Sardou's Cleopatra — page 120: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SARDOU'S CLEOPATRA. 105 from the great Cesar to this poor slave himself, it was always she who forsook, she was never for- saken. A triumphant joy illumined her face, making it so gloriously lovely that Pharon involuntarily covered his eyes with his hands, as one does before the brilliancy of the sun. “Ah!” she cried, exultantly. “He will re- turn |” | “Trembling to ask for his chains once more. He loves you, he loves you still. You can believe me, for his torments are mine. Read in my heart and believe in his.” There was a smile upon the queen’s face, a smile of conscious power. All her fears were for the moment gone. What folly to have believed that Antony could forget her. ‘And now,” said Pharon, “I go to fulfill my oath.” | “No,” said Cleopatra, gently, almost tenderly. “T absolve you. I bid you live.” The slave’s face flushed scarlet. With a wild cry he fell on his knees before her. ‘The thing that in his madness he had believed, had now come true. The queen had relented. It was not that he cared for life—what could life mean * comicbooks ae)