Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-11-28


to the east
All was made ready-the flower of Free
dom that had been five and twenty years
In growth was on the point of bloom. In
every city, from Abu unto Athue, armed
companies were gathered. and from their
walls spies looked out, awaiting the COM
ing of the messenger who should bring
tidings that Cleopatra was no more, and
that Harmachis, the Egyptian, had seized
the throne. All was prepared, triumph
hung TO my hand rs q ripe fruit to the hand
of the plucker. Yet, as sat at the royal
feast my heart was heavy, and shadow Of
coming woe lay cold within my mind. / sat
there in O place of honor. nigh to the
majesty of Cleopatra, and looked down the
lines of guests, bright with gems and gar
landed with flowers, marking those whom
| had doomed to die. There before me lay
Cieopatra's self, in all her beauty, which
thrilled the beholder as he is thrilled by the
rushing Of the midnight gale, or by the
sight of stormy waters. / gazed on her US
she touched her lips with wine and toyed
WITH the chaplet of roses on her brow, be-
thinking me of the dagger beneath my
robe that had sworn to bury iE her breast.
Again, and yet again, gazed and strove
TO hate her, strove to rejoice that she must
her-watching me now, as ever, with her
deep-fringed eyes-was tho lovely Lady
Charmion. Who, to look at her innocent
face, would believe that she was the setter
Of that snare wherein should miserably
perish the Queen who loved hers Who
would dream that locked in her girlish
breast was the secret of SO much deathl
gazed, and grew sick at heart because
must anoint my throne with blood, and by
evil sweep away the evil of the land. At
that houf l wished, indeed, that / was
Raught but some humble husbandman, who
In its season sows and in its season
garners the golden grain, Alas the seed
that had been doomed to SOW was the red
seed of Death, and now 1 must reap the
fruit of the harvest!
Why, Harmachis, what ais theea" said
Cleopatra, smiling her slow smile. tHas
the golden sken Of stars got tangled, my
astronomer or dost thou plan some new
feat Of magics Say what Is it, that thou
dost SO poorly grace our feast. Nay, now,
did 1 not know, having made inquiry
thereon, that things so low as we poor
women are far beneath thy gaze, why, I
should swear that Eros had found thee
put, Harmachisi''
Nay, that 1 am spared, o Queen" 1
not the smaller light of woman's eyes, and
therein he is happy"
Cleopatra leaned herself toward me, look
ing on me long and steadily in such fashion
that despite my will the blood fiuttered at
my heart.
Boast not, thou proud Egyptian" she
said in low voice which none but and
Charmion could hear, ''lest perchance thou
dost tempt me to match my magic against
thine. What woman can forgive that man
should push us by as things Of no accounta
'Tis an insult to our sex that Natures self
abhors," and she leaned back and laughed
most musically. But gIancing up, / saw
Charmion, her teeth upon her lip and an
angry frown upon her brow.
Pardon, Royal Egypt" 1 answered,
coldly, but with such wit as l could sum-
mon, ''before the Queen of Heaven even
stars grow pale!' This l said of the
moon, which is the sign of the Holy
Mother whom Cleopatra dared to rival,
naming herself ISIS come to earth.
s'Happily said," she answered, clapplng
her viii e hands. "Why, here's an astron.
omer who hath wit and can shape a COM
plilnent. Nay, such a wonder must not pass
unnoted, lest the Gods resent it. Char.
mion, take thou this chaplet from my hair
and set it upon the learned brow of our
Harmachis. King Of Lore he shall be
crowned, whether he will it Or will 1t not
Charmion lifted the chaplet from Cleo
patra's browS and bearing it to where
was, with smile set It upon my head, yei
warm and fragrant from the Queens hair
but so roughly that she panied me some
what. And this she did because she was
| wroth. although she smiled with her lips
H.,
machis." For though she was so much &
woman, yet, when she was angered or suf
fered jealousy, Charmion had a childish
way.
| Having thus fixed the chaplet, she court
esied low before me, and with the softes
| tone of mockery named me, in the Greel
| tongue, "Harmachis, King of Love-
| Thereon Cleopatra laughed and pledged mt
as "King of love," and so did all the com
pany, finding the jest merry one. For il
Alexandria they love not those who liv,
straightly and turn aside from women.
| But sat there, a smile upon my lips ant
black anger in my heart For, knowing
who and what ! was, it irked me to thinl
myself q jest to the frivolous mobiles ant
light beauties of Cieopatra's Court. Blu
chiefly was / angered against Charmion
because she laughed the ioudest, and then
did not know that laughter and bitterness!
are often the vails of sore heart where
with it wraps its weakness from the world
| s'An omen,r she said it was-that crown o
| fewers-and 50 it proved indeed. For
was fated to barter the double diadem o
the Upper and the Lower Land for a wreatl
of passions roses that fade even ere the,
fully bloom, and Pharaoh's ivory bed o
state for the pillow of a faithless woman
breast.
''King Of Lopsi" they crowned me in theil
mockery; aye, and King of Shame! And
with the perfumed roses on my brow-I, b.
descent and ordination the Pharaoh o