cleopatra-第65章

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Antony　pacing　to　and　fro；　tossing　his　hands　toward　heaven；　and　with

him　Eros；　for　of　all　his　servants　Eros　alone　remained　by　this　fallen

man。



〃Lord　Antony；〃　I　said；　〃Egypt　bids　thee　farewell。　Egypt　is　dead　by　her

own　hand。〃



〃Dead！　dead！〃　he　whispered；　〃and　is　Egypt　dead？　and　is　that　form　of

glory　now　food　for　worms？　Oh；　what　a　woman　was　this！　E'en　now　my　heart

goes　out　towards　her。　And　shall　she　outdo　me　at　the　last；　I　who　have

been　so　great；　shall　I　become　so　small　that　a　woman　can　overtop　my

courage　and　pass　where　I　fear　to　follow？　Eros；　thou　hast　loved　me　from

a　boymindest　thou　how　I　found　thee　starving　in　the　desert；　and　made

thee　rich；　giving　thee　place　and　wealth？　Come；　now　pay　me　back。　Draw

that　sword　thou　wearest　and　make　an　end　of　the　woes　of　Antony。〃



〃Oh；　Sire；〃　cried　the　Greek；　〃I　cannot！　How　can　I　take　away　the　life

of　godlike　Antony？〃



〃Answer　me　not；　Eros；　but　in　the　last　extreme　of　fate　this　I　charge

thee。　Do　thou　my　bidding；　or　begone　and　leave　me　quite　alone！　No　more

will　I　see　thy　face；　thou　unfaithful　servant！〃



Then　Eros　drew　his　sword　and　Antony　knelt　before　him　and　bared　his

breast；　turning　his　eyes　to　heaven。　But　Eros；　crying　〃I　cannot！　oh；　I

cannot！〃　plunged　the　sword　to　his　own　heart；　and　fell　dead。



Antony　rose　and　gazed　upon　him。　〃Why；　Eros；　that　was　nobly　done；〃　he

said。　〃Thou　art　greater　than　I；　yet　I　have　learned　thy　lesson！〃　and　he

knelt　down　and　kissed　him。



Then；　rising　of　a　sudden；　he　drew　the　sword　from　the　heart　of　Eros；

plunged　it　into　his　bowels；　and　fell；　groaning；　on　the　couch。



〃O　thou；　Olympus；〃　he　cried；　〃this　pain　is　more　than　I　can　bear！　Make

an　end　of　me；　Olympus！〃



But　pity　stirred　me；　and　I　could　not　do　this　thing。



Therefore　I　drew　the　sword　from　his　vitals；　staunched　the　flow　of

blood；　and；　calling　to　those　who　came　crowding　in　to　see　Antony　die；　I

bade　them　summon　Atoua　from　my　house　at　the　palace　gates。　Presently

she　came；　bringing　with　her　simples　and　life…giving　draughts。　These　I

gave　to　Antony；　and　bade　Atoua　go　with　such　speed　as　her　old　limbs

might　to　Cleopatra；　in　the　tomb；　and　tell　her　of　the　state　of　Antony。



So　she　went；　and　after　a　while　returned；　saying　that　the　Queen　yet

lived　and　summoned　Antony　to　die　in　her　arms。　And　with　her　came

Diomedes。　When　Antony　heard；　his　ebbing　strength　came　back；　for　he　was

fain　to　look　upon　Cleopatra's　face　again。　So　I　called　to　the　slaves

who　peeped　and　peered　through　curtains　and　from　behind　pillars　to　see

this　great　man　dieand　together；　with　much　toil；　we　bore　him　thence

till　we　came　to　the　foot　of　the　Mausoleum。



But　Cleopatra；　being　afraid　of　treachery；　would　no　more　throw　wide　the

door；　so　she　let　down　a　rope　from　the　window　and　we　made　it　fast

beneath　the　arms　of　Antony。　Then　did　Cleopatra；　who　the　while　wept

most　bitterly；　together　with　Charmion　and　Iras　the　Greek；　pull　on　the

rope　with　all　their　strength；　while　we　lifted　from　below　till　the

dying　Antony　swung　in　the　air；　groaning　heavily；　and　the　blood　dropped

from　his　gaping　wound。　Twice　he　nearly　fell　to　earth：　but　Cleopatra；

striving　with　the　strength　of　love　and　of　despair；　held　him　till　at

length　she　drew　him　through　the　windowplace；　while　all　who　saw　the

dreadful　sight　wept　bitterly；　and　beat　their　breastsall　save　myself

and　Charmion。



When　he　was　in；　once　more　the　rope　was　let　down；　and；　with　some　aid

from　Charmion；　I　climbed　into　the　tomb；　drawing　up　the　rope　after　me。

There　I　found　Antony；　laid　upon　the　golden　bed　of　Cleopatra；　and　she；

her　breast　bare；　her　face　stained　with　tears；　and　her　hair　streaming

wildly　about　him；　knelt　at　his　side　and　kissed　him；　wiping　the　blood

from　his　wounds　with　her　robes　and　hair。　And　let　all　my　shame　be

written：　as　I　stood　and　watched　her　the　old　love　awoke　once　more

within　me；　and　mad　jealousy　raged　in　my　heart　becausethough　I　could

destroy　these　twainI　could　not　destroy　their　love。



〃O　Antony！　my　Sweet；　my　Husband；　and　my　God！〃　she　moaned。　〃Cruel

Antony；　hast　thou　the　heart　to　die　and　leave　me　to　my　lonely　shame？　I

will　follow　thee　swiftly　to　the　grave。　Antony；　awake！　awake！〃



He　lifted　up　his　head　and　called　for　wine；　which　I　gave　him；　mixing

therein　a　draught　that　might　allay　his　pain；　for　it　was　great。　And

when　he　had　drunk　he　bade　Cleopatra　lie　down　on　the　bed　beside　him；

and　put　her　arms　about　him；　and　this　she　did。　Then　was　Antony　once

more　a　man；　for；　forgetting　his　own　misery　and　pain；　he　counselled　her

as　to　her　own　safety：　but　to　this　talk　she　would　not　listen。



〃The　hour　is　short；〃　she　said；　〃let　us　speak　of　this　great　love　of

ours　that　hath　been　so　long　and　may　yet　endure　beyond　the　coasts　of

Death。　Mindest　thou　that　night　when　first　thou　didst　put　thine　arms

about　me　and　call　me　'Love'？　Oh！　happy；　happy　night！　Having　known　that

night　it　is　well　to　have　livedeven　to　this　bitter　end！〃



〃Ay；　Egypt；　I　mind　it　well　and　dwell　upon　its　memory；　though　from　that

hour　fortune　has　fled　from　melost　in　my　depth　of　love　for　thee；　thou

Beautiful。　I　mind　it！〃　he　gasped；　〃then　didst　thou　drink　the　pearl　in

wanton　play；　and　then　did　that　astrologer　of　thine　call　out　his　hour

'The　hour　of　the　coming　of　the　curse　of　Menkau…ra。'　Through　all　the

after…days　those　words　have　haunted　me；　and　now　at　the　last　they　ring

in　my　ears。〃



〃He　is　long　dead；　my　love；〃　she　whispered。



〃If　he　be　dead；　then　I　am　near　him。　What　meant　he？〃



〃He　is　dead；　the　accursed　man！no　more　of　him！　Oh！　turn　and　kiss　me；

for　thy　face　grows　white。　The　end　is　near！〃



He　kissed　her　on　the　lips；　and　for　a　little　while　so　they　stayed；　to

the　moment　of　death；　babbling　their　passion　in　each　other's　ears；　like

lovers　newly　wed。　Even　to　my　jealous　heart；　it　was　a　strange　and　awful

thing　to　see。







Presently；　I　saw　the　Change　of　Death　gather　on　his　face。　His　head　fell

back。



〃Farewell；　Egypt；　farewell！I　die！〃



Cleopatra　lifted　herself　upon　her　hands；　gazed　wildly　on　his　ashen

face；　and　then；　with　a　great　cry；　she　sank　back　swooning。







But　Antony　yet　lived；　though　the　power　of　speech　had　left　him。　Then　I

drew　near　and；　kneeling；　made　pretence　to　minister　to　him。　And　as　I

ministered　I　whispered　in　his　ear：



〃Antony；〃　I　whispered；　〃Cleopatra　was　my　love　before　she　passed　from

me　to　thee。　I　am　Harmachis；　that　astrologer　who　stood　behind　thy　couch

at　Tarsus；　and　I　have　been　the　chief　minister　of　thy　ruin。



〃/Die；　Antony！the　curse　of　Menkau…ra　hath　fallen！/〃



He　raised　himself；　and　stared　upon　my　face。　He　could　not　speak；　but；

gibbering；　he　pointed　at　me。　Then　with　a　groan　his　spirit　fled。



Thus　did　I　accomplish　my　revenge　upon　Roman　Antony；　the　World…loser。







Thereafter；　we　recovered　Cleopatra　from　her　swoon；　for　not　yet　was　I

minded　that　she　should　die。　And　taking　the　body　of　Antony；　C？sar

permitting；　I　and　Atoua　caused　it　to　be　most　skilfully　embalmed　after

our　Egyptian　fashion；　covering　the　face　with　a　mask　of　gold　fashioned

like　to　the　features　of　Antony。　Also　I　wrote　upon　his　breast　his　name

and　titles；　and　painted　his　name　and　the　name　of　his　father　within　his

inner　coffin；　and　drew　the　form　of　the　Holy　Nout　folding　her　wings

about　him。



Then　with　great　pomp　Cleopatra　laid　him　in　that　sepulchre　which　had

been　made　ready；　and　in　a　sarcophagus　of　alabaster。　Now；　this

sarcophagus　was　fashioned　so　large　that　place　was　left　in　it　for　a

second　coffin；　for　Cleopatra　would　lie　by　Antony　at　the　last。



These　things　then　happened。　And　but　a　little　while　after　I　learned

tidings　from　one　Cornelius　Dolabella；　a　noble　Roman　who　waited　upon

C？sar；　and；　moved　by　the　beauty　that　swayed　the　souls　of　all　who

looked　upon　her；　had　pity　for　the　woes　of　Cleopatra。　He　bade　me　warn

herfor；　as　her　physician；　it　was　allowed　me　to　pass　in　and　out　of

the　tomb　where　she　dweltthat　in　three　days　she　would　be　sent　away　to

Rome；　together　with　her　children；　save　C？sarion；　whom　Octavian　had

already　slain；　that　she　might　walk　in　the　triump