Cleopatra — Complete
Page 15
CHAPTER XIV.
While Gorgias was examining the subterranean chambers in the Templeof Isis, Charmian returned to Lochias earlier than she herself hadexpected. She had met her brother, whom she did not find at Kanopus,at Berenike's, and after greeting Dion on his couch of pain, she toldArchibius of her anxiety. She confided to him alone that the Queen hadcommitted Barine's fate to Alexas, for the news might easily have ledthe mother of the endangered woman to some desperate venture; but evenArchibius's composure, so difficult to disturb, was not proof againstit. He would have sought the Queen's presence at once--if necessary,forced his way to it; but the historian Timagenes, who had just comefrom Rome, was expecting him, and he had not returned to his birthplaceas a private citizen, but commissioned by Octavianus to act as mediatorin putting an end to the struggle which had really been decided in hisfavour at the battle of Actium. The choice of this mediator was a happyone; for he had taught Cleopatra in her childhood, and was the self-samequick-witted man who had so often roused her to argument. His share in apopular insurrection against the Roman rule had led to his being carriedas a slave to the Tiber. There he soon purchased his freedom, andattained such distinction that Octavianus entrusted this importantmission to the man who was so well known in Alexandria. Archibius was tomeet him at the house of Arius, who was still suffering from thewounds inflicted by the chariot-wheels of Antyllus, and Berenike hadaccompanied Timagenes to her brother.
Charmian did not venture to go there; a visit to Octavianus's formerteacher would have been misinterpreted, and it was repugnant to her owndelicacy of feeling to hold intercourse at this time with the foe andconqueror of her royal mistress. She therefore let her brother drivewith Berenike to the injured man's; but before his departure Archibiushad promised, if the worst came, to dare everything to open the eyes ofthe Queen, who had forbidden her, Charmian, to speak in behalf of Barineand thwart the plans of Alexas.
From the Paneum garden she was carried to the Kanopic Way and the Jewishquarter, where she had many important purchases to make for Cleopatra.It was long after noon when the litter was again borne to Lochias.
On the way she had severely felt her own powerlessness. Without havingaccomplished anything herself, she was forced to wait for the successof others; and she had scarcely crossed the threshold of the palace erefresh cares were added to those which already burdened her soul.
She understood how to read the faces of courtiers, and the door-keeper'shad taught her that since her departure something momentous hadoccurred. She disliked to question the slaves and lower officials,so she refrained, though the interior of the palace was crowded withguards, officials of every grade, attendants, and slaves. Many who sawher gazed at her with the timidity inspired by those over whom somedisaster is im pending. Others, whose relations were more intimate,pressed forward to enjoy the mournful satisfaction of being the firstmessengers of evil tidings. But she passed swiftly on, keeping themback with grave words and gestures, until, before the door of the greatanteroom thronged with Greek and Egyptian petitioners, she met Zeno, theKeeper of the Seal. Charmian stopped him and inquired what had happened.
"Since when?" asked the old courtier. "Every moment has brought somefresh tidings and all are mournful. What terrible times, Charmian, whatdisasters!"
"No messenger had arrived when I left the Lochias," replied Charmian."Now it seems as though the old monster of a palace, accustomed to somany horrors, is holding its breath in dread. Tell me the main thing, atleast, before I meet the Queen."
"The main thing? Pestilence or famine--which shall we call the worse?"
"Quick, Zeno! I am expected."
"I, too, am in haste, and really there is nothing to relate over whichthe tongue would care to dwell. Candidus arrived first. Came himselfstraight from Actium. The fellow is bold enough."
"Is the army defeated also?"
"Defeated, dispersed, deserted to the foe--King Herod with his legionsin the van."
Charmian covered her face with her hands and groaned aloud, but Zenocontinued:
"You were with her in the flight. When Mark Antony left you, he sailedwith the ships which joined him for Paraetonium. A large body of troopson which the Queen and Mardion had fixed their hopes was encamped there.Reinforcements could easily be gained and we should once more have afine army at our disposal."
"Pinarius Scarpus, a cautious soldier, was in command; and I, too,believed--"
"The more you trusted him, the greater would be your error. Theshameless rascal--he owes everything to Antony--had received tidingsof Actium ere the ships arrived, and had already made overtures toOctavianus when the Imperator came. The veterans who opposed thetreachery were hewn down by the wretch's orders, but the brave garrisonof the city could not be won over to the monstrous crime. It is due tothese men that Mark Antony still lives and did not come to a miserableend at the hands of his own troops. The twice-defeated general--acourier brought the news--will arrive to-night. Strangely enough, hewill not come to Lochias, but to the little palace on the Choma."
"Poor, poor Queen!" cried Charmian; "how did she bear all this?"
"In the presence of the defeated Candidus and Antony's messenger like aheroine. But afterwards----Her raving did not last long; but the mute,despairing silence! Ere she had fully recovered her self-command shesent us all away, and I have not seen her since. But all the thoughtsand feelings which dwell here"--he pointed to his brow and breast--"haveleft their abode and linger with her. I totter from place to place likea soulless body. O Charmian! what has befallen us? Where are the dayswhen care and trouble lay buried with the other dead--the days andnights when my brain united with that of the Queen to transform thisdesolate earth into the beautiful Elysian Fields, every-day life toa festival, festivals to the very air of Olympus? What unprecedentedscenes of splendour had I not devised for the celebration of thevictory, the triumph--nay, even the entry into Rome! Whole chests arefilled with the sketches, programmes, drawings, and verses. All whohandle brush and chisel, compose and execute music, would have lenttheir aid, and--you may believe me-the result would have been somethingwhich future generations would have discussed, lauded, and extolled insong. And now--now?"
"Now we will double our efforts to save what is yet to be rescued!"
"Rescued?" repeated the courtier in a hollow tone. "The Queen, too,still clings to this fine word. When I saw her at work yesterday, itseemed as if I beheld her drawing water with the bottomless vessel ofthe Danaides. True, today, when I left her, her arms had fallen--andin this attitude she now stands before me with her tearful eyes. Andbesides, I can't get my nephew Dion out of my mind. Cares--nothing butcares concerning him! And my intentions towards him were so kind! Mywill gives him my entire fortune; but now he actually wants to marry thesinger, the daughter of the artist Leonax. You have taken her under yourprotection, but surely your own niece, Iras, is dearer to you, so youwill approve of my destroying the will if Dion insists upon his own way.He shall not have a solidus of my property if he does not give up thewoman who is a thorn in the Queen's flesh. And his choice does not suitour ancient race. Iras, on the contrary, was Dion's playfellow, andI have long destined her for his wife. No better match, nor one moreacceptable to the Queen, could be found for him. He cared for her untilthe singer bewitched him. Bring them together, and they shall be likemy own children. If the fool resists his uncle, whose sole desire isto benefit him, I will withdraw my aid. Whatever intrigues his foes mayweave, I shall fold my arms and not interfere. I stand in the placeof his father, my dead brother, and demand obedience. The Queen ismy universe, and her favour is of more value than twenty refractorynephews."
"You will retain her Majesty's favour, even if you intercede for yourbrother's son."
"And Iras? When she finds herself deceived--and she will soon discoverit--she will not rest--"
"Until she has brought ruin upon him," interrupted Charmian, in atone of sorrow rather than reproach as though she already beheld theimpending disaster. "But Iras has no greater influe
nce with the Queenthan I, and if you and I unite to protect the brave young fellow, who isof your own blood--"
"Then, of course--no doubt, on account of your longer period of service,you have more influence with her Majesty than Iras--however--suchmatters must be considered--and I have already said--my mind leaves itsabode to follow the Queen like her shadow. It heeds only what concernsher. Let everything else go as it will. The fleet the same as destroyed,Candidus defeated, Herod a deserter, treason on treason--the Africanlegions lost! What in the name of the god who tried to roll back thewheel dashing down the mountain-side!--And yet! Let us offer sacrifices,my friend, and hope for better days!"
Zeno retired as he spoke, but Charmian moved forward with a droopinghead to find Barine and her faithful Anukis, and weep her fill ereshe went to perform the duty of consoling and sustaining her belovedmistress. Yet she herself so sorely needed comfort. Wherever she turnedher eyes she beheld disaster, peril, treachery, and base intrigues.She felt as if she had lived long enough, and that her day was over.Hitherto her gentle nature, her intellect, which yearned to expand,gather new riches, and exchange what it had gained with others, hadpossessed much to offer to the Queen. She had not only been Cleopatra'sconfidante, but necessary to her to discuss questions far in advanceof the demands of the times, which occupied her restless mind. Nowthe Queen's attention was wholly absorbed by events--hard, cruelfacts--which she must resist or turn to her own advantage. Her life hadbecome a conflict, and Charmian felt that she was by no means combative.The hard, supple, keenly polished intellect of Iras now asserted itsvalue, and the elderly woman told herself that she was in danger ofbeing held in less regard than her younger companion. To resign heroffice would have given her peace of mind, but she repelled the thought.For the very reason that these days were so full of misery and perhapsdrawing nearer to the end, she must remain, first for the sake of theQueen, but also to watch over Barine.
Now she longed to go to Cleopatra. Her mere presence, she knew, woulddo her sore heart good. The silvery laugh of a child reached her earsthrough the open gate of the garden which she was rapidly approaching.Little six-year-old Alexander ran towards her with open arms, huggedher closely, pressed his curly head against her, and gazed into her facewith his large clear eyes.
Charmian's heart swelled; and as she raised the child in her arms andkissed him, she thought of the sad fate impending, and the composuremaintained with so much difficulty gave way; tears streamed from hereyes and, sobbing violently, she pressed the boy closer to her breast.
The prince, accustomed to bright faces and tender caresses, broke awayfrom her in terror to run back to his brother and sisters. But he hada kind little heart, and, knowing that no one weeps and sobs unlessin pain, Alexander pitied Charmian, whom he loved, and hurried to heragain.
What he meant to show her had pleased his mother, too, and dried thetears in her eyes. So he took Charmian by the hand and drew her along,saying that he wanted her to see the prettiest thing. She willinglyallowed herself to be led over the paths, strewn with red sand, of thelittle garden which Antony had had laid out for his children in themagnificent style which pleased his love of splendour, and filled withrare and beautiful things.
There was a pond with tiny gold and silver fish, where the rare lotusflowers with pink blossoms arose from amid their smooth green leaves,and another where dwarf ducks of every colour, which seemed as if theyhad been created for children, swam to and fro. A bit of the sea whichwashed its shore had been enclosed by a gilded latticework, and on itssurface floated a number of snow-white swans and black ones with scarletbills. Native and Indian flowers of every hue adorned the beds, and thenarrow paths were shaded by arbours made of gold wire, over which ranclimbing vines filled with bright blossoms.
A grotto of stalactites behind the dense foliage of an Indian treeoffered a resting-place, and beside it was a little house where thechildren could stay. The interior lacked none of the requisites ofliving, not even the cooking utensils in the kitchen, and the familyportraits in the tablinum, delicately painted by an artist on smallivory slabs. Everything was made to suit the size of children, but ofthe most costly material and careful workmanship.
Behind the house was a little stable where four tiny horses with spottedskins, the rarest and prettiest creatures imaginable--a gift from theKing of Media--were stamping the ground.
In another place was an enclosure containing gazelles, ostriches, younggiraffes, and other grass-eating animals. Bright-plumaged birds andmonkeys filled the tops of the trees, gay balls rose and fell on thejets of the fountains, and child genii and images of the gods in bronzeand marble peered from the foliage. This whole enchanted world wascomprised within a narrow space, and, with its radiance of colour andwealth of form, its perfume, songs, and warbling, exerted a bewilderinginfluence upon the excited imaginations of grown people as well aschildren.
Little Alexander, without even casting a glance at all this, drewCharmian forward. He did not pause until he reached the shore of thelotus pond; then, putting his fingers on his lips, he said: "There, now,I'll show you. Look here!"
Rising cautiously upon tip-toe as he spoke, he pointed to the hollow inthe trunk of a tree. A pair of finches had built their nest in it, andfive young ones with big yellow beaks stretched their ugly little headshungrily upward.
"That's so pretty!" cried the prince. "And you must see the old onescome to feed them." The beautiful boy's sweet face fairly beamed withdelight, and Charmian kissed him tenderly. Yet, even as she did so, shethought of the young swallows hacked to death in his mother's galley,and a chill ran through her veins.
Just at that moment voices were heard calling Alexander from a neglectedspot behind the dainty little house built for the children, and the boyexclaimed peevishly:
"There, now, I showed you the little nest, so I forgot. Agatha fellasleep and Smerdis went away, so we were alone. Then they sent me toHorus, the gate-keeper, to get some of his spelt bread. He never saysno to anything, and it does taste so good. We're peasants, and have beenusing the axe and the hoe, so we want something to eat. Have you seenour house? We built it ourselves. Selene, Helios, Jotape, my futurewife, and I--yes, I! They let me help, and we finished it alone,all alone! Everything is here. We shall build the shed for the cowto-morrow. The others mustn't see it, but I may show it to you."
While speaking, he drew her forward again, and Charmian obedientlyfollowed. The twins and little Jotape, who had been chosen for thefuture bride of the six-year-old Prince Alexandera pretty, delicate,fair-haired child of his own age, the daughter of the Median king, whohad been betrothed to the boy after the Parthian war, and now remainedas a hostage at Cleopatra's court--welcomed her with joyous shouts.With the exception of the little Median princess, Charmian had witnessedtheir birth, and they all loved her dearly.
The little royal labourers showed their work with proud delight, and itreally was well done.
They had toiled at it for weeks, paying no heed to the garden and allits costly rarities. They pointed with special pride to the two plankswhich Helios, aided by Alexander, had fished out of the sea after thelast storm, when they were left alone, and to the lock on the door whichthey had secretly managed to wrench from an old gate. Selene herself hadwoven the curtain in front of the door. Now they were going to build ahearth too.
Charmian praised their skill, while they--all talking merrilytogether--told her how they had conquered the greatest difficulties.Their bright eyes sparkled with pleasure while describing the work oftheir own hands, and they were so absorbed in eager delight that theydid not notice the approach of a man until startled by his words:"Enough of this idle sport now, your Highnesses. Too much time hasalready been wasted on it."
Then, turning to the Queen, who had accompanied him, he continued ina tone of apology: "This amusement might seem somewhat hazardous, yetthere is much to be said in its favour. Besides, it appeared to affordthe royal children so much pleasure that I permitted it for a shorttime. But if your Majesty commands:
"That might be too much," said the tutor Euphronion, a grey-haired manwith a shrewd, kindly face. "We must remember how many things are yet tobe learned, that we may reach the goal fixed for your Majesty's birthdayand pass the examination."
But all the children now joined in the entreaty to be allowed to buildthe stable too, and it was granted.
When the tutor at last began to lead them away, the royal mother stoppedthem, asking "Suppose, instead of this garden, I should give you a bitof bare land, such as the peasants till, where, after your lessons, youmight dig and build as much as you please?"
Loud shouts of joy from the children answered the question; but thelittle Median girl, Jotape, said hesitatingly:
"Could I take my doll too--only the oldest, Atossa? She has lost onearm, yet I love her the best."
"Deprive us of anything you choose!" cried Helios, drawing littleAlexander towards him, to show that they, the men, were of the samemind, "only give us some ground and let us build."
"We will consider whether it can be done," replied Cleopatra. "Perhaps,Euphronion, you would be the right person--But we will discuss thematter at a more quiet hour."
The tutor withdrew and the children, who followed, looked back, wavingtheir hands and calling to their mother for a long time.
When they had disappeared behind the shrubbery in the garden Charmianexclaimed, "However dark the sky may be, so long as you possess theselittle ones you can never lack sunshine."
"If," replied Cleopatra, gazing pensively at the ground, "with a thoughtof them another did not blend which makes the gloom become deeper still.You know the tidings this terrible day has brought?"
"All," replied Charmian, sighing heavily.
"Then you know the abyss on whose verge we are walking; and tosee them--them also dragged into the yawning gulf by their unhappymother--Oh, Charmian, Charmian!"
She sobbed aloud, threw her arms around the neck of her friend andplayfellow, and laid her head upon her bosom like a child seekingconsolation. Cleopatra wept for several minutes, and when she againraised her tear-stained face she said softly:
"That did me good! O, Charmian! no one needs love as I do. On your warmheart my own has already grown calmer."
"Use it, nestle there whenever you need it, to the end," cried Charmian,deeply moved.
"To the end," repeated Cleopatra, wiping her eyes. "It began to-day, Ithink. I have just spent an hour alone. I meant to commit a crime, andyou know how impatiently passion sweeps me along. But what misfortuneshave assailed me! The army destroyed; the desertion of Herod andPinarius; Antony's generous, trusting heart torn by base treachery, hissoul darkened; the reconstruction of the canal, the last hope--Gorgiasbrought the news--the same as destroyed. Just then little Alexander cameto show me his bird's nest. Everything else in the garden seemed to himworthless by comparison. This awakened new thoughts, and now here isthe little house which the children have built with their own hands. Allthese things forced me by some mysterious power to look back along thecourse of my life to the distant days in your father's house--I--Thesechildren! Upon what different foundations our lives have been built! Imade them begin at the point I had gained when youth lay behind me. Mychildhood commenced among the disorders of the government, clouded by myfather's exile and my mother's death, on the brink of ruin. That ofthe twins--they are ten years old--will soon be over--and now, afterenjoying pleasures not one of which was bestowed on me, they mustendure the same sorrow. But did not we have better ones? What they dailypossessed we only dreamed of in our simple garden. How often I let youshare the radiant visions which my soul revealed to me! You willinglyaccompanied me into the splendid fairy world of my dreams. All that myimagination conjured up during the years of quiet and repose accompaniedme into my after-life. Again and again I have beheld them, rich andpowerful, upon the throne. The means of rendering the vision a varitywere at hand; and when I met the man whose own life resembled therealization of a dream, I recalled those childish fancies and madethem facts. The marvels with which I adorned my lover's existence werechildish dreams to which I gave tangible form. This garden is an imageof the life to which I intended to rise; in reality, fell. We collectedwithin the limits of this bit of earth everything which can delight thesenses; not a single one is omitted in this narrow space, whose crowdedmaze of pleasures fairly impede freedom of movement. Yet in your home,and guided by your wise father, I had learned to be content with solittle, and commenced the struggle to attain peace. That painlesspeace--our chief good--whence came it? Through me it was lost to youboth But the children--I made them begin their lives in an arena ofevery disturbing influence; and now I see how their own healthy naturesyearn to escape from the dazzling wealth of colour, the stupefyingfragrance, the bewildering songs and twittering. They long to return tothe untilled earth, where the life of struggling mortals began.
"The boy casts away the baubles, to test his own creative powers. Thegirl follows his example, and clings fast only to the doll in which shesees the living child, in order to do justice to the maternal instinct,the token of her sex. But what they so eagerly desire is right, andshall be granted. When I was ten years old, like the twins, my life andefforts were already directed towards one fixed goal. They are stillblindly following the objects set before them. Let them return to theplace whence their mother started, where she received everything goodwhich is still hers. They shall go to the garden of Epicurus, no matterwhether it is the old one in Kanopus or elsewhere. All that their motherbeheld in vivid dreams, which she often strove with wanton extravaganceto realize, has surrounded them from their birth and early satiatedthem. When they enter life, they will scorn what merely stirs anddazzles the senses, and cling to the aspiration for painless peace ofmind, if a wise guide directs them and protects them from the dangerswhich the teachings of Epicurus contain for youth. I have found thisguide, and you, too, will trust him--I mean your brother Archibius."
"Archibius?" asked Charmian in surprise. "Yes, he who grew up in thegarden of Epicurus, and in life and philosophy found the supportwhich has preserved his peace of mind during all the conflicts ofexistence--he who loves the mother, and to whom the children are alsodear--he to whom the boys and girls cling with affectionate confidence.I wish to place the children under his protection and, if he willconsent to grant this desire of the most hapless of women, I shall lookforward calmly to the end. It is approaching! I feel, I know it! Gorgiasis already at work upon the plan for my tomb."
"O my Queen!" cried Charmian sorrowfully. "Whatever may happen, yourillustrious life cannot be in danger! The generous heart of Mark Antonydoes not throb in Octavianus's breast, but he is not cruel, and for thevery reason that cool calculation curbs ambition he will spare you. Heknows that you are the idol of the city, the whole country; and if hereally succeeds in adding fresh victories to this first conquest, ifthe immortals permit your throne and--may they avert it!--your sacredperson, too, to fall into his power--"
"Then," cried Cleopatra, her clear eyes flashing, "then he shall learnwhich of us two is the greater--then I shall know how to maintain theright to despise him, though blind Fate should make the whole powerof the world subject to him who robbed my son and Caesar's of hisheritage!"
Her eyes had blazed with anger as she uttered the words; then, lettingher little clenched hand fall, she went on in an altered tone:
"Months may pass before he is strong enough to risk the attack, and theimmortals themselves approved the erection of the monument. The onlyobstacle in the way, the house of the old philosopher Didymus, wasdestroyed. A messenger from Gorgias brought the news. It is to be thesecond monument in Alexandria worthy of notice. The other contains thebody of the great Alexander, to whom the city owes its or
igin and name.He who subjected half the world to his power and the genius of theGreeks, was younger than I when he died. Whence do I, by whose miserableweakness the battle of Actium was lost, derive the right to walk longerbeneath the sun? Perhaps Mark Antony will arrive in a few hours."
"And will you meet the disheartened hero in this mood?" interruptedCharmian.
"He does not wish to be received," answered Cleopatra bitterly. "He evenrefused to let me greet him, and I understand the denial. But what musthave overwhelmed this joyous nature, so friendly to all mankind, that helongs for solitude and avoids meeting those who are nearest and dearest?Iras is now at the Choma--whither he wishes to retire--to see thateverything is in order. She will also provide a supply of the flowershe loves. It is hard, cruelly hard, not to welcome him as usual. Oh,Charmian, what joy it was when, with open arms and overflowing heart, heswung his mighty figure ashore like a youth, while his handsome, heroicface beamed with ardent love for me! And then--you do not forget iteither--when he raised his deep voice to shout the first greeting,why, it seemed as if the very fish in the water must join in, and thepalm-trees on the shore wave their feathery tops in joyous sympathy. Andhere! The dreams of my childhood, which I made reality for him, receivedus, and our existence, wreathed with love and roses, became a fairytale. Since the day he rode towards us at Kanopus and offered me thefirst bouquet, with his sunny glance wooing my love, his image has stoodbefore my soul as the embodiment of the virile strength which conquerseverything, and the bright, undimmed joy which renders the whole worldhappy. And now--now? Do you remember the dull dreamer whom we left erehe set forth for Paraetonium? But no, no, a thousand times no, hemust not remain so! Not with bowed head, but erect as in the days ofhappiness, must he cross the threshold of Hades, hand in hand with herwhom he loved. And he does love me still. Else would he have followedme hither, though no magic goblet drew him after me? And I? The heartwhich, in the breast of the child, gave him its first young love, isstill his, and will be forever. Might I not go to the harbour and awaithim there? Look me in the face, Charmian, and answer me as fearlessly asa mirror: did Olympus really succeed in effacing the wrinkles?"
"They were scarcely visible before," was the reply, "and even thekeenest eye could no longer discover them. I have brought the pomade,too, and the prescription Olympus gave me for--"
"Hush, hush!" interrupted Cleopatra softly. "There are many livingcreatures in this garden, and they say that even the birds are goodlisteners."
A roguish smile deepened the dimples in her cheeks as she spoke,and delight in her bewitching grace forced from Charmian's lips theexclamation:
"If Mark Antony could only see you now!"
"Flatterer!" replied the Queen with a grateful smile. But Charmian feltthat the time had now come to plead once more for Barine, and she beganeagerly:
"No, I certainly do not flatter. No one in Alexandria, no matter whatname she bears, could venture to vie even remotely with your charms. Socease the persecution of the unfortunate woman whom you confided to mycare. It is an insult to Cleopatra--"
But here an indignant "Again!" interrupted her.
Cleopatra's face, which during the conversation had mirrored everyemotion of a woman's soul, from the deepest sorrow to the mostmischievous mirth, assumed an expression of repellent harshness, and,with the curt remark, "You are forgetting what I had good reason toforbid--I must go to my work," she turned her back upon the companion ofher youth.