cleopatra-第61章

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gate；　and　that；　headed　by　dead　Cicero；　all　the　ghosts　of　Hell　do

audibly　shriek　out　the　fall　of　Antony！　Yea；　gather　up　every　woe　that

can　o'erwhelm　those　who　once　were　great；　and　loose　them　on　the　hoary

head　of　him　whomin　thy　gentlenessthou　art　still　pleased　to　name

'the　noble　Antony'！〃



〃Nay；　my　Lord；　I　have　done。〃



〃Ay；　and　so　have　I　donedone；　quite　done！　It　is　altogether　finished；

and　thus　I　seal　the　end；〃　and　snatching　a　sword　from　the　couch；　he

would；　indeed；　have　slain　himself　had　I　not　sprung　forward　and　grasped

his　hand。　For　it　was　not　my　purpose　that　he　should　die　as　yet；　since

had　he　died　at　that　hour　Cleopatra　had　made　her　peace　with　C？sar；　who

rather　wished　the　death　of　Antony　than　the　ruin　of　Egypt。



〃Art　mad；　Antony？　Art；　indeed；　a　coward？〃　cried　Charmion；　〃that　thou

wouldst　thus　escape　thy　woes；　and　leave　thy　partner　to　face　the　sorrow

out　alone？〃



〃Why　not；　woman？　Why　not？　She　would　not　be　long　alone。　There's　C？sar

to　keep　her　company。　Octavianus　loves　a　fair　woman　in　his　cold　way；

and　still　is　Cleopatra　fair。　Come　now；　thou　Olympus！　thou　hast　held　my

hand　from　dealing　death　upon　myself；　advise　me　of　thy　wisdom。　Shall　I；

then；　submit　myself　to　C？sar；　and　I；　Triumvir；　twice　Consul；　and

aforetime　absolute　Monarch　of　all　the　East；　endure　to　follow　in　his

triumph　along　those　Roman　ways　where　I　myself　have　passed　in　triumph？〃



〃Nay；　Sire；〃　I　answered。　〃If　thou　dost　yield；　then　art　thou　doomed。

All　last　night　I　questioned　of　the　Fates　concerning　thee；　and　I　saw

this：　when　thy　star　draws　near　to　C？sar's　it　pales　and　is　swallowed

up；　but　when　it　passes　from　his　radiance；　then　bright　and　big　it

shines；　equal　in　glory　to　his　own。　All　is　not　lost；　and　while　some

part　remains；　everything　may　be　regained。　Egypt　can　yet　be　held；

armies　can　still　be　raised。　C？sar　has　withdrawn　himself；　he　is　not　yet

at　the　gates　of　Alexandria；　and　perchance　may　be　appeased。　Thy　mind　in

its　fever　has　fired　thy　body；　thou　art　sick　and　canst　not　judge

aright。　See；　here；　I　have　a　potion　that　shall　make　thee　whole；　for　I

am　well　skilled　in　the　art　of　medicine；〃　and　I　held　out　the　phial。



〃A　potion；　thou　sayest　man！〃　he　cried。　〃More　like　it　is　a　poison；　and

thou　a　murderer；　sent　by　false　Egypt；　who　would　fain　be　rid　of　me　now

that　I　may　no　more　be　of　service　to　her。　The　head　of　Antony　is　the

peace　offering　she　would　send　to　C？sarshe　for　whom　I　have　lost　all！

Give　me　thy　draught。　By　Bacchus！　I　will　drink　it；　though　it　be　the

very　elixir　of　Death！〃



〃Nay；　noble　Antony；　it　is　no　poison；　and　I　am　no　murderer。　See；　I　will

taste　it；　if　thou　wilt；〃　and　I　held　forth　the　subtle　drink　that　has

the　power　to　fire　the　veins　of　men。



〃Give　it　me；　Physician。　Desperate　men　are　brave　men。　There！　Why；

what　is　this？　Yours　is　a　magic　draught！　My　sorrows　seem　to　roll　away

like　thunder…clouds　before　the　southern　gale；　and　the　spring　of　Hope

blooms　fresh　upon　the　desert　of　my　heart。　Once　more　I　am　Antony；　and

once　again　I　see　my　legions'　spears　asparkle　in　the　sun；　and　hear　the

thunderous　shout　of　welcome　as　Antonybeloved　Antonyrides　in　pomp

of　war　along　his　deep…formed　lines！　There's　hope！　there's　hope！　I　may

yet　see　the　cold　brows　of　C？sarthat　C？sar　who　never　errs　except　from

policyrobbed　of　their　victor　bays　and　crowned　with　shameful　dust！〃



〃Ay；〃　cried　Charmion；　〃there　still　is　hope；　if　thou　wilt　but　play　the

man！　O　my　Lord！　come　back　with　us；　come　back　to　the　loving　arms　of

Cleopatra！　All　night　she　lies　upon　her　golden　bed；　and　fills　the

hollow　darkness　with　her　groans　for　'Antony！'　who；　enamoured　now　of

Grief；　forgets　his　duty　and　his　love！〃



〃I　come！　I　come！　Shame　upon　me；　that　I　dared　to　doubt　her！　Slave；

bring　water；　and　a　purple　robe：　not　thus　can　I　be　seen　of　Cleopatra。

Even　now　I　come。〃







In　this　fashion；　then；　did　we　draw　Antony　back　to　Cleopatra；　that　the

ruin　of　the　twain　might　be　made　sure。







We　led　him　up　the　Alabaster　Hall　and　into　Cleopatra's　chamber；　where

she　lay；　her　cloudy　hair　about　her　face　and　breast；　and　tears　flowing

from　her　deep　eyes。



〃O　Egypt！〃　he　cried；　〃behold　me　at　thy　feet！〃



She　sprang　from　the　couch。　〃And　art　thou　here；　my　love？〃　she　murmured；

〃then　once　again　are　all　things　well。　Come　near；　and　in　these　arms

forget　thy　sorrows　and　turn　my　grief　to　joy。　Oh；　Antony；　while　love　is

left　to　us；　still　have　we　all！〃



And　she　fell　upon　his　breast　and　kissed　him　wildly。







That　same　day；　Charmion　came　to　me　and　bade　me　prepare　a　poison　of　the

most　deadly　power。　And　this　at　first　I　would　not　do；　fearing　that

Cleopatra　would　therewith　make　an　end　of　Antony　before　his　time。　But

Charmion　showed　me　that　this　was　not　so；　and　told　me　also　for　what

purpose　was　the　poison。　Therefore　I　summoned　Atoua；　the　skilled　in

simples；　and　all　that　afternoon　we　laboured　at　the　deadly　work。　And

when　it　was　done；　Charmion　came　once　more；　bearing　with　her　a　chaplet

of　fresh　roses；　that　she　bade　me　steep　in　the　poison。



This　then　I　did。



That　night　at　the　great　feast　of　Cleopatra；　I　sat　near　Antony；　who　was

at　her　side；　and　wore　the　poisoned　wreath。　Now　as　the　feast　went　on；

the　wine　flowed　fast；　till　Antony　and　the　Queen　grew　merry。　And　she

told　him　of　her　plans；　and　of　how　even　now　her　galleys　were　being

drawn　by　the　canal　that　leads　from　Bubastis　on　the　Pelusiac　branch　of

the　Nile；　to　Clysma　at　the　head　of　the　Bay　of　Heroopolis。　For　it　was

her　design；　should　C？sar　prove　stubborn；　to　fly　with　Antony　and　her

treasure　down　the　Arabian　Gulf；　where　C？sar　had　no　fleet；　and　seek

some　new　home　in　India；　whither　her　foes　might　not　follow。　But；

indeed；　this　plan　came　to　nothing；　for　the　Arabs　of　Petra　burnt　the

galleys；　incited　thereto　by　a　message　sent　by　the　Jews　of　Alexandria；

who　hated　Cleopatra　and　were　hated　of　her。　For　I　caused　the　Jews　to　be

warned　of　what　was　being　done。



Now；　when　she　had　made　an　end　of　telling　him；　the　Queen　called　on　him

to　drink　a　cup　with　her；　to　the　success　of　this　new　scheme；　bidding

him；　as　she　did　so；　steep　his　wreath　of　roses　in　the　wine；　and　make

the　draught　more　sweet。　This；　then；　he　did；　and　it　being　done；　she

pledged　him。　But　when　he　was　about　to　pledge　her　back；　she　caught　his

hand；　crying　〃/Hold！/〃　whereat　he　paused；　wondering。



Now；　among　the　servants　of　Cleopatra　was　one　Eudosius；　a　steward；　and

this　Eudosius；　seeing　that　the　fortunes　of　Cleopatra　were　at　an　end；

had　laid　a　plan　to　fly　that　very　night　to　C？sar；　as　many　of　his

betters　had　done；　taking　with　him　all　the　treasure　in　the　palace　that

he　could　steal。　But　this　design　being　discovered　to　Cleopatra；　she

determined　to　be　avenged　upon　Eudosius。



〃Eudosius；〃　she　cried；　for　the　man　stood　near；　〃come　hither；　thou

faithful　servant！　Seest　thou　this　man；　most　noble　Antony；　through　all

our　troubles　he　has　clung　to　us　and　been　of　comfort　to　us。　Now；

therefore；　he　shall　be　rewarded　according　to　his　deserts　and　the

measure　of　his　faithfulness；　and　that　from　thine　own　hand。　Give　him

thy　golden　cup　of　wine；　and　let　him　drink　a　pledge　to　our　success；　the

cup　shall　be　his　guerdon。〃



And　still　wondering；　Antony　gave　it　to　the　man；　who；　stricken　in　his

guilty　mind；　took　it；　and　stood　trembling。　But　he　drank　not。



〃Drink！　thou　slave；　drink！〃　cried　Cleopatra；　half　rising　from　her　seat

and　flashing　a　fierce　look　on　his　white　face。　〃By　Serapis！　so　surely

as　I　yet　shall　sit　in　the　Capitol　at　Rome；　if　thou　dost　thus　flout　the

Lord　Antony；　I'll　have　thee　scourged　to　the　bones；　and　the　red　wine

poured　upon　thy　open　wounds　to　heal　them！　/Ah！/　at　length　thou

drinkest！　Why；　what　is　it；　good　Eudosius？　art　sick？　Surely；　then；　this

wine　must　be　as　the　water　of　jealousy　of　those　Jews；　that　has　power　to

slay　the　false　and　strengthen　the　honest　only。　Go；　some　of　you；　search

this　man's　room；　methinks　he　is　a　traitor！〃



Meanwhile　the　man　stood；　his　hands　to　his　head。　Presently　he　began　to

tremble；　and　then　fell；　clutching　at　his　bosom；　as　though　to　tear　out

th