cleopatra-第46章

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〃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；　so　the

physicians　say。　Forty　hours　has　he　lain　in　stupor　so　deep　that　at

times　his　breath　could　barely　lift　this　tiny　feather's　weight；　and

hardly　could　my　ear；　placed　against　his　breast；　take　notice　of　the

rising　of　his　heart。　I　have　watched　him　now　for　ten　long　days；　watched

him　day　and　night；　till　my　eyes　stare　wide　with　want　of　sleep；　and　for

faintness　I　can　scarce　keep　myself　from　falling。　And　this　is　the　end

of　all　my　labour！　The　coward　blow　of　that　accursed　Brennus　has　done

its　work；　and　Harmachis　dies！〃



〃Love　counts　not　its　labour；　Charmion；　nor　can　it　weight　its

tenderness　on　the　scale　of　purchase。　That　which　it　has　it　gives；　and

craves　for　more　to　give　and　give；　till　the　soul's　infinity　be　drained。

Dear　to　thy　heart　are　these　heavy　nights　of　watching；　sweet　to　thy

weary　eyes　is　that　sad　sight　of　strength　brought　so　low　that　it　hangs

upon　thy　weakness　like　a　babe　to　its　mother's　breast！　For；　Charmion；

thou　dost　love　this　man　who　loves　thee　not；　and　now　that　he　is

helpless　thou　canst　pour　thy　passion　forth　over　the　unanswering

darkness　of　his　soul；　and　cheat　thyself　with　dreams　of　what　yet　might

be。〃



〃I　love　him　not；　as　thou　hast　proof；　O　Queen！　How　can　I　love　one　who

would　have　slain　thee；　who　art　as　my　heart's　sister？　It　is　for　pity

that　I　nurse　him。〃



She　laughed　a　little　as　she　answered；　〃Pity　is　love's　own　twin；

Charmion。　Wondrous　wayward　are　the　paths　of　woman's　love；　and　thou

hast　shown　thine　strangely；　that　I　know。　But　the　more　high　the　love；

the　deeper　the　gulf　whereinto　it　can　fallay；　and　thence　soar　again

to　heaven；　once　more　to　fall！　Poor　woman！　thou　art　thy　passion's

plaything：　now　tender　as　the　morning　sky；　and　now；　when　jealousy　grips

thy　heart；　more　cruel　than　the　sea。　Well；　thus　are　we　made。　Soon；

after　all　this　troubling；　nothing　will　be　left　thee　but　tears；

remorse；　andmemory。〃



And　she　went　forth。







CHAPTER　XIV



OF　THE　TENDER　CARE　OF　CHARMION；　OF　THE　HEALING　OF　HARMACHIS；

OF　THE　SAILING　OF　THE　FLEET　OF　CLEOPATRA　FOR　CILICIA；　AND　OF　THE

SPEECH　OF　BRENNUS　TO　HARMACHIS



Cleopatra　went；　and　for　a　while　I　lay　silent；　gathering　up　my　strength

to　speak。　But　Charmion　came　and　stood　over　me；　and　I　felt　a　great　tear

fall　from　her　dark　eyes　upon　my　face；　as　the　first　heavy　drop　of　rain

falls　from　a　thunder　cloud。



〃Thou　goest；〃　she　whispered；　〃thou　goest　fast　whither　I　may　not

follow！　O　Harmachis；　how　gladly　would　I　give　my　life　for　thine！〃



Then　at　length　I　opened　my　eyes；　and　spoke　as　best　I　could：



〃Restrain　thy　grief；　dear　friend；〃　I　said；　〃I　live　yet；　and；　in　truth；

I　feel　as　though　new　life　gathered　in　my　breast！〃



She　gave　a　little　cry　of　joy；　and　I　never　saw　aught　more　beautiful

than　the　change　that　came　upon　her　weeping　face！　It　was　as　when　the

first　lights　of　the　day　run　up　the　pallor　of　that　sad　sky　which　veils

the　night　from　dawn。　All　rosy　grew　her　lovely　countenance；　her　dim

eyes　shone　out　like　stars；　and　a　smile　of　wonderment；　more　sweet　than

the　sudden　smile　of　the　sea　as　its　ripples　wake　to　brightness　beneath

the　kiss　of　the　risen　moon；　broke　through　her　rain　of　tears。



〃Thou　livest！〃　she　cried；　throwing　herself　on　her　knees　beside　my

couch。　〃Thou　livestand　I　thought　thee　gone！　Thou　art　come　back　to

me！　Oh！　what　say　I？　How　foolish　is　a　woman's　heart！　'Tis　this　long

watching！　Nay；　sleep　and　rest　thee；　Harmachis！why　dost　thou　talk？

Not　one　more　word；　I　command　thee　straitly！　Where　is　the　draught　left

by　that　long…bearded　fool？　Nay　thou　shalt　have　no　draught！　There；

sleep；　Harmachis；　sleep！〃　and　she　crouched　down　at　my　side　and　laid

her　cool　hand　upon　my　brow；　murmuring；　〃/Sleep！　sleep！/〃



And　when　I　woke　there　she　was　still；　but　the　lights　of　dawn　were

peeping　through　the　casement。　There　she　knelt；　one　hand　upon　my

forehead；　and　her　head；　in　all　its　disarray　of　curls；　resting　upon　her

outstretched　arm。



〃Charmion；〃　I　whispered；　〃have　I　slept？〃



Instantly　she　was　wide　awake；　and；　gazing　on　me　with　tender　eyes；

〃Yea；　thou　hast　slept；　Harmachis。〃



〃How　long；　then；　have　I　slept？〃



〃Nine　hours。〃



〃And　thou　hast　held　thy　place　there；　at　my　side；　for　nine　long　hours？〃



〃Yes；　it　is　nothing；　I　also　have　sleptI　feared　to　waken　thee　if　I

stirred。〃



〃Go；　rest；〃　I　said；　〃it　shames　me　to　think　of　this　thing。　Go　rest

thee；　Charmion！〃



〃Vex　not　thyself；〃　she　answered；　〃see；　I　will　bid　a　slave　watch　thee；

and　to　wake　me　if　thou　needest　aught；　I　sleep　there；　in　the　outer

chamber。　PeaceI　go！〃　and　she　strove　to　rise；　but；　so　cramped　was

she；　fell　straightway　on　the　floor。



I　can　scarcely　tell　the　sense　of　shame　that　filled　me　when　I　saw　her

fall。　Alas！　I　could　not　stir　to　help　her。



〃It　is　naught；〃　she　said；　〃move　not；　I　did　but　catch　my　foot。　There！〃

and　she　rose；　again　to　fall〃a　pest　upon　my　awkwardness！　WhyI　must

be　sleeping。　'Tis　well　now。　I'll　send　the　slave；〃　and　she　staggered

thence　like　one　overcome　with　wine。



And　after　that；　I　slept　once　more；　for　I　was　very　weak。　When　I　woke　it

was　afternoon；　and　I　craved　for　food；　which　Charmion　brought　me。



I　ate。　〃Then　I　die　not；〃　I　said。



〃Nay；〃　she　answered；　with　a　toss　of　her　head；　〃thou　wilt　live。　In

truth；　I　did　waste　my　pity　on　thee。〃



〃And　thy　pity　saved　my　life；〃　I　said　wearily；　for　now　I　remembered。



〃It　is　nothing；〃　she　answered　carelessly。　〃After　all；　thou　art　my

cousin；　also；　I　love　nursingit　is　a　woman's　trade。　Like　enough　I　had

done　as　much　for　any　slave。　Now；　too；　that　the　danger　is　past；　I　leave

thee。〃



〃Thou　hadst　done　better　to　let　me　die；　Charmion；〃　I　said　after　a

while；　〃for　life　to　me　can　now　be　only　one　long　shame。　Tell　me；　then；

when　sails　Cleopatra　for　Cilicia？〃



〃She　sails　in　twenty　days；　and　with　such　pomp　and　glory　as　Egypt　has

never　seen。　Of　a　truth；　I　cannot　guess　where　she　has　found　the　means

to　gather　in　this　store　of　splendour；　as　a　husbandman　gathers　his

golden　harvest。〃



But　I；　knowing　whence　the　wealth　came；　groaned　in　bitterness　of

spirit；　and　made　no　answer。



〃Goest　thou　also；　Charmion？〃　I　asked　presently。



〃Ay；　I　and　all　the　Court。　Thou；　toothou　goest。〃



〃I　go？　Nay；　why　is　this？〃



〃Because　thou　art　Cleopatra's　slave；　and　must　march　in　gilded　chains

behind　her　chariot；　because　she　fears　to　leave　thee　here　in　Khem；

because　it　is　her　will；　and　there　is　an　end。〃



〃Charmion；　can　I　not　escape？〃



〃Escape；　thou　poor　sick　man？　Nay；　how　canst　thou　escape？　Even　now　thou

art　most　strictly　guarded。　And　if　thou　didst　escape；　whither　wouldst

thou　fly？　There's　not　an　honest　man　in　Egypt　but　would　spit　on　thee　in

scorn！〃



Once　more　I　groaned　in　spirit；　and；　being　so　very　weak；　I　felt　the

tears　roll　adown　my　cheek。



〃Weep　not！〃　she　said　hastily；　and　turning　her　face　aside。　〃Be　a　man；

and　brave　these　troubles　out。　Thou　hast　sown；　now　must　thou　reap；　but

after　harvest　the　waters　rise　and　wash　away　the　rotting　roots；　and

then　seed…time　comes　again。　Perchance；　yonder　in　Cilicia；　a　way　may　be

found；　when　once　more　thou　art　strong；　by　which　thou　mayst　flyif　in

truth　thou　canst　bear　thy　life　apart　from　Cleopatra's　smile；　then　in

some　far　land　must　thou　dwell　till　these　things　are　forgotten。　And　now

my　task　is　done；　so　fare　thee　well！　At　times　I　will　come　to　visit　thee

and　see　that　thou　needest　nothing。〃



So　she　went；　and　I　was　nursed　thenceforward；　and　that　skilfully；　by

the　physician　and　two　women…slaves；　and　as　my　wound　healed　so　my

strength　came　back　to　me；　slowly　at　first；　then　most　swiftly。　In　four

days　from　that　time　I　left　my　couch；　and　in　three　more　I　could　walk　an

hour　in　the　palace　gardens；　another　week　and　I　could　read　and　think；

though　I　went　no　more　to　Court。　And　at　length　one　afternoon　Charmion

came　and　bade　me　make　ready；　for　the　fleet　would　sail　in　two　days；

first　for　the　coast　of　Syria；　and