cleopatra-第37节

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Menkau…ra；　and　traversed　its　length。　We　fled　along　the　passage。　What

if　the　Thing　had　closed　the　three　mighty　doors？　No；　they　were　open；

and　we　sped　through　them；　the　last　only　did　I　stay　to　close。　I　touched

the　stone；　as　I　knew　how；　and　the　great　door　crashed　down；　shutting　us

off　from　the　presence　of　the　dead　eunuch　and　the　Horror　that　had　hung

upon　the　eunuch's　chin。　Now　we　were　in　the　white　chamber　with　the

sculptured　panels；　and　now　we　faced　the　last　steep　ascent。　Oh　that

last　ascent！　Twice　Cleopatra　slipped　and　fell　upon　the　polished　floor。

The　second　timeit　was　when　half　the　distance　had　been　doneshe　let

fall　her　lamp；　and　would；　indeed；　have　rolled　down　the　slide　had　I　not

saved　her。　But　in　doing　thus　I；　too；　let　fall　my　lamp　that　bounded

away　into　shadow　beneath　us；　and　we　were　in　utter　darkness。　And

perchance　about　us；　in　the　darkness；　hovered　that　awful　Thing！



〃Be　brave！〃　I　cried；　〃O　love；　be　brave；　and　struggle　on；　or　both　are

lost！　The　way；　though　steep；　is　not　far；　and；　though　it　be　dark；　we

can　scarce　come　to　harm　in　this　straight　shaft。　If　the　gems　weight

thee；　cast　them　away！〃



〃Nay；〃　she　gasped；　〃that　I　will　not；　this　shall　not　be　endured　to　no

end。　I　die　with　them！〃



Then　it　was　that　I　saw　the　greatness　of　this　woman's　heart；　for　in　the

dark；　and　notwithstanding　the　terrors　we　had　passed　and　the　awfulness

of　our　state；　she　clung　to　me　and　clambered　on　up　that　dread　passage。

On　we　clambered；　hand　in　hand；　with　bursting　hearts；　till　there；　by

the　mercy　or　the　anger　of　the　Gods；　at　length　we　saw　the　faint　light

of　the　moon；　creeping　through　the　little　opening　in　the　pyramid。　One

struggle　more；　now　the　hole　was　gained；　and　like　a　breath　from　heaven；

the　sweet　night　air　played　upon　our　brows。　I　climbed　through；　and；

standing　on　a　pile　of　stones；　lifted　and　dragged　Cleopatra　after　me。

She　fell　to　the　ground　and　then　sank　down　upon　it　motionless。



I　pressed　upon　the　turning　stone　with　trembling　hands。　It　swung　to　and

caught；　leaving　no　mark　of　the　secret　place　of　entry。　Then　I　leapt

down　and；　having　pushed　away　the　pile　of　stones；　looked　on　Cleopatra。

She　had　swooned；　and　notwithstanding　the　dust　and　grime　upon　her　face；

it　was　so　pale　that　at　first　I　believed　she　must　be　dead。　But　placing

my　hand　upon　her　heart　I　felt　it　stir　beneath；　and；　being　spent；　I

flung　myself　down　beside　her　upon　the　sand；　to　gather　up　my　strength

again。







CHAPTER　XII



OF　THE　COMING　BACK　OF　HARMACHIS；　OF　THE　GREETING　OF　CHARMION；

AND　OF　THE　ANSWER　OF　CLEOPATRA　TO　QUINTUS　DELLIUS；

THE　AMBASSADOR　OF　ANTONY　THE　TRIUMVIR



Presently　I　lifted　myself；　and；　laying　the　head　of　Egypt's　Queen　upon

my　knee；　strove　to　call　her　back　to　life。　How　fair　she　seemed；　even　in

her　disarray；　her　long　hair　streaming　down　her　breast！　how　deadly　fair

she　seemed　in　the　faint　lightthis　woman　the　story　of　whose　beauty

and　whose　sin　shall　outlive　the　solid　mass　of　the　mighty　pyramid　that

towered　over　us！　The　heaviness　of　her　swoon　had　smoothed　away　the

falseness　of　her　face；　and　nothing　was　left　but　the　divine　stamp　of

Woman's　richest　loveliness；　softened　by　shadows　of　the　night　and

dignified　by　the　cast　of　deathlike　sleep。　I　gazed　upon　her　and　all　my

heart　went　out　to　her；　it　seemed　that　I　did　but　love　her　more　because

of　the　depth　of　the　treasons　to　which　I　had　sunk　to　reach　her；　and

because　of　the　terrors　we　had　outfaced　together。　Weary　and　spent　with

fears　and　the　pangs　of　guilt；　my　heart　sought　hers　for　rest；　for　now

she　alone　was　left　to　me。　She　had　sworn　to　wed　me　also；　and　with　the

treasure　we　had　won　we　would　make　Egypt　strong　and　free　her　from　her

foes；　and　all　should　yet　be　well。　Ah！　could　I　have　seen　the　picture

that　was　to　come；　how；　and　in　what　place　and　circumstance；　once　again

this　very　woman's　head　should　be　laid　upon　my　knee；　pale　with　that

cast　of　death！　Ah！　could　I　have　seen！



I　chafed　her　hand　between　my　hands。　I　bent　down　and　kissed　her　on　the

lips；　and　at　my　kiss　she　woke。　She　woke　with　a　little　sob　of　feara

shiver　ran　along　her　delicate　limbs；　and　she　stared　upon　my　face　with

wide　eyes。



〃Ah！　it　is　thou！〃　she　said。　〃I　mind　methou　hast　saved　me　from　that

horror…haunted　place！〃　And　she　threw　her　arms　about　my　neck；　drew　me

to　her　and　kissed　me。　〃Come；　love；〃　she　said；　〃let　us　be　going！　I　am

sore　athirst；　andah！　so　very　weary！　The　gems；　too；　chafe　my　breast！

Never　was　wealth　so　hardly　won！　Come；　let　us　be　going　from　the　shadow

of　this　ghostly　spot！　See　the　faint　lights　glancing　from　the　wings　of

Dawn。　How　beautiful　they　are；　and　how　sweet　to　behold！　Never；　in　those

Halls　of　Eternal　Night；　did　I　think　to　look　upon　the　blush　of　dawn

again！　Ah！　I　can　still　see　the　face　of　that　dead　slave；　with　the

Horror　hanging　to　his　beardless　chin！　Bethink　thee！there　he'll　sit

for　evertherewith　the　Horror！　Come；　where　may　we　find　water？　I

would　give　an　emerald　for　a　cup　of　water！〃



〃At　the　canal　on　the　borders　of　the　tilled　land　below　the　Temple　of

Horemkhuit　is　close　by；〃　I　answered。　〃If　any　see　us；　we　will　say

that　we　are　pilgrims　who　have　lost　our　way　at　night　among　the　tombs。

Veil　thyself　closely；　therefore；　Cleopatra；　and　beware　lest　thou　dost

show　aught　of　those　gems　about　thee。〃



So　she　veiled　herself；　and　I　lifted　her　on　to　the　ass　which　was

tethered　near　at　hand。　We　walked　slowly　through　the　plain　till　we　came

to　the　place　where　the　symbol　of　the　God　Horemkhu；＇*＇　fashioned　as　a

mighty　Sphinx　（whom　the　Greeks　call　Harmachis）；　and　crowned　with　the

royal　crown　of　Egypt；　looks　out　in　majesty　across　the　land；　his　eyes

ever　fixed　upon　the　East。　As　we　walked　the　first　arrow　of　the　rising

sun　quivered　through　the　grey　air；　striking　upon　Horemkhu's　lips　of

holy　calm；　and　the　Dawn　kissed　her　greeting　to　the　God　of　Dawn。　Then

the　light　gathered　and　grew　upon　the　gleaming　sides　of　twenty

pyramids；　and；　like　a　promise　from　Life　to　Death；　rested　on　the

portals　of　ten　thousand　tombs。　It　poured　in　a　flood　of　gold　across　the

desert　sandit　pierced　the　heavy　sky　of　night；　and　fell　in　bright

beams　upon　the　green　of　fields　and　the　tufted　crest　of　palms。　Then

from　his　horizon　bed　royal　Ra　rose　up　in　pomp　and　it　was　day。



＇*＇　That　is；　〃Horus　on　the　horizon〃；　and　signifies　the　power　of　Light

　　　　and　Good　overcoming　the　power　of　Darkness　and　Evil　incarnate　in

　　　　his　enemy；　Typhon。Editor。



Passing　the　temple　of　granite　and　of　alabaster　that　was　built　before

the　days　of　Khufu；　to　the　glory　of　the　Majesty　of　Horemkhu；　we

descended　the　slope；　and　came　to　the　banks　of　the　canal。　There　we

drank；　and　that　draught　of　muddy　water　was　sweeter　than　all　the

choicest　wine　of　Alexandria。　Also　we　washed　the　mummy　dust　and　grime

from　our　hands　and　brows　and　made　us　clean。　As　she　bathed　her　neck；

stooping　over　the　water；　one　of　the　great　emeralds　slipped　from

Cleopatra's　breast　and　fell　into　the　canal；　and　it　was　but　by　chance

that　at　length　I　found　it　in　the　mire。　Then；　once　more；　I　lifted

Cleopatra　onto　the　beast；　and　slowly；　for　I　was　very　weary；　we　marched

back　to　the　banks　of　Sihor；　where　our　craft　was。　And　having　at　length

come　thither；　seeing　no　one　save　some　few　peasants　going　out　to　labour

on　the　lands；　I　turned　the　ass　loose　in　that　same　field　where　we　had

found　him；　and　we　boarded　the　craft　while　the　crew　were　yet　sleeping。

Then；　waking　them；　we　bade　them　make　all　sail；　saying　that　we　had　left

the　eunuch　to　sojourn　a　while　behind　us；　as　in　truth　we　had。　So　we

sailed；　having　first　hidden　away　the　gems　and　such　of　the　ornaments　of

gold　as　we　could　bring　to　the　boat。



We　spent　four　days　and　more　in　coming　to　Alexandria；　for　the　wind　was

for　the　most　part　against　us；　and　they　were　happy　days！　At　first；

indeed；　Cleopatra　was　somewhat　silent　and　heavy　at　heart；　for　what　she

had　seen　and　felt　in　the　womb　of　the　pyramid　weighed　her　down。　But

soon　her　Imperial　spirit　awoke　and　shook　the　burden　from　her　breast；

and　she　became　herself　againnow　gay；　now　learned；　now　loving；　and

now　cold；　now　queenly；　and　now　altogether　simpleever　changing　as　the

winds　of　heaven；　and　as　the　heaven；　deep；　beauteous；　and　unsearchable！



Night　after　night　for　those　four　perfect　nights；　the　last　happy　hours

I　ever　was　to　know；　we　sat　hand　in　hand　upon　the　deck　and　heard　the

waters　lap　the　vessel's　side；　and　watched　the　soft　footfall　of　the

moon　as　she　trod　the　depths　of　Nile。　There　we　sat　and　talked　of　love；

talked　of　our　marriage　and　all　that　we　would　do。　Also　I　drew　up　plans

of　war　and　of　defence　against　the　Roman；　which　now　we　had　the　means　to

carry　out；　and　she　approved　them；　sweetly　saying　that　what　seemed　good

to　me　was　good　to　her。　And　so　the　time　passed　all　too　swiftly。



Oh　those　nights　upon　the　Nile！　their　memory　haunts　me　yet！　Yet　in　my

dreams　I　see　the　moonbeams　break　and　quiver；　and　hear　Cleopatra's

murmured　words　of　love　mingle　with　the　sound　of　murmuring　waters。　Dead

are　those　dear　nights；　dead　is　the　moon　that　lit　them；　the　waters

which　rocked　us　on　their　bre