cleopatra-第18章

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sight；　was　a　seething　sea　of　snakes；　that　crawled；　hissed；　and　knotted

themselves　in　knots。　Then　I　made　a　sign；　and　the　serpents　gathered

themselves　round　me；　and　seemed　slowly　to　twine　themselves　about　my

body　and　my　limbs；　till；　save　my　face；　I　was　wreathed　thick　with

hissing　snakes。



〃Oh；　horrible！　horrible！〃　cried　Charmion；　hiding　her　countenance　in

the　skirt　of　the　Queen's　garment。



〃Nay；　enough；　Magician；　enough！〃　said　the　Queen：　〃thy　magic　overwhelms

us。〃



I　waved　my　snake…wrapped　arms；　and　all　was　gone。　There　at　my　feet　lay

the　black　wand　tipped　with　ivory；　and　naught　beside。



The　two　women　looked　upon　each　other　and　gasped　with　wonder。　But　I

took　up　the　wand　and　stood　with　folded　arms　before　them。



〃Is　the　Queen　content　with　my　poor　art？〃　I　asked　most　humbly。



〃Ay；　that　I　am；　Egyptian；　never　did　I　see　its　like！　Thou　art　Court

astronomer　from　this　day　forward；　with　right　of　access　to　the　Queen's

presence。　Hast　thou　more　of　such　magic　at　thy　call？〃



〃Yea；　royal　Egypt；　suffer　that　the　chamber　be　a　little　darkened；　and　I

will　show　thee　one　more　thing。〃



〃Half　am　I　afraid；〃　she　answered；　〃nevertheless　do　thou　as　this

Harmachis　says；　Charmion。〃



So　the　curtains　were　drawn　and　the　chamber　made　as　though　the　twilight

were　at　hand。　I　came　forward；　and　stood　beside　Cleopatra。　〃Gaze　thou

there！〃　I　said　sternly；　pointing　with　my　wand　to　the　empty　space　where

I　had　been；　〃and　thou　shalt　behold　that　which　is　in　thy　mind。〃



Then　for　a　little　space　was　silence；　while　the　two　women　gazed　fixedly

and　half　fearful　at　the　spot。



And　as　they　gazed　a　cloud　gathered　before　them。　Very　slowly　it　took

shape　and　form；　and　the　form　it　took　was　the　form　of　a　man；　though　as

yet　he　was　but　vaguely　mapped　upon　the　twilight；　and　seemed　now　to

grow　and　now　to　melt　away。



Then　I　cried　with　a　loud　voice：



〃Spirit；　I　conjure　thee；　/appear！/〃



And　as　I　cried　the　Thing；　perfect　in　every　part；　leapt　into　form

before　us；　suddenly　as　the　flash　of　day。　His　shape　was　the　shape　of

royal　C？sar；　the　toga　thrown　about　his　face；　and　on　his　form　a

vestment　bloody　from　a　hundred　wounds。　An　instant　so　he　stood；　then　I

waved　my　wand　and　he　was　gone。



I　turned　to　the　two　women　on　the　couch；　and　saw　Cleopatra's　lovely

face　all　clothed　in　terror。　Her　lips　were　ashy　white；　her　eyes　stared

wide；　and　all　the　flesh　was　shaking　on　her　bones。



〃Man！〃　she　gasped；　〃man！　who　and　what　art　thou　who　canst　bring　the

dead　before　our　eyes？〃



〃I　am　the　Queen's　astronomer；　magician；　servantwhat　the　Queen

wills；〃　I　answered；　laughing。　〃Was　this　the　form　that　was　on　the

Queen's　mind？〃



She　made　no　answer；　but；　rising；　left　the　chamber　by　another　door。



Then　Charmion　rose　also　and　took　her　hands　from　her　face；　for　she；

too；　had　been　stricken　with　dread。



〃How　dost　thou　these　things；　royal　Harmachis？〃　she　said。　〃Tell　me；　for

of　a　truth　I　fear　thee。〃



〃Be　not　afraid；〃　I　answered。　〃Perchance　thou　didst　see　nothing　but

what　was　in　my　mind。　All　things　are　shadows。　How　canst　thou；　then；

know　their　nature；　or　what　is　and　what　only　seems　to　be？　But　how　goes

it？　Remember；　Charmion；　this　sport　is　played　to　an　end。〃



〃It　goes　well；〃　she　said。　〃By　to…morrow　morning's　dawn　these　tales

will　have　gone　round；　and　thou　wilt　be　more　feared　than　any　man　in

Alexandria。　Follow　me；　I　pray　thee。〃







CHAPTER　IV



OF　THE　WAYS　OF　CHARMION；　AND　OF　THE　CROWNING　OF　HARMACHIS

AS　THE　KING　OF　LOVE



On　the　following　day　I　received　the　writing　of　my　appointment　as

Astrologer　and　Magician…in…Chief　to　the　Queen；　with　the　pay　and

perquisites　of　that　office；　which　were　not　small。　Rooms　were　given　me

in　the　palace；　also；　through　which　I　passed　at　night　to　the　high

watch…tower；　whence　I　looked　on　the　stars　and　drew　their　auguries。　For

at　this　time　Cleopatra　was　much　troubled　about　matters　political；　and

not　knowing　how　the　great　struggle　among　the　Roman　factions　would　end；

but　being　very　desirous　to　side　with　the　strongest；　she　took　constant

counsel　with　me　as　to　the　warnings　of　the　stars。　These　I　read　to　her

in　such　manner　as　best　seemed　to　fit　the　high　interest　of　my　ends。　For

Antony；　the　Roman　Triumvir；　was　now　in　Asia　Minor；　and；　rumour　ran；

very　wroth　because　it　had　been　told　him　that　Cleopatra　was　hostile　to

the　Triumvirate；　in　that　her　General；　Serapion；　had　aided　Cassius。　But

Cleopatra　protested　loudly　to　me　and　others　that　Serapion　had　acted

against　her　will。　Yet　Charmion　told　me　that；　as　with　Allienus；　it　was

because　of　a　prophecy　of　Dioscorides　the　unlucky　that　the　Queen

herself　had　secretly　ordered　Serapion　so　to　do。　Still；　this　did　not

save　Serapion；　for　to　prove　to　Antony　that　she　was　innocent　she

dragged　the　General　from　the　sanctuary　and　slew　him。　Woe　be　to　those

who　carry　out　the　will　of　tyrants　if　the　scale　should　rise　against

them！　And　so　Serapion　perished。



Meanwhile　all　things　went　well　with　us；　for　the　minds　of　Cleopatra　and

those　about　her　were　so　set　upon　affairs　abroad　that　neither　she　nor

they　thought　of　revolt　at　home。　But　day　by　day　our　party　gathered

strength　in　the　cities　of　Egypt；　and　even　in　Alexandria；　which　is　to

Egypt　as　another　land；　all　things　being　foreign　there。　Day　by　day；

those　who　doubted　were　won　over　and　sworn　to　the　cause　by　that　oath

which　cannot　be　broken；　and　our　plans　of　action　more　firmly　laid。　And

every　other　day　I　went　forth　from　the　palace　to　take　counsel　with　my

uncle　Sepa；　and　there　at　his　house　met　the　Nobles　and　the　great

priests　who　were　for　the　party　of　Khem。



I　saw　much　of　Cleopatra；　the　Queen；　and　I　was　ever　more　astonished　at

the　wealth　and　splendour　of　her　mind；　that　for　richness　and　variety

was　as　a　woven　cloth　of　gold　throwing　back　all　lights　from　its

changing　face。　She　feared　me　somewhat；　and　therefore　wished　to　make　a

friend　of　me；　asking　me　of　many　matters　that　seemed　to　be　beyond　the

province　of　my　office。　I　saw　much　of　the　Lady　Charmion　alsoindeed；

she　was　ever　at　my　side；　so　that　I　scarce　knew　when　she　came　and　when

she　went。　For　she　would　draw　nigh　with　that　soft　step　of　hers；　and　I

would　turn　to　find　her　at　hand　and　watching　me　beneath　the　long　lashes

of　her　downcast　eyes。　There　was　no　service　that　was　too　hard　for　her；

and　no　task　too　long；　for　day　and　night　she　laboured　for　me　and　for

our　cause。



But　when　I　thanked　her　for　her　loyalty；　and　said　it　should　be　had　in

mind　in　that　time　which　was　at　hand；　she　stamped　her　foot；　and　pouted

with　her　lips；　like　an　angry　child；　saying　that；　among　all　the　things

which　I　had　learned；　this　had　I　not　learnedthat　Love's　service　asked

no　payment；　and　was　its　own　guerdon。　And　I；　being　innocent　in　such

matters；　and；　foolish　that　I　was；　holding　the　ways　of　women　as　of

small　account；　read　her　sayings　in　the　sense　that　her　services　to　the

cause　of　Khem；　which　she　loved；　brought　with　them　their　own　reward。

But　when　I　praised　so　fine　a　spirit；　she　burst　into　angry　tears　and

left　me　wondering。　For　I　knew　nothing　of　the　trouble　at　her　heart。　I

knew　not　then　that；　unsought；　this　woman　had　given　me　her　love；　and

that　she　was　rent　and　torn　by　pangs　of　passion　fixed　like　arrows　in

her　breast。　I　did　not　knowhow　should　I　know　it；　who　never　looked

upon　her　otherwise　than　as　an　instrument　of　our　joint　and　holy　cause？

Her　beauty　never　stirred　meno；　not　even　when　she　leaned　over　me　and

breathed　upon　my　hair；　I　never　thought　of　it　otherwise　than　as　a　man

thinks　of　the　beauty　of　a　statue。　What　had　I　to　do　with　such　delights；

I　who　was　sworn　to　Isis　and　dedicate　to　the　cause　of　Egypt？　O　ye　Gods；

bear　me　witness　that　I　am　innocent　of　this　thing　which　was　the　source

of　all　my　woe　and　the　woe　of　Khem！



How　strange　a　thing　is　this　love　of　woman；　that　is　so　small　in　its

beginning　and　in　its　ends　so　great！　See；　at　the　first　it　is　as　the

little　spring　of　water　welling　from　a　mountain's　heart。　And　at　the

last　what　is　it？　It　is　a　mighty　river　that　floats　argosies　of　joy　and

makes　wide　lands　to　smile。　Or；　perchance；　it　is　a　torrent　to　wash　in　a

flood　of　ruin　across　the　fields　of　Hope；　bursting　in　the　barriers　of

design；　and　bringing　to　tumbled　nothingness　the　tenement　of　man's

purity　and　the　temples　of　his　faith。　For　when　the　Invisible　conceived

the　order　of　the　universe　He　set　this　seed　of　woman's　love　within　its

plan；　that　by　its　most　unequal　growth　is　doomed　to　bring　about

equality　of　law。　For　now　it　lifts　the　low　to　heights　untold；　and　now

it　brings　the　noble　to　the　level　of　the　dust。　And　thus；　while　Woman；

that　great　surprise　of　nature；　is；　Good　and　Evil　can　never　grow　apart。

For　still　She　stands；　and；　blind　with　love；　shoots　the　shuttle　of　our

fate；　and　pours　sweet　water　into　the　cup　of　bitterness；　and　poisons

the　wholesome　breath　of　life　with　the　doom　of　her　desire。　Turn　this

way　and　turn　that；　She　is　at　hand　to　meet　thee。　Her　weakness　is　thy

strength；　her　might　is　thy　undoing。　Of　her　thou　art；　to　her　thou

goest。　She　is　thy　slave；　yet　holds　thee　captive；　at　her　touch　honour

withers；　locks　open；　and　barriers　fall。　She　is　infinite　as　ocean；　she

is　variable　as　heaven；　and　her　name　is　the　Unforeseen。　Man；　strive　not

to　escape　from　Woman　and　the　love　of　woman；　for；　fly　where　thou　wilt；

She　is　yet　thy　fate；　and　whate'er　thou　buildest　thou　buildest　it　for

her！



And　thus　it　came　to　pass　that　I；　Harmachis；　who　had　put　such　matters

far　from　me；　was　yet　doomed　to　fall　by　the　thing　I　held　of　no　account。

For；　see；　this　Charmion：　she　loved　mewhy；　I　know　not。　Of　her　own

thought　she　learned　to　love　me；　and　of　her　love　came　what　shall　be

told。　But　I；　knowing　naught；　treated　her　like　a　sister；　walking　as　it

were　hand　in　hand　with　her　towards　our　common　end。



And　so　the　time　passed　on；　till；　at　length；　all　things　were　made

ready。



It　was　the　night　before　the　night　when　the　blow　should　fall；　and　there

were　revellings　in　the　palace。　That　very　day　I　had　seen　Sepa；　and　with

him　the　captains　of　a　band　of　five　hundred　men；　who　should　burst　into

the　palace　at　midnight　on　the　morrow；　when　I　had　slain　Cleopatra　the

Queen；　and　put　the　Roman　and　the　Gallic　legionaries　to　the　sword。　That

very　day　I　had　suborned　the　Captain　Paulus　who；　since　I　drew　him

through　the　gates；　was　my　will's　slave。　Half　by　fear　and　half　by

promises　of　great　reward　I　had　prevailed　upon　him；　for　the　watch　was

his；　to　unbar　that　small　gate　which　faces　to　the　East　at　the　signal　on

the　morrow　night。



All　was　made　readythe　flower　of　Freedom　that　had　been　five…and…

twenty　years　in　growth　was　on　the　point　of　bloom。　Armed　companies　were

gathering　in　every　city　from　Abu　to　Athu；　and　spies　looked　out　from

their　walls；　awaiting　the　coming　of　the　messenger　who　should　bring

tidings　that　Cleopatra　was　no　more　and　that　Harmachis；　the　royal

Egyptian；　had　seized　the　throne。



All　was　prepared；　triumph　hung　in　my　hand　as　a　ripe　fruit　to　the　hand

of　the　plucker。　Yet　as　I　sat　at　the　royal　feast　my　heart　was　heavy；

and　a　shado