Sardou's Cleopatra — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

66 SARDOU’S CLEOPATRA. “Long live Antony! Long live our Emperor! — Long live Cleopatra the queen!” The vessel which had brought Ventidius and Eros was waiting at the quay to convey them to Rome. With her own hands the queen helped to arm her lover. She had moulded him to suit her own will; but now that separation was imminent, de- spite her undaunted nature, all her fears and weaknesses of a loving woman were aroused. She lavished upon him the most tender caresses, min- gled with broken words. “Ah! to separate! It is cruel! and it is my words that have brought it about. Ah! you do not love me, or you would not go. No, no—lI mean it not. You must, you shall go; I wish it.” As, through her blinding tears, she buckled his cuirass, one of the sharp points wounded her fin- ger and a drop of bright blood trickled slowly down Antony’s white corselet. As she perceived the crimson stain, she turned pale as death, and, with a cry of horror, she clung frantically to him. “It is an omen—an omen of evil! We shall never meet again. Ah! swear to me that you will return!” vio cena comicbooks (ele)