The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-11-02

\ Baing an Account Of the Fall and
Vengeance OF Harmachis, the
Royal Egyptian,
AS SET FORTH BY HIS OWN HAND.
BY III. RIDER HAGGARD,
Author Of 8. King So1onnon's Mines, -
She" " Allan Quaterrnain,'
Etc, Etc, Etc.
Illustrated by NICEoIL. after CATION WOOD
WILLIE and GREEFENHAGEN.

swat, Q Queen Ianswered; :'thou hast
not seen all.n And even as spoke the SER.
pent seemed to break in fragments, and
from each fragment grew q new serpent.
And these, too, broke il fragments and
bred others, till in a little space the place,
to their glamored sight, was seethlng sea
OF snakes, that crawled, Kissed and knotted
themselves in knots. ThenI made sign,
and the serpents. ga, hered themselves
about me, and seemed slowly to Irvine
themselves about my body and my limbs
till, save my face, I was wreathed thick
with hissD1g snakes.
.sOh, horriblel horribler' cried Char
mion, b iling her countenance in the skirt OF
the Queens garment.
may, enough! Magician, enoughp' said
the Queen; ''thy magic overwhelms us"
WAVED my snake-wrapped arms, and all
was gone. There at my feet lay the black
wand tipped with ivory, and naught be-
side.
The two women looked one upon another
and gasped with wonder. But I took up
the wand and stood with folded arms be-
fore them.
SIS the Queen content with my poor art?"
Iasked most humbly. ~.
ssAye, that am /, Egyptian; never did
see it's lilxel Court astronomer art thou
from this day forward, with right Of access
to the Queens presence. Hast thou more
OF such magic at thy call?"
Eyes, Royal Egypt; suffer that the
chamber be little darkened and will
show thee one more thing"
'tHalf am I afraid,'' she answered;
ssnevertheless, do thou, Charmion, even as
this Harmachis says" o.H
So the curtains were drawn and the
chamber made as though the twilight was
at hand came forward and stood me be-
side Cleopatra. ''Gaze thou therel" I
said, sternly, pointing with the wand to the
empty space where I had been, ''and thou
shalt behold that which is in thy mind"
Then for a little space was silence, while
the two women gazed fxedly and half fear
ful at the spot.
And as they gazed q cloud gathered be"
fore them. Very slowly it took shape and
form. and the form it took was the form of
a man, though as yet he was but vaguely
mapped upon the twilight, and seemed now
to grow and now to melt away.
Then cried with q loud voice:
'Shade, I conjure thee, appenr''
And even as cried the Thing, perfect in
every part, leapt into form before us, sud-
uEn ttS Gue' l!ebSu VI udy. Lilo olAa'o WesS e1C
shape of Royal Caesar, the toga thrown
about his face, and on his form vesument
bloody from a hundred wounds. An in
slant so he stood, then I waved my wand
and he was gone.
turned me to the two women on the
couch, and then I saw Cleopatra's Lovely
face all clothed in terror. Her lips were
asby white, her eyes stared wide, and the
flesh was shaking on her bones.
"Man!n she gasped, 'snan! what art
thou who canst bring the dead before our
eyesl"
81 am the Queens astronomer, magician,
servant-what the Queen Wills l an.
swered, laughing. "Was this the form that
was on the Queens mind9"
She made no answer, but, rising, LETT the
chamber by another door.
Then Charmion rose and took her hands
en- with dread. .N
"How dost thou these things, Royal
Harmachis?'' she said. ''Of a truth fear
thee"
.s:Be not afraid" answered. ''Perchance
thou didst see naught but what was in thy
mind. AL thing are shadows. How canst
thou then know their nature, or what is and
what only seems to he2 But how goes it?
Remember thou, this sport is played to an
end"
ssIt goes well,'' she said. "By to-nor-
rows dawn these tales will have gone
round, and thou wilt be more feared than
any man in Alexandria. Follow me, pray
thee" .. .."