cleopatra-第43节

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her　dark　heart　pleasure　to　torment　me。



Thus　it　came　to　pass　that　I；　the　Pharaoh；　crowned　of　Khem；　stood　among

eunuchs　and　waiting…women　behind　the　couch　of　Egypt's　Queen　while　the

feast　went　merrily　and　the　wine…cup　passed。　And　ever　Antony　sat；　his

eyes　fixed　upon　the　face　of　Cleopatra；　who　from　time　to　time　let　her

deep　glance　lose　itself　in　his；　and　then　for　a　little　while　their　talk

died　away。　For　he　told　her　tales　of　war　and　of　deeds　that　he　had　done

ay；　and　love…jests　such　as　are　not　meet　for　the　ears　of　women。　But

she　took　offence　at　nothing；　rather；　falling　into　his　humour；　she

would　cap　his　stories　with　others　of　a　finer　wit；　but　not　less

shameless。



At　length；　the　rich　meal　being　finished；　Antony　gazed　at　the　splendour

around　him。



〃Tell　me；　then；　most　lovely　Egypt；〃　he　said；　〃are　the　sands　of　Nile

compact　of　gold；　that　thou　canst；　night　by　night；　thus　squander　the

ransom　of　a　King　upon　a　single　feast？　Whence　comes　this　untold

wealth？〃



I　bethought　me　of　the　tomb　of　the　Divine　Menkau…ra；　whose　holy

treasure　was　thus　wickedly　wasted；　and　looked　up　so　that　Cleopatra's

eye　caught　mine；　but；　reading　my　thoughts；　she　frowned　heavily。



〃Why；　noble　Antony；〃　she　said；　〃surely　it　is　nothing！　In　Egypt　we　have

our　secrets；　and　know　whence　to　conjure　riches　at　our　need。　Say；　what

is　the　value　of　this　golden　service；　and　of　the　meats　and　drinks　that

have　been　set　before　us？〃



He　cast　his　eyes　about；　and　hazarded　a　guess。



〃Maybe　a　thousand　sestertia。〃＇*＇



＇*＇　About　eight　thousand　pounds　of　English　money。Editor。



〃Thou　hast　understated　it　by　half；　noble　Antony！　But　such　as　it　is　I

will　give　it　thee　and　those　with　thee　as　a　free　token　of　my

friendship。　And　more　will　I　show　thee　now：　I　myself　will　eat　and　drink

ten　thousand　sestertia　at　a　draught。〃



〃That　cannot　be；　fair　Egypt！〃



She　laughed；　and　bade　a　slave　bring　her　white　vinegar　in　a　glass。　When

it　was　brought　she　set　it　before　her　and　laughed　again；　while　Antony；

rising　from　his　couch；　drew　near　and　set　himself　at　her　side；　and　all

the　company　leant　forward　to　see　what　she　would　do。　And　this　she　did。

She　took　from　her　ear　one　of　those　great　pearls　which　last　of　all　had

been　drawn　from　the　body　of　the　Divine　Pharaoh；　and　before　any　could

guess　her　purpose　she　let　it　fall　into　the　vinegar。　Then　came　silence；

the　silence　of　wonder；　and　slowly　the　priceless　pearl　melted　in　the

strong　acid。　When　it　was　melted　she　lifted　the　glass　and　shook　it；

then　drank　the　vinegar；　to　the　last　drop。



〃More　vinegar；　slave！〃　she　cried；　〃my　meal　is　but　half　finished！〃　and

she　drew　forth　the　second　pearl。



〃By　Bacchus；　no！　that　shalt　thou　not！〃　cried　Antony；　snatching　at　her

hands；　〃I　have　seen　enough；〃　and　at　that　moment；　moved　to　it　by　I　know

not　what；　I　called　aloud：



〃The　hour　falls；　O　Queen！/the　hour　of　the　coming　of　the　curse　of

Menkau…ra！/〃



An　ashy　whiteness　grew　upon　Cleopatra's　face；　and　she　turned　upon　me

furiously；　while　all　the　company　gazed　wondering；　not　knowing　what　the

words　might　mean。



〃Thou　ill…omened　slave！〃　she　cried。　〃Speak　thus　once　more　and　thou

shalt　be　scourged　with　rods！ay；　scourged　like　an　evildoerthat　I

promise　thee；　Harmachis！〃



〃What　means　the　knave　of　an　astrologer？〃　asked　Antony。　〃Speak；　sirrah！

and　make　clear　thy　meaning；　for　those　who　deal　in　curses　must　warrant

their　wares。〃



〃I　am　a　servant　of　the　Gods；　noble　Antony。　That　which　the　Gods　put　in

my　mind　that　must　I　say；　nor　can　I　read　their　meaning；〃　I　answered

humbly。



〃Oh；　oh！　thou　servest　the　Gods；　dost　thou；　thou　many…coloured

mystery？〃　This　he　said　having　reference　to　my　splendid　robes。　〃Well；　I

serve　the　Goddesses；　which　is　a　softer　cult。　And　there's　this　between

us：　that　though　what　they　put　in　my　mind　I　say；　neither　can　I　read

their　meaning；〃　and　he　glanced　at　Cleopatra　as　one　who　questions。



〃Let　the　knave　be；〃　she　said　impatiently；　〃to…morrow　we'll　be　rid　of

him。　Sirrah；　begone！〃



I　bowed　and　went；　and；　as　I　went；　I　heard　Antony　say：　〃Well；　he　may　be

a　knavefor　that　all　men　arebut　this　for　thy　astrologer：　he　hath　a

royal　air　and　the　eye　of　a　Kingay；　and　wit　in　it。〃



Without　the　door　I　paused；　not　knowing　what　to　do；　for　I　was

bewildered　with　misery。　And；　as　I　stood；　someone　touched　me　on　the

hand。　I　glanced　upit　was　Charmion；　who　in　the　confusion　of　the

rising　of　the　guests；　had　slipped　away　and　followed　me。



For　in　trouble　Charmion　was　ever　at　my　side。



〃Follow　me；〃　she　whispered；　〃thou　art　in　danger。〃



I　turned　and　followed　her。　Why　should　I　not？



〃Whither　go　we？〃　I　asked　at　length。



〃To　my　chamber；〃　she　said。　〃Fear　not；　we　ladies　of　Cleopatra's　Court

have　small　good　fame　to　lose；　if　anyone　by　chance　should　see　us；

they'll　think　that　it　is　a　love…tryst；　and　such　are　all　the　fashion。〃



I　followed；　and；　presently；　skirting　the　crowd；　we　came　unseen　to　a

little　side　entrance　that　led　to　a　stair；　up　which　we　passed。　The

stair　ended　in　a　passage；　we　turned　down　it　till　we　found　a　door　on

the　left　hand。　Charmion　entered　silently；　and　I　followed　her　into　a

dark　chamber。　Being　in；　she　barred　the　door　and；　kindling　tinder　to　a

flame；　lit　a　hanging　lamp。　As　the　light　grew　strong　I　gazed　around。

The　chamber　was　not　large；　and　had　but　one　casement；　closely

shuttered。　For　the　rest；　it　was　simply　furnished；　having　white　walls；

some　chests　for　garments；　an　ancient　chair；　what　I　took　to　be　a　tiring

table；　on　which　were　combs；　perfumes；　and　all　the　frippery　that

pertains　to　woman；　and　a　white　bed　with　a　broidered　coverlid；　over

which　was　hung　a　gnat…gauze。



〃Be　seated；　Harmachis；〃　she　said；　pointing　to　the　chair。　I　took　the

chair；　and　Charmion；　throwing　back　the　gnat…gauze；　sat　herself　upon

the　bed　before　me。



〃Knowest　thou　what　I　heard　Cleopatra　say　as　thou　didst　leave　the

banqueting…hall？〃　she　asked　presently。



〃Nay；　I　know　not。〃



〃She　gazed　after　thee；　and；　as　I　went　over　to　her　to　do　some　service；

she　murmured　to　herself：　'By　Serapis；　I　will　make　an　end！　I　will　wait

no　longer：　to…morrow　he　shall　be　strangled！'〃



〃So！〃　I　said；　〃it　may　be；　though；　after　all　that　has　been；　I　can

scarce　believe　that　she　will　murder　me。〃



〃Why　canst　thou　not　believe　it；　thou　most　foolish　of　men？　Dost　forget

how　nigh　thou　wast　to　death　there　in　the　Alabaster　Hall？　Who　saved

thee　then　from　the　knives　of　the　eunuchs？　Was　it　Cleopatra？　Or　was　it

I　and　Brennus？　Stay；　I　will　tell　thee。　Thou　canst　not　yet　believe　it；

because；　in　thy　folly；　thou　dost　not　think　it　possible　that　the　woman

who　has　but　lately　been　as　a　wife　to　thee　can　now；　in　so　short　a　time；

doom　thee　to　be　basely　done　to　death。　Nay；　answer　notI　know　all；　and

I　tell　thee　this：　thou　hast　not　measured　the　depth　of　Cleopatra's

perfidy；　nor　canst　thou　dream　the　blackness　of　her　wicked　heart。　She

had　surely　slain　thee　in　Alexandria　had　she　not　feared　that　thy

slaughter　being　noised　abroad　might　bring　trouble　on　her。　Therefore

has　she　brought　thee　here　to　kill　thee　secretly。　For　what　more　canst

thou　give　her？　She　has　thy　heart's　love；　and　is　wearied　of　thy

strength　and　beauty。　She　has　robbed　thee　of　thy　royal　birthright　and

brought　thee；　a　King；　to　stand　amidst　the　waiting…women　behind　her　at

her　feasts；　she　has　won　from　thee　the　great　secret　of　the　holy

treasure！〃



〃Ah；　thou　knowest　that？〃



〃Yes；　I　know　all；　and　to…night　thou　seest　how　the　wealth　stored

against　the　need　of　Khem　is　being　squandered　to　fill　up　the　wanton

luxury　of　Khem's　Macedonian　Queen！　Thou　seest　how　she　has　kept　her

oath　to　wed　thee　honourably。　Harmachisat　length　thine　eyes　are　open

to　the　truth！〃



〃Ay；　I　see　too　well；　and　yet　she　swore　she　loved　me；　and　I；　poor　fool；

I　believed　her！〃



〃She　swore　she　loved　thee！〃　answered　Charmion；　lifting　her　dark　eyes：

〃now　I　will　show　thee　how　she　loves　thee。　Knowest　thou　what　was　this

house？　It　was　a　priest's　college；　and；　as　thou　wottest；　Harmachis；

priests　have　their　ways。　This　little　room　aforetime　was　the　room　of

the　Head　Priest；　and　the　chamber　that　is　beyond　and　below　was　the

gathering…place　of　the　other　priests。　The　old　slave　who　keeps　the

house　told　me　all　this；　and　also　she　revealed　what　I　shall　show　thee。

Now；　Harmachis；　be　silent　as　the　dead；　and　follow　me！〃



She　blew　out　the　lamp；　and　by　the　little　light　that　crept　through　the

shuttered　casement　led　me　by　the　hand　to　the　far　corner　of　the　room。

Here　she　pressed　upon　the　wall；　and　a　door　opened　in　its　thickness。　We

entered；　and　she　closed　the　spring。　Now　we　were　in　a　little　chamber；

some　five　cubits　in　length　by　four　in　breadth；　for　a　faint　light

struggled　into　the　closet；　and　also　the　sound　of　voices；　I　knew　not

whence。　Loosing　my　hand；　she　crept　to　the　end　of　the　place；　and　looked

steadfastly　at　the　wall；　then　crept　back　and；　whispering　〃Silence！〃

led　me　forward　with　her。　Then　I　saw　that　there　were　eyeholes　in　the

wall；　which　pierced　it；　and　were　hidden　on　the　farther　side　by　carv