and live: and this is
the chief of them--to slay the woman who is all his own. Nay, stay thy
hand! Turn not that dagger against thy breast, for if thou mayst not
slay me, by how much more mayst thou not slay thyself, O thou forsworn
Priest of Isis! Art thou, then, so eager to face that outraged Majesty
in Amenti? With what eyes, thinkest thou, will the Heavenly Mother look
upon Her son, who, shamed in all things and false to his most sacred
vow, comes to greet Her, his life-blood on his hands? Where, then, will
be the space for thy atonement?--if, indeed, thou mayest atone!"

Then I could bear no more, for my heart was broken. Alas! it was too
true--I dared not die! I was come to such a pass that I did not even
dare to die! I flung myself upon the couch and wept--wept tears of blood
and anguish.

But Cleopatra came to me, and, seating herself beside me, she strove to
comfort me, throwing her arms about my neck.

"Nay, love, look up," she said; "all is not lost for thee, nor am I
angered against thee. We did play a mighty game; but, as I warned thee,
I matched my woman's magic against thine, and I have conquered. But I
will be open with thee. Both as Queen and woman thou hast my pity--ay,
and more; nor do I love to see thee plunged in sorrow. It was well
and right that thou shouldst strive to win back that throne my fathers
seized, and the ancient liberty of Egypt. Myself as lawful Queen had
done the same, nor shrunk from the deed of darkness to which I was
sworn. Therein, then, thou hast my sympathy, that ever goes out to what
is great and bold. It is well also that thou shouldst grieve over the
greatness of thy fall. Therein, then, as woman--as loving woman--thou
hast my sympathy. Nor is all lost. Thy plan was foolish--for, as I hold,
Egypt could never have stood alone--for though thou hadst won the crown
and country--as without a doubt thou must have done--yet there was the
Roman to be reckoned with. And for thy hope learn this: I am little
known. There is no heart in this wide land that beats with a truer
love for ancient Khem than does this heart of mine--nay, not thine
own, Harmachis. Yet I have been heavily shackled heretofore--for wars,
rebellions, envies, plots, have hemmed me in on every side, so that I
might not serve my people as I would. But thou, Harmachis, shalt show
me how. Thou shalt be my counsellor and my love. Is it a little thing,
Harmachis, to have won the heart of Cleopatra; that heart--fie on