The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-04-18

| not STAY, by how much the more maySt thou
not slay myself, o thou forsworn Priest
| of Isis! Art thou, then, so eager to face
that outraged Majesty in Amenti! With
what eyes, thinkest thou, will tho Heavenly
Mother look upon her son who, shamed in
all things and false to his most sacred VOW,
comes to greet Her, his Hfe-blood on his
handsl Where, then, will be the space for
thy atonement-if, indeed, thou mayst
atoncl"
Then I could bear no more, for my heart
was broken within me. Alas! it was too
true-I dared not die. To such a pass was
come that did NOT even dare to diel !
flung myself upon the couch and wept-
wept tears of blood and anguish.
But Cleopatra came to me, and, seating
herself beside me, she strove to comfort
me, throwing her arms about my neck.
"Nay, Love, look up" she said. GAN is
not lost for thee, nor am angered against
thee. We did play mighty game; but as
warned thee, matched my woman's
magic against thine, and have conquered.
But / will be open with thee. Both as
Queen and woman thou hast my pity-ay,
and more; nor do love to see thee plunged
in sorrow. Well was it and right that thou
shouldst strive to win back that throne my
father seized, and the ancient liberty of
Egypt Myself as a lawful Queen had done
the same, nor shrunkr from the deed of
darkness whereto l was sworn. Therein,
then, thou hast my sympathy, that goes
ever out to what is great and bold. Well is
it also that thou shouldst grieve over
the greatness of thy fall. Therein,
then, as woman-as loving woman-thou
hast my sympathy. Nor is all lost. The
plan was foolish-for, as I hold. Egypt
never might have stood alone; for though
thou hadst won the crown and country, as
| without doubt thou must have done, yet
was there the Roman to be reckoned with
And for thy hope learn this: Little am
known. There IS no heart in this wide land
that beats with truer love for ancient
Khem than does this heart of mine; nay,
not thine own, Harmachis. But heavily
have been shackled heretofore, for wars,
| rebellions, euvies. plots have hemmed me
in on every side, so that I might not serve
my people as I would. But thou, Har-
machis, shalt show me how. Thou shalt be
my counselor and my love. Is it little
thing, o Harmachis, to have won the heart
| of Cleopatra, that heart-fie on thee that
thou wouldst have stilledl Ay, thou shalt
unite me to my people, and together will we
reign, linking thus in one the new kingdom
and the old. Thus do all things work for
| good-ay, for the very best-and thus, b.
| another and eentler road, shalt thou climb
| to Pharaoh's throne.
"See thou this, Harmachis: thy treachery
| shall be cloaked about as much as may be.
| Was it, then, thy fault that Roman
knave betrayed thy plansa that, thereon,
thou vast drugged, thy secret papers
| stolen and their key guessed Will it,
| then, be a blame TO thee that, the great
| plot being broken and those who built it
scattered, thou, still faithful TO thy trust,
didst serve thee of such means as Nature
| gave thee, and win the heart of Egypts
Queen, that, through her gentle love, thou
| highest yet attain thy ends and spread
| thy wings OF power across the rolling NIlei
Am an iIl-counselor, thinkest thou,
Harmachis!"
lifted my head, and ray of hope crept
into the darkness of my heart; for when
men fall they grasp at feathers. Then, for
| the first time, spoke.
| sand those with me-those who trusted
me-what of themr'
'.Ay," she answered, "Amenemhat, thy
| father, the aged Priest of Abydos; and
| Sepa, thy uncle, that fiery patriot whose
great heart is hid beneath so common q
shell f form; and"
Methought she would have said Char
mion, but she named her not.
sand many others-oh, know them all.
"Ay!" said, what of theml''
''See thou, Harmachis," she answered,
raising and placing her hand upon my arm,
''for thy sake will show mercy to them.
No more will / do than must be done. /
swear by my throne and by all the Gods of
Egypt that not one hair Of thy aged fathers
head shall be harmed by me; and, if it be
not too late, thy uncle Sepa will I also
spare, ay, and the others. ! will not do as
did my forefather Epiphanes, who, when
the Egyptians rose against him, dragged
ATKINS, Pausiras, Chesuphus and lrobash-
tus, bound to his chariot-not as Achilles
dragged Hector, but yet hving-round the
city walls. 1 will spare them all, save the
Hebrews, if there be any Hebrews; for the
Jews hate"
There are no Hebrews" slid.
at IS WE'LL she said, ssfor no Hebrew
will ever spare. Am then, indeed, so
cruel women as they say. In thy list, o
Harmachis, were many doomed TO die; and
have but taken the life Of one Roman
knave, a double traitor, for he betrayed
both me and thee Art thou not over
whelmed, Harmachis, with the weight OF
a woman's reasoas-thou pieasest NE, Ha,-
machis! Nay, by Serapis.'' she added,
with little laugh, ''ru change my mind; !
will not give thee SO much for nothing.
Thou shalt buy il from me, and the price
shall be a heavy one-it shall be g kiss,
Harmachis
'sNay,'' / said, turning from that fair
temptress, ''the price is too heavy; kiss
no more"
"Bethink thee" she answered, with q
heavy frown. 'Bethink thee and choose.
am but woman, Harmachis, and one who
is not won't to sue men. Do as thou wilt;
but this say to theft thou dost put me
away, I will gather up the mercy have
meted out Therefore, most virtuous
priest, choose thou 'tvixt the heavy burden
of my love and the swift death Of thy aged
father and Of all those who plotted with
him."
/ glanced at her and saw that she was
angered, for her eyes shone and her bosom
heaved. So, signing, kissed her. thereby
setting the seal upon my shame and bond |
age. Then smiling like the triumphant
Aphrodite of the Greeks, she went thence. |
bearing the dagger with her
Not yet did know how deeply ! was be- |
trayed; or why still was left TO draw the |
breath of life; or why Cleopatra, the tiger !
hearted, had grown merciful I did not /
know that she feared to slay me lest, so |
upon the Double Grown, tie tumuit that
might tread hard upon the tidinGs Of my
murder should-even whea ] w. no nors-t