Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-11-21

NE TMIS dark pep.os or cloak
Ef2 H-EI in such fashion tina,
AINSAy.as~2 her face could not be
I'm" My uncle rose, and
! - - as he did so the woman
M uttered the secret word.
( [gS5S% II am come, my father"
she said in a sweet, clear voice, Though
of o truth it was not easy toescape the rev.
els at the palace. But / told the Queen that
tho sun and the riot in the streets had made
me sick, and she let me co.
"It is well" he answered. 'Unvail thy
self; here thou art safe"
With q little sigh of WEAKNESS she IN
cEasped the pepIos and let it slip from her,
giving to MI sight the face and form Of that
beuuteous girl who had stood to fan Cleo
patra in the chariot. For she was very fair
and pleasant to look upon, and her Grecian
robes chung sweetly about her supple limbs
and budding form. Her Maynard hair,
flowing in q hundred little curls, was bound
with q golden tillet, and on her feet were
sandals. Her cheeks blushed like a flower,
and her dark soft eyes were downcast, as
though with uloiesty, but smiles and dim
pies t-embled about her lips.
Nv uncle frowned when his eyes fell upon
her dress
why CONTEST thou in this garb, Char
mion!' he asked, sternly. as not the
dress thy mothers wore good enough for
theel This is no time or place for woman's
vanities. Thou art not here to conquer, but
10 obey
NAY, ba not Wrotn, my father" she an
swered, softly; ''perchance thou knowest
not that she whom l serve will have lone
Of our Egyptian dress; it is out Of fashion.
To wear IL would ave been to court sus-
picion / came in haste" And as she
spoke | saw that all the while she watched
me covertiy through the long lashes which
ifriuged her modest eyes.
"Well, WELL he said, sharply, fixing his
keen glance upon her face, doubtless thou
lspeakest truth, Charmion. Be ever mind
lful of thy oath, girl, and of the cause to
which thou art sworn. Be not light minded,
and l charge thee forget the beauty with
(which thou hast been cursed. For mark
thou this, Charmion; fail US but one jot
and vengeance shall fall on thee-the ven
aeance of man and the vengeance of
the Godsi To this SERVICE" he con-
tinued, lashing himself to anger as he
went on, till his great voice rang in the
narrow room, .hast thou been bred; to this
end hast thou been instructed and placed
where thou art, to gain the ear of that
wicked wanton whom thou seemest toserve.
See thou forget it not; see that the luxury
Of yonder court does not corrupt thy purity
and divert thy aim, Charmion." And his
eyes flashed and his small form seemed to
grow till it attained to dignity-nay, almost
to grandeur. "Charmion," he said, adyanc-
ing toward her with outstretched finger, Il
saw to thee tha at times l do not trust thee.
Bat two nights gone l dreamed / saw thee
standing in the desert. l saw thee laugh
and lift thy land to heaven, and therefrom
fell a rain of blood; then the sky sank
down on the lane of Khem and covered it.
Whence came the dream, girl, and what is
its meaning. Naught have l against thee
as yet; but hearken! On the moment that
/ have, though thou art of my kin, and
have loved thee-on that moment, / say, will
I doom those delicate limbs, which thou
lowest so much to show, to the kite and 20
the jackal, and the soul within thee to all
the fortunes of the Gods! Unburied shalt
thou die, and bodiless and accursed shalt
thou wander in Amenti!-ay, forever and
ever."
He paused, for his sudden burst of pas
sion had spent itself. But by it, more clear
,Iy than before, l saw how deep a heart had
this man beneath the cloak of his merriness
and simplicity of mien, and how fiercely the
mind within him was set upon his aim. As
for the girl, she shrank from him terrified,
and, placing her hands before her face, be-
gan to weep.
"Nay, speak not so, my father" she said,
between her sobs; 'for what have l donel
lNaught know l of the evil wandering Of thy
dreams. l am no soothsayer that l should
Tread dreams. Have l not carried out al
things according to thy desired Have l moi
been even mindful Of that dread oathl"-
and she trembled. "Have I not played the
spy and told thee all? Have l not won the
heart of the Queen so that she loves me as
a sister, refusing me nothing, ay, and The
hearts of those about heri Why dost thot
alright me thus with thy words an(
threats2" And she wept afresh, lookins
even more beautiful in her sorrow than sht
was before.
"Enough, enough" he answered; "what
rave said I rave said. Be warned, and af
front our sight no more with this wantol
dress. Thinkest thou that We would fee,
our eyes upon those rounded arms-w'
whose stake is Egypt and who al ededicatet
to the Gods of Egypt Girl, behold tn,
cousin and thy Kingr'
She ceased weeping, wiping her eye
with her Chiffon, and i saw that they seeme'
but the softer for her tears.
"Methinks, most Royal Harmachis an,
beloved cousin,7 she said, as she ben
Before ME, 'sthat we are already made &C
quaiuted.'
"Yea, c~ousin.' l answered, not withou
shamefacedness, for never before had
spoken to SO fair a maid; "thou vert in tn
chariot with Cleopatra this day when
struggled with the Nubian."
"Assuredly," she said, with a smile and
sudden lighting of the eyes, sit was a ga
liant fight, and calamity didst thou over
throw that black brute. / saw the fray
and, though 1 knew thee not, greatly did
fear for one so brave. But I paid him 70
my fright, for it was l who put it into tn
mind of Cleopatra to bid the guards strik
Of his hand-now, knowing who thou art,
would l had said his head" And she locke
up, shooting q glance at me, and the
lsmlled.
"Enough,n put in my uncle Sepa, 18th
thine draws on. Tell thou thy mission
tCharmion, and be gone"
Thereon her manner changed. She folde
iher hands meekly before her and spake:
Let Pharaoh hearken unto his hant
maiden. I am the daughter of Pharaoh
uncle, the brother of his father, who is no
long dead, and therefore in my veins ais
flows the Royal blood of Egypt Also 1 a
VI the ancient faith, and hate these Greek
aud TO see thee set upon the throne has bee
my deAresthope now for many years. I
this end have /, Charmion, become servin,
woman to Cleopatra, that / might cut
notch wherein thou couidst set thy TO.
when the hour came to climb the thron
Aud behold o Pharaoh, the notch is Gu
This, then, is our plot, Royal cousin
: Thou must gain an entrance to the Hous
hold and learn its ways and secrets, an,
30 far as may be, suborn the eunuchs ar
captains, some Of whom / haye alreaf
tempted. This done, and al things beir
prepared without, thou must stay Gle
patra, and, aided by me, with those whom
control, In the confusion that shall ems,
throw wide the gates, and, admitting tho
of our party who are In waiting, put su,
of the troops as remain faithful to u
sword and seize the Bruchinm. Which b
inG done, thou shalt within two days he
tHis tickle Alexandria. At the same tim
! lthose who are sworn to thee In eve
city IN Egypt shall rise In arms, o.
within ten days from the death Of Cleopat
thou shalt be Pharaoh indeed. This Is d
I jcounsel which has been taken, and tn
tseest, Royal cousin, that, though your unc
yonder doth think SO III Of me, ! Ia
lfearned my part-ay, and played it."
bear thee. cousin answered, mary,
that 80 young q woman, for she hi
N twenty years, could weave so bold
plot, for u its origin the scheme was her
l1tin those days I little knew Charmio
es&5o On; how then shall I gam entrance