cleopatra-第53节

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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　dreams。〃



〃Thou　art　a　strange　man；　who　talkest　thus；　but；　if　what　I　hear　be

true；　one　well　learned；　and；　indeed；　I　mind　me　of　thy　counsel　when

thou　didst　bid　me　join　my　Lord　Antony　in　Syria；　and　how　things　befell

according　to　thy　word。　Skilled　must　thou　be　in　the　casting　of

nativities　and　in　the　law　of　auguries；　of　which　these　Alexandrian

fools　have　little　knowledge。　Once　I　knew　such　another　man；　one

Harmachis；〃　and　she　sighed：　〃but　he　is　long　deadas　I　would　I　were

also！and　at　times　I　sorrow　for　him。〃



She　paused；　while　I　sank　my　head　upon　my　breast　and　stood　silent。



〃Interpret　me　this；　Olympus。　In　the　battle　at　that　accursed　Actium；

just　as　the　fight　raged　thickest　and　Victory　began　to　smile　upon　us；　a

great　terror　seized　my　heart；　and　thick　darkness　seemed　to　fall　before

my　eyes；　while　in　my　ears　a　voice；　ay；　the　voice　of　that　long　dead

Harmachis；　cried　'/Fly！　fly；　or　perish！/'　and　I　fled。　But　from　my

heart　the　terror　leapt　to　the　heart　of　Antony；　and　he　followed　after

me；　and　thus　was　the　battle　lost。　Say；　then；　what　God　brought　this

evil　thing　about？〃



〃Nay；　O　Queen；〃　I　answered；　〃it　was　no　Godfor　wherein　hast　thou

angered　the　Gods　of　Egypt？　Hast　thou　robbed　the　temples　of　their

Faith？　Hast　thou　betrayed　the　trust　of　Egypt？　Having　done　none　of

these　things；　how；　then；　can　the　Gods　of　Egypt　be　wroth　with　thee？

Fear　not；　it　was　nothing　but　some　natural　vapour　of　the　mind　that

overcame　thy　gentle　soul；　made　sick　with　the　sight　and　sound　of

slaughter；　and　as　for　the　noble　Antony；　where　thou　didst　go　needs　must

that　he　should　follow。〃



And　as　I　spoke；　Cleopatra　turned　white　and　trembled；　glancing　at　me

the　while　to　find　my　meaning。　But　I　well　knew　that　the　thing　was　of

the　avenging　Gods；　working　through　me；　their　instrument。



〃Learned　Olympus；〃　she　said；　not　answering　my　words；　〃my　Lord　Antony

is　sick　and　crazed　with　grief。　Like　some　poor　hunted　slave　he　hides

himself　in　yonder　sea…girt　Tower　and　shuns　mankindyes；　he　shuns　even

me；　who；　for　his　sake；　endure　so　many　woes。　Now；　this　is　my　bidding　to

thee。　To…morrow；　at　the　coming　of　the　light；　do　thou；　led　by　Charmion；

my　waiting…lady；　take　boat　and　row　thee　to　the　Tower　and　there　crave

entry；　saying　that　ye　bring　tidings　from　the　army。　Then　he　will　cause

you　to　be　let　in；　and　thou；　Charmion；　must　break　this　heavy　news　that

Canidius　bears；　for　Canidius　himself　I　dare　not　send。　And　when　his

grief　is　past；　do　thou；　Olympus；　soothe　his　fevered　frame　with　thy

draughts　of　value；　and　his　soul　with　honeyed　words；　and　draw　him　back

to　me；　and　all　will　yet　be　well。　Do　thou　this；　and　thou　shalt　have

gifts　more　than　thou　canst　count；　for　I　am　yet　a　Queen　and　yet　can　pay

back　those　who　serve　my　will。〃



〃Fear　not；　O　Queen；〃　I　answered；　〃this　thing　shall　be　done；　and　I　ask

no　reward；　who　have　come　hither　to　do　thy　bidding　to　the　end。〃



So　I　bowed　and　went　and；　summoning　Atoua；　made　ready　a　certain　potion。







CHAPTER　V



OF　THE　DRAWING　FORTH　OF　ANTONY　FROM　THE　TIMONIUM　BACK　TO

CLEOPATRA；　OF　THE　FEAST　MADE　BY　CLEOPATRA；　AND　OF　THE　MANNER

OF　THE　DEATH　OF　EUDOSIUS　THE　STEWARD



Ere　it　was　yet　dawn　Charmion　came　again；　and　we　walked　to　the　private

harbour　of　the　palace。　There；　taking　boat；　we　rowed　to　the　island

mount　on　which　stands　the　Timonium；　a　vaulted　tower；　strong；　small；

and　round。　And；　having　landed；　we　twain　came　to　the　door　and　knocked；

till　at　length　a　grating　was　thrown　open　in　the　door；　and　an　aged

eunuch；　looking　forth；　roughly　asked　our　business。



〃Our　business　is　with　the　Lord　Antony；〃　said　Charmion。



〃Then　it　is　no　business；　for　Antony；　my　master；　sees　neither　man　nor

woman。〃



〃Yet　will　he　see　us；　for　we　bring　tidings。　Go　tell　him　that　the　Lady

Charmion　brings　tidings　from　the　army。〃



The　man　went；　and　presently　returned。



〃The　Lord　Antony　would　know　if　the　tidings　be　good　or　ill；　for；　if

ill；　then　will　he　none　of　it；　for　with　evil　tidings　he　has　been

overfed　of　late。〃



〃Whywhy；　it　is　both　good　and　ill。　Open；　slave；　I　will　make　answer　to

thy　master！〃　and　she　slipped　a　purse　of　gold　through　the　bars。



〃Well；　well；〃　he　grumbled；　as　he　took　the　purse；　〃the　times　are　hard；

and　likely　to　be　harder；　for　when　the　lion's　down　who　will　feed　the

jackal？　Give　thy　news　thyself；　and　if　it　do　but　draw　the　noble　Antony

out　of　this　hall　of　Groans；　I　care　not　what　it　be。　Now　the　palace　door

is　open；　and　there's　the　road　to　the　banqueting…chamber。〃



We　passed　on；　to　find　ourselves　in　a　narrow　passage；　and；　leaving　the

eunuch　to　bar　the　door；　advanced　till　we　came　to　a　curtain。　Through

this　entrance　we　went；　and　found　ourselves　in　a　vaulted　chamber；　ill…

lighted　from　the　roof。　On　the　further　side　of　this　rude　chamber　was　a

bed　of　rugs；　and　on　them　crouched　the　figure　of　a　man；　his　face　hidden

in　the　folds　of　his　toga。



〃Most　noble　Antony；〃　said　Charmion　drawing　near；　〃unwrap　thy　face　and

hearken　to　me；　for　I　bring