rds to which my ears were deaf. Then her face
sank in with terror, her great eyes grew pale, and, shrieking, Cleopatra
fell and died: passing, with that dread company, to her appointed place.

Thus, then, I, Harmachis, fed my soul with vengeance, fulfilling the
justice of the Gods, and yet knew myself empty of all joy therein. For
though that thing we worship doth bring us ruin, and Love being more
pitiless than Death, we in turn do pay all our sorrow back; yet we must
worship on, yet stretch out our arms towards our lost Desire, and pour
our heart's blood upon the shrine of our discrowned God.

For Love is of the Spirit, and knows not Death.

CHAPTER IX

OF THE FAREWELL OF CHARMION; OF THE DEATH OF CHARMION; OF THE DEATH
OF THE OLD WIFE, ATOUA; OF THE COMING OF HARMACHIS TO ABOUTHIS; OF HIS
CONFESSION IN THE HALL OF SIX-AND-THIRTY PILLARS; AND OF THE DECLARING
OF THE DOOM OF HARMACHIS

Charmion unclasped my arm, to which she had clung in terror.

"Thy vengeance, thou dark Harmachis," she said, in a hoarse voice, "is
a thing hideous to behold! O lost Egypt, with all thy sins thou wast
indeed a Queen!

"Come, aid me, Prince; let us stretch this poor clay upon the bed and
deck it royally, so that it may give its dumb audience to the messengers
of Caesar as becomes the last of Egypt's Queens."

I spoke no word in answer, for my heart was very heavy, and now that all
was done I was weary. Together, then, we lifted up the body and laid it
on the golden bed. Charmion placed the uraeus crown upon the ivory brow,
and combed the night-dark hair that showed never a thread of silver,
and, for the last time, shut those eyes wherein had shone all the
changing glories of the sea. She folded the chill hands upon the breast
whence Passion's breath had fled, and straightened the bent knees
beneath the broidered robe, and by the head set flowers. And there at
length Cleopatra lay, more splendid now in her cold majesty of death
than in her richest hour of breathing beauty!

We drew back and looked on her, and on dead Iras at her feet.

"It is done!" quoth Charmion; "we are avenged, and now, Harmachis,
dost follow by this same road?" And she nodded towards the phial on the
board.

"Nay, Charmion. I fly--I fly to a heavier death! Not thus easily may I
end my space of earthly penance."

"So be it, Harmachis! And I, Harmachis--I fly also, but with swifter
wings. My game is played. I, too, have made atonement. Oh! what a