Sardou's Cleopatra — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

Bays — SARDOU’S CLEOPATRA. friends, wife, country, an empire, everything for a single kiss!” As she heard these impassioned words, the queen’s heart stirred for a moment with a some- thing that was not wholly satisfied vanity. Bend- ing toward him with a gesture that was almost a caress, she laid her white hand on his arm, and he felt the blood mount to his brain at that thrill- ing touch. ‘The waters of the Cydnus are cold,” she said, in a half whisper, “‘while the warm rays of the sun kiss the banks of the Nile.” The answer came, without a moment’s hesita- tion. “Lead on! Where you go, I follow.” As the light of dawn quivering upon the hill- tops wakes to life the fairness of nature, the queen’s smile brightened her face into unspeak- able loveliness, She arose, and holding out her hand, said, in her crystalline voice: “Come, then !” He sprang to his feet, and, trembling in every limb, took her hand in his. “Oh! Star of the Orient, Queen of Love, take comicbooks:co