The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-12-28
/,
1eina An Account Of the Fall and
Vengeance of H armachis. the
4 Royal Egyptian,
As SET FORTH BY HIS OWN HAND.
by III. RIDER IIAGGARD,
& She = 60 Allan Quaternaain,"
Etc, Etc, Etc.

Author OF g King Solornon's Mines"
she" ]" Allan Quaternoain,''
ETC., Etc, Etc.
illustrated by:N1cHoLL. after oAFoN WOOD.
WILLIE and GRERFENHAaEN.
<sFly, Antony, fly" cried Eros, his servant,
Eho alone with me stayed by him. CITY
ere thou art dragged a prisoner TO Caesar!"
So he turned and fed, grooming heavily.
With him went, and as we rode through
The Capopic Gate, where many folks stood
wondering, Antony spoke to me:
SEQ thou, Olympus, go to the Queen and
FAY: sAntony sends greeting to Cleopatra,
who hath betrayed him To Cleopatra he
tends greeting and farewell!'"
And SO l went to the tomb, but Antony
led on to the palace. When I came to the
somb knocked upon the door, and Char
nion looked forth from the window.
"Open,' cried, and she opened.
ssWhat news, Hanmachiss" she whisr
,ered.
s'Charmion,'' said, 'sthe end is atshand.
Antony is fed!'
s'It is wen,' she answered; II am
WEARY"
And there on the golden bed sat Cleo
satra.
s'Speak, man!'' she cried.
"Antony has fed; his forces are fed;
CAESAR dra77s gear. To Cleopatra the great
Antony SENDS greetings and farewell.
3Seeting to Cleopatra who hath betrayed
Aim, and farewell"
sit is lie!n she screamed; II betrayed
aim not! Thou Olympus, go swiftly to An
aony and answer thus: ITO Antony, Cleo
,atra' who hath not betrayed him, sends
sreetings and farewell. Cleopatra IS no
norel"
And SO went, following out nay purpose.
In the Alabaster Hall found Antony pacing
10 and fro, tossing his hands toward the
heaven, and with him Eros, for Of all his
servants Eros alone remained by this fallen
nan. >,
s:Ldrd Antony said, EGYPT bids thee
farewell. Egypt is dead by her own hand"
''Daad! deadi' he whispered, "and is
Egypt deada and that form of glory now
food for worms? Oh, what woman was
:his,i Fen now my heart goes out toward
aer. And shall she Guido me at the last, /
who have been SO great; shall become so
small that a woman can o'ertop my courage
md pass where fear to follows Eros, thou
aast4 loved me- from a boy lniudest thou
aow found thee starving in the desert, and
made thee rich, giving thee place and
He;lth? Come, now, pay me back. Draw
hat sword thou Wearest and make an end
If the woes Of AnJony.o
t'Oh, sire,' cried the Greek, II can notl
How can I take away the life Of god-like
Antony?"
sAnswer me not, Eros; but in the last ex-
IRENE Of fate this I charge thee. Do thou
ny bidding, or begone and leave me quite
.lonel No more will I see thy face, thou
anfaithful servant!''
Then Eros drew his sword and Antony
EneEtdown before him and barred his breast,
flrning his eyes to heavel, But Eros, cry
ng: IL can not! Oh, [ can nOtl' plunged
:he sword to his own heart and fell dead
Antony rose and gazed upon him. ssWhy,
Eros, that was nobly DONE" he said
Greater art thou than l. yet have learned
shy lesson!" and he knelt down and kissed
Aim.
Then, rising of sudden, he drew the
sword from the heart of Eros, plunged it
INTO his bowels and fell, grooming, on the
couch.
so thou Olympus!' he cried, *tthis pain is
more than r can bear! Make an end of me,
)lympusn;
But pity stirred NE, and this thing could
aot do.
Therefore [ drew the sword from his
7itals, stanched the flow of blood, and,
FALLING to those who came crowding IN to
zee Antony die, babe them summon Atoua
from my house at the palace gates. Pres
entity she came. bringing with her simples
and life giving draughts. And these gave
70 Antony, and babe Atoua go with such
speed as her old limbs might to Cleopatra
n the tomb, and tell her Of the state Of
Antony.
So she went, and after awhile returned
,aying that the Queen yet lived and sum-
noned Antony to die even in her arms
And with her came Domedes And when
Antony heard, his ebbing strength came
oack, for he was fain to Look upon Cleo
,atra's face again. So I called to the
;laves--who peeped and peered through
curtains aud from behind pillars to sec this
great man die-and together, with much
;oil, we bore him thence till we came to the
foot OF the Mausoleum.
But Cleopatra. being afraid Of treachery,
Roald no more throw wide the door; so she
et down a rope from the window and we
made it fast beneath tho arms of Antony.
Then did CT opatra, who the while wept
most bitterly, together with Char1nion and
Fras, the Greek, phil on the rope with all
I'LL the dying Antony swung in the air,
groaning heavily, and the blood dropped
from his gaping, wound Twice he nearly
lelLto earth; but. Cleopatra, striving with
.he strength Of love and despair, held him
ill at length she drew him through the
wlndow-place, while all who saw the dread
tul sight wept bitterly, and beat their
breasts-all save myself and Charmion.
When he was in, once more the rope was
let down, and with some aid from Char
niou, climbed into the tomb, drawing up
the rope after me. There Ifound Antony,
aid upon the golden bed of Cleopatra: and
she, her breast bare, her face all stained
with tears, and her hair streaming wild
about him, knelt at his sidesand kissed him,
sylplng the blood from his wounds with her
robes and hair. And let all my shame be
written: as stood and watched her the old
love awoke once more within me, and mad
jealousy ragged in my heart, because
thong i could destroy these tWain-their
love could not destroy. q.
20 Antony! my sweet, my husband and
my God ~ she inoaned. t'Crue] Antony,
hast thou the heartto die and leave me to