Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-11-21

bINBAhIhA W tsSiuos va lsS tLS "
l will pass those gates without thy leave
ny, and draw thee through them after me.
BE pleased TO fix thy princely gaze upon the
point of this wand in my haud.'
Beng urged thereto by his comrades, TINS
he did, not willingly; and l let him ga2ettii
| saw his eyes grow empty as an owls eyes
in the sun. Then sud- My | withdrew the
wand, and. shifting my own countenance
into the place of il, ] seized him with my
will and stare, and beginning to turn round
and round, drew him after me-, his face,
fierce and drawn, fixed, as 1t were, almost
to my own. Then I slowly moved backward
TIL l had passed the gates, still drawing
him after u.e, and having passed, l jerked
my head away. But he fell to the ground,
to rise wiping his brow and looking exceed
ingly foolish.
art thou content, most noble Captaina"
I said. Thou seest we have passed the
gates. Would any other noble sir here pres
ent wish that l should show moro of my
skill2"
by Taranis, Lord Of Thunder, and all
the Gods of Olympus thrown in, mop
growled al obi Centurion, a Gaul named
Brennus. 81 like thee not, l say. The
man who could drag our Paulus through
those gates by the eve, as it We're, is not 6
man to play with. Paulus, too, who ALWAYS
goes the way you don't want him-back-
ward, like an ass-Paulusi Why, sirrah,
thou must have a woman in one eye and a
whit cup in the other, to draw our Paulus
thus
At this moment the talk was broken, for,
coming down the marble walk. followed by
an armed slave, was Charmion herself. She
walked cain and careless, her hands folded
behind her and her eyes gazing at nothing
naSa 40 II 1unra Ruf 1T wac whnn Char
mion thus looked upon nothing that she saw
most. And as she came the officers and
men of the guard made way for her bowling,
for, as l Learned afterward, this girl, mex,
to Cleopatra's self, welded more power
than any one about the palace.
What is this tunult, Brennus:' She
said, speaking to the Centurion, and max.
ing as If she saw me not; 'knowest thoc
not that the Queen sleeps at this hour, and
if she b. awakened it is thou who must
answer for it. and that dearlys'
"Nay, Lady," said the Centurion, hurnbly
s'but it is thus. We nave here"-and he
| lerked his thumb toward me-"a magician
of the most pestilent-um, l crave his par.
don, of the very best sort, for he hath but
just now, only by placing his eyes close te
the nose of the worthy Captain Paulus
dragged him, the said Paulus, through the
] pdtp5 indI dutuS S"UEe tut llSn
should not pass. BY the same token, Lady
the magician says he has business with yos
which grieves me for your sake"
Charmion turned and looked at me care
lessly. Say, L remember" she said: 'anc
so he hath-at least the Queen would seq
his tricks; but If he can do none better
than cause a sot'-here she cast a glance Of
scorn at the wondering Paulus Ito follow
his nose through the gates he guards, he
had better go whence he came. Follow me,
Sir Magician: and for thee, Brennus, l say
keep thy riotous crew more quiet. For thee
most honorable Paulus, get thee sober, ant
next time l am asked for at the gates give
him who asks a hearing" And with &
q~ueenly nod OF her small head she turned
and led the way, followed at a distance by
myself and the armed slave.
We passed up the marble walk which
runs through the garden grounds, and is
set on either side with marble statues, fol
the most part of heather Gods and God
desses, wherewith these Lagide were no
ashamed to defile their royal d wellings. A
length we came to a portico with futed col
umns very beautiful to see, but of Greciar
style of art, where we found more guards
who made way for the Lady Charmion
Crossing the p~ortico, we reached an QUITE
marble hall wherein a fountain LoftI.
FLASHED. and then e by a low doorway
second chamber, known as the Alabaste
Hall, most beautiful to see. Its roof wa
upheld by light columns of black marble
but all its walls were paneled with ala
baster, whereon were craven Grecian lie
gends. Its floor was of rich and many-hue'
mosaic that told the tale of the passion o
Psyche for the Grecian God of Love, ani
about it were set chairs of ivory and gold
IL. 20 &l;, IL ,EA W. nj
babe the armed slave stay, so that w
passed in alone, for the place was empt.
save for two eunuchs who stood Wit
drawn swords before the curtains at tn
further end.
81 am vexed, my Lord" she said, SPEAK
ing very low and shyly, that thou shoulds
have met with such afront at the gate
but the guard there served adouble watch
and l had given my commands to the off
Ger of the company that should have re
heved it. They are ever insolent, thes
Roman officers, who, though they seem t
serve, know well that Egypt is their PLAY
thing. But it is not altogether i'll, for thes
rough soldiers are superstitious, and hert
after they will fear thee. Now, bide thou her
while / pass Into Cleopatra's chambel
where she sleeps. But now have l sun
her to sleep, ana if she be awakened I wi
call thee, for she waits thy coming" An
without more words she glided from my sid
; In o little time she returned, and, comm
. !, to my side, spoke:
. "Wouldst see the fairest woman in all tt
= world asIeeps" she whispered. ST SO, fc
low thou me. Nay, fear not; when ST
, awakes she will but laugh, for she babe n
y be sure to bring thee instantly, wheths
I she slept or woke. See, l have her signet
So we passed up the beautiful chambt
: till we ami to where the eunuchs stoc
i with drawn swords, and these would hay
] barred my entry; but Charmion frowne
and drawing the signet from her bosom he
e it before their eyes. Thereon, having e
e amined the writing that is on the rim
a they bowed, dropping their sword point
a and we passed through the heavy curtain
broidered DER with gold, into the restir
place Of Cleopatra Beautiful it WI
=, beyond imagining-beautiful with maj
= colored marbles, with gold and ivory, gen
I. and flowers-all art can furnish and 6
y luxury can dream of were here. Here we
!, pictures so real that birds might ha'
y pecked the painted fruits; here were statu
u of woman's loveliness frozen into ston
!, here were draperies fine as softest silk, b
y woven of a web of gold; here were couch
q and carpets such as l never saw. Here t
ID air was sweet with perfume, while throul
H the open window places came the far mi
y muir of the sea. At the further end of t
70 chamber, on a couch of cleaning 81
~ and sheltered by a net of fine
~ gauze, Cleopatra lay asleep. There s
y lay-the fairest thing that man ever saw
fairer than a dream, and all about h
Is > ~@