The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-12-28


pearl in wanton play, and then did that
astrologer Of thine call out his hour-sThe
hour Of the falling Of the curse Of Menka,
RAJ, Through all the after days those words
have haunted me, and now at the last YET
do they ring within my ears"
ssLong is he dead, my love-" she Whis-
pered.
ssIf he be dead, then am near hum. What
meant he"
s.He is dead, the accursed man l-no more
Of him! Oh turn and kiss me, for thy face
grows white The end Is nearl''
He kissed her on the lips. and for a little
While so they stayed, to the moment Of
ieath, like lovers newly wed babbling their
PASSIONS in each others ears. Even to my
JEALOUS hearta strange and awful thing it
vas to see
Presently I saw the Change of Death
gather on his face. His head fell back.
'.Farewell, Egypt; fareWell!-I die!''
She lifted herself upon her hands, gazed
wildly on his ashen face, and then with a
great cry, she sank back swooning.
But Antony yet lived, though the power
# speech had left him. Then drew near,
md kneeling, made pretense to minister
into him And as I ministered whispered
n his ear.
ssAntony," whispered. cleopatra was
ny love before she passed from me to thee.
lam Harmachis, that astroDger who stood
behind thy couch at Tarsus; and have
,een the chief minister of thy ruin. Die,
4atonyi the curse Of AenlAsn-ra hath falle,l''
He raised himself, and stared upon my
ace. He could not speak, but gibberlng, he
pointed at me. Then with groan his
mighty spirit fed. As
Thus did accomplish my revenge upon
Roman Antony, the world-loser.
Thereafter, then, we recovered Cleopatra
rom her swoon, for not yet was I minded
hat she should die. And taking the body
Vt Antony, Caesar permitting, and Atoua
caused it to be most skillfully embalmed
after our Egyptian fashion, covering TIE
lace with a mask of gold fashioned like to
the features Of Antony. Also wrote upon
lis breast his name and titles, and painted,
,is name and the name of his father within
ais inner coffin, and drew the form of the
holy Nout folding her wings about him.
Then with great pomp Cleopatra laid him
that sepulcher which had been made
ready, and in sarcophagus Of alabaster.
Now, this sarcophagus was fashioned so
arge that place was left therein for sec
md coffin, for Cleopatra was fain to lie by
Antony at the last.
These things then happened. And but a
little while after learnt tidings from one
Cornelius Dolabella, a noble Roman who
waited upon Caesar, and moved by the
beauty that swayed the souls Of all who
ooked upon her, had pity for the woes of
Cleopatra. He bade me warn her-for, as
aer physician, it was allowed me TO pass N
ind out of The tomb where she dWelt that
n three days she would be sent away to
Rome, together with her children, that she
might walk in the triumph Of Caesar. &C
;ordingly I went in, and found her sitting,
Is now she always sat, plunged in a half
stupor and before her that blood-stained
robe wherewith she had stanched the
wounds of Antony. For On this she would
continually feast her eyes. T
''See how faint they grow, Olympus, "she
said, lifting her sad face and pointing to the
:usty stains, sand he SO lately deadl Why,
Gratitude could not fade more fast. What
$ now thy news? Evil tiaings is writ large
n those dark eyes Of thine, which ever
bring back to me something that still slips
ny mind.''
I'LL is the news, OQueen,' answered..
This have from the lips Of Dolabella, who
hath it straight from Caesars Secretary.
IN the third day from now will Cses II send
;hee and the Prince Ptolemy and Alexander
ind the Princess Cleopatra to Rome, there
10 feast the eyes of the Roman mob, and be
ed In triumph to that Capitol where thou
lidst swear to set thy throne"
sNever, never!' she cried, spring ing to
ler feet. s.Never will walk in chains in
csesar's triumph What must I dos Char
nion, tell me what can do?'
And Charmion, rising, stood before her,
ookrng at her through the long lashes OF
Ter downcast eyes.
tsIady, thou canst uie,'' she said quietly.
Gag, Of truth I had forgo ten; I can
lie. Olympus, hast thou the drug?"
t'Nay; but il the Queen wills it, by TO-
morrow morn it shall be brewed-a drug SO
swift and strong that not the Gods them
selves can hold him who drinks it back
rom sleep" #
:'Let it be made ready, thou master of
,eathp'
I bowed, and Withdrew myself; and all
hat night I and old Atoua labored at the dis
illing of the deadly draught. At length it
vas done, and Atoua poured it into crys-
al phia1, and held it to the light of the fire;
'or white it was as the purest water.
$40, Lal'' she sang, in her shrill voice;
"a draught for Queen! When fifty drops
hose red lips Of hers, thou wilt, indeed, be
avenged Of Cleopatra. Q, Harmachis ! Oh,
hat I could be there to see t y Ruin
'uiped! La, La! it would be sweet to
see" 49,
vengeance is an arrow that ofttimes
falls upon the archer's head" l answered
oethinking NE of Charnlion's saying,
-.A CHAPTER XXI
LAST SUPPER OF CLEOPATRA; SONG OF
CHARMICN; DRINKING OF THE DRAUGHT OF
DEATH: REVEAL Nc OF HA: MACHIS; SUM
MONING OF THE SPLITS By HARMACHIS:
+ AND FINALLY THE DEATH OF CLEOPATRA.