Telegram-herald., 1889-10-15
FORTH BY HIS OWN HAND
ny II RIDER HAGGARD.

thereafter die she sad Antcny send many
tines % ne Tor counsel, ana ever / oogn-
seed them % their ruin, nor I'D my
prophecies fail
Thus the long years rolled away, Gnd !,
the Hermit Olympus. the dwe4er IN
tomb, ths eater Of bread and the crln ker Of
wafer, became b. stren gin q the wisdom
that was given ne cf the zyengiag Power,
once more great Ia khem- For ever grew
wiser as 1 trampled the desires OF tae flesh
beneath ny feet and turned my eyes 70
Heaven.
Atlsngth eight tuli years were accom-
plshed The war with the Parthizns had
come and gone, ana Artavasdss, King 0f
Armen a. had been led Ia triumph through
tie streets OF Alexandria Cleopatra had
visited Samos and Athens; aud, by her
counseiing, the noble Octavia Tad been
driven, Ike some discarded cOncubine, from
the house og Antony az Rome. And now,
AZ The lAst, was the measure Of the folly OF
Antony fuu even 20 the brim- For this
master OF TIE world had no longer the good
gift of reason-in Cleopatra WAS he lost,
even IS had been lost And therefore, IN
the event. did Octavianus declare war
against him.
And as / slept AZ night IN the chamber Of
the Harpers, in the tomb OF Pharaoh that Is
by Tape, there came 70 me a vision OF nv
father, the aged Ameuemhat and he stood
over me. leaning on his staf, and spoke,
saying.
Arise. my son the hour Of vengeance
Is al hand Thy plots have not failed; thy
prayers have been heard. By the bidding
Of the Gods, as sue sat in her galley at the
hght OF Actium, filed the heart OF Cleo
~ hat ha "A xuff all
her feet. Now is the strength Of Antony
broken on the sea. Go forth, and even ss
shall be thy mind, so do thou"
In the morning awoke, wondering. and
went 10 the mouth OF the tomb; aud there,
coming up the valley, l saw the messengers
OF Cleopatra, and with them Roman guard.
What viii ye with me nowgn l asked
sternly
This is the message OF the Queen and of
great Antony" answered the Captain, bow.
ing low before me, for was much feared
Of all men. The Queen doth command thy
presence az Alexandria. Many times hath
she sent, and thou wouldst not come; now
doth she bid thee 20 come, and that swiftly,
for she hath need Of thy counsel"
''And II say Nay, solder, what thenr'
These are my orders, most holy Olym-
pus: that by force 1 bring thee"
laughed aloud. by force, thou fooli
Use not such talk, lest smite thee where
thou art. Know, then, can kill as well as
curer"
Pardon, ! eeseechr" be answered,
shrinking. 81 say but those things that
an bid"
"Wen, 1 know it, Captain. Fear not, ]
come"
SO on that very day departed, together
with the aged Atoua. Ay, went as Sc
cretly as had come; and the tomb Of the
divine Rameses knew me no more. And
with me l took all the treasure Of my father,
Amenemhat, for was not minded TO go to
Alexandria empty-haaded, and as sup
pllant; but rather IS man OF much wealth
and condition. Now, IS | went, l learned
that Antony, following Cleopatra, had, in
deed, fed from Ac;ium, and knew that the
end drew nigh. Fcr this and many other
things had l f1v-seen in the darkness at
Tape, and planned 20 bring about
Thus, then, ! came 20 Alexandria, and
entered into a q $50 which had been made
ready for me at thc palace gates.
And that very night came Charmion unto
me-Charmion, -vh0m for nine long years
had not seen.