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

Theophe Gautiers Fascinating Romance Translated
Lafeada Hearn.
ned water, spouted aloft bright col

; fumed water, spouted aloft bright col
GmnS Of crimson fire.
Huge blue flames palpitated in tri-
pods of brass; giant candeiabras shook
their disheyeled light in the midst of ar
dent vapors; everything sparkled, gilt
tered, beamed. Prismatic lriSeS crossed
and shattered each other in the air; the
facets of the cups, the angels of the
marbles and jaspers, the chiseling of
the vases-ail caught in a sparkle, a
gieam, or fash, as of lightning.
Radiance streamed in torrents, and
ieaped from step to step like cascade
over the pOrpbyry stairways; it seemed
the reflection OF a conflagration on some
! broad river.
Viewed through that burning haze,
the monstrous figures of the cOioSsi, the
| animals, the hieroglyphics, seemed TO
become animated; the black marble
rams bleated ironically and clashed
their gilded horns; the idols breathed
harshly through their painting nostrils.
Musicians mingled their harmonies
with the tempest of sound that lowered
over the feast.
Meiamoun, whose head was lying on
| Cleopatra'S shoulder, felt as though his
reason were leaving him; the banquet
: ball whirled around him like a vast
architectural nightmare. Had he not
felt within his hand the soft, cool hand
of Cleopatra he would have believed
himself transported into an enchanted
world.
Toward the close of the repast hump
backed dwarfs and mummers engaged
in grOteSque dances and combatS; then
young Egyptian and Greek maidens,
representing the black and white houris,
danced with inimitable grace volup-
tuous dance after the Ionjan manner.
Cleopatra herself arose from her
throne, threw aside her royal mantle,
replaced her starry diade III with a gar
fore MeiamOun. who WAS silent in rap
tnre.
Poised on the pink tips of her little
feet, she approached swiftly to Craze
the forehead of Meiamoun with a kiss
then she recommended her wondrouS
art and fitted around him; now back
ward leaning, with head reversed, eyes
half closed, arms lifelessly relaxed,
locks uncurled and loose-hanging like a
Bacchante; now again animated, laugh
ing. Love, pleasure. paSSion-youth in
eXhaustible and ever fresh; she eX-
pressed all.
Cleopatra seated herself once more by
Meiamoun. Night advanced; the last
flight; a faint blue glow entered into
the tumult of ruddy light, as a moon
beam falls into furnace-the upper
arcades became suffused with pale azure
tints-day was breaking.
MeiamOun took the horn vase which
an Ethiopian slave of sinister counte-
nance presented to him, and which con-
tanned violent poison.
Flinging his whole life to his love in
one last look, he lifted to his lips the
fatal cup, in which the envenomed
liquor boiled up, kissing.
Cleopatra turned pale, and laid her
head on Meiamoun's arm to stay the act.
His courage touched her; she was about
to say, Live to love me yet; l desire
itr'-when the sound of a clarion was
heard.
Four heraldS-at-arms entered the ban
quet hall OH horseback; they were of
ficers of Mark Antony, and rode but
short distance in front of their master.
Cleopatra silently lOosened the arm of
Meiamoun. A long ray of sunlight sud-
denly played upon her forehead, as
though trying to replace her absent
diadem.
You see the momeLt has come; it is
daybreak; it is the hour when happy
dreams take flight" said Meiamour.
Then he emptied the fatal vessel at q
draught, and fell as though struck by
lightning.
Cleopatra bent her head, and one
burning tear--the only one she had ever
shed-fell into her cup to mingle with
the molten pearl.
''By Hercules, my fair queen! made
all speed in vain. | see have come too
late." cried Mark Antony, entering the
banquet hall-''the supper is over. But
what signifies this corpse upon the
pavement?"
''Oh, nothingr' returned Cleopatra
with smile: "only poison | was test
ing with the idea of using it upon my
self should Augustus take me prisoner
My dear lord, will you not take seat
beside me and watch those buffoons
danpp9'