Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-11-08

l '
 fGlll5 slaves-as the w world E treats ca stb, tn,
 fallen, with scorn. For to come low after
 being great is to learn all shame. Un
 happy, therefore, are the great for they
 may fall!
 Turned upon the slave with so fierce E
 word that, cur-like, he sprang behind me 1 then passed on to the Alabaster Hall, and | was admitted of the guards. In the cen | ter of the hall. nigh to the fountain, sat Cleopatra, and with her were Charmiop
 and the Greek girl Iras, and Merira and other of her waiting ladies. "Go," she
 said to these, 'I would speak with my as. trologer." So they went, and left us face to face.
 'Stand thou there," she said, lifting her
 face for the first time. "Come not near
 me, Harniachis; I trust thee not. Per
 chance thou hast found another dagger.
 Now, what hast thou to says By what right
 dldst thou oarc to break in upon my talk with the Roman?"
 felt the blood rush through me like a storm, bitterness and burning anger took hold upon my heart. "What hast thou to
 say, Cleopatra?" answered boldly.
 Where is thy oath, sworn on the dead
 heart ef MenKa-ra, the er-living? Where
 now thy chalscnge to this Roman Antony1
 W Naere thy oath that thou wouldst call me
 'hushand' in the face of Egypt2' And choked and ceased.
 ''Well does it become Harmachis, who never was forsworn, to speak to me of oaths!" she said, in bitter mockery. ''And yet, thou most pure Priest of Isis; and yet, O thou most faithful friend, who never didst bctray thy friends; and yet, o thou most steaafast, honorable and upright man, who never dldst barter thy birthright, thy country and thy cause for the price of woman'a l:ssing love; by what token kna!7,- s...t,.: that my word is voids"
 'I > ;,:H.ts l will not answer, Cleo r1:":.,' tiid, holding back my heart as best l might; "for I have earned them all, tough not from thee By this token, then, 1 know it. Thou goest to visit Antony; thou goest, IS said that Roman knave, se.:Gkcd n tho best attire,' to feast with him Whom thou shouldst give to vultures for their feast. Perchance, for aught I know. thou art about to squander those treasures that thou hast filched from the body of Mcnka-ra, those treasures stored against the need of Egypt. upon wanton revcls which shall complete the shame of Egypt. By these things, then, I know that thou art forsworn, and I, who, loving thee, believed thee. tricked; and by this, also. that thou who didst but yesternight swear to wed me, dost to-day cover me with taunts, and even before that Roman put me to an open shamel'
 f'To wed theea And did swear to wed theef Well, and what is marriagel Is it the union of the heart, that bond beautiful as gassamer and than gossamer mora light, which binds aoul to soul as through the dreamy night of passion they float, bond to be, perchance, melted in the dews of dawna Or is it the iron link of enforced, unchangiug union whereby if sinks the one "a fho of circumstances, there, like a punished slave, to perish of unavoidable corruption Marriagoi to marryl I to forget free dom and court the worst slavery of our sex, which, by the selfish will of man, the stronger, doth still bind us to a bed grown hateful, and enforce service that love mayhap no longer hallow,l Of what use, then, to be Queen, if thereby I may not escape the evil of the meanly born? Mark thou, Harmachis: Woman being grown hath two ills to fear, death and marriage; and of these twain Is marriage the moro vile; for in death we may find rest, but in marriage, should it fail us, we must find hell. Nay, being above the breath of con- mon islander that would blast those who of true virtue will not consent to stretch af- fection's bonds, love, Harmachis, but I marry notl''
 'And yesternight thou didst swear that thou wouldst wed me and call me to thy side before the face of EgyptIu
 ''And yesternight the red ring round the moon did mark the coming of the storm. and yet the day is fairl But who knows that the tempest may not break to-morrowf Who knows that have not chosen the cas- fer path to save Egypt from the Romana Who knows, Harmachis, that thou shalt not still call me 'wifef"
 Then no longer could I bear her falsehood, for saw that she but played with me. And so spoke that which was in my heart.
 ''Cleopatra," cried, ''thou didst swear to protect Egypt, and thou art about to betray Egypt to the Roman! Thou didst swear to use the treasures that revealed to thee for the service of Egypt, and thop art 1 about to use them to be her means of shame to fash;QG thaan as letters for her wrists l Thou didst swear to wed me, who loved l thee, and for thee gave all, and thou dost l mock mo and rejectl Therefore l say-- with the voice of the dread Gods say it. that on thee shall fall the curse of Menka- l rs, whom thou hast robbed, indeedl Let | me go hence and work out my dooml Let | me go, c, thou fair shame thou living Lie | whom have loved to my doom, and who | hast brought upon mo the last curse of l doom! Let mo hide myself and see thy face | no moror
 She rose ,n her wrath, and terrible she ! was to see.
 "Let thee go to stir up evil against me, Nay, Harmachis, thou shalt not go to build new plots against my thronei say to thee that thou, too, shalt come to visit Antony In Cilicia, and there, perchance, will let thee gor And ere could answer, she had struck upon the silver gong that hung nigh to where she was.
 Ere it's rich echo had died away there eutered from ono door Charmion and the | waiting women, and from the other file of
 To be continue.
 |" "T @@T