The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-11-30
Q / ] !
\ Bsing AN aunt of The Fall and
q Vengeance u: Iarmac CHS, the
l.s Royal Egyptian,
rs SET FORTH By HIS OWN HAND,
4 BY H. RIDER HAGGARD,
Author OF g King SSo1onaoIl's Mines
q She Z s s Allan Quaterraaain,'
~ Etc, Etc, Etc.
illustrated by NIcHoLL. after CATION WOOD.
sas@ WILLIE and GRElFFENHAHEN.

Ielt the blood rush through me like s
storm, bitterness and burning anger tool
hold upon my heart ''What hast thou tx
gay, Cleopatra?'' / answered boldly
'sWh here is thy oath, sworn Gu the deac
heart of Menka-ra, the ever-livings Where
now thy challenge to this Roman Antony
Where thy oath that thou wouldst call me
sssnsband' in the face of Egypt?" And
q Looked and ceased
SssWell does it become Harmachis, VIII
never was forsworn, to speak to me OF
oaths ~ she said, il bitter mockery. Ans
yet, o thou most pure Priest OF Isis; and
pet, O thou most faithful friend, who never
didst betray thy friends; and yet, 0 thou
most steadfast, honorable and upright
man, who never dldst barter thy birthright,
thy country and thy cause for the price Of
woman's passing love; by what token
knowest thou that my word is void?''
'sThy taunts T will not answer, Cleo
patra," I said, holding back my heart as
best l might; ''for have earned them all,
though not from thee. By this token, the.,
know it. Thou goest to visit Antony;
Chou goest, as said that Roman knave,
stricked in the best attire to feast with
him whom thou shouldst give to vultures
for their feast Perchance, for aught
know, thou art about to squander those
treasures that thou hast flched from the
body Of Menka-ra, those treasures stored
against the need Of Egypt, upon wanton
revels which shall complete the shame OF
Egypt. BY these things, then, know that
thou art forsworn, and I, who, loving thee:
believed thee tricked; and by this, also.
that thou who didst but yesternight swear
to wed me, dost to-day cover me with
ta1lnts, and even before that Roman put me
to an open shame!"
s'To wed theee And I did swear to wed
theea Well, and what is marriage? Is it
the union Of the heart, that lpnd beautiful
as gossamer and than gossams pr more light,
which binds soul to soul as through the
dreamy night Of passion they tioat, bond
to be, perchance, melted in the dews Of
dawns Or is it the iron link of enforced,
unchanging union whereby if sinks the one
the other must be dragged beneath the sea
OF circumstances, there, like punished
slave, to perish of unavoidable corruption.
Marriage! I to marry! l to forget free
dom and court the worst slavery Of our sex,
which, by the selfish will of man, the
stronger doth still bind us to a. bed grown
hateful, and enforce service that love
mayhap no longer hallows! Of what use,
then, to BIO Queen, il thereby 1 may not
escape the evil of the meanly borne Mark
thou, Harmachis: Woman being grown
hath two ills to fear, death and marriage; ;
and of these twain Is marriage the more
vile; for in death we may find rest, but in
marriage, should it fail US, we must find
he'll. Nay, being above the breath of COM
mon SANDER that would blast those who Of
TO OF ofn1 nF
qection's bonds, love, Harmachis, but
marry not!'
"And yesternignt thou didst swear that
thou wouldst wed me and call me to thy
side before the face Of Egypt"
"And yesternight the red ring round the
moon did mark the coming of the storm,
and yet the day is fair! But who knows
that the tempest may not break Tomorrow
Who knows that have not chosen the cas-,
Ter path to save Egypt from the Romans
WHO knows, Harmachis, that thou shalt not
still cali me 'wife?'"
Then no longer could bear her falsehood.
for saw that she but played with me. And
so spoke that which was in my heart.
"Cleopatra,'' cried, 'Sthou didst swear tc
protect Egypt, and thou art about to betray
Egypt to the Roman! Thou didst swear tc
for the service of Egypt, and thou art
about to use them to be her means Of shame
to fashion them as letters for her wrists!
Thou didst swear to wed me, who loved
thee, and for thee gave all, and thou dost
mock me and reiectl Therefore Say
with the voice Of the dread Gods say it
that on thee shall fall the curse Of Menka-
ra, whom thou hast robbed, indeed! Let
me 20 hence and work cut my dooml Let
me 20, G, thou fair shame! thou living Lel
whom have loved to my doom, and who
hast brought upon me the Last curse OF
doom! Let me hide myself and see thy face
no more!"
She rose in her wrath, and terrible she
was to see.
ssL4et thee go to stir up evil against me!
Nay, Ha1machis, thou shalt not go to build
nav plots against my thronel l say to thee
that thou, too, shalt come to visit Antony
in Cilicia, and there, perchance, I will lei
thee go!'' And ere could answer, she had
struck upon the silver gong that hung nigh
to where she was.
Ere it's rich echo had died away TIERS
sutsred from one door Charmion and the
waiting women. and from the other a Ale Of
guards four Of them Of the Queens body
guard, mighty men, with winged helmets
and long, fair hair.
ssSeize that traitorl'' cried Cleopatra,
pointing to me. The Captain Of the guard
1T was Brennus saluted and came toward
me with drawn sword. K
But ], being mad and desperate, and little
caring if they slew me, few straight at his
throat, and dealt him such 9 heavy blow
that the great man fell headlong and his
arnor clasbed upon the marble floor. And
as he fell seized his sword and target and,
meeting the next, who rushed on me with .
shout, caught his blow upon the shield. and
In answer smote with all my strength.
The sword fell where the neck is set
Into the shoulder and shearing through the
Joints Of his harness slew him, SO that his
knees were loossned and he sank down
dead. And the third, as he came,
D caught upon the point Of my
sword before he could strike, and it
pierced him and he died. Then the last
rushed on me with q cry Of 'sraranis r. and
/, too, rushed on him, for my blood was
aname And the women shrieked, only
Cleopatra said naught, sS but stood and
watched the unequal fray " met and /
struck with all my streng 9Th, and e mighty
blow: ii was, for the }styort shore through
the iron shield and shattered there, leaving
N1rrs.