cleopatra-第68章

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lovely　eyes　to　heaven　and　cry　aloud：



〃O　ye　Gods　of　Egypt！　who　have　deserted　me；　to　you　no　longer　will　I

pray；　for　your　ears　are　shut　unto　my　crying　and　your　eyes　blind　to　my

griefs！　Therefore；　I　make　entreaty　of　that　last　friend　whom　the　Gods；

departing；　leave　to　helpless　man。　Sweep　hither；　Death；　whose　winnowing

wings　enshadow　all　the　world；　and　give　me　ear！　Draw　nigh；　thou　King　of

Kings！　who；　with　an　equal　hand；　bringest　the　fortunate　head　of　one

pillow　with　the　slave；　and　by　thy　spiritual　breath　dost　waft　the

bubble　of　our　life　far　from　this　hell　of　earth！　Hide　me　where　winds

blow　not　and　waters　cease　to　roll；　where　wars　are　done　and　C？sar's

legions　cannot　march！　Take　me　to　a　new　dominion；　and　crown　me　Queen　of

Peace！　Thou　art　my　Lord；　O　Death；　and　in　thy　kiss　I　have　conceived。　I

am　in　labour　of　a　Soul：　seeit　stands　new…born　upon　the　edge　of　Time！

Nownowgo；　Life！　Come；　Sleep！　Come；　Antony！〃



And；　with　one　glance　to　heaven；　she　drank；　and　cast　the　goblet　to　the

ground。







Then　at　last　came　the　moment　of　my　pent…up　vengeance；　and　of　the

vengeance　of　Egypt's　outraged　Gods；　and　of　the　falling　of　the　curse　of

Menkau…ra。



〃What's　this？〃　she　cried；　〃I　grow　cold；　but　I　die　not！　Thou　dark

physician；　thou　hast　betrayed　me！〃



〃Peace；　Cleopatra！　Presently　shalt　thou　die　and　know　the　fury　of　the

Gods！　/The　curse　of　Menkau…ra　hath　fallen！/　It　is　finished！　Look　upon

me；　woman！　Look　upon　this　marred　face；　this　twisted　form；　this　living

mass　of　sorrow！　/Look！　look！/　Who　am　I？〃



She　stared　upon　me　wildly。



〃Oh！　oh！〃　she　shrieked；　throwing　up　her　arms；　〃at　last　I　know　thee！　By

the　Gods；　thou　art　Harmachis！Harmachis　risen　from　the　dead！〃



〃Ay；　Harmachis　risen　from　the　dead　to　drag　thee　down　to　death　and

agony　eternal！　See；　thou　Cleopatra；　/I/　have　ruined　thee　as　thou　didst

ruin　me！　I；　working　in　the　dark；　and　helped　of　the　angry　Gods；　have

been　thy　secret　spring　of　woe！　I　filled　thy　heart　with　fear　at　Actium；

I　held　the　Egyptians　from　thy　aid；　I　sapped　the　strength　of　Antony；　I

showed　the　portent　of　the　Gods　unto　thy　captains！　By　my　hand　at　length

thou　diest；　for　I　am　the　instrument　of　Vengeance！　Ruin　I　pay　thee　back

for　ruin；　Treachery　for　treachery；　Death　for　death！　Come　hither；

Charmion；　partner　of　my　plots；　who　betrayed　me；　but；　repenting；　art

the　sharer　of　my　triumph；　come　watch　this　fallen　wanton　die！〃



Cleopatra　heard；　and　sank　back　upon　the　golden　bed；　groaning　〃And

thou；　too；　Charmion！〃



A　moment　so　she　sat；　then　her　Imperial　spirit　burnt　up　glorious　before

she　died。



She　staggered　from　the　bed；　and；　with　arms　outstretched；　she　cursed

me。



〃Oh！　for　one　hour　of　life！〃　she　cried〃one　short　hour；　that　therein　I

might　make　thee　die　in　such　fashion　as　thou　canst　not　dream；　thou　and

that　false　paramour　of　thine；　who　betrayed　both　me　and　thee！　And　thou

didst　love　me！　Ah；　/there/　I　have　thee　still！　See；　thou　subtle；

plotting　priest〃and　with　both　hands　she　rent　back　the　royal　robes

from　her　bosom〃see；　on　this　fair　breast　once　night　by　night　thy　head

was　pillowed；　and　thou　didst　sleep　wrapped　in　these　same　arms。　Now；

put　away　their　memory　/if　thou　canst！/　I　read　it　in　thine　eyesthat

mayst　thou　not！　No　torture　which　I　bear　can；　in　its　sum；　draw　nigh　to

the　rage　of　that　deep　soul　of　thine；　rent　with　longings　never；　never

to　be　reached！　Harmachis；　thou　slave　of　slaves；　from　thy　triumph…

depths　I　snatch　a　deeper　triumph；　and　conquered　yet　I　conquer！　I　spit

upon　theeI　defy　theeand；　dying；　doom　thee　to　the　torment　of　thy

deathless　love！　O　Antony！　I　come；　my　Antony！I　come　to　thy　own　dear

arms！　Soon　I　shall　find　thee；　and；　wrapped　in　a　love　undying　and

divine；　together　we　will　float　through　all　the　depths　of　space；　and；

lips　to　lips　and　eyes　to　eyes；　drink　of　desires　grown　more　sweet　with

every　draught！　Or　if　I　find　thee　not；　then　I　shall　sink　in　peace　down

the　poppied　ways　of　Sleep：　and　for　me　the　breast　of　Night；　whereon　I

shall　be　softly　cradled；　will　yet　seem　thy　bosom；　Antony！　Oh；　I　die！

come；　Antonyand　give　me　peace！〃



Even　in　my　fury　I　had　quailed　beneath　her　scorn；　for　home　flew　the

arrows　of　her　winged　words。　Alas！　and　alas！　it　was　/true/the　shaft

of　my　vengeance　fell　upon　my　own　head；　never　had　I　loved　her　as　I

loved　her　now。　My　soul　was　rent　with　jealous　torture；　and　thus　I　swore

she　should　not　die。



〃Peace！〃　I　cried；　〃what　peace　is　there　for　thee？　Oh！　ye　Holy　Three；

hear　now　my　prayer。　Osiris；　loosen　Thou　the　bonds　of　Hell　and　send

forth　those　whom　I　shall　summon！　Come　Ptolemy；　poisoned　of　thy　sister

Cleopatra；　come　Arsino？；　murdered　in　the　sanctuary　by　thy　sister

Cleopatra；　come　Sepa；　tortured　to　death　of　Cleopatra；　come　Divine

Menkau…ra；　whose　body　Cleopatra　tore　and　whose　curse　she　braved　for

greed；　come　one；　come　all　who　have　died　at　the　hands　of　Cleopatra！

Rush　from　the　breast　of　Nout　and　greet　her　who　murdered　you！　By　the

link　of　mystic　union；　by　the　symbol　of　the　Life；　Spirits；　I　summon

you！〃



Thus　I　spoke　the　spell；　while　Charmion；　affrighted；　clung　to　my　robe；

and　the　dying　Cleopatra；　resting　on　her　hands；　swung　slowly　to　and

fro；　gazing　with　vacant　eyes。



Then　the　answer　came。　The　casement　burst　asunder；　and　on　flittering

wings　that　great　bat　entered　which　last　I　had　seen　hanging　to　the

eunuch's　chin　in　the　womb　of　the　pyramid　of　/Her/。　Thrice　it　circled

round；　once　it　hovered　o'er　dead　Iras；　then　flew　to　where　the　dying

woman　stood。　To　her　it　flew；　on　her　breast　it　settled；　clinging　to

that　emerald　which　was　dragged　from　the　dead　heart　of　Menkau…ra。

Thrice　the　grey　Horror　screamed　aloud；　thrice　it　beat　its　bony　wings；

and　lo！　it　was　gone。



Then　suddenly　within　that　chamber　sprang　up　the　Shapes　of　Death。　There

was　Arsino？；　the　beautiful；　even　as　she　had　shrunk　beneath　the

butcher's　knife。　There　was　young　Ptolemy；　his　features　twisted　by　the

poisoned　cup。　There　was　the　majesty　of　Menkau…ra；　crowned　with　the

ur？us　crown；　there　was　grave　Sepa；　his　flesh　all　torn　by　the

torturer's　hooks；　there　were　those　poisoned　slaves；　and　there　were

others　without　number；　shadowy　and　dreadful　to　behold！　who；　thronging

that　narrow　chamber；　stood　silently　fixing　their　glassy　eyes　upon　the

face　of　her　who　slew　them！







〃Behold！　Cleopatra！〃　I　said。　〃/Behold　thy　peace；　and　die！/〃



〃Ay！〃　said　Charmion。　〃Behold　and　die！　thou　who　didst　rob　me　of　my

honour；　and　Egypt　of　her　King！〃







She　looked；　she　saw　the　awful　Shapesher　Spirit；　hurrying　from　the

flesh；　mayhap　could　hear　words　to　which　my　ears　were　deaf。　Then　her

face　sank　in　with　terror；　her　great　eyes　grew　pale；　and；　shrieking；

Cleopatra　fell　and　died：　passing；　with　that　dread　company；　to　her

appointed　place。







Thus；　then；　I；　Harmachis；　fed　my　soul　with　vengeance；　fulfilling　the

justice　of　the　Gods；　and　yet　knew　myself　empty　of　all　joy　therein。　For

though　that　thing　we　worship　doth　bring　us　ruin；　and　Love　being　more

pitiless　than　Death；　we　in　turn　do　pay　all　our　sorrow　back；　yet　we

must　worship　on；　yet　stretch　out　our　arms　towards　our　lost　Desire；　and

pour　our　heart's　blood　upon　the　shrine　of　our　discrowned　God。



For　Love　is　of　the　Spirit；　and　knows　not　Death。







CHAPTER　IX



OF　THE　FAREWELL　OF　CHARMION；　OF　THE　DEATH　OF　CHARMION；　OF

THE　DEATH　OF　THE　OLD　WIFE；　ATOUA；　OF　THE　COMING　OF　HARMACHIS

TO　ABOUTHIS；　OF　HIS　CONFESSION　IN　THE　HALL　OF　SIX…AND…THIRTY

PILLARS；　AND　OF　THE　DECLARING　OF　THE　DOOM　OF　HARMACHIS



Charmion　unclasped　my　arm；　to　which　she　had　clung　in　terror。



〃Thy　vengeance；　thou　dark　Harmachis；〃　she　said；　in　a　hoarse　voice；　〃is

a　thing　hideous　to　behold！　O　lost　Egypt；　with　all　thy　sins　thou　wast

indeed　a　Queen！



〃Come；　aid　me；　Prince；　let　us　stretch　this　poor　clay　upon　the　bed　and

deck　it　royally；　so　that　it　may　give　its　dumb　audience　to　the

messengers　of　C？sar　as　becomes　the　last　of　Egypt's　Queens。〃



I　spoke　no　word　in　answer；　for　my　heart　was　very　heavy；　and　now　that

all　was　done　I　was　weary。　Together；　then；