ing of the curse of Menkau-ra.' Through all
the after-days those words have haunted me, and now at the last they
ring in my ears."

"He is long dead, my love," she whispered.

"If he be dead, then I am near him. What meant he?"

"He is dead, the accursed man!--no more of him! Oh! turn and kiss me,
for thy face grows white. The end is near!"

He kissed her on the lips, and for a little while so they stayed, to
the moment of death, babbling their passion in each other's ears, like
lovers newly wed. Even to my jealous heart, it was a strange and awful
thing to see.

Presently, I saw the Change of Death gather on his face. His head fell
back.

"Farewell, Egypt; farewell!--I die!"

Cleopatra lifted herself upon her hands, gazed wildly on his ashen face,
and then, with a great cry, she sank back swooning.

But Antony yet lived, though the power of speech had left him. Then
I drew near and, kneeling, made pretence to minister to him. And as I
ministered I whispered in his ear:

"Antony," I whispered, "Cleopatra was my love before she passed from me
to thee. I am Harmachis, that astrologer who stood behind thy couch at
Tarsus; and I have been the chief minister of thy ruin.

"_Die, Antony!--the curse of Menkau-ra hath fallen!_"

He raised himself, and stared upon my face. He could not speak, but,
gibbering, he pointed at me. Then with a groan his spirit fled.

Thus did I accomplish my revenge upon Roman Antony, the World-loser.

Thereafter, we recovered Cleopatra from her swoon, for not yet was
I minded that she should die. And taking the body of Antony, Caesar
permitting, I and Atoua caused it to be most skilfully embalmed after
our Egyptian fashion, covering the face with a mask of gold fashioned
like to the features of Antony. Also I wrote upon his breast his name
and titles, and painted his name and the name of his father within his
inner coffin, and drew the form of the Holy Nout folding her wings about
him.

Then with great pomp Cleopatra laid him in that sepulchre which had been
made ready, and in a sarcophagus of alabaster. Now, this sarcophagus was
fashioned so large that place was left in it for a second coffin, for
Cleopatra would lie by Antony at the last.

These things then happened. And but a little while after I learned
tidings from one Cornelius Dolabella, a noble Roman who waited upon
Caesar, and, moved by the beauty that swayed the souls of all who looked
upon her, had pity for t