bitter
fate is mine, to have brought misery on all I love, and, in the end, to
die unloved! To thee I have atoned; to my angered Gods I have atoned;
and now I go to find a way whereby I may atone to Cleopatra in that Hell
where she is, and which I must share! For she loved me well, Harmachis;
and, now that she is dead, methinks that, after thee, I loved her best
of all. So of her cup and the cup of Iras I will surely drink!" And
she took the phial, and with a steady hand poured what was left of the
poison into the goblet.

"Bethink thee, Charmion," I said; "yet mayst thou live for many years,
hiding these sorrows beneath the withered days."

"Yet I may, but I will not! To live the prey of so many memories, the
fount of an undying shame that night by night, as I lie sleepless, shall
well afresh from my sorrow-stricken heart!--to live torn by a love I
cannot lose!--to stand alone like some storm-twisted tree, and, sighing
day by day to the winds of heaven, gaze upon the desert of my life,
while I wait the lingering lightning's stroke--nay, that will not I,
Harmachis! I had died long since, but I lived on to serve thee; now no
more thou needest me, and I go. Oh, fare thee well!--for ever fare thee
well! For not again shall I look again upon thy face, and there I go
thou goest not! For thou dost not love me who still dost love that
queenly woman thou hast hounded to the death! Her thou shalt never win,
and I thee shall never win, and this is the bitter end of Fate! See,
Harmachis: I ask one boon before I go and for all time become naught to
thee but a memory of shame. Tell me that thou dost forgive me so far as
thine is to forgive, and in token thereof kiss me--with no lover's kiss,
but kiss me on the brow, and bid me pass in peace."

And she drew near to me with arms outstretched and pitiful trembling
lips and gazed upon my face.

"Charmion," I answered, "we are free to act for good or evil, and yet
methinks there is a Fate above our fate, that, blowing from some strange
shore, compels our little sails of purpose, set them as we will, and
drives us to destruction. I forgive thee, Charmion, as I trust in turn
to be forgiven, and by this kiss, the first and the last, I seal our
peace." And with my lips I touched her brow.

She spoke no more; only for a little while she stood gazing on me with
sad eyes. Then she lifted the goblet, and said:

"Royal Harmachis, in this deadly cup I pledge thee! Would that I had
drunk of