well for me, who of
all women on the earth to-night am the wretchedest by far. For when I
saw how thy heart broke but now, my heart seemed to break with thine,
and I could no longer bear the burden of my evil deeds, but knew that I
must tell them and take my punishment.

"And now, Harmachis, I have no more to say; save that I thank thee for
thy courtesy in hearkening, and this one thing I add. Driven by my great
love I have sinned against thee unto death! I have ruined thee, I have
ruined Khem, and myself also I have ruined! Let death reward me! Slay
thou me, Harmachis--I will gladly die upon thy sword; ay, and kiss its
blade! Slay thou me and go; for if thou slayest me not, myself I will
surely slay!" And she threw herself upon her knees, lifting her fair
breast toward me, that I might smite her with my dagger. And, in my
bitter fury, I was minded to strike; for, above all, I thought how,
when I was fallen, this woman, who herself was my cause of shame, had
scourged me with her whip of scorn. But it is hard to slay a fair woman;
and, even as I lifted my hand to strike, I remembered that she had now
twice saved my life.

"Woman! thou shameless woman!" I said, "arise! I slay thee not! Who am
I, that I should judge thy crime, that, with mine own, doth overtop all
earthly judgment?"

"Slay me, Harmachis!" she moaned; "slay me, or I slay myself! My burden
is too great for me to bear! Be not so deadly calm! Curse me, and slay!"

"What was it that thou didst say to me just now, Charmion--that as I had
sown so I must reap? It is not lawful that thou shouldst slay thyself;
it is not lawful that I, thine equal in sin, should slay thee because
through thee I sinned. As _thou_ hast sown, Charmion, so must _thou_
also reap. Base woman! whose cruel jealousy has brought all these woes
on me and Egypt, live--live on, and from year to year pluck the bitter
fruit of crime! Haunted be thy sleep by visions of thy outraged Gods,
whose vengeance awaits thee and me in their dim Amenti! Haunted be thy
days by memories of that man whom thy fierce love brought to shame and
ruin, and by the sight of Khem a prey to the insatiate Cleopatra and a
slave to Roman Antony."

"Oh, speak not thus, Harmachis! Thy words are sharper than any sword;
and more surely, if more slowly, shall they slay! Listen, Harmachis,"
and she grasped my robe: "when thou wast great, and all power lay within
thy grasp, thou didst reject me. Wilt reject me now that Cleopa