but　I　noticed　that　her=20fingers　at　once　busied　themselves　with　the
  entirely　uncalled…for　labour　of　readjusting　the　tidy　upon　the　arm　of
  her　chair；　and　I　thought　that；　if　appearances　were　to　be　trusted；
  she　was　very　happy　and　contented　at　the　change　she　had　made　in　the
  bit　of　lacework　beneath　her　hands。　　With　singular　good　sense；　with
  which　she　was　always　surprising　me；　Alice　now　introduced　the　subject
  of　the　Young　People's　Club；　and　mentioned　incidentally　that　Gwen　was
  to　have　charge　of　the　next　meeting。　　Before　Gwen　had　time　to　inform
  Maitland　that　she　intended　to　decline　this　honour；　he　congratulated
  her　upon　it；　and　rendered　her　withdrawal　difficult　by　saying：　〃I　feel
  that　I　should　thank　you；　Miss　Darrow；　for　the　faithful　way　in　which
  you　fulfil　the　spirit　of　your　agreement　to　permit　me　to　order　your
  actions。　　I　know；　if　you　consulted　your　own　desires；　you　would
  probably　decline　the　honour　conferred　upon　you；　and　that　in　accepting
  it；　you　are　influenced　by　the　knowledge　that　you　are　pursuing　just
  the　course　I　most　wish　you　to　follow。　　Verily；　you　make　my　office　of
  tyrant　over　you　a　perfect　sinecure。　　I　had　expected　you　to　chafe　a
  little　under　restraint；　but；　instead；　I　find　you　voluntarily　yielding
  to　my　unexpressed　desires。〃
  Gwen　made　no　reply；　but　we　heard　no　more　of　her　resignation。　　She
  applied　herself　at　once　to　the　preparation　of　her　paper　upon
  〃Antony　and　Cleopatra。〃　　Maitland；　who；　like　all　vigorous；　healthy；
  and　informed　intellects；　was　an　ardent　admirer　of　Shakespeare；　found
  time　to　call　on　Gwen　and　to　discuss　the　play　with　her。　　This　seemed
  to　please　her　very　much；　and　I　am　sure　his　interest　in　the　play　was
  abnormal。　　He　confessed　to　me　that　every　morning；　as　he　awoke；　the
  first　thing　which　flashed　into　his　mind；　even　before　he　had　full
  possession　of　his　senses；　was　these　words　of　Antony：
  〃I　am　dying；　Egypt；　dying。〃
  He　professed　himself　utterly　unable　to　account　for　this；　and　asked
  me　what　I　thought　was　the　cause　of　it。　　He　furthermore　suddenly
  decided　that　he　would　ask　Gwen　to　propose　his　name　for　membership　at
  the　next　meeting　of　the　Young　People's　Club。　　I　hastily　indorsed
  this　resolution；　for　I　had　a　vague　sort　of　feeling　that　it　would
  please　Gwen。
  The　〃Antony　and　Cleopatra〃　night　at　length　arrived。　　We　all　attended
  the　meeting　and　listened　to　a　very　able　paper　upon　the　play。　　One
  of　the　most　marked　traits　of　Gwen's　character　is　that　whatever　she
  does　she　does　thoroughly；　and　this　was　fully　exemplified　on　the　night
  in　question。　　Maitland　was　very　much　impressed　by　some　verse　Gwen
  had　written　for　the　occasion；　and　a　copy　of　which　he　succeeded　in
  procuring　from　her。　　I　think；　from　certain　remarks　he　made；　that　it
  was　the　broad　and　somewhat　unfeminine　charity　expressed　in　the　verse
  which　most　astonished　and　attracted　him；　but　of　this；　after　what　I
  have　said；　you　will；　when　you　have　perused　it；　be　as　good　a　judge
  as　I：
  CLEOPATRA
  In　Egypt；　where　the　lotus　sips　the　waters
  Of　ever…fruitful　Nile；　and　the　huge　Sphinx
  In　awful　silence；　…　mystic　converse　with
  The　stars；　…　doth　see　the　pale　moon　hang　her　crescent　on
  The　pyramid's　sharp　peak；　…　e'en　there；　well　in
  The　straits　of　Time's　perspective；
  Went　out；　by　Caesarean　gusts　from　Rome；
  The　low…burned　candle　of　the　Ptolemies：
  Went　out　without　a　flicker　in　full　glare
  Of　noon…day　glory。　　When　her　flame　lacked　oil
  Too　proud　was　Egypt's　queen　to　be
  The　snuff　of　Roman　spirits；　so　she　said；
  〃Good…night；〃　and　closed　the　book　of　life　half　read
  And　little　understood；　perchance　misread
  The　greater　part；　…　yet；　who　shall　say？　　Are　we
  An　ermined　bench　to　call　her　culprit　failings　up
  And　make　them　plead　for　mercy？　　Or　can　we；
  Upon　whom　soon　shall　fall　the　awful　shadow　of
  The　Judgment　Seat；　stand　in　her　light　and　throw
  Ourselves　that　shadow？　　Rather　let　fall　upon
  Her　memory　the　softening　gauze　of　Time；
  As　mantle　of　a　charity　which　else
  We　might　not　serve。　　She　was　a　woman；
  And　as　a　woman　loved！　　What　though　the　fierce
  Simoom　blew　ever　hot　within　the　sail
  Of　her　desire？　　What　if　it　shifted　with
  Direction　of　her　breath？　　Or　if　the　rudder　of
  Her　will　did　lean　as　many　ways　as　trampled　straws；
  And　own　as　little　worth？　　She　was　a　woman　still；
  And　queen。　　They　do　best　understand　themselves
  Who　trust　themselves　the　least；　as　they　are　wisest
  Who；　for　their　safety；　thank　more　the　open　sea
  Than　pilot　will。　　Oh；　Egypt's　self…born　Isis！
  Ought　we　to　fasten　in　thy　memory　the　fangs
  Of　unalloyed　distrust？　　We　know　how　little
  Better　is　History's　page　than　leaf　whereat　the　ink
  Is　thrown。　　Nor　yet　should　we　forget　how　much
  The　nearer　thou　than　we　didst　come　to
  The　rough…hewn　corner…stone　of　Time。　　We　know
  Thy　practised　love　enfolded　Antony；
  And　that　around　the　heart　of　Hercules'
  Descendant；　threading　through　and　through；
  Like　the　red　rivers　of　its　life；　in　tangled　mesh
  No　circumstance　could　e'er　unravel；　thou
  Didst　coil；　…　the　dreamy；　dazzling　〃Serpent　of
  The　Nile！〃　Thy　sins　stick　jagged　out
  From　history's　page；　and　bleeding　tear
  Fair　Judgment　from　thy　merits。　　We　perchance
  Do　wrong　thee；　Isis；　for　that　coward；　History；
  Who　binds　in　death　his　object's　jaw　and　then
  Besmuts　her　name；　hath　crossed　his　focus　in
  Another　age；　and　paled　his　spreading　figment　from
  Our　sight。　　Thou　art　so　far　back　toward
  The　primal　autocrat　whose　wish；　hyena…like；
  Was　his　religion；　that；　appearing　as　thou　dost
  On　an　horizon　new　flushed　in　the　first
  Uncertain　ray　of　Altruism；　thou　seem'st
  More　ghost　than　human。　　Yet　thou　lovest；　loving　ghost；
  And　thy　fierce　parent　flame　thyself　snuffed　out
  Scarce　later　than　the　dark'ning　of　the　fire
  Thou　gav'st　to　be　eternal　vestal　of
  Thine　Antony's　spirit。　　Thou　didst　love　and　die
  Of　love；　let；　therefore；　no　light　tongue；　brazen
  In　censure；　say　that　nothing　in　thy　life
  Became　thee　like　the　leaving　it。　　The　cloth
  From　which　humanity　is　cut　is　woven　of
  The　warp　and　woof　of　circumstance；　and　all
  Are　much　alike。　　We　spring　from　out　the　mantle；　Earth；
  And　hide　at　last　beneath　it；　in　the　interim
  Our　acts　are　less　of　us　than　it。　　We　are
  No　judge；　then；　of　thy　sins；　thou　ending　link
  Of　Ptolemy's　chain。　　Forsooth；　we　are　too　much
  O'erfilled　with　wondering　how　like　to　thee
  We　all　had　been；　inclipt　and　dressed　in　thine
  Own　age　and　circumstance。
  The　exercises　of　the　evening　concluded　with　the　reading　of　the
  familiar　poem；　beginning：
  〃I　am　dying；　Egypt；　dying；
  Ebbs　the　crimson　life…tide　fast。〃
  It　was　about　noon　the　next　day　when　Maitland　called　upon　me。　　〃See
  here；　Doc；〃　he　began　at　once；　〃do　you　believe　in　coincidences？〃　　I
  informed　him　that　his　question　was　not　altogether　easy　to　understand。
  〃Wait　a　moment；〃　he　said；　〃while　I　explain。　　For　at　least　two　years
  prior　to　my　recent　return　from　California　the　name　'Cleopatra'　has
  not　entered　my　mind。　　You　were　the　first　to　mention　it　to　me；　and
  from　you　I　learned　that　Miss　Darrow　was　to　have　charge　of　the　'Antony
  and　Cleopatra'　night。　　That　is　all　natural　enough。　　But　why　should　I；
  on　every　morning　since　you　first　mentioned　the　subject　to　me；　awake
  with　Antony's　words　upon　my　lips？　　Why　should　every　book　or　paper　I
  pick　up　contain　some　reference　to　Cleopatra？　　Why；　man；　if　I　were
  superstitious；　it　would　seem　positively　spookish。　　I　am　getting　to
  believe　that　I　shall　be　confronted　either　by　Cleopatra's　name；　or
  some　allusion　to　her；　every　time　I　pick　up　a　book。　　It's　getting　to
  be　decidedly　interesting。〃
  〃I　have　had；〃　I　replied；　〃similar；　though　less　remarkable；
  experiences。　　It　is　quite　a　common　occurrence　to　learn　of　a　thing；
  say；　this　morning　for　the　first　time　in　one's　life；　and　then　to
  find；　in　the　course　of　the　day's　reading；　three　or　four　independent
  references　to　the　same　thing。　　Suppose　we　step　into　the　library；　and
  pick　out　a　few　books　haphazard；　just　to　see　if　we　chance　upon　any
  reference　to　Cleopatra。〃
  To　this　Maitland　agreed；　and；　entering　the　library；　I　pushed　the
  Morning　Herald　across　the　table　to　him；　saying：　〃One　thing's　as　good
  as　another；　try　that。〃　　He　started　a　little；　but　did　not　touch　the
  paper。　　〃You　will　have　to　find　something　harder　than　that；〃　he　said；
  pointing　to　the　outspread　paper。
  I　followed　the　direction　of　his　finger；　and　read：
  〃Boston　Theatre。　　Special　engagement　of　Miss　Fanny　Davenport。
  For　one　week。　　Beginning　Monday；　the　12th　of　December；　Sardou's
  'Cleopatra。'〃
  I　was　indeed　surprised；　but　I　said　nothing。　　The　next　thing　I　handed
  him　was　a　copy　of　Godey's　Magazine；　several　years　old。　　He　opened　it
  carelessly；　and　in　a　moment　read　the　following　line：　〃I　am　dying；
  sweetheart；　dying。〃　　〃Doesn't　that　sound　familiar？　　It　reminds　me　at
  once　of　the　poetic　alarm　clock　that　wakens　me　every　morning；　…　'I　am
  dying；　Egypt；　dying。'　　There　is　no　doubt　that　Higginson's　poem
  suggested　this　one。　　Here　is　the　whole　of　the　thing　as　it　is　printed
  here；〃　h