Cleopatra, being an account of the fall and vengeance of Harmachis, the royal Egyptian, as set forth by his own hand . N THE BREAST OF MENKAU-RA J OF THE DRAWING FORTHOF THE TREASURE ; OF THE DWELLER IN THE TOMB ; ANDOF THE FLIGHT OF CLEOPATRA AND HARMACHIS FROM THEHOLY PLACE. stood within a small archedchamber, paved and lined withgreat blocks of the granite stoneof Syene. There before us—hewn from a single mass of basaltshaped like a wooden house andresting on a sphinx with a face ofgold—was the sarcophagus of theDivine Menkau-ra. We stood and gazed in awe, forthe weight of the silence and t
Cleopatra, being an account of the fall and vengeance of Harmachis, the royal Egyptian, as set forth by his own hand . N THE BREAST OF MENKAU-RA J OF THE DRAWING FORTHOF THE TREASURE ; OF THE DWELLER IN THE TOMB ; ANDOF THE FLIGHT OF CLEOPATRA AND HARMACHIS FROM THEHOLY PLACE. stood within a small archedchamber, paved and lined withgreat blocks of the granite stoneof Syene. There before us—hewn from a single mass of basaltshaped like a wooden house andresting on a sphinx with a face ofgold—was the sarcophagus of theDivine Menkau-ra. We stood and gazed in awe, forthe weight of the silence and thesolemnity of that holy place seemed tocrush us. Above us, cubit over cubit in its mighty measure,the pyramid towered up to heaven and was kissed of thenight air. But we were deep hi the bowels of the rock beneathits base. We were alone with the dead, whose rest we wereabout to break; and no sound of the murmuring air, and nosight of life came to dull the awful edge of solitude. I gazedon the sarcophagus : its heavy lid had been lifted and restedat its side, and around it the dust of ages had gathered 182 CLEOPATRA 1 See, I whispered, pointing to a writing, daubed withpigment upon the wall in the sacred symbols of ancient times. Bead it, ilarmachis, answered Cleopatra, in the samelow voice ; for I cannot. Then I read: I, Rameses Mi-amen, in my day and inmy hour of need, visited this sepulchre. But, though greatmy need and bold my heart, I dared not face the curse ofMenkau-ra. Judge, 0 thou who shalt come after me, and, ifthy soul is pure and Khem be utterly distressed, take thouthat which I have left. 1 Where, then, is the treasure ? she whispered. Is thatSphinx-face of gold ? 4 Even there, I answered, pointing to the Draw near and see. And she took my hand and drew near. The cover was off, but the painted coffin of the Pharaoh layin the depths of the sarcophagus. We climbed the Sphinx,then I blew the dust from the coffin with my breath and readthat w
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1894
