The Irish standard., 1889-10-26


ii the sun. Then suddenly withd rev the
wand, aud, shifting my own countenance
l|into the place Of it, J. seized him with my
! viii and stare. and beginning to turn round
| and round, dlew him after me, his race,
fierce and drawn, fixed, as II were, almost 40 :
| to my own. Then I slowly moved BAG Kyva IS
till I had passed the gates, still drawing
him after me, and having passed, i Jerked
my head away. But he fell to the ground,
to rise wiping his brow and looking exceed
| ingly foolish. i,
| I said ssThou seest we have passed the
pates Would any other noble sir here pres
| emit wish that should show more OF my
skill!" ..
| ssBv Taranis, Lord of Thunder, and all
| the Gods Of Olympus thrown in, nor
growled an old Centurion, Gaul named
! Brennus, ST like thee not, say. The
man who could drag our Paulus through
those gates by the eye, as it were, IS not 9
| man to play with. Paulus, too, who always
goes the way you don't want him-back-
ward. like an ass-Paulus! Why, sirrah,
| thou must have woman in one eye and
wine cup in the other, to draw our Paulus
| thus"
| At this moment the talk was broken, for,
! coming down the marble walk, followed py
| an armed slave, was Charmion herself. she
! walked calm and careless, her hands folded
behind her and her eyes gazing at nothing
ness. as it WERE But it was when Char
nlion thus looked upon nothing that she saw
| most And as she came the officers ana
men of the guard made way for her bowling,
for, as l learned afterward, this girl, next
to Cleopatra's self, welded more power
than any one about the palace.
"What is this tlsnult, Brennus?" she
said, speaking to the Centurion, and max
| ing as if she saw me not; ''knowest thou
not that the Queen sleeps at this hour, and
| if she be awakened it is thou who must
! ans wer for it, and that dearly!"
'tNay, Lady" said the Centurion, humbly;
| shut it is thus. We have here''-and he
| 1erl1ed his thumb toward me-'a magician
of the most pestilent-um, crave his par
| don, Of the very best sort, for he hath but
just now, only by placing his eyes close to
the nose of the worthy Captain Paulus,
dragged him, the said Paulus, through the
| gates that Paulus swore the magician
should not pass. By the same token. Lady,
| the magician says he has business with you
which grieves me for your sake"
Charmion turned and looked at me care
lessly. t'Ay, remember" she said; ''and
so he hath-at least the Queen would see
his tricks; but if he can do none better
than cause 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, and
next time 1 am asked for at the gates give
him who asks hearing" And with a
queenly 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, for
the most part of heather Gods and God
desses, wherewith these Lagide were not
ashamed to defle their royal d wellings. At
length we came to a portico with fllted col
umns very beautiful to see, but of Grecian
style of art, where we found more guards,
who made way for the Lady Charmion.
Crossing the portico, we reached an outer
marble hall wherein a fountain softly
FLASHED, and then by low doorway
second chamber known as the Alabaster
Hall, most beautiful to see. It's roof was
upheld by light columns of black marble,
but all it's walls were paneled with ala
baster, wherein were craven Grecian le-
gends. Its floor was Of rich and many hued
mosaic that told the tale of the passion Of
Psyche for the Grecian God Of Love, and
about it were set chairs Of ivory and gold.
At the doorway of this chamber Charmion
babe the armed slave stay, so that we
passed in alone, for the place was empty
save for two eunuchs who stood with
drawn swords before the curtains at the
further end
IT am vexed, my Lord" she said, speak
ing very low and shyly, "that thou shouldst
have met with such affront at the gate;
but the guard there served adouble watch,
and had given my commands to the off,
Ger Of the company that should have re-
heved it. They are ever insolent, these
Roman officers, who, though they seem to
serve know we'll that Egypt is their play
thing. But it is not altogether i'll, for these
rough soldiers are sup>rstitious, and here
after they will fear thee. Now, bide thou here
while / pass into Cleopatra's chamber,
where she sleeps. But now have I sung
a