The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-11-02

Sl ] RID OVEN
KnowesJ Jnar reJolce not, peIng but driven
& to the act by deep necessity and the press
II iure Of my vows. Can she not, then, be
poisoned? Or can no one Of the eunuchs be
snborne q to Stay herr My soul turns from
/ this bloody work. Indeed, marvel, how
ever heavy be her crimes, that thou canst
talk thus lightly Of the death by treachery
y Of one who loves thee!''
4 '.Methinks my Lord is over-tender, for
getting the greatness of the moment and
(. all that hangs upon this dagger stroke that
81 shall cut the thread Of Cleopatra's life
4 Listen, 8Harmarchls. Thou must do the
deed, and thou alonei Myself would do it,
y had my arm the strength; but it has it not
81 BY poison it can not be done, for every
. drop she drinks and every morsel that shall
touch her lips is strictly tasted by three
II separate tasters, who can not be suborned.
4 Nor may the eunuchs Of the guard be trust
4 ed. Two, indeed, are sworn to us but the
third can not be come at. He must be cut
I down afterwards and, indeed, when so
4 many men must fall. what matters aeunuch
more or lesss Thus shall it be, then. To-
H morrow night, when Bonou at three hours
, before midnight is in the right ascension,
4 thou dost cast the final augury Of the issue
], Of the war. And then thou wilt, as is
agreed, descend alone with me, having the
signet to the outer chamber of the Queens
apartment. For the vessel bearing
orders to the Legions sails from AL
exandria at the following dawn; and
alone with her, for she wills that the
thing be kept secret as the sea, thou wilt
read the message Of tit stars And as she
\ pores over the papyrus, then must thou
stab her in the back, SO that she dies; AND
see thou that thy will and arm fail thee not!
The deed being done and indeed it will be
easy-thou wilt take the signet and pass out
to where the eunuch is--for the others will
be wanting. If by any chance there be
trouble with him-but there will be no trou-
BILE, for he dare not enter the private rooms.
and the sounds of death can not reach so
far--thou must cut him down. Then will
meet thee; and, passing on, we will come to
Pauus, and it shall be my care to see that
he is neither drunk nor backward, for
. know how to hold him to the task And he
and those with hum shall throw open the
side gate, when Sepa and the five hundred
chosen men who are in waiting shall pour
in and throw themselves upon the sleeping
legionaries, putting them to the sword.
|, | why, t4S LuME IL easy oO CiAon lSoG VI Ao w
thyself, and let no won1an's fears creep
into thy heart. What is this dagger's
thrust? 1t is nothing, and yet upon it may
hang the destinies Of Egypt aud the world"
s'Hush!" I said. ''What is that? I hear
a sound"
Charmion ran to the door, and gazing
down the long, dark passage, listened.
:, In moment she came back, her finger on
her lips. sit is the Queen" she whispered,
hurriedly; ''the Queen who mounts the
stair alone. Iheard her bid Iris leave her.
may not be found thus alone with thee at
this hour; it hath strange look, and she
may suspect somewhat. What wants she
here? Where can hide me?' [ glanced
around. At the further end of the chamber
was heavy curtain that hid little plac
built in the thickness Of the wall which i
used for the storage of rolls and instru.
ments.
sHaste thee--thereV' I said, and she
glided behind the curtain, which swung
back and covered her. Then I thrust the
fatal scroll of death into the bosom Of my
robe and bent me Ger the mystic chart.
Presently heard the sweep Of wonan's
robes, and there came a low knock upon the
| door. 49,.
':Enter, whoever thou art!'' said.
The latch lifted. and Cleopatra swept in,
4
about her and the sacred snake Of royalty
glistening on her brow.
"Of truth, Harmachis,'' she said, with
a sigh, as she sank into a seat, 1.-The path
| to Heaven is hard to climb! All! l am
weary, for those stairs are many. But
was minded, my astronomer, to see thee
in thy haunts.'
81 am honored overmuch, O Queen!''
said, bowling low before her.
cart thou MOVIE And yet that dark face
of thine hath a somewhat angry look.
Thou art too young and handsome for this
dry trade, Harmachis. Why, I VOW, thou
hast cast ~ wreath of roses down amidst
thy rusty tools! Kings would have cher.
ished that wreath along with their
choicest diadems, o HaDmachis! and thou
dost throw it down as thing Of no ac.
count! Why, what man thou art But
stay; what is this? . A. lady's kerchief, by
Isis! Nay, now my Harmachis, how came
this here? Are our poor kerchiefs also in
struments of thy high art? Oh, fe, fe!-
have I caught thee, then? Art thou, in.
deed. a fox?" aa
ssNay, most Royal Cleopatra, nay"
said, turning; for the kerchief which had
, fallen from Charmion's neck had an
awkward look. IT know not, indeed, how
tae frlppery came here. Perchance some
} of the women who keep the chamber may
have let it fall.''
tsAhl so-so!' she said, dryly, and still
laughing like a ripping brook. Eyes,
surely, the slave women who keep cham
bers own such toys as this, of the very
finest silk, worth twice its weight in gold.
and broldered, too, in many colors. Why,
> myself should not shame to wear it! OF
! a truth it seems familiar to my sight,
AND she threw 1t around her neck and
smoothed the ends with her white hand.
'sBut there, tits a thing unholy in thine
eyes that the scarf Of thy beloved should
rest upon my poor breast Take it, Har.
machis; take it and hide it in thy bosom:
nigh thy heart, indeed!
took the accursed thing, and muttering
what may not write, stepped on to the
giddy platform whence watched the stars,
Then crushing it into ball, threw it te
the winds Of heaven.
Tnereat the lovely Queen laughed once