St. Paul daily globe., 1891-06-28

W De III uer pTeScDce, HhQ SeCreleu DililSell
in the baths of the queen, in the midst OF
immense gardens, awaiting her coming.
Cleopatra dipped her pink heel in the
water and descended a few steps; the
quivering flood made a silver belt about
her waist and silver bracelets about her
arms and rolled in pearls like a broken
necklace over her bosom and shoulders !;
her wealth of hair, lifted by the water,
extended behind her like royal man.
tie; even in the bath she was queen.
She swan to and fro, dived and brought
up handfuls of golddust with which she
laughingly pelted some of her women;
again. she clung suspended to the bal
ustrade of the basin. concealing or ex-
posing her treasures of loveliness-now
permitting only her lustrous and pol
ished back to be seen-now showing her
whole figure. like Venus Anadyomene.
Suddenly Cleopatra uttered cry as
shrill as that of Diana surprised by
Act@on; she saw cleaning through the
foliage a burning eye, yellow and phos-
phoric as the eye of lion.
1t was Meiamoun crouching behind a
tuft of leaves. Though brave even to
temerity, the cry of Cleopatra passed
through his heart. coldly piercing as
the blade of a sword.
The slaves rushed forward lance in
hand. Cleopatra pointed out to them
the group of trees. where they found
Meiamoun crouching in concealment.
Defense was out of the question; he at
tempted none. They prepared to kill
him, but Cleopatra, who had covered
herself with her calasiris, made signs
to them to bring the prisoner before
her.
Meiamoun could only fall upon his
knees and stretch forth suppllant hands
to her, as to the affairs of the gods.
Are you some assassin bribed by
Rome? or for what purpose have YOU
entered these sacred precincts from
which all men are eXciuded?" demanded
Cleopatra.
May my soul be found light in the
balance of Amenti, and may Tmei.
daughter of the Sun and goddess of
Truth, punish me if | ever entertained
thought of evil against you, o Queen -
answered Meiamoun, still upon his
knees.
Sincerity and loyalty were written
upon his cOuntenance.
Cleopatra Immediately banlshed her
suspicious, and looked upon the young
Egyptian with look less stern and
wrathful-she saw that he was beauti-
full.
s'Ilove you!" murmured Meiamoun
in low but distinct voice, for his cOur-
age had returned.
'Ah." said Cleopatra, bending to-
ward him, and seiZing his arm with a
sudden brusque movement, 80 then it
was you who shot that arrow with the
papyrus scroll! You are a feolhardy
wretchl | now recognize youI l long
observed you wandering like COM
planning Shade about the places where
Idwell."
%Queen," returned Meiamoun with
look of deep melancholy, "do not rail !
l am mad, it is true; l have deserved
death, that is also true. Be humane; bid
them kill mer'
clement to-day; L will give you your
life"
"What would l do with life? l love
you!"
'Well, then, you shall be satisfied
you shall die" answered Cleopatra.
You have indulged yourself in wild
and eXtrayagant dreams; i'll fancy your
desires have crossed an impossible
threshold; you imagined yourself to be
Caesar or Mark Antony: you loved the
queen! In some moment of delirium
you have been able 10 believe that Cleo
patra might some day love you. Well,
what you thought impossible is actually
about to happen-I will transform your
dream into a reality; it pleases me, for
once, to secure the accomplishment of
a mad hope. l am good to you. l
lend myself to your folly; / hav9
the right to- order you to be killed at
once: but since you tell me that you
love me | will have you killed to-mor-
row instead; your life belongs to me
for one night. l am generous; will
buy it from you. But what are YOU
doing on your knees? Rise, and give
me your arm, that we may return to the
palace.D
The promised night should well have
been splendid one, for all the joys and
pleasures possible in human lifetime
were to be concentrated into the space
of a few hours.
Cleopatra desired to dazzle her v0lun-
tary victim and plunge him into whirl-
pool OF dizzy pleasures to int0xicate
and madden him with the wine of orgy
SO that death. though freely accepted,
might come invisibly and unawares.
The banquet hall was of enormous
and Babylonian dimensions; the eye
could not penetrate its immeasuraDle
depth; monstrouS columns = short,
thick and solid enough to sustain the
pole itSelf-heavily expanded their
broad-swelling shafts upon socles
variegated with hieroglyphics. and
sustained upon their bulging capitals
gigantic arcades of granite rising by
successive tiers, like vast stairways re-
verSed. Between each two pillars a
colossal sphinx of basalt, crowned with
the pschent, bent forward her oblique-
eyea face and horned chin, and gazed
into the hall with fixed and mysterious
look.
The columns of the second tier, re-
ceding from the first, were mere ele-
gantly formed, and crowned, in lieu of
capitals, with four female heads adj
dorsed; instead of sphinxes, bull
headed idols-impasSive spectators of
nocturnal flenZy and the furieS of orgy
were seated upon thrones of stone,
like patient hosts awaiting the opening
of the banquet.
A third story, constructed in yet
different style of architecture. with ele-
plants of bronze spouting perfume
from their trunks, crowned the edifice
above the sky yawned like blue gulf,
and the curious stars leaned over the
freZe.
Prodigious stairwayS of porphyry, so
highly polished that they reflected the
human body, assembled and descended,
on every hand, and bound together the
huge architecture.
NIeiamoun was clad in a linen tunic
and purple mantle. and wore a fillet
about his locks, like an Oriental king.
Cleopatra was appareled in robe OF
pale green, open at either side, and
claSped with golden bees; two bracelets
of immense pearls CLEANED around her
naked arms; upon her head glimmered
the gOlden-pointed diadem.
She seated Meiamoun beside her upon
throne with golden griffins on either
side. and clapped her little hands.
Instantly ling fire, bands of spark
ling light, outlined all the projections
of the architecture; the eyes OF the
sphinXes famed with phosphorie light
nings; the bull-headed idols breatheo
flames; The elephants. in lian of per-