登陆注册
4702000000080

第80章

For the sake of this half love of hers she spared the lives of those in the plot whom she had meshed, bethinking her that if she wedded thee she might use them and thee to draw the heart of Egypt, which loves not her nor any Ptolemy. And then, once again she entrapped thee, and in thy folly thou didst betray to her the secret of the hidden wealth of Egypt, which to-day she squanders to delight the luxurious Antony; and, of a truth, at that time she purposed to make good her oath and marry thee. But on the very morn when Dellius came for answer she sent for me, and telling me all--for my wit, above any, she holds at price--demanded of me my judgment whether she should defy Antony and wed thee, or whether she should put the thought away and come to Antony. And I--now mark thou all my sin--I, in my bitter jealousy, rather than I would see her thy wedded wife and thou her loving lord, counselled her most strictly that she should come to Antony, well knowing--for I had had speech with Dellius--that if she came, this weak Antony would fall like a ripe fruit at her feet, as, indeed, he has fallen. And but now I have shown thee the issue of the scheme. Antony loves Cleopatra and Cleopatra loves Antony, and thou art robbed, and matters have gone 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 Cleopatra hast cast thee from her--now that thou art poor and shamed and with no pillow to thy head? Still am I fair, and still I worship thee. Let me fly with thee, and make atonement for my lifelong love.

Or, if this be too great a thing to ask, let me be but as thy sister and thy servant--thy very slave, so that I may still look upon thy face, and share thy trouble and minister to thee. O Harmachis, let me but come and I will brave all things and endure all things, and nothing but Death himself shall stay me from thy side. For I do believe that the love that sank me to so low a depth, dragging thee with me, can yet lift me to an equal height, and thee with me!"

"Wouldst tempt me to fresh sin, woman? And dost thou think, Charmion, that in some hovel where I must hide, I could bear, day by day, to look upon thy fair face, and seeing, remember that those lips betrayed me? Not thus easily shalt thou atone! This I know even now: many and heavy shall be thy lonely days of penance! Perchance that hour of vengeance yet may come, and perchance thou shalt live to play thy part in it. Thou must still abide in the Court of Cleopatra; and, while thou art there, if I yet live, I will from time to time find means to give thee tidings. Perhaps a day may dawn when once more I shall need thy service. Now, swear that, in this event, thou wilt not fail me a second time."

"I swear, Harmachis!--I swear! May everlasting torments, too hideous to be dreamed--more hideous, even, by far, than those that wring me now--be my portion if I fail thee in one jot or tittle--ay, though I wait a lifetime for thy word!"

"It is well; see that thou keep the oath--not twice may we betray. I go to work out my fate; abide thou to work out thine. Perchance our divers threads will once more mingle ere the web be spun. Charmion, who unasked didst love me--and who, prompted by that gentle love of thine, didst betray and ruin me--fare thee well!"

She gazed wildly upon my face--she stretched out her arms as though to clasp me; then, in the agony of her despair, she cast herself at length and grovelled upon the ground.

I took up the sack of clothing and the staff and gained the door, and, as I passed it, I threw one last glance upon her. There she lay, with arms outstretched--more white than her white robes--her dark hair streaming about her, and her fair brows hidden in the dust.

And thus I left her, nor did I again set my eyes upon her till nine long years had come and gone.

[Here ends the second and largest roll of papyrus.]

同类推荐
  • 九还七返龙虎金丹析理真诀

    九还七返龙虎金丹析理真诀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 安平县杂记

    安平县杂记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说阿含正行经

    佛说阿含正行经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛祖统纪宋

    佛祖统纪宋

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 产后十八论

    产后十八论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 智力快车冲冲冲(青少年挖掘大脑智商潜能训练集)

    智力快车冲冲冲(青少年挖掘大脑智商潜能训练集)

    潜能是人类原本存在但尚未被开发与利用的能力,是潜在的能量。根据能量守恒定律,能量既不会消灭,也不会创生,它只会从一种形式转化为其他形式,或者从一个物体转移到另一个物体,而转化和转移过程中,能的总量保持不变。
  • 爆笑穿越:逃爱太子妃

    爆笑穿越:逃爱太子妃

    一穿过去,皇宫里就搞起了飞机,皇后非要太子纳妃,太子非要她嫁给自己……这飞机搞大了,太子=未来的皇上=后宫佳丽三千,娘哦,怎么算都觉得自己亏大了。还没有来得及像古代侠女一样闯荡江湖,就要被锁定深宫,还要跟那么多女人分享一个男人,虽然说,这个男人也挺帅滴,但是……嗷!不要啊!好吧,为了保命,只能这样了,但是那个谁,要听好了,不能逼着自己学宫里一些烂规矩,不能再娶妻!嗷!不会吧,这都答应,难道断袖的传闻是真滴?
  • 王爷本妃只爱财

    王爷本妃只爱财

    片段一怀揣着一万两银票,偷偷摸摸来到东墙边的苏小陌,左右瞅了瞅,在确定了没有人的情况下,唰的一下蹲下身子,拿着铁锹开始左挖一下右挖一下,嘴里还碎碎念道:“挖个坑,埋点土,数个一二三四五。种一万,翻十番,其实这事也简单。”继续卖力的挖着“挖个坑,埋点土,数个一二三四五。种一万,翻十倍,其实这事挺惭愧。”心情无比愉悦的卖力挖着…“这位小娘子,大半夜的这是挖谁家的墙角呢?”一个戏谑的声音响起。挖的正起劲的苏小陌,一听吓得扔了铁锹噌的转过身来,警惕的捂着自己的胸口:“谁?给老娘出来!”话音一落,唰的一下,五米外出现了一个人影,因为那人背着光,根本看不清长相,从轮廓看来应该是个男人,那声音也确实是个男人。“啧啧啧,这小娘子长的还真是水灵,看的人家心里痒痒的,小娘子大半夜的不睡觉,可是耐不住寂寞了?要不要爷来陪你排遣寂寞呀?”玉润珠圆的男声响起带着十足的挑逗的意味。苏小陌顿时紧张了,尼玛,老娘怀揣巨款,这丫的不是来抢钱的吧?“你是人是鬼?到底什么目的?”那男人嘴角一抽:是人是鬼?自己有那么像鬼吗?要说是鬼,那也是风流鬼。男人不说话,徐步朝苏小陌走来四米、三米、两米…苏小陌顿时吓了一跳,更加用力的捂着胸口,在外人看来就像要誓死保卫自己清白的贞洁烈女一般,在那男人离她还有一米远的时候苏小陌颤抖的声音响起:“你,你…站住!别再过来了!再过来我就不客气了!”某男果然定住了,苏小陌瞬间睁大了双眼:眼前慢慢出现一袭淡紫色身影,光亮华丽的贡品紫色柔缎,穿在身上亦是舒适飘逸,形态优美极了。那人高高绾着冠发,长若流水的发丝服帖顺在背后,弯弯的眉眼,高挺的鼻梁,挂着一丝魅惑的笑。尼玛,又是一个美人啊!“小娘子,可看清了我是人是鬼?”带着一丝丝魅惑的声音响起,“……”苏小陌不吭声,只是防备的看着他。见苏小陌不回答自己的问题,这男人也不恼。本来他跟皇兄探讨完如何整倒丞相一事,便要回府。经过侯府东墙,突然听到有人在碎碎念,听着还蛮有趣的,便想过来瞧瞧,谁知就看到这小丫头一副做贼的模样,顿时起了逗弄她的心思,见她如此防备的样子,更是挑起了他的兴趣:“小娘子如此护着自己的胸口做什么?我可以理解为是在故作矜持的邀请我吗?”
  • 本色做人,变通做事

    本色做人,变通做事

    内外兼修,做人还原本色,刚柔并济,做事讲求变通。人生难,难于上青天。形形色色的人在你的周围,有人颠倒黑白,混淆事非;有人阳奉阴违,两面三刀;有人阴险狡诈,诡计多端。本书巧妙融合“本色”“变通”两大理念,教你如何本色做人,变通做事,在复杂的人际关系中,用精湛的技巧有效地解决人生难题。
  • 冷面夫君俏冤家

    冷面夫君俏冤家

    我怎么这么倒霉?人家穿越我也穿越,但上天也太不公平点了吧!别人都做王妃,公主,还有各种皇后,我却穿在了一个智商只有六七岁的低能儿身上,虽然也是个大小姐,但是......这也不提了,更倒霉的是“我”十日后就要跟一个不认识的男人成亲了,再次晕一下,据说那男人很冷血,酷得很哪!我该接受命运的安排么?好吧,先看看那家伙再做打算!
  • 娑婆路

    娑婆路

    天界神秘的老者到底是谁?奇幻的轮回石又是什么?为何陆风反复天界徘徊了九次,却又每次都失去了以前的记忆?无尽的杀戮,难道真的能达到修行的终点?一切尽娑婆路
  • 箭心

    箭心

    天赋极高的公主,因为突发事件而被“命运”重生。还是同一个世界,还是继续这时间线。她,到底会怎样去改变,属于她的心和一切。
  • 进化成猴

    进化成猴

    都说女研究生最惨,白天愁论文,晚上愁嫁人,而柳依依觉得,她不仅仅是愁,这论文、嫁人、找工作,简直就是压在头上的三座大山,时时都感觉压得人喘不过气来。今天的相亲,又让她备受打击。今天这个是师兄的妻子给她介绍的,是信息工程系的一个博士。这条件听起来很让人兴奋,因为她心目中的丈夫,就应该是个学工程的,也应该是个博士。但凭经验,她不仅担心,也不敢抱太大的希望:快三十岁的博士仍然单身,怎么想都可能是个问题男人。身高矮点长得丑点倒不要紧,男才女貌,男人么,有才就行。怕就怕性格有那么一些缺陷,比如窝囊、孤僻、古怪、书呆子,哪一样都让人感觉不舒服。
  • 少年巡抚·沉沙骨

    少年巡抚·沉沙骨

    白小舟全身都被汗水湿透了,握着方澜的手也在一点一点地往下滑。他看着方澜的眼睛,低声说:“慕容遂把他的黄金和账本用火漆封在铁箱里,沉在山下的河里。那个地方,河岸上有一棵歪脖子柳树……”方澜怒吼:“闭嘴!”白小舟亮出一口白牙,咧出一个大大的笑:“方澜,保重。”
  • 我要充钱

    我要充钱

    为什么你总是活的不如别人?在你怨天尤人的时候先想想自己充了多少钱,充钱,你就可以变得很强。…………鲁迅