This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By Georg Ebers
Night brought little sleep to Cleopatra. Memory followed memory, planwas added to plan. The resolve made the day before was the right one.To-day she would begin its execution. Whatever might happen, she wasprepared for every contingency.
Ere she went to her work she granted a second audience to the Romanenvoy. Timagenes exerted all his powers of eloquence, skill inpersuasion, wit, and ingenuity. He again promised to Cleopatra life andliberty, and to her children the throne; but when he insisted upon thesurrender or death of Mark Antony as the first condition of any furthernegotiations, Cleopatra remained steadfast, and the ambassador set forthon his way home without any pledge.
After he had gone, the Queen and Iras looked over the plans for the tombbrought by Gorgias, but the intense agitation of her soul distractedCleopatra's attention, and she begged him to come again at a later hour.When she was alone, she took out the letters which Caesar and Antony hadwritten to her. How acute, subtle, and tender were those of the former;how ardent, impassioned, yet sincere were those of the mighty and fieryorator, whose eloquence swept the listening multitudes with him, yet whomher little hand had drawn wherever she desired!
Her heart throbbed faster when she thought of the meeting with Antony,now close at hand; for Charmian had gone with the Nubian to invite him tojoin her again. They had started several hours ago, and she awaitedtheir return with increasing impatience. She had summoned him for theirlast mutual battle. That he would come she did not doubt. But could shesucceed in rekindling his courage? Two persons so closely allied shouldsink and perish, still firmly united, in the final battle, if victory wasdenied.
Archibius was now announced.
It soothed her merely to gaze into the faithful countenance, whichrecalled so many of her happiest memories.
She opened her whole soul to him without reserve, and he drew himself upto his full height, as if restored to youth; while when she told him thatshe would never sully herself by treachery to her lover and husband, andhad resolved to die worthy of her name, the expression of his eyesrevealed that she had chosen the right path.
Ere she had made the request that he should undertake the education andguidance of the children, he voluntarily proposed to devote his bestpowers to them. The plan of uniting Didymus's garden with the Lochiasand giving it to the little ones also met with his approval. His sisterhad already told him that Cleopatra had determined to build her tomb. Hehoped, he added, that its doors would not open to her for many years.
She shook her head sorrowfully, exclaiming "Would that I could read everyface as I do yours! My friend Archibius wishes me a long life, if anyone does; but he is as wise as he is faithful, and therefore willconsider that earthly life is by no means a boon in every case. Besides,he says to himself: 'Events are impending over this Queen and woman, myfriend, which will perhaps render it advisable to make use of the greatprivilege which the immortals bestow on human beings when it becomesdesirable for them to leave the stage of life. So let her build hertomb.' Hav