The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-12-28

it was q strong one, for he had
many friends in Egypt and few.
And on that very night when he
should carry out his purpose, yea, at the
very hour, came CharIaion yonder and told
| the plot tome, saying shat she had CHANGED
upon its clew. But IA after days though
naught hayeI said thereon to thee, Char
mion-I misdoubted me much OF that tale
| Of thine; for, by the Godsl ar this hour
do believe that thou didst love Harmachis,
| and because he scorned thee thou didst be-
| tray him, and for that cause also thou hast
| all thy days remained maid, which is a
thing unnatural. Come, Charmion, tell us !;
for naughtit matters now at the end.''
| CharrDion shivered and made answer: s.It
| is true, o Queen; also was Of the plot, and
because Harmachis scorned me betrayed
! him, and because Of my great love for him
have remained unwed." And she glanced
up at me and caught my eyes, then let the
| modest lashes vail her own.
$50! thoughtit. Strange are the ways
! of women! But little cause, methinks, had
| that Harmachis to thank thee for thy love;
what sayest thou, Olympusa All, and SO
thou also vast traitor, Charmion! How
dangerous are the paths which Monarchs
treadl Well, forgive thee, for faithfully
! udS CuOu ScEVSu lie SluC0 Gu1t uOuf
s'But to my tale. Harmachis dared not
slay, lest his great party should rise in fury
| and cast me from the throne. And now
mark the ISSUE Though he must murder
me, IN secret this Harmachis loved me, and
something thereof guessed. A little, for
| the sake of his beauty and his wit, had
striven to draw him to me; and for the love
of man Cleopatra never strove in vain.
! Therefore when, with the dagger in his
| robe, he came to STAY me, matched my
charms against his WILL and need tell you,
being men and women, how l won! Oh,
never can forget the look in the eyes OF
that fallen man, that forsworn priest, that
| discrowned king, when, lost in the popped
| draught, Isaw him sink into that shameful
| sleep whence no more might he wake with
honor! And, thereafter-till in the end,
wearied Of him, and his sad, learned mind,
| for his guilty soul forbade him to be gay
little did T come TO care for him, though
| not to love. But he, he who loved me, chung
to me as drunkard to the cup which ruins
! him. Deeming that should wed him, he
betrayed to me the secret of the hidden
wealth Of the pyramid Her-for at the time
much needed treasure--and together we
dared the terrors of the tomb and drew it
forth, even from dead Pharaohs breast.
See, this emerald was part thereofp' and
she pointed to the great scarabaeus that
she had drawn from the holy heart Of
Menka-ra "And because of what was
written in the tomb, and Of that Thing
| which we saw in the tomb; ah, pest upon
t!why does it's memory haunt me now?
and also because of policy, for l would fain
have won the love Of the Egyptians, was
minded to marry this Harmachis and de-
clare his place and lineage TO the world;
aye, and by his aid hold Egypt from the
Roman. For Dell1us had then come to call
me to Antony, and after much thought
determined to send him back with sharp
| words. But ON that very morning, as
tired me for the Court, came Charmion
yont,er, and this told her, for would see
how the matter fell upon her mind. Now
mark, Olympus, the power Of jealousy, that
rend the tree of empire, that secret sword
which can fashion the fate of
kings! This she could in nowise
bear-(deny it. Charmion, if thou
| canst, for now it is clear to me)--that the
| man she loved should be given to me as
| husband, me, whom he loved! And there
fore, with more skill and wit than can tell,
she reasoned with me, showing thatI should
by no means do this thing, but journey I'M
to Antony; and for that, Charmion, thank
thee, now that all is come and gone. And
by very little, her words weighed down
my scale Of Judgment against Harmachis,
and TO Antony went Thus it is that
through the jealous spleen of yonder fair
Charmion, and the passion of a man where
on / played as on Tyre, all these things have
come to pass. For this cause doth Octavian
sit King in Alexandria,; for this cause is
Antony discrowned and dead; and for this
cause must, I, too, die tonight! Ahl
Charmion! Charmion! thou hast much to
answer for; thou hast changed the story
Of the world; and yet even now, I would
not have it otherWiseW
She paused awhile, covering her eyes with
her hand; and, looking, I saw great tears
upon the cheek of Charmion.
"And OF this Harmachis!' I asked
'sWhere Is he now, Q Queen2''
"Where is he? In Amenti, forsooth, MAX
ing his peace with Isis, perchance. At
Tarsus saw Antony and loved him; and
from that moment loathed the sight of the
EGYPTIAN, and swore to make an end of
him: for lover done with should be a
lover dead. And, being jealous, he spoke
some words OF evil omen, even at the
Feast of the Pearl: and on the same night
would l have slain him, but before the deed
was done he was gone.'
sAnd whittier was he gomez"
ssNay; that know notI. Brennus, he who
led my guard, and last year sailed North to
join his own people, Brennus swore he saw
him float to the skies; but in this matter I
misdoubted me Of Brennus, for methinks he
loved the man. Nay, he sank off Cyprus
and was drowned; perchance Charmion can
tell US howe"
eNaught can tell thee, O Queen; Har-
machis is lost:"
s.And well lost, Charmion, for he was an
evil man to play with; ave., though bet
tered him say til Well, he served my
purpose; but loved him not and even now
7 j fear him; though, thanks be to God, as
thou sayest, he is lost, and can no more be
fonnd.''
But /, listening, put forth my strength
ana. by the arts have, cast the shadow Of
my Spirit upon the Spirit Of Cleopatra, so
that she feltthe pres ence Of the lost Har-
machis.
s.Nay, what is i.?''' shesaid. "By Scraps
grow afraidl It seems to me that feel
Harnachis herel His memory o'erwhelms
me like food Of waters, and he this ten
years dead7 Oil at such time 1t is I'M
/ holyl,' a