Cleopatra, being an account of the fall and vengeance of Harmachis, the royal Egyptian, as set forth by his own hand . n, beating everin that fierce heart of hers, had written his record on her brow,and in her eyes shone the sad lights of sorrow. I bowed low before this most royal woman, who once hadbeen my love and my destruction, and yet knew me not. She looked up wearily, and spoke in her slow, well remem-bered voice : * So thou art come at length, Physician. How callest thouthyself?—Olympus ? Tis a name of promise, for surely nowthat the Gods of Egypt have deserted us, we do need aid fromO
Cleopatra, being an account of the fall and vengeance of Harmachis, the royal Egyptian, as set forth by his own hand . n, beating everin that fierce heart of hers, had written his record on her brow,and in her eyes shone the sad lights of sorrow. I bowed low before this most royal woman, who once hadbeen my love and my destruction, and yet knew me not. She looked up wearily, and spoke in her slow, well remem-bered voice : * So thou art come at length, Physician. How callest thouthyself?—Olympus ? Tis a name of promise, for surely nowthat the Gods of Egypt have deserted us, we do need aid fromOlympus. Well, thou hast a learned air, for learning goesnot with beauty. Strange, too, there is that about thee whichrecalls what I know not. Say, Olympus, have we met before ? 1 Never, 0 Queen, have my eyes fallen on thee in the body,I answered hi a feigned voice. Never till this hour, when Icome forth from my solitude to do thy bidding and cure theeof thy ills. Strange! and ev<;n in the voice——Pshaw! tis somememory that I cannot catch. In tlio bod), thou sayest? then,perchance, J knew thee in a dream ?. Before me was Cleopatra, but oh ! how changed CLEOPATRA 281 4 Ay, 0 Queen ; we have met in dreams. Thou art a strange man, who talkest thus, but, if what Ihear be true, one well learned; and, indeed, I mind me ofthy counsel when thou didst bid me join my Lord Antony inSyria, and how things befell according to thy word. Skilledmust thou be in the casting of nativities and in the law ofauguries, of which these Alexandrian fools have little know-ledge. Once I knew such another man, one Harmachis, andshe sighed : but he is long dead—as I would I were also !—and at times I sorrow for him. She paused, while I sank my head upon my breast andstood silent. 1 Interpret me this, Olympus. In the battle at that ac-cursed Actium, just as the fight raged thickest and Victorybegan to smile upon us, a great terror seized my heart, andthick darkness seemed to fall before my eyes, w
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1894
