Sardou's Cleopatra — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

SARDOU’S CLEOPATRA. 119 couch, and wildly flinging out her white arms toward the phantom figure, she cried, in loud, thrilling tones: “Antony! Antony!” The cry swept over the flat expanse of sand, which returned noecho; the only echo was in the lonely queen’s heart. Startled, Iras awoke and raised her head, and Charmian, approaching nearer, knelt down beside the queen. “Madame! Royal mistress!” she said, sooth- ingly. At the words, the queen’s face lost its strained expression, and, with a long, shuddering sigh, she sank back upon the couch. ‘Then, as she caught sight of the white-robed figure of Serapion, who was standing a short distance away, she raised herself eagerly upon one elbow, and motioned the priest to approach. | For an instant she eyed him with a peculiar expression, half scorn, half reverence. She had summoned him to her presence to hear what pre- dictions he could make in regard to Antony’s speedy return. Cleopatra’s intelligence was too keen for her at ordinary times to thoroughly trust in the augeries and omens in which the people of comicbooks (ele) See