The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-12-19

| "Ah, thou knOwest th0tr'
"Yea, know all; and tonight thou secst
how the wealth stored against the need OF
Khem Is being squandered to ill up the
wanton luxury Of Khem's Macedonian
Quceni Thou seest how she hath kept her
oath to wed thee honorably! Harmachis-
ct length thine eyes are open to the truth ~
"Ay, see too we'll; she swore she loved
| me, and, fool that was, l did believe her p,
''She swore she loved thee!.' answered
Charmion, lifting her dark eyes; 'snow will
show thee how she doth love thee. Know
est thou what was this house! II was .
priests college; and, IS thou wottest, Har-
machis. priests have their ways. This lit
tie chamber aforetime was the chamber OF
the Head Priest, and the chamber that Is
beyond and below was the gathering room
Of the other priests. All this the old slave
who keeps the place told me, and also she
revealed what / shall show thee. Now,
Harmachis. be silent as the dead and fol-
low met"
She blew out the lamp, and by the little
| light that crept through the shattered case
ment led me by the hand to the far corner
Of the room Here she pressed upon he
wall, and door opened in its thickness.
We entered, and she closed the spring.
Now we were in little chamber, some fivc
i
faint light struggled into the closet, and
also the sound Of voices, whence knew
not. Loosing my hand, she crept to the
end Of the place, and looked steadfastly ut
the wall; then crept back, and, whispering
| ''silcnce" led me forward with her. Then
saw that there were eyeholes in the wall,
which pierced it. and were hidden on the
| farther side by carved work in stone.
looked through the hole that was in front of
me, and this saw. Six cubts below was
the level OF the floor of another chamber,
lit with fragrant lamps, and most richly
furnished. 1t was the sleeping place OF
Cleopatra, and there, within ten cubits Of
where we stood, sat Cleopatra on . gilded
couch, and by her side sat Antony.
"Tell me- Cleopatra murmured-for 80
was this place built that every word spoken
| in the room below came to the cars of the
| listener above-''tell me, noble Antony,
vast pleased with my poor festlval..'
"Ay," he answered in his deep soldiers
voice; '.ay, Egypt, have made feasts. and
been hidden to feasts, but never saw
| aught like thine; and this tell thee, though
/ am rough Of tongue and unskilied IN pref
| ty sayings such as women love, thou vast
| the richest sight Of all that splendid board
The rcd wine was not SO red rs thy beau
/
| the odor Of thy hair, and no sapphire there
with its changing light was 50 lovely Is thy
eyes Of ocean blue"
"What! praise from Antony. Sweet
words from the lips Of him whose writings
are so harshs Why, tits praise, indccd!''
sAy,' he went on, "'twas Q royal feast,
though grieved that thou didst waste that
great pearl; and what meant that hour
calling astrologer OF thine. with his ill
omened talk Of the curse of Mcnka rag
A shadow fled across her glowing face
Il know not; he was lately wounded in
brawl and methinks the blow has crazed
him."
He seemed not crazed, and there was
that about his voice which doth ring in my
ears like some oracle of fate. So wildly,
too, he looked upon thee. Egypt, with those
piercing eyes Of his, like cne who loved and
yet hated through the love-"
"'Tis q strange man, tell thee. noble
Antony, and . learned. Myself, At times, /
almost fear him, for deeply is he versed in
the ancient arts of Egypt. Knowes, thou
that the man Is Of royal blood. and once he
plotted to slay me! But won HIM over,
and slew him not, for he had the key to Sc
crcts that fain would learn; and. indeed,
! lovc his wisdom, and to listen to his deep
| talk Of all hidden things"
BY Bacchus, but ! grow jealous OF the
knave! And now, Egypt"
"And now have sucked his knowledge
dry and have no more cause to fear him.
Didst thou not see that these three nights
have made him stand Q slave amid nv
| slaves, and call aloud the hours Is they fed
| in festivals No captive king marching in thy
Roman triumphs can have suffered keener
pangs than tl.at proud Egyptian Prince as
he stood and shamed behind my couch"
Here Charmion laid her hand on mine
and pressed it. rs though in tenderness
"Well, he shall trouble US no more with
his words Of evil omen," Cleopatra went on
| slowly; tomorrow morn he dies-dies
swiftly and in secret, leaving no trace Of
what his fate hath been. On this Is my mind
liked; Of truth, noble Antony, it is fixed.
Even As speak the fear of this man grows
and gathers in my breast. Half am minded
to give the word even now, for till he be
dead breathe not freely" and she made
as though to rise.
"Let it be till morning." he said, catching
her by the hand; 1.-THE soldiers drink, and
the deed will be ill done. It's pity, too,
love not to think OF men slaughtered in
their sleep"
1 In the morning. perchance, may the
hawk have fown," she answered, ponder
ing. HE hath keen ears, this Harmacnis,
and can summon things that are not Of the
earth to aid him. Perchance even now he
hears me in the spirit; for, Of Q truth,
seem to feel his presence breathing round
| me. could tell thee-but no, let him be I
Noble Antony, be my firing woman and
loose me this crown Of gold: it chafes my
brow. Be gentle, hurt me not-so''
He lifted the urRus crown from her
brows, and she shook loose her heavy
weight Of hair that fell about her like q
garment.
''Take thy crown, Royal Egypt" he said,
speaking low, take it from my hand;
will not rob thee of it, but rather set it more
firmly on that beauteous brow"
'What means my Lordr' she asked,
smiling and looking into his eyes.
"What mean II Why, then, this; hithcr
thou earnest at my bidding, to make an
swer to the charges laid against thee as to
matters polite. And knowest thou, Egypt,
that hadst thou been other than thou art
thou hadst not gone back to Queen it on
the Nile; for OF this / am sure, the charges
against thee are true, in fact. But being
what thou art-and look, thou! never did
Nature serve . woman better!-I forgive
thee all. Fen for the sake OF thy grace
and beauty forgive thee that which hath
not been forgiven to virtue, or to patriot
ism, or to the dignity of age Sec, now, how
good a thing is woman's wit and loveliness,
that can make Kings forget their duty and
cozen cen blindfolded Justice to peep ere
she lifts her sword! Take back thy crown,
O Egypt! my care now it is that, though it
be heavy, it shall not chafc thee"
"koyal words are those, most noble
Antony" she made answer; gracious and
generous words, such as befit the Con-
queror of the world And touching my mis-
deeds IN the past-if misdeeds there have
bcen-this / say, and this alone, then !
knew not Antony. For, knowing Antony,
vino could sin against hint What woman