_I_ to marry! _I_ to forget freedom and court the worst
slavery of our sex, which, by the selfish will of man, the stronger,
still binds us to a bed grown hateful, and enforces a service that love
mayhap no longer hallows! Of what use, then, to be a Queen, if thereby I
may not escape the evil of the meanly born? Mark thou, Harmachis: Woman
being grown hath two ills to fear--Death and Marriage; and of these
twain is Marriage the more vile; for in Death we may find rest, but in
Marriage, should it fail us, we must find hell. Nay, being above the
breath of common slander that enviously would blast those who of
true virtue will not consent to stretch affection's links, I _love_,
Harmachis; but I _marry_ not!"

[*] Referring to the Roman custom of chaining a living felon
to the body of one already dead.--Editor.

"And yesternight, Cleopatra, thou didst swear that thou wouldst wed me,
and call me to thy side before the face of Egypt!"

"And yesternight, Harmachis, the red ring round the moon marked the
coming of the storm, and yet the day is fair! But who knows that the
tempest may not break to-morrow? Who knows that I have not chosen the
easier path to save Egypt from the Roman? Who knows, Harmachis, that
thou shalt not still call me wife?"

Then I no longer could bear her falsehood, for I saw that she but played
with me. And so I spoke that which was in my heart:

"Cleopatra!" I cried, "thou didst swear to protect Egypt, and thou
art about to betray Egypt to the Roman! Thou didst swear to use the
treasures that I revealed to thee for the service of Egypt, and thou art
about to use them to be her means of shame--to fashion them as fetters
for her wrists! Thou didst swear to wed me, who loved thee, and for thee
gave all, and thou dost mock me and reject me! Therefore I say--with the
voice of the dread Gods I say it!--that on _thee_ shall fall the curse
of Menkau-ra, whom thou hast robbed indeed! Let me go hence and work
out my fate! Let me go, O thou fair Shame! thou living Lie! whom I have
loved to my doom, and who hast brought upon me the last curse of doom!
Let me hide myself and see thy face no more!"

She rose in her wrath, and she was terrible to see.

"Let thee go to stir up evil against me! Nay, Harmachis, thou shalt not
go to build new plots against my throne! I say to thee that thou, too,
shalt come to visit Antony in Cilicia, and there, perchance, I will let
thee go!" And ere I could answer, she h