Part 13 (2/2)

You, like Akhnaton, are conscious of G.o.d first, the beauty He has made afterwards. If there had been the text 'G.o.d is Beauty' as there is 'G.o.d is Love,' it might have helped us to understand.”

”I forget him,” Michael said, ”you know how easily.”

”It is far better to know and love, even if you are human and forget. . . .” she paused ”. . . than always to sit in darkness, to sit outside the door.”

”I don't see how any one can,” Michael said. ”It is all so exquisitely evident. The desolation must be so terrifying, like living in this lonely spot with no watch-dogs to keep off evil-doers. It takes great courage to live on one's own strength, one's own material self.”

They had parted, Margaret going to her room, Michael to his tent.

Freddy, who was almost dressed, saw two figures approaching, wrapped up in big coats.

”That's a good job!” he said. ”The sunrise has made them friends again.” He was out in the desert the next moment, hearing the roll-call of the workmen, who had all ranged themselves up in a line near the hut.

CHAPTER IX

One evening, some weeks later, when the trio, Margaret, Freddy and Michael, were busily engaged in sorting and cleaning the day's finds, which had been more than usually interesting, Margaret held up for inspection a tiny alabaster kohl-pot, which she had freed from the incrustations of thousands of years. It was exactly similar to a little green gla.s.s bottle which she had bought in the bazaar at a.s.suan, in which the modern Egyptian, but more especially the Coptic, women carry the kohl which they use for blacking their eyes and eyebrows.

Margaret showed Freddy the bottle, which led to a discussion about the similarity of the customs of the modern Egyptians and those in the pictures in the tombs, whose decorations always reveal the more human and intimate side of the life of ancient Egypt than the decoration of the temples.

”They were as vain and fond of making up as any woman of to-day,”

Freddy said. ”We find no end of recipes for cosmetics and hair-dyes and restorers. One popular pomade was made of the hoofs of a donkey, a dog's pad and some date-kernels, all boiled together in oil. It was supposed to stop the hair from falling out and restore its brilliancy.

There is another, even more savoury, for hair-dying.”

”Do you suppose they still use that receipt?” Michael said.

”I shouldn't wonder. Customs never die in Egypt--they have had the same superst.i.tions and the same customs for thousands of years. The Copts have clung more jealously to them, of course. The Moslem invasion did a little to change some of them, but not many.”

Margaret listened while Freddy explained how the Moslems, after the Arab invasion, behaved with regard to the festivals and superst.i.tions of the pagans very much in the same way as the Early Christian church in Rome behaved with regard to the pagan festivities and superst.i.tions--adapting them, as far as was possible, to the new religion, grafting on such things as the people would not or could not renounce. The wisdom of the custom was obvious. The new converts, who believed in one G.o.d Whose Prophet had come to knock down all graven images in the temples, were still allowed the protection and comfort of their personal amulets, which were powerful enough to protect them from every evil imaginable, or to bring them all the blessings their simple souls desired. Arab workmen, who believe that Allah wills all things, that whatsoever happens, it is his purpose, will flock round any soothsayer who professes to see into the future and do the most absurd things conceivable to keep off the evil eye. The eye of Horus is still their favourite amulet.

”Abdul professes to tell fortunes and see into the future. They do sometimes manage to hit off some wonderfully clever guesses,” Freddy said. ”Abdul has been curiously correct in a number of things he has foretold relating to this bit of work.”

”What did he tell you about this excavation?”

”He didn't tell me--I overheard the workmen's chatter. He has worked them up to a pitch of absurd excitement.”

”What sort of things has he foretold? Good or bad? What things have come true?”

”I forget the small points now. I really can't tell you. He predicts all sorts of extravagant things about the inside of the tomb, says he has seen visions of a wonderful figure of a queen, dressed as if for her bridal, and the place all glittering with gold and precious stones--the most superb tomb that has ever been opened.”

”Oh!” Meg said excitedly. ”I wonder if it will be?--if there will be any truth in it?”

”Tommy-rot!” Freddy said. ”But the excitement's spread--the men are working like mad--never did so much good work before.”

”May I talk to Abdul? I'd love to have my future told!”

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