Sardou's Cleopatra — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

116 SARDOU’S CLEOPATRA. # Upon the roof were two other persons, Sera- pion, who had been summoned by the queen to > read the stars, and unfold to her what they dis- closed of the future, and Kephren, the captain of the guard. ‘The latter, fully armed, stood as sen- tinel near the flight of steps which led to the rooms below. ‘There were peace and happiness in the faithful man’s heart. For some inscruta- ble reason, which he neither knew nor cared to fathom, Cleopatra had been pleased to revoke her orders in regard to the discovery of the concealed archer, and Kephren was permitted once more to guard the person of his beloved sovereign. The view from the roof of the palace was su- perb in its extent and somber grandeur. The skies, lately flushed by the supreme splen- dor of the dying day, were now of a blue darkness from which shone out big bright stars, while low on the horizon was a faint, greenish-gold belt. The silver disk of the moon hung high in the heavens, bathing all in a mellow radiance, and flashing upon the sluggish, winding waters of the Nile. In all directions, stretched away a long, limitless plain of undulating sand, sparkling with -a steely radiance in the moonlight, and recalling a sea of ice, or the surface of a lake softly stirred Gomicbooks €O =