Sardou's Cleopatra — page 153: what you’re looking at

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

138 SARDOU’S CLEOPATRA. burst forth in unmeasured denunciation of Char- mian’s obstinate opposition to her royal will. “The love. of a Roman!” she repeated. “Ah, Egypt without him is no more than a vain phan- tom. Antony alone can restore to this sad coun- try the splendor of its former days.”’ As she spoke, she turned to go, but her foot- steps were arrested by a sudden exclamation from Kephren, who at the same time pointed upward to the skies. Cleopatra raised her eyes in the di- rection of the gesture. Ha! what was that sil- | very flash against the darkness of the heavens? The wings of an ibis, bearing, perhaps, some fur- ther message from Antony. But in close pursuit of the sacred bird was an enormous eagle. Already it rose in the air to pounce upon its prey. “Quick, Kephren, quick !’”’ screamed Cleopatra. “Fire upon that eagle. Quick, or it will be too mete |?? : “But if-I kill the ibis!” exclaimed Kephren. “No matter. Fire—fire, I tell you! It is at my command.” To kill an ibis was an unforgiveable sin. But not for one instant did Kephren hesitate. He would have boldly faced all the terrors of the in- fernal regions at the command of Egypt’s Queen, ‘At cComicbooks (eo) 3