cleopatra-第59章

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thy　words！〃



〃Cease！〃　she　said；　〃and　of　the　past　but　one　word；　and　thenwhy；　let

it　lie。　Not　well；　with　all　thy　wisdom；　canst　thou　know　a　true　woman's

heart；　if　thou　dost　believe；　Harmachis；　that　it　can　change　with　the

changes　of　the　outer　form；　for　then　assuredly　could　no　love　follow　its

beloved　to　that　last　place　of　changethe　Grave。　Know　thou；　learned

Physician；　I　am　of　that　sort　who；　loving　once；　love　always；　and　being

not　beloved　again；　go　virgin　to　the　death。〃



She　ceased；　and　having　naught　to　say；　I　bowed　my　head　in　answer。　Yet

though　I　said　nothing　and　though　this　woman's　passionate　folly　had

been　the　cause　of　all　our　ruin；　to　speak　truth；　in　secret　I　was

thankful　to　her　who；　wooed　of　all　and　living　in　this　shameless　Court；

had　still　through　the　long　years　poured　out　her　unreturned　love　upon

an　outcast；　and　who；　when　that　poor　broken　slave　of　Fortune　came　back

in　such　unlovely　guise；　held　him　yet　dear　at　heart。　For　what　man　is

there　who　does　not　prize　that　gift　most　rare　and　beautiful；　that　one

perfect　thing　which　no　gold　can　buya　woman's　unfeigned　love？



〃I　thank　thee　that　thou　dost　not　answer；〃　she　said；　〃for　the　bitter

words　which　thou　didst　pour　upon　me　in　those　days　that　long　are　dead；

and　far　away　in　Tarsus；　have　not　lost　their　poisonous　sting；　and　in　my

heart　is　no　more　place　for　the　arrows　of　thy　scorn；　new　venomed

through　thy　solitary　years。　So　let　it　be。　Behold！　I　put　it　from　me；

that　wild　passion　of　my　soul；〃　and　she　looked　up　and　stretched　out　her

hands　as　though　to　press　some　unseen　presence　back；　〃I　put　it　from　me

though　forget　it　I　may　not！　There；　'tis　done；　Harmachis；　no　more

shall　my　love　trouble　thee。　Enough　for　me　that　once　more　my　eyes

behold　thee；　before　sleep　seals　thee　from　their　sight。　Dost　remember

how；　when　I　would　have　died　by　thy　dear　hand；　thou　wouldst　not　slay；

but　didst　bid　me　live　to　pluck　the　bitter　fruit　of　crime；　and　be

accursed　by　visions　of　the　evil　I　had　wrought　and　memories　of　thee

whom　I　have　ruined？〃



〃Ay；　Charmion；　I　remember　well。〃



〃Surely　the　cup　of　punishment　has　been　filled。　Oh！　couldst　thou　see

into　the　record　of　my　heart；　and　read　in　it　the　suffering　that　I　have

borneborne　with　a　smiling　facethy　justice　would　be　satisfied

indeed！〃



〃And　yet；　if　report　be　true；　Charmion；　thou　art　the　first　of　all　the

Court；　and　therein　the　most　powerful　and　beloved。　Does　not　Octavianus

give　it　out　that　he　makes　war；　not　on　Antony；　nor　even　on　his

mistress；　Cleopatra；　but　on　Charmion　and　Iras？〃



〃Yes；　Harmachis；　and　think　that　it　has　been　to　me　thus；　because　of　my

oath　to　thee；　to　be　forced　to　eat　the　bread　and　do　the　tasks　of　one

whom　so　bitterly　I　hate！one　who　robbed　me　of　thee；　and　who；　through

the　workings　of　my　jealousy；　brought　me　to　be　that　which　I　am；　brought

thee　to　shame；　and　all　Egypt　to　its　ruin！　Can　jewels　and　riches　and

the　flattery　of　princes　and　nobles　bring　happiness　to　such　a　one　as　I；

who　am　more　wretched　than　the　meanest　scullion　wench？　Oh；　I　have　often

wept　till　I　was　blind；　and　then；　when　the　hour　came；　I　must　arise　and

tire　me；　and；　with　a　smile；　go　do　the　bidding　of　the　Queen　and　that

heavy　Antony。　May　the　Gods　grant　me　to　see　them　deaday；　the　twain　of

them！then　myself　I　shall　be　content　to　die！　Thy　lot　has　been　hard；

Harmachis；　but　at　least　thou　have　been　free；　and　many　is　the　time　that

I　have　envied　thee　the　quiet　of　thy　haunted　cave。〃



〃I　do　perceive；　O　Charmion；　that　thou　art　mindful　of　thy　oaths；　and

it　is　well；　for　the　hour　of　vengeance　is　at　hand。〃



〃I　am　mindful；　and　in　all　things　I　have　worked　for　thee　in　secretfor

thee；　and　for　the　utter　ruin　of　Cleopatra　and　the　Roman。　I　have　fanned

his　passion　and　her　jealousy；　I　have　egged　her　on　to　wickedness　and

him　to　folly；　and　of　all　have　I　caused　report　to　be　brought　to　C？sar。

Listen！　thus　stands　the　matter。　Thou　knowest　how　went　the　fight　at

Actium。　Thither　went　Cleopatra　with　her　fleet；　sorely　against　the　will

of　Antony。　But；　as　thou　sentest　me　word；　I　entreated　him　for　the

Queen；　vowing　to　him；　with　tears；　that；　did　he　leave　her；　she　would

die　of　grief；　and　he；　poor　slave；　believed　me。　And　so　she　went；　and　in

the　thick　of　the　fight；　for　what　cause　I　know　not；　though　perchance

thou　knowest；　Harmachis；　she　made　signal　to　her　squadron；　and；　putting

about　fled　from　the　battle；　sailing　for　Peloponnesus。　And　now；　mark

the　end！　When　Antony　saw　that　she　was　gone；　he；　in　his　madness；　took　a

galley；　and　deserting　all；　followed　hard　after　her；　leaving　his　fleet

to　be　shattered　and　sunk；　and　his　great　army　in　Greece；　of　twenty

legions　and　twelve　thousand　horse；　without　a　leader。　And　all　this　no

man　would　believe；　that　Antony；　the　smitten　of　the　Gods；　had　fallen　so

deep　in　shame。　Therefore　for　a　while　the　army　tarried；　and　but　now

to…night　comes　news　brought　by　Canidius；　the　General；　that；　worn　with

doubt　and　being　at　length　sure　that　Antony　had　deserted　them；　the

whole　of　his　great　force　has　yielded　to　C？sar。〃



〃And　where；　then；　is　Antony？〃



〃He　has　built　him　a　habitation　on　a　little　isle　in　the　Great　Harbour

and　named　it　Timonium；　because；　forsooth；　like　Timon；　he　cries　out　at

the　ingratitude　of　mankind　that　has　forsaken　him。　And　there　he　lies

smitten　by　a　fever　of　the　mind；　and　thither　thou　must　go　at　dawn；　so

wills　the　Queen；　to　cure　him　of　his　ills　and　draw　him　to　her　arms；　for

he　will　not　see　her；　nor　knows　he　yet　the　full　measure　of　his　woe。　But

first　my　bidding　is　to　lead　thee　instantly　to　Cleopatra；　who　would　ask

thy　counsel。〃



〃I　come；〃　I　answered；　rising。　〃Lead　thou　on。〃



And　so　we　passed　the　palace　gates　and　along　the　Alabaster　Hall；　and

presently　once　again　I　stood　before　the　door　of　Cleopatra's　chamber；

and　once　again　Charmion　left　me　to　warn　her　of　my　coming。



Presently　she　came　back　and　beckoned　to　me。　〃Make　strong　thy　heart；〃

she　whispered；　〃and　see　that　thou　dost　not　betray　thyself；　for　still

are　the　eyes　of　Cleopatra　keen。　Enter！〃



〃Keen；　indeed；　must　they　be　to　find　Harmachis　in　the　learned　Olympus！

Had　I　not　willed　it；　thyself　thou　hadst　not　known　me；　Charmion；〃　I

made　answer。



Then　I　entered　that　remembered　place　and　listened　once　more　to　the

plash　of　the　fountain；　the　song　of　the　nightingale；　and　the　murmur　of

the　summer　sea。　With　bowed　head　and　halting　gait　I　came；　till　at

length　I　stood　before　the　couch　of　Cleopatrathat　same　golden　couch

on　which　she　had　sat　the　night　she　overcame　me。　Then　I　gathered　my

strength；　and　looked　up。　There　before　me　was　Cleopatra；　glorious　as　of

old；　but；　oh！　how　changed　since　that　night　when　I　saw　Antony　clasp　her

in　his　arms　at　Tarsus！　Her　beauty　still　clothed　her　like　a　garment；

the　eyes　were　yet　deep　and　unfathomable　as　the　blue　sea；　the　face

still　splendid　in　its　great　loveliness。　And　yet　all　was　changed。　Time；

that　could　not　touch　her　charms；　had　stamped　upon　her　presence　such　a

look　of　weary　grief　as　may　not　be　written。　Passion；　beating　ever　in

that　fierce　heart　of　hers；　had　written　his　record　on　her　brow；　and　in

her　eyes　shone　the　sad　lights　of　sorrow。



I　bowed　low　before　this　most　royal　woman；　who　once　had　been　my　love

and　destruction；　and　yet　knew　me　not。



She　looked　up　wearily；　and　spoke　in　her　slow；　well　remembered　voice：



〃So　thou　art　come　at　length；　Physician。　How　callest　thou　thyself？

Olympus？　'Tis　a　name　of　promise；　for　surely　now　that　the　Gods　of　Egypt

have　deserted　us；　we　do　need　aid　from　Olympus。　Well；　thou　hast　a

learned　air；　for　learning　does　not　with　beauty。　Strange；　too；　there　is

that　about　thee　which　recalls　what　I　know　not。　Say；　Olympus；　have　we

met　before？〃



〃Never；　O　Queen；　have　my　eyes　fallen　on　thee　in　the　body；〃　I　answered

in　a　feigned　voice。　〃Never　till　this　hour；　when　I　come　forth　from　my

solitude　to　do　thy　bidding　and　cure　thee　of　thy　ills！〃



〃Strange！　and　even　in　the　voicePshaw！　'tis　some　memory　that　I　cannot

catch。　In　the　body；　thou　sayest？　then；　perchance；　I　knew　thee　in　a

dream？〃



〃Ay；　O　Queen；　we　have　met　in　drea