The Irish standard., 1889-10-26

| She ceased weeping, wiping her eyes
| With her chiffon, and I saw that they seemed
out the softer for her tears.
"Methinks, most Royal Rarmachis and
beloved COUSIN" she said, as she bent
! before me. s'that we are already made ac-
I luainted."
''Yea, COUSIN" answered, not without
,hamefacedness, for never before had
! spoken to so fair maid; s'thou vert in the
| chariot with Cleopatra this day when I
| struggled with the Nubian."
"Assuredlv," she said, with a smile and a
| sudden lighting of the eyes, sit was gal
! ant fight, and CALAMITY didst thou over
| throw that black brute. I saw the fray,
and, though knew thee not, greatly did
;ear for one so brave. But I paid him for
ny fright, for it was who put it into the
mind of Cleopatra to bid the guards strike
,ff his hand-now, knowing who thou art,
would had said his head" And she looked
Up, shooting glance at me, and then
smiled.
lime draws on. Tell thou thy mission,
Charmion, and be gone"
/ Thereon her manner changed. She folded
Ter hands meekly before her and spake:
sLet Pharaoh hearken unto his hand
! maiden. I am the daughter Of Pharaoh's
1ncle, the brother of his father. who is now
| ong dead, and therefore in my veins also
lows the Royal blood of Egypt. Also am
If the ancient faith, and hate these Greeks,
and to see thee set upon the throne has been
ny dessresthope now for many years. To
his end have /, Charmion, become serving
woman tu Cleopatra that 1 might cut a
notch wherein thou couldst set thy foot
when the hour came to climb the throne.
And behold! O Pharaoh, the notch is cut.
"This, then, is our plot, Royal cousin:
Thou must gain an entrance to the House
aold ane learn it's ways and secrets, and,
80 far as may be, suborn the eunuchs and
CAPTAINS, some of whom l have already
empted This done, and all things being
prepared without, thou must stay Cleo
oatra, and, aided by me, with those whom i
control, in the confusion that shall ensue
throw wide the gates, and, admitting those
II our party who are in waiting, put such
IF the troops as remain faithful to the
sword and seize the Bruchium. Which be-
ing done, thou shalt within Two days hold
this tickle Alexandria, At the same time,
those who are sworn to thee in every
city IN Egypt shall rise in arms, and
within ten days from the death of Cleopatra
thou shalt be Pharaoh indeed. This is the
seest, Royal cousin, that, though your uncle
yonder doth think so i'll Of me, have
learned my part-ay, and played it,
Il hear thee, cousin, - an sWered, marvel
ing that so young a woman, for she had
but twenty years, could weave so bold a
plot, for IN it's origin the scheme was hers
Butin those days little knew Charmlon.
"Go on; how then shall gain entrance to-
the palace of Cleopatra"
ssNay, cousin, as things are 1t is easy.
Thus: Cleopatra loveth to look upon man,
and give me pardon--thy face and form
are fair To-day she noted them, and
twice she said she would she had asked
where that astrologer might be found, for
she held that an astrologer who could we'll
nigh slay Nubian gladiator with his bare
hands must indeed be master of the stars
answered her that would cause inquiry
to be made So hearken, Royal Harmachis.
At midday Cleopatra sleeps in her inner
hall that looks over the gardens to the har-
Dor. At that hour, then, will / meet thee
at the gates of the Palace, whittier come
thou boldly asking for the Lady Charmion.
I will make appointment for thee with
Cleopatra. so that she shall see thee alone
vnen she wakes, and the rest shall
be for thee Harmachis. For much she
loves to play with the mysteries of magic,
and whole nights have known her stand
watching the stars and making pretense
to read them And but lately hath she sent
away Dioscorides, the Physician, in that,
poor fool! he ventured on a prophecy from
the conjunction of the stars that Casslus
would defeat Mark Antony. Thereon Cleo
patra dispatched to the General Allienus,
bidding him add the legions she had sent to
Syria to help Antony, to the army OF Cas-
sius, whose victory, forsooth, was, accord
ing to Dioscorides, written on the stars.
But, as it CHANGED, Antony beat Casslus
first and Brutus afterward, and so dos
corides hath departed, and now he lectures
for his bread on herbs in the museum, and
hates the name Of stars But his place 10
empty, and thou shalt fill it; and then we
will work in secret and in the shadow OF
the scepter. Az, we will work like the
worm at the heart Of fruit till the time Of
plucking comes, and on thy dagger's touch,
ROYAL cousin, the fabric of this Grecian
throne crumb1es to nothingness, and the
worm that rotted it bursts his servile COW
ering, and in the sight OF empires, spreads
his royal wings DER Egypt"
gazed at this strange girl once more as
tonished. and saw that her face was lit up
with such a light as had never seen upon
the face of woman.
.sAh!" broke in my uncle, who was
watching her, ''ahl love to see thee SO,
girl. There is the Charmion that ! knew
md bred up-not the Court girl, whom ]
love not, draped in silks Of Cos and fra
grant with essences. Let thy heart harden
In this mold ay, stamp it with the fervid
zeal Of patriot faith. and thy reward shall
And thee. And now cover up that shame
less dress Of thine and leave as, for it grows
late. Tomorrow shall Harmachis come, %
thou hast said. And 50, farewell /"
Charmion bowed her head, and, turning,
wrapped her dark hued peplos around her;
!. tten, taking my hand, she touched It with
Der lips and without any further words she
& went. i; Il 55335S # s9 u
~ strange woman e, said Sepa, when she
& had gone; 20 most strange woman and IN
i etr.sin. S5s