canst little guess. Think upon
thine own love for Cleopatra, and double it, and double it again, and
perchance thou mayst come near to my love's mighty sum. I loved thee,
day by day I loved thee more, till in thee and for thee alone I seemed
to live. But thou wast cold--thou wast worse than cold! thou didst deal
with me not as a breathing woman, but rather as the instrument to an
end--as a tool with which to grave thy fortunes. And then I saw--yes,
long before thou knewest it thyself--thy heart's tide was setting strong
towards that ruinous shore whereon to-day thy life is broken. And at
last that night came, that dreadful night when, hid within the chamber,
I saw thee cast my kerchief to the winds, and with sweet words cherish
my royal Rival's gift. Then--oh, thou knowest--in my pain I betrayed
the secret that thou wouldst not see, and thou didst make a mock of me,
Harmachis! Oh! the shame of it--thou in thy foolishness didst make a
mock of me! I went thence, and within me were rising all the torments
which can tear a woman's heart, for now I was sure that thou didst love
Cleopatra! Ay, and so mad was I, even that night I was minded to betray
thee: but I thought--not yet, not yet; to-morrow he may soften. Then
came the morrow, and all was ready for the bursting of the great plot
that should make thee Pharaoh. And I too came--thou dost remember--and
again thou didst put me away when I spake to thee in parables, as
something of little worth--as a thing too small to claim a moment's
weighty thought. And, knowing that this was because--though thou knewest
it not--thou didst love Cleopatra, whom now thou must straightway slay,
I grew mad, and a wicked Spirit entered into me, possessing me utterly,
so that I was myself no longer, nor could control myself. And because
thou hadst scorned me, I did this, to my everlasting shame and
sorrow!--I passed into Cleopatra's presence and betrayed thee and those
with thee, and our holy cause, saying that I had found a writing which
thou hadst let fall and read all this therein."

I gasped and sat silent; and gazing sadly at me she went on:

"When she understood how great was the plot, and how deep its roots,
Cleopatra was much troubled; and, at first, she would have fled to Sais
or taken ship and run for Cyprus, but I showed her that the ways were
barred. Then she said she would cause thee to be slain, there, in the
chamber, and I left her so believing; for, at that hour, I was glad that