trough　of　the　great

waves。　But　I　sat　wrapped　in　a　cloak；　little　heeding；　and　because　I

showed　no　fear　the　sailors　cried　out　that　I　was　a　wizard；　and　sought

to　cast　me　into　the　sea；　but　the　captain　would　not。　At　dawn　the　wind

slackened；　but　ere　noon　it　once　more　blew　in　terrible　fury；　and　at　the

fourth　hour　from　noon　we　came　in　sight　of　the　rocky　coast　of　that　cape

in　the　island　of　Cyprus　which　is　called　Dinaretum；　where　is　a　mountain

named　Olympus；　and　thither…wards　we　drifted　swiftly。　Then；　when　the

sailors　saw　the　terrible　rocks；　and　how　the　great　waves　that　smote　on

them　spouted　up　in　foam；　once　more　they　grew　much　afraid；　and　cried

out　in　their　fear。　For；　seeing　that　I　still　sat　unmoved；　they　swore

that　I　certainly　was　a　wizard；　and　came　to　cast　me　forth　as　a

sacrifice　to　the　Gods　of　the　sea。　And　this　time　the　captain　was　over…

ruled；　and　said　nothing。　Therefore；　when　they　came　to　me　I　rose　and

defied　them；　saying；　〃Cast　me　forth；　if　ye　will；　but　if　ye　cast　me

forth　ye　shall　perish。〃



For　in　my　heart　I　cared　little；　having　no　more　any　love　of　life；　but

rather　a　desire　to　die；　though　I　greatly　feared　to　pass　into　the

presence　of　my　Holy　Mother　Isis。　But　my　weariness　and　sorrow　at　the

bitterness　of　my　lot　overcame　even　this　heavy　fear；　so　that　when；

being　mad　as　brute　beasts；　they　seized　me　and；　lifting　me；　hurled　me

into　the　raging　waters；　I　did　but　utter　one　prayer　to　Isis　and　made

ready　for　death。　But　it　was　fated　that　I　should　not　die；　for；　when　I

rose　to　the　surface　of　the　water；　I　saw　a　spar　of　wood　floating　near

me；　to　which　I　swam　and　clung。　And　a　great　wave　came　and　swept　me；

riding；　as　it　were；　upon　the　spar；　as　when　a　boy　I　had　learned　to　do

in　the　waters　of　the　Nile；　past　the　bulwarks　of　the　galley　where　the

fierce…faced　sailors　clustered　to　see　me　drown。　And　when　they　saw　me

come　mounted　on　the　wave；　cursing　them　as　I　came；　and　saw；　too；　that

the　colour　of　my　face　had　changedfor　the　salt　water　had　washed　way

the　pigment；　they　shrieked　with　fear　and　threw　themselves　down　upon

the　deck。　And　within　a　very　little　while；　as　I　rode　toward　the　rocky

coast；　a　great　wave　poured　into　the　vessel；　that　rolled　broadside　on；

and　pressed　her　down　into　the　deep；　whence　she　rose　no　more。



So　she　sank　with　all　her　crew。　And　in　that　same　storm　also　sank　the

galley　which　Cleopatra　had　sent　to　search　for　the　Syrian　merchant。

Thus　all　traces　of　me　were　lost；　and　of　a　surety　she　believed　that　I

was　dead。



But　I　rode　on　toward　the　shore。　The　wind　shrieked　and　the　salt　waves

lashed　my　face　as；　alone　with　the　tempest；　I　rushed　upon　my　way；　while

the　sea…birds　screamed　about　my　head。　I　felt　no　fear；　but　rather　a

wild　uplifting　of　the　heart；　and　in　the　stress　of　my　imminent　peril

the　love　of　life　seemed　to　waken　again。　And　so　I　plunged　and　drifted；

now　tossed　high　toward　the　lowering　clouds；　now　cast　into　the　deep

valleys　of　the　sea；　till　at　length　the　rocky　headland　loomed　before

me；　and　I　saw　the　breakers　smite　upon　the　stubborn　rocks；　and　through

the　screaming　of　the　wind　heard　the　sullen　thunder　of　their　fall　and

the　groan　of　stones　sucked　seaward　from　the　beach。　On！　high…throned

upon　the　mane　of　a　mighty　billowfifty　cubits　beneath　me　the　level　of

the　hissing　waters；　above　me　the　inky　sky！　It　was　done！　The　spar　was

torn　from　me；　and；　dragged　downwards　by　the　weight　of　the　bag　of　gold

and　the　clinging　of　my　garments；　I　sank　struggling　furiously。



Now　I　was　underthe　green　light　for　a　moment　streamed　through　the

waters；　and　then　came　darkness；　and　on　the　darkness　pictures　of　the

past。　Picture　after　pictureall　the　long　scene　of　life　was　written

here。　Then　in　my　ears　I　only　heard　the　song　of　the　nightingale；　the

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

victory；　following　me　softly　and　yet　more　soft　as　I　sank　away　to

sleep。







Once　more　my　life　came　back；　and　with　it　a　sense　of　deadly　sickness

and　of　aching　pain。　I　opened　my　eyes　and　saw　a　kind　face　bending　over

me；　and　knew　that　I　was　in　the　room　of　a　builded　house。



〃How　came　I　hither？〃　I　asked　faintly。



〃Of　a　truth；　Poseidon　brought　thee；　Stranger；〃　answered　a　rough　voice

in　barbarous　Greek；　〃we　found　thee　cast　high　upon　the　beach　like　a

dead　dolphin　and　brought　thee　to　our　house；　for　we　are　fisher…folk。

And　here；　methinks；　thou　must　lie　a　while；　for　thy　left　leg　is　broken

by　the　force　of　the　waves。〃



I　strove　to　move　my　foot　and　could　not。　It　was　true；　the　bone　was

broken　above　the　knee。



〃Who　art　thou；　and　how　art　thou　named？〃　asked　the　rough…bearded

sailor。



〃I　am　an　Egyptian　traveller　whose　ship　has　sunk　in　the　fury　of　the

gale；　and　I　am　named　Olympus；〃　I　answered；　for　these　people　called　a

mountain　that　we　had　sighted　Olympus；　and　therefore　I　took　the　name　at

hazard。　And　as　Olympus　I　was　henceforth　known。



Here　with　these　rough　fisher…folk　I　abode　for　the　half　of　a　year；

paying　them　a　little　out　of　the　sum　of　gold　that　had　come　safely

ashore　upon　me。　For　it　was　long　before　my　bones　grew　together　again；

and　then　I　was　left　somewhat　of　a　cripple；　for　I；　who　had　been　so　tall

and　straight　and　strong；　now　limpedone　limb　being　shorter　than　the

other。　And　after　I　recovered　from　my　hurt；　I　still　lived　there；　and

toiled　with　them　at　the　trade　of　fishing；　for　I　knew　not　whither　I

should　go　or　what　I　should　do；　and；　for　a　while；　I　was　fain　to　become

a　peasant　fisherman；　and　so　wear　my　weary　life　away。　And　these　people

entreated　me　kindly；　though；　as　others；　they　feared　me　much；　holding

me　to　be　a　wizard　brought　hither　by　the　sea。　For　my　sorrows　had

stamped　so　strange　an　aspect　on　my　face　that　men　gazing　at　me　grew

fearful　of　what　lay　beneath　its　calm。



There；　then；　I　abode；　till　at　length；　one　night　as　I　lay　and　strove　to

sleep；　great　restlessness　came　upon　me；　and　a　mighty　desire　once　more

to　see　the　face　of　Sihor。　But　whether　this　desire　was　of　the　Gods　or

born　of　my　own　heart；　not　knowing；　I　cannot　tell。　So　strong　was　it；　at

the　least；　that　before　it　was　dawn　I　rose　from　my　bed　of　straw　and

clothed　myself　in　my　fisher　garb；　and；　because　I　had　no　wish　to　answer

questions；　thus　I　took　farewell　of　my　humble　hosts。　First　I　placed

some　pieces　of　gold　on　the　well…cleaned　table　of　wood；　and　then　ta