Sardou's Cleopatra — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

38 SARDOU’S OLEOPA TRA, “Ah!” he thought to himself, “she is a queen always, but also always a woman. ‘Through all her weakness, one sees her royalty. She proceeds calmly on her way, defiant of opinion, deserving perhaps only hatred, but inspiring only love.” “Uncle,” murmured Iras, covering her face with her hands, ‘‘to-day he is to die.” “Why not?” responded the old man. “He ac- cepted the bargain. A queen has loved him, and the slave must die.” _ Iras raised her head. “Slave!” she repeated. “Ah! you should see him. No! the queen was right when she called him the god of the Nile. In my country the women are often loved by the god of the Scaman- der. Woeto her who rests too long upon the river’s perfumed shores! He seizes her by her floating locks and bears her away to the deep erottoes beneath the waves. Her friends mourn and seek for her in vain. ‘The river god loves her so much that he loves her forever.” = “Child!” said Serapion, smiling indulgently. “These are but old wives’ tales. ‘The old Nile has no such delightful caprices. I don’t know why I listen to such folly.” “But if he were a king,” persisted the young Eomicbooks.co