The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-01-22

Harmachis, that It can change with th
changes OF the outer form for then az
suredly could no love .ollow its beloved :
that last place OF change--the Grave
Know thou, learned Physician, l am of tha
sort~who, loving once, love always, and be
ing not beloved again, go virgin to tn
deathn
She ceased and, having naught 10 say,
bowed my head 10 answer Yet, though
naught suid. aud though this woman,
passionate folly had been the cause Of al
our ruin, TO speak truth, in secret wa
thankful to her who, wooed Of all and liyinl
In this shameless Court had still through
tne long years poured ont her unreturnet
love upon an ouclsl, and who, when tha
poor broken slave OF Fortune caae back in
such unlovely guise, did yet hold him deal
at heart. For what man is there who does
not prize that gift most rare aud beautiful,
thatone perfect thing which no gold can
buy-a woman's unfeigned lovel
u thank thee that thou didst not an
swer, shesaid; "forthe bitter words which
thou didst pour upon me Ia those days that
long are dead, aud far away in Tarsus, have
not lost their poisonous sting, and in my
hearts, no more place for the arrows Of thy
scorn, new venomed through thy solitary
years So let 1t be. Behold Iput it from
me, that wild passion Of my SOUL" and she
looked up and stretched out her hands as
though opress some unseen presence back.
"Iput 1t from me though forget it may
notl There, tits done, Harmachis; no more
shall my love trouble thee. Enough for ne
that once more my eyes behold thee, before
sleep seals thee from their sight Dost re-
mem5erhow when would have died by thy
dear hand, thou wouldst not slay, but didst
bid me live to pluck the bitter fruit Of
crime, and be accursed by visions Of the
evil had wrought and memories OF thee
whom had ruinedi"
"Ay, Charmion, well do remember
"Surely hath the cup Of punishment been
filed. Oil couldst thou see into the record
OF my heart and read thereon the suffering
that have borne-borne with smiling
face-thy justice would be satisfied indeed p
"Andy yet, II report betrue, Charmion, thou
art the first Of all the Court, and therein the
most powerful and beloved. Doth not
Octavianus give 1t forth that he makes war
not on Antony, nor even on his mistress,
Cleopatra; but on Charmion and Irasl"
"Yea, and think what it has been 10 me
thus, even Of my oath TO thee, TO be forced
TO eat the bread and do the biddings of one
whom so bitterly hatei- lone who has
robbed me OF thee, and who through the
workings OF my jealousy, brought me TO
that which am, brought thee TO shame, and
all Egypt to its ruin Can jewels and riches
and the flattery Of princes and mobiles bring
happiness TO such one as l, who am more
wretched than the meanest sculion wenchl
Oh, often have / wept till was blind; and
then, when the hour came, must arise aud
tire me, and, with smile, go do the
bidding OF the Queen and that heavy
Antony. May the Gods grant me TO see
them dead-ay, the twain Of them i-then
myself shall l bo content 10 diel Hard hath
been thy lot, Harmachis; but at least thou
hast been free, and many is the time that
have envied thee the quiet Of thy haunted
cave"
81 do perceive, o Charmion. that thou art
mindful Of thy oaths; and 1t Is well, for
methinks the hour OF vengeance Is at hand"
II am mindful, and in all things have
worked for thee In secret-for thee, and for
the utter ruin OF Cleopatra and the Roman.
| have famed his passion and her jealousy,
have eggcd her on 10 wickedness and MIN
10 folly, and OF all have caused report 70 be
brought 10 Caesar. Listen thus stands the
matter. Thou knowest how went the fight
at Actium. Thither with her feet went
Cleopatra, sorely against the will OF Antony.
But, as thou sendest me word, / entreated
him for the Queen, vowing 10 him, with
tears, that, did he leave her, she would die
OF grief; aud he, poor slave, believed me.
And SO she went, and In the thick OF the
fight, for what cause know not she made
signal 10 her squadron, and, putting about,
hed from the battle, sailing for Pelopon- |
nesus. Ard now mark the end. When |
Antony saw that she was gone, he, In his |
madness, took O galley, and, deserting all, |
followed hard after her, leaving his feet TO
DO shattered and sunk, and his great army
n Greece OF twenty legions and twelve
thousand horses without leader. And all
his would no man believe, that Antony,
he smitten Of the gods, had fallen 80 deep
n shame. Therefore for awhile the army
arried, and but now tonight comes news
brought by Canidius, the General, that,
worm with doubt and being at length sure
hat Antony had deserted them, the whole
Il that great force hath yielded 70 Cesar.n
ION little isle In the Great Harbor hath
70 built him habitation and named IL
fmonium; because, forsooth, like Timon,
70 cries out Of the ingratitude OF mankind
hat hath forsaken him. And there he lies
mitten by fever OF the mind, and thither
must thou 20 at dawn, so wills the Queen,
o cure him OF his Ills and draw him 70 her
rms; for her he will not see, nor knows he
'et the full measure Of his woe. But frat
ny bidding is 70 lead thee instantly 10 Cleo.
'atra, who fain would ask thy counsel.n
u come" l answered, rising. Lead thou.
M T7T-
And so we passed the palace gates and
long the Alabaster Hall, and presently
noe again stood before the door OF Cleo
atras chamber, and once ayain Charmion
~ me 70 warn her Of my ccgiIng
Presently she came back and beckoned 70
10. make strong thy heart" she whis-
cred, land see that thou dost not betxay
hyself, for still are the eyes Of Cleopatra
cen. Enter" '|tf
"Keen, indeed, must they be 10 find Har.
lachis In the learned Olympusl Had not
'illed II, thyself thou hadst not known me,
made answer.
Then entered that remembered place
nd listened once moro 10 the splash OF the
'untain. the song Of the nightingale, and
10 murmur OF the summer sea With
owed head and hating gait came, till at
myth stood before the couch OF Cleopatra
that same golden couch whereon she had
It the night she did o'ercome me- Then I
altered my strength and looked up.
here before me was Cleopatra, glorious as
old, but obi how changed since that
ght when I saw Antony clasp her In his
ms at Tarsusl Her beauty still clothed
sr like garment; the eyes were yet deep
I'd unfathomableas as the blue sea The face |
All splendid In It's great loveliness. And Q
u ali Waa chanOed Tine that a.n,,ia not | D