cleopatra-第45章

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upon　my　head；　but　I　caught　the　blow　with　my　shield。　Again　he　smote；

and　again　I　parried；　but　when　he　raised　his　sword　a　third　time　I　saw

this　might　not　endure；　so　with　a　cry　I　hurled　my　buckler　at　his　face。

Glancing　from　his　shield　it　struck　him　on　the　breast　and　staggered

him。　Then；　before　he　could　gain　his　balance；　I　rushed　in　beneath　his

guard　and　gripped　him　round　the　middle。



For　a　full　minute　the　tall　man　and　I　struggled　furiously；　and　then；　so

great　was　my　strength　in　those　days；　I　lifted　him　like　a　toy　and

dashed　him　down　upon　the　marble　floor　in　such　fashion　that　his　bones

were　shattered　so　that　he　spoke　no　more。　But　I　could　not　save　myself

and　fell　upon　him；　and　as　I　fell　the　Captain　Brennus；　whom　I　had

smitten　to　earth　with　my　fist；　having　once　more　found　his　sense；　came

up　behind　me　and　smote　me　upon　the　head　and　shoulders　with　the　sword

of　one　of　those　whom　I　had　slain。　But　I　being　on　the　ground；　the　blow

did　not　fall　with　all　its　weight；　also　my　thick　hair　and　broidered　cap

broke　its　force；　and　thus　it　came　to　pass　that；　though　sorely　wounded；

the　life　was　yet　whole　in　me。　But　I　could　struggle　no　more。



Then　the　cowardly　eunuchs；　who　had　gathered　at　the　sound　of　blows　and

stood　huddled　together　like　a　herd　of　cattle；　seeing　that　I　was　spent；

threw　themselves　upon　me；　and　would　have　butchered　me　with　their

knives。　But　Brennus；　now　that　I　was　down；　would　strike　no　more；　but

stood　waiting。　And　the　eunuchs　had　surely　slain　me；　for　Cleopatra

watched　like　one　who　watches　in　a　dream　and　made　no　sign。　Already　my

head　was　dragged　back；　and　their　knife…points　were　at　my　throat；　when

Charmion；　rushing　forward；　threw　herself　upon　me　and；　calling　them

〃Dogs！〃　desperately　thrust　her　body　before　them　in　such　fashion　that

they　could　not　smite。　Now　Brennus　with　an　oath　seized　first　one　and

then　another　and　cast　them　from　me。



〃Spare　his　life；　Queen！〃　he　cried　in　his　barbarous　Latin。　〃By　Jupiter；

he　is　a　brave　man！　Myself　felled　like　an　ox　in　the　shambles；　and　three

of　my　boys　finished　by　a　man　without　armour　and　taken　unawares！　I

grudge　them　not　to　such　a　man！　A　boon；　Queen！　spare　his　life；　and　give

him　to　me！〃



〃Ay；　spare　him！　spare　him！〃　cried　Charmion；　white　and　trembling。



Cleopatra　drew　near　and　looked　upon　the　dead　and　him　who　lay　dying　as

I　had　dashed　him　to　the　ground；　and　on　me；　her　lover　of　two　days　gone；

whose　wounded　head　rested　now　on　Charmion's　white　robes。



I　met　the　Queen's　glance。　〃Spare　not！〃　I　gasped；　〃/v？　victis！/〃　Then　a

flush　gathered　on　her　browmethinks　it　was　a　flush　of　shame！



〃Dost　after　all　love　this　man　at　heart；　Charmion；〃　she　said　with　a

little　laugh；　〃that　thou　didst　thrust　thy　tender　body　between　him　and

the　knives　of　these　sexless　hounds？〃　and　she　cast　a　look　of　scorn　upon

the　eunuchs。



〃Nay！〃　the　girl　answered　fiercely；　〃but　I　cannot　stand　by　to　see　a

brave　man　murdered　by　such　as　these。〃



〃Ay！〃　said　Cleopatra；　〃he　is　a　brave　man；　and　he　fought　gallantly；　I

have　never　seen　so　fierce　a　fight　even　in　the　games　at　Rome！　Well；　I

spare　his　life；　though　he　is　weak　of　mewomanish　weak。　Take　him　to

his　own　chamber　and　guard　him　there　till　he　is　healed　ordead。〃



Then　my　brain　reeled；　a　great　sickness　seized　upon　me；　and　I　sank　into

the　nothingness　of　a　swoon。







Dreams；　dreams；　dreams！　without　end　and　ever…changing；　as　for　years

and　years　I　seemed　to　toss　upon　a　sea　of　agony。　And　through　them　a

vision　of　a　dark…eyed　woman's　tender　face　and　the　touch　of　a　white

hand　soothing　me　to　rest。　Visions；　too；　of　a　royal　countenance　bending

at　times　over　my　rocking　beda　countenance　that　I　could　not　grasp；

but　whose　beauty　flowed　through　my　fevered　veins　and　was　a　part　of　me

visions　of　childhood　and　of　the　Temple　towers　of　Abouthis；　and　of

the　white…haired　Amenemhat；　my　fatheray；　and　an　ever…present　vision

of　that　dread　hall　in　Amenti；　and　of　the　small　altar　and　the　Spirits

clad　in　flame！　There　I　seemed　to　wander　everlastingly；　calling　on　the

Holy　Mother；　whose　memory　I　could　not　grasp；　calling　ever　and　in　vain！

For　no　cloud　descended　upon　the　altar；　only　from　time　to　time　the

great　Voice　pealed　aloud：　〃Strike　out　the　name　of　Harmachis；　child　of

Earth；　from　the　living　Book　of　Her　who　Was　and　Is　and　Shall　Be！　/Lost！

lost！　lost！/〃



And　then　another　voice　would　answer：



〃Not　yet！　not　yet！　Repentance　is　at　hand；　strike　not　out　the　name　of

Harmachis；　child　of　Earth；　from　the　living　Book　of　Her　who　Was　and　Is

and　Shall　Be！　By　suffering　may　sin　be　wiped　away！〃



I　woke　to　find　myself　in　my　own　chamber　in　the　tower　of　the　palace。　I

was　so　weak　that　I　scarce　could　lift　my　hand；　and　life　seemed　but　to

flutter　in　my　breast　as　flutters　a　dying　dove。　I　could　not　turn　my

head；　I　could　not　stir；　yet　in　my　heart　there　was　a　sense　of　rest　and

of　dark　trouble　done。　The　light　from　the　lamp　hurt　my　eyes：　I　shut

them；　and；　as　I　shut　them；　heard　the　sweep　of　a　woman's　robes　upon　the

stair；　and　a　swift；　light　step　that　I　knew　well。　It　was　that　of

Cleopatra！



She　entered　and　drew　near。　I　felt　her　come！　Every　pulse　of　my　poor

frame　beat　an　answer　to　her　footfall；　and　all　my　mighty　love　and　hate

rose　from　the　darkness　of　my　death…like　sleep；　and　rent　me　in　their

struggle！　She　leaned　over　me；　her　ambrosial　breath　played　upon　my

face：　I　could　hear　the　beating　of　her　heart！　Lower　she　leaned；　till　at

last　her　lips　touched　me　softly　on　the　brow。



〃Poor　man！〃　I　heard　her　murmur。　〃Poor；　weak；　dying　Man！　Fate　hath　been

hard　to　thee！　Thou　wert　too　good　to　be　the　sport　of　such　a　one　as　I

the　pawn　that　I　must　move　in　my　play　of　policy！　Ah；　Harmachis！　thou

shouldst　have　ruled　the　game！　Those　plotting　priests　could　give　thee

learning；　but　they　could　not　give　thee　knowledge　of　mankind；　nor　fence

thee　against　the　march　of　Nature's　law。　And　thou　didst　love　me　with

all　thy　heartah！　well　I　know　it！　Manlike；　thou　didst　love　the　eyes

that；　as　a　pirate's　lights；　beckoned　thee　to　shipwrecked　ruin；　and

didst　hang　doting　on　the　lips　which　lied　thy　heart　away　and　called

thee　'slave'！　Well；　the　game　was　fair；　for　thou　wouldst　have　slain　me；

and　yet　I　grieve。　So　thou　dost　die？　and　this　is　my　farewell　to　thee！

Never　may　we　meet　again　on　earth；　and；　perchance；　it　is　well；　for　who

knows；　when　my　hour　of　tenderness　is　past；　how　I　might　deal　with　thee；

didst　thou　live？　Thou　dost　die；　they　saythose　learned　long…faced

fools；　who；　if　they　let　thee　die；　shall　pay　the　price。　And　where；

then；　shall　we　meet　again　when　my　last　throw　is　thrown？　We　shall　be

equal　there；　in　the　kingdom　that　Osiris　rules。　A　little　time；　a　few

yearsperhaps　to…morrowand　we　shall　meet；　then；　knowing　all　I　am；

how　wilt　thou　greet　me？　Nay；　here；　as　there；　still　must　thou　worship

me！　for　injuries　cannot　touch　the　immortality　of　such　a　love　as　thine。

Contempt　alone；　like　acid；　can　eat　away　the　love　of　noble　hearts；　and

reveal　the　truth　in　its　pitiful　nakedness。　Thou　must　still　cling　to

thee；　Harmachis；　for；　whatever　my　sins；　yet　I　am　great　and　set　above

thy　scorn。　Would　that　I　could　have　loved　thee　as　thou　lovest　me！

Almost　I　did　so　when　thou　slewest　those　guards；　and　yetnot　quite。



〃What　a　fenced　city　is　my　heart；　that　none　can　take　it；　and；　even　when

I　throw　the　gates　wide；　no　man　may　win　its　citadel！　Oh；　to　put　away

this　loneliness　and　lose　me　in　another's　soul！　Oh；　for　a　year；　a

month；　an　hour　to　quite　forget　policy；　peoples；　and　my　pomp　of　place；

and　be　but　a　loving　woman！　Harmachis；　fare　thee　well！　Go　join　great

Julius　whom　thy　art　called　up　from　death　before　me；　and　take　Egypt's

greetings　to　him。　Ah　well！　I　fooled　thee；　and　I　fooled　C？sar

perchance　before　all　is　done　Fate　will　find　me；　and　myself　I　shall　be

fooled。　Harmachis；　fare　thee　well！〃



She　turned　to　go；　and　as　she　turned　I　heard　the　sweep　of　another　dress

and　the　light　fall　of　another　woman's　foot。



〃Ah！　it　is　thou；　Charmion。　Well；　for　all　thy　watching　the　man　dies。〃



〃Ay；〃　she　answered；　in　a　voice　thick　with　grief。　〃Ay；　O　Queen；　s