The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-11-16

mood she gave some new-fQund charm.
Full of talk she was as to how / should help
her make Egypt great and lessen the bur-
dens Of the people and fight the Roman
eagles back And though at first listened
heavily when she spake thus, by slow all
vance she wrapped me closer and yet more
slose in her magic web, from which is no
escape. My mind fell in time with hers.
Then /, too, opened something of
my heart, and somewhat also of
the plans that had formed for Egypt. And
she seemed to listen gladly, weighing them
well, and spoke Of means and methods, tell
ing me how she would purify the faith and
repair the ancient temples-ay, and build
new ones to the Gods. And ever she crept
deeper and more deep into my heart, till at
length, now that all things else had gone
from me, / learned to love her with all the
unspent passion Of my aching soul l had
naught left to me but Cleopatras love, and
Itwined my life about it, and brooded DER
it as widow DER her only babe. And thus
the very author of my shame became my
all, my dearest dear, and loved her with a
wild, deep love that grew and grew, till it
seemed to swallow up the past and make
the present as dream For she had con-
quered me, she had robbed me Of my honor
and stepped me to the lips in shame, and |,
poor, blinded wretch! kissed the rod that
smote me and was her very slave.
Ay, even now, in those dreams which will
come when sleep unlocks the secret heart,
and sets all it's terrors free to roam through
che open halls of thouC I seem to see her
poyal form, as erst saw it, come with arms
outstretched and loves own light shining
in her deep eyes, with lips apart and HoW-
ing locks, and stamped upon her face the
look of utter tenderness that she alone
could wear. Ay, still, after all the years, [
seem to see her come as erst she came, and
still wake to know her an unutterable lie.
And thus one day she came. She had
fed iii haste, she said, from some great
council summoned concerning the wars of
Antony in Syria, and she came, as she had
left the council, in all her robes of state,
and in her hand the scepter, and on her
brow the uraus diadem of gold. There she
sat before me laughing; for, wearying OF
them, she had told the ENJOYS, to whom she
gave audience in the council, that she was
sailed from their presence by sudden
message come from Rome; and to her the
Jest seemed merry. Suddenly she rose,
took the diadem from her brow, and set it
on my hair, and on my shoulders her Royal
chlan1ys, and in my hand the scepter, and
bowed the knee before me. Then, laugh
ing again, she kissed me on the lips and
said was, indeed, her King. But, remem-
boring how had been crowned in the halls
of Abouthis, and remembering also that
wreath of roses whereof the odor haunts
me yet, rose pale with wrath and cast the
trinkets from me, asking her how she
dared to mock me-her Gagged bird? And
methinks there was that about me that
startled her, for she fell back.
s.Nay, Harmachis,' s she said, 'sbe not
wrothl How knowest thou that mock
thee? How knowest thou that thou shalt
not be Pharaoh in fact and deed?" 4
81 s.What meanest thou?" / said. ssWllt
thou, then, wed me before Egypt? How
else can ] be Pharaoh nowl'' IA.
Che cast down her eyes. .Perchance,
loYs, tits in my mind to wed thee,'' she said
gently. '4s .s5. 81,
:.Eistenlo she went on. Thou growest
pale here IN this prison, and little dost thou
J eat Gainsay me not: know it from the
slaves. I have kept thee here, Harmachis,
for thine own sake, that is SO dear to me;
and for thine own sake, and thy honoi's
sake, must thou still seem to be my prison
or. Else wouldst thou be shamed and slain
~. ", murdered secretly. But here can
meet thee no more; therefore toTmorrow
will L free thee in all save in the name, and
thou shalt once more be seen at Court as
NV astronomer And this reason will Igive
til az thou hast cleared hyself !; and, more
over, that thy aug uries$ as regards the war
have beea aug of truth sas, indeed,
j thsy nave, though thereon have 9 no cause
sto thank thee, TOR nethinks thoud idst suit,
Sthy prop hecies to Gig thy cause. Now fare