cleopatra-第30部分

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Well　should　I　love　to　trap　him！　How　soft　he　spoke！　Ay；　he　purred　like

a　cat；　and　all　the　time　he　stretched　his　claws。　Didst　hear　the　letter；

too？　it　has　an　ugly　sound。　I　know　this　Antony。　When　I　was　but　a　child；

budding　into　womanhood；　I　saw　him；　but　my　eyes　were　ever　quick；　and　I

took　his　measure。　Half　Hercules　and　half　a　fool；　with　a　dash　of　genius

veining　his　folly　through。　Easily　led　by　those　who　enter　at　the　gates

of　his　voluptuous　sense；　but　if　crossed；　an　iron　foe。　True　to　his

friends；　if；　indeed；　he　loves　them；　and　ofttimes　false　to　his　own

interest。　Generous；　hardy；　and　in　adversity　a　man　of　virtue；　in

prosperity　a　sot　and　a　slave　to　woman。　That　is　Antony。　How　deal　with

such　a　man；　whom　fate　and　opportunity；　despite　himself；　have　set　on

the　crest　of　fortune's　wave？　One　day　it　will　overwhelm　him；　but　till

that　day　he　sweeps　across　the　world　and　laughs　at　those　who　drown。〃



〃Antony　is　but　a　man；〃　I　answered；　〃and　a　man　with　many　foes；　and；

being　but　a　man；　he　can　be　overthrown。〃



〃Ay；　he　can　be　overthrown；　but　he　is　one　of　three；　Harmachis。　Now　that

Cassius　hath　gone　where　all　fools　go；　Rome　has　thrown　out　a　hydra

head。　Crush　one；　and　another　hisses　in　thy　face。　There's　Lepidus；　and

with　him；　that　young　Octavianus；　whose　cold　eyes　may　yet　with　a　smile

of　triumph　look　on　the　murdered　forms　of　empty；　worthless　Lepidus；　of

Antony；　and　of　Cleopatra。　If　I　go　not　to　Cilicia；　mark　thou！　Antony

will　knit　up　a　peace　with　these　Parthians；　and；　taking　the　tales　they

tell　of　me　for　truthand；　indeed；　there　is　truth　in　themwill　fall

with　all　his　force　on　Egypt。　And　how　then？〃



〃How　then？　Why；　then　we'll　drum　him　back　to　Rome。〃



〃Ah；　thou　sayest　so；　and；　perchance；　Harmachis；　had　I　not　won　that

game　we　played　together　some　twelve　days　gone；　thou；　being　Pharaoh；

mightest　well　have　done　this　thing；　for　round　thy　throne　old　Egypt

would　have　gathered。　But　Egypt　loves　not　me　nor　my　Greek　blood；　and　I

have　but　now　scattered　that　great　plot　of　thine；　in　which　half　the

land　was　meshed。　Will　these　men；　then；　arise　to　succour　me？　Were　Egypt

true　to　me；　I　could；　indeed；　hold　my　own　against　all　the　force　that

Rome　may　bring；　but　Egypt　hates　me；　and　had　as　lief　be　ruled　by　the

Roman　as　the　Greek。　Still　I　might　make　defence　had　I　the　gold；　for

with　money　soldiers　can　be　bought　to　feed　the　maw　of　mercenary　battle。

But　I　have　none；　my　treasuries　are　dry；　and　though　there　is　wealth　in

the　land；　yet　debts　perplex　me。　These　wars　have　brought　me　ruin；　and　I

know　not　how　to　find　a　talent。　Perchance；　Harmachis；　thou　who　art；　by

hereditary　right；　Priest　of　the　Pyramids；〃　and　she　drew　near　and

looked　me　in　the　eyes；　〃perchance；　if　long　descended　rumour　does　not

lie；　thou　canst　tell　me　where　I　can　touch　the　gold　to　save　thy　land

from　ruin；　and　thy　Love　from　the　grasp　of　Antony？　Say；　is　it　so？〃



I　thought　a　while；　and　then　I　answered：



〃And　if　such　a　tale　were　true；　and　if　I　could　show　thee　treasure

stored　by　the　mighty　Pharaohs　of　the　most　far…off　age　against　the

needs　of　Khem；　how　can　I　know　that　thou　wouldst　indeed　make　use　of

that　wealth　to　those　good　ends？〃



〃Is　there；　then；　a　treasure？〃　she　asked　curiously。　〃Nay；　fret　me　not；

Harmachis；　for　of　a　truth　the　very　name　of　gold　at　this　time　of　want

is　like　the　sight　of　water　in　the　desert。〃



〃I　believe；〃　I　said；　〃that　there　is　such　a　treasure；　though　I　myself

have　never　seen　it。　But　I　know　this；　that　if　it　still　lie　in　the　place

where　it　was　set；　it　is　because　so　heavy　a　curse　will　rest　upon　him

who　shall　lay　hands　on　it　wickedly　and　for　selfish　ends；　that　none　of

those　Pharaohs　to　whom　it　has　been　shown　have　dared　to　touch　it；

however　sore　their　need。〃



〃So；〃　she　said；　〃they　were　cowardly　aforetime；　or　else　their　need　was

not　great。　Wilt　thou　show　me　this　treasure；　then；　Harmachis？〃



〃Perhaps；〃　I　answered；　〃I　will　show　it　to　thee　if　it　still　be　there；

when　thou　hast　sworn　that　thou　wilt　use　it　to　defend　Egypt　from　this

Roman　Antony　and　for　the　welfare　of　her　people。〃



〃I　swear　it！〃　she　said　earnestly。　〃Oh；　I　swear　by　every　God　in　Khem

that　if　thou　showest　me　this　great　treasure；　I　will　defy　Antony　and

send　Dellius　back　to　Cilicia　with　sharper　words　than　those　he　brought。

Yes；　I'll　do　more；　Harmachis：　so　soon　as　may　be；　I　will　take　thee　to

husband　before　all　the　world；　and　thou　thyself　shalt　carry　out　thy

plans　and　beat　off　the　Roman　eagles。〃



Thus　she　spoke；　gazing　at　me　with　truthful；　earnest　eyes。　I　believed

her；　and　for　the　first　time　since　my　fall　was　for　a　moment　happy；

thinking　that　all　was　not　lost　to　me；　and　that　with　Cleopatra；　whom　I

loved　thus　madly；　I　might　yet　win　my　place　and　power　back。



〃Swear　it；　Cleopatra！〃　I　said。



〃I　swear；　beloved！　and　thus　I　seal　my　oath！〃　and　she　kissed　me　on　the

forehead。　And　I；　too；　kissed　her；　and　we　talked　of　what　we　would　do

when　we　were　wed；　and　how　we　should　overcome　the　Roman。



And　thus　I　was　again　beguiled；　though　I　believe　that；　had　it　not　been

for　the　jealous　anger　of　Charmionwhich；　as　shall　be　seen；　was　ever

urging　her　forward　to　fresh　deeds　of　shameCleopatra　would　have

wedded　me　and　broken　with　the　Roman。　And；　indeed；　in　the　issue；　it　had

been　better　for　her　and　Egypt。



We　sat　far　into　the　night；　and　I　revealed　to　her　somewhat　of　that

ancient　secret　of　the　mighty　treasure　hid　beneath　the　mass　of　/Her/。

Thither；　it　was　agreed；　we　should　go　on　the　morrow；　and　the　second

night　from　now　attempt　its　search。　So；　early　on　the　next　day；　a　boat

was　secretly　made　ready；　and　Cleopatra　entered　it；　veiled　as　an

Egyptian　lady　about　to　make　a　pilgrimage　to　the　Temple　of　Horemkhu。

And　I　also　entered；　cloaked　as　a　pilgrim；　and　with　us　ten　of　her　most

trusted　servants　disguised　as　sailors。　But　Charmion　went　not　with　us。

We　sailed　with　a　fair　wind　from　the　Canopic　mouth　of　the　Nile；　and

that　night；　pushing　on　with　the　moon；　we　reached　Sais　at　midnight；　and

here　rested　for　a　while。　At　dawn　we　once　more　loosed　our　craft；　and

all　that　day　sailed　swiftly；　till；　at　last；　at　the　third　hour　from　the

sunset；　we　came　in　sight　of　the　lights　of　that　fortress　which　is

called　Babylon。　Here；　on　the　opposite　bank　of　the　river；　we　moored　our

ship　safely　in　a　bed　of　reeds。



Then；　on　foot　and　secretly；　we　set　out　for　the　pyramids；　which　were　at

a　distance　of　two　leagues；　Cleopatra；　I　and　one　trusted　eunuch；　for　we

left　the　other　servants　with　the　boat。　Only　I　caught　an　ass　for

Cleopatra　to　ride　that　was　wandering　in　a　tilled　field；　and　threw　a

cloak　upon　it。　She　sat　on　it　and　I　led　the　ass　by　paths　I　knew；　the

eunuch　following　us　on　foot。　And；　within　little　more　than　an　hour；

having　gained　the　great　causeway；　we　saw　the　mighty　pyramids　towering

up　through　the　moonlit　air　and　aweing　us　to　silence。　We　passed　on　in

utter　silence；　through　the　haunted　city　of　the　dead；　for　all　around　us

stood　the　solemn　tombs；　till　at　length　we　climbed　the　rocky　hill；　and

stood　in　the　deep　shadow　of　Khufu　Khut；　the　splendid　Throne　of　Khufu。



〃Of　a　truth；〃　whispered　Cleopatra；　as　she　gazed　up　the　dazzling　marble

slope　above　her；　everywhere　blazoned　over　with　a　million　mystic

characters〃of　a　truth；　there　were　Gods　ruling　in　Khem　in　those　days；

and　not　men。　This　place　is　sad　as　Deathay；　and　as　mighty　and　far

from　man。　Is　it　here　that　we　must　enter？〃



〃Nay；〃　I　answered；　〃it　is　not　here。　Pass　on。〃



I　led　the　way　through　a　thousand　ancient　tombs；　till　we　stood　in　the

shadow　of　Ur　the　Great；　and　gazed　at　his　red　heaven…piercing　mass。



〃Is　it　here　that　we　must　enter？〃　she　whispered　once　again。



〃Nay；〃　I　answered；　〃it　is　not　here。　Pass　on。〃



We　passed　on　through　many　more　tombs；　till　we　stood　in　the　shadow　of

/Her/；＇*＇　and　Cleopatra　gazed　astonished　at　its　polished　beauty；　which

for　thousands　of　years；　night　by　night；　had　mirrored　back　the　moon；

and　at　the　black　girdle　of　Ethiopian　stone　that　circled　its　base

about。　For　this　is　the　most　beautiful　of　all　pyramids。



＇*＇　The　〃Upper；〃　now　known　as　the　Third　Pyramid。Editor。



〃Is　it　that　we　must　enter？〃　she　said。



I　answered；　〃It　is　here。〃



We　passed　round　between　the　Temple　of　the　Worship　of　his　Divine

Majesty；　Menkau…ra；　the　Osirian；　and　in　the　base　of　the　pyramid　till

we　came　to　the　north　side。　Here　in　the　centre　is　graved　the　name　of

Pharaoh　Menkau…ra；　who　built　the　pyramid　to　be　his　tomb；　and　stored

his　treasure　in　it　against　the　need　of　Khem。



〃If　the　treasure　still　remains；〃　I　said　to　Cleopatra；　〃as　it　remained

in　the　days　of　my　great…great…grandfather；　who　was　Priest　of　this

Pyramid　before　me；　it　is　hid　deep　in　the　womb　of　the　mass　before　thee；

Cleopatra；　nor　can　it　be　come　by　without　toil；　danger；　and　terror　of

mind。　Art　thou　prepared　to　enterfor　thou　thyself　must　enter　and　must

judge？〃



〃Canst　thou　not　go　in　with　the　eunuch；　Harmachis；　and　bring　the

treasure　forth？〃　she　said；　for　a　little　her　courage　began　to　fail　her。



〃Nay；　Cleopatra；〃　I　answered；　〃not　even　for　thee　and　for　the　weal　of

Egypt　can　I　do　this　thing；　for　of　all　sins　it　would　be　the　greatest

sin。　But　it　is　lawful　for　me　to　do　this。　I；　as　hereditary　holder　of

the　secret；　may；　upon　demand；　show　to　the　ruling　monarch　of　Khem　the

place　where　the　treasure　lies；　and　show　also　the　warning　that　is

written。　And　if　on　seeing　and　reading；　the　Pharaoh　deems　that　the　need

of　Khem　is　so　sore　and　strait　that　it　is　lawful　for　him　to　brave　the

curse　of　the　Dead　and　draw　forth　the　treasure；　it　is　well；　for　on　his

head　must　rest　the　weight　of　this　dread　deed。　Three　monarchsso　say

the　records　that　I　have　readhave　thus　dared　to　enter　in　the　time　of

need。　They　were　the　Divine　Queen　Hatshepsu；　that　wonder　known　to　the

Gods　alone；　her　Divine　brother　Tahutimes　Men…Kheper…ra；　and　the　Divine

Rameses　Mi…amen。　But　of　these　three　Majesties；　not　one　when　they　saw

dared　to　touch；　for；　though　sharp　their　need；　it　was　not　great　enough

to　consecrate　the　act。　So；　fearing　lest　the　curse　should　fall　upon

them；　they　went　h