登陆注册
15440000000042

第42章 CHAPTER XIV CLEOPATRA(2)

The spectator felt that Cleopatra had sunk down out of the fever and turmoil of her life, and for one instant--as it were, between two pulse throbs--had relinquished all activity, and was resting throughout every vein and muscle. It was the repose of despair, indeed; for Octavius had seen her, and remained insensible to her enchantments. But still there was a great smouldering furnace deep down in the woman's heart. The repose, no doubt, was as complete as if she were never to stir hand or foot again; and yet, such was the creature's latent energy and fierceness, she might spring upon you like a tigress, and stop the very breath that you were now drawing midway in your throat.

The face was a miraculous success. The sculptor had not shunned to give the full Nubian lips, and other characteristics of the Egyptian physiognomy. His courage and integrity had been abundantly rewarded; for Cleopatra's beauty shone out richer, warmer, more triumphantly beyond comparison, than if, shrinking timidly from the truth, he had chosen the tame Grecian type. The expression was of profound, gloomy, heavily revolving thought; a glance into her past life and present emergencies, while her spirit gathered itself up for some new struggle, or was getting sternly reconciled to impending doom. In one view, there was a certain softness and tenderness,--how breathed into the statue, among so many strong and passionate elements, it is impossible to say. Catching another glimpse, you beheld her as implacable as a stone and cruel as fire.

In a word, all Cleopatra--fierce, voluptuous, passionate, tender, wicked, terrible, and full of poisonous and rapturous enchantment--was kneaded into what, only a week or two before, had been a lump of wet clay from the Tiber. Soon, apotheosized in an indestructible material, she would be one of the images that men keep forever, finding a heat in them which does not cool down, throughout the centuries?

"What a woman is this!" exclaimed Miriam, after a long pause. "Tell me, did she ever try, even while you were creating her, to overcome you with her fury or her love? Were you not afraid to touch her, as she grew more and more towards hot life beneath your hand? My dear friend, it is a great work! How have you learned to do it?""It is the concretion of a good deal of thought, emotion, and toil of brain and hand," said Kenyon, not without a perception that his work was good; "but I know not how it came about at last. I kindled a great fire within my mind, and threw in the material,--as Aaron threw the gold of the Israelites into the furnace,--and in the midmost heat uprose Cleopatra, as you see her.""What I most marvel at," said Miriam, "is the womanhood that you have so thoroughly mixed up with all those seemingly discordant elements. Where did you get that secret? You never found it in your gentle Hilda, yet Irecognize its truth."

"No, surely, it was not in Hilda," said Kenyon. "Her womanhood is of the ethereal type, and incompatible with any shadow of darkness or evil.""You are right," rejoined Miriam; "there are women of that ethereal type, as you term it, and Hilda is one of them. She would die of her first wrong-doing,--supposing for a moment that she could be capable of doing wrong. Of sorrow, slender as she seems, Hilda might bear a great burden;of sin, not a feather's weight. Methinks now, were it my doom, I could bear either, or both at once; but my conscience is still as white as Hilda's. Do you question it?""Heaven forbid, Miriam!" exclaimed the sculptor.

He was startled at the strange turn which she had so suddenly given to the conversation. Her voice, too,--so much emotion was stifled rather than expressed in it, sounded unnatrural.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 启神座

    启神座

    要是一个人,神都害怕他,那他说的话,连天也要听。百年孤寂后,是不死的轮回新生,还是真正的大毁灭。当是非已难分时,真正的对错便如彼岸一样遥不可及。看一个男孩如何抉择一生,若心不悔,神也得避让。
  • 领主是魔法师

    领主是魔法师

    被谋害的戴维,重生在亡灵异界,成为了一只小骷髅,偶得奇遇终于杀回原来的世界复仇雪恨。然,复仇之后的戴维爆发出了追求力量的勇者之心,在这个知识就是力量的魔法师世界里,看戴维怎么一步一步成为最伟大的奴隶主!
  • 螳臂敢挡车

    螳臂敢挡车

    生活感悟,我手写我心而已。本无需赘言,奈何字数有定,为之奈何?
  • 冥妃子

    冥妃子

    一场梦把我拉进了另一个世界,倒霉的我被前任抛弃,被女鬼物缠上,连老天爷都嫌我不够倒霉,让我爱上了一只千年鬼!
  • 勇者希尔的冒险故事

    勇者希尔的冒险故事

    (已停更)作为神使的希尔,生来就可以神之力。在一次又一次的冒险中,他逐渐成长,明白了自己的使命,成为了传奇的勇者。
  • 筑梦师123

    筑梦师123

    天,就在今天今,我深刻领悟到闹钟是这世上最糟最糟的发明。如过你好没有睡醒,如果你还在作着一个不错的梦,就在这时七八个闹钟一起响个不停,一定会有摔拉他们的冲动。没错,只有大学寝室里才会发生这种事,凌乱的铃声往往伴随着震耳的呼噜声,震耳的呼噜声往往伴随着清脆的磨牙声,清脆的磨牙声往往伴随着令人匪夷所思的梦话,令人匪夷所思的梦话往往伴随着令人匪夷所思的梦话,令人匪夷所思的梦话往往伴随着令人匪夷所思的味道,哎哎,也许这就是令人匪夷所思的大学生活的一部分。
  • 女配逆袭:系统大人请帮忙

    女配逆袭:系统大人请帮忙

    (月月第一次写文,希望大家能够喜欢,月月还是学生,更新较慢,大家不要弃文,月月会很努力的!)在路边捡到一个手镯,却让安瑾月一次次的穿越,穿越到各文女配,得到女配逆袭系统,系统在手,男主我有!女主?呵,还是看着我如何攻略男主,走上辉煌之路吧!
  • 辉煌时代大帝王:刘彻

    辉煌时代大帝王:刘彻

    本书内容包括:年少即为初露锋芒、南征北战固疆土、严刑制律驭天下等共九章。
  • tfboys奇妙的历险

    tfboys奇妙的历险

    这是一个关于tfboys的小说,tfboys的世界出现了个女孩,身份不简单。
  • 我在这修仙

    我在这修仙

    “天哪!告诉我,这不是真的,这不是真的。。。”千盈满脸的不相信,她始终还是对她抱有一点儿希望的。即使她从来不把千盈当女儿来看待,但是现在看来千盈觉得自己错了,而且错的很离谱。。。