Sardou's Cleopatra — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

48 SARDOUS CLEOPATRA. CHAPTER IV. IN THE LAND OF THE LOTUS. In the magnificent palace of Rameses the Great, Cleopatra, the Queen, is holding high revelry, in honor of her illustrious guest. Here, on the confines of the great Libyan des- ert, their life, for a month, has been an uninter- rupted succession of festivals, hunting parties, luxurious feasts and voluptuous orgies. In her festivities each day more magnificent, in her re- pasts each day more sumptuous, in her ever increasing follies, the brilliant queen has taxed the resources of her kingdom. Her prodigality was unbounded. If the Falernian wines appeared insipid to her, she cast pearls in the cup to flavor it with melted jewels. Nothing could moderate the splendid recklessness of her caprices. Antony was astounded, blinded, intoxicated. And yet he was no novice in the art of gorgeous entertain- ment. Once, when the supper was good, he had presented a house to his cook. Dressed as Bac- comicbooks:co