Part 12 (1/2)
”How is it that you, who live in Thebes in a rich palace, surrounded by slaves, and whoyptians desire,--how is it you have chosen to love er who does not share your religious beliefs and who is separated froreat a distance?”
Ra'hel and Tahoser shter replied,--
”That is the very reason”
”Although I enjoy the favour of the Pharaoh, although I ailded horns in the festivals of agriculture, I cannot rise to you In the eyes of the Egyptians I ahest and most venerated If you love ive up your rank”
”Have I not already beco of Tahoser, not even the enaauze calasiris; that is why you thought ive up your country and follow h the desert where burns the sun, where blows the fire-wind, where the rohere no well springs, through the lost valleys of death strehitened bones that o,” said Tahoser, quietly
”That is not all,” continued Poeri ”Your Gods are not ranite, fashi+oned by the hand of le, monkey, ibis, cow, jackal, and lion, which assume the faces of beasts as if they were troubled by the human face on which rests the reflection of Jehovah It is said, 'Thou shalt worshi+p neither stone nor wood nor metal' Within these terin and crouch the hideous, foul des, and the sacrifices One only God, infinite, eternal, formless, colourless, fills the immensity of the heavens which you people with a multitude of phantoms Our God has created us; you have created your Gods”
Although Tahoser was deeply in love with Poeri, his words affected her strangely, and she drew back in terror The daughter of the high-priest had been brought up to venerate the Gods who; she had offered up on their altars bouquets of flowers, and she had burned perfuhted, she had walked through their tes She had seen her father perfor the mysterious rites; she had followed the procession of priests who bore the syh the enormous pylons and the endless sphinx avenues; she had ad soul appears before Osiris armed with the whip and the pedulance the frescoes representing the eions of the West She could not thus yield up all her beliefs She was silent for a few ion and love Love won the day, and she said:
”You shall tell me of your God; I will try to understand him”
”It is well,” said Poeri; ”you shall be my wife Meanwhile remain here, for the Pharaoh, no doubt in love with you, is having you sought everywhere by his emissaries He will never discover you under this humble roof, and in a few days we shall be out of his power But the night is waning and Iwo side by side on the soft bed, soon fell asleep, holding each other's hands like two sisters
Tha scene had re like a bat hanging fro broken words and frowning, now unfolded her bony li over the bed, listened to the breathing of the two sleepers When the regularity of their breathing convinced her that they were sound asleep, she went towards the door, walking with infinite precaution Once outside, she sprang with swift steps in the direction of the Nile, shaking off the dogs who hung on with their teeth at the edge of her tunic, or dragging thelared at thehtened yelps and let her pass by
She had soon passed the dangerous and deserted places inhabited at night by the members of the thieves' association, and entered the wealthy quarter of Thebes Three or four streets bordered with tall buildings, the shadows of which fell in great angles, led her to the outer wall of the palace, which was the object of her trip The difficulty was to enter,--no easy ht for an old Hebrew servant with dusty feet and shabby gare D Sproul
GILBO & CO
_The Pharaoh slew but a short tiers with a blow of his sceptre_]
She went to the th, fifty raed in two lines like ranite jaws the ie The sentinels stopped her, struck her roughly with the shafts of their javelins, and then asked her what she wished
”I want to see the Pharaoh,” replied the old woht,--very nice! Waken for this witch the Pharaoh, favourite of Phre, beloved of Ahing loudly
Thamar repeated obstinately, ”I want to see the Pharaoh at once”
”A very good time you have chosen for it! The Pharaoh slew but a short tiers with a blow of his sceptre He sits on his terrace, motionless and sinister like Typhon, the God of evil,” said a soldier who condescended to give this explanation
Ra'hel's h; the javelins rattled on her head like haan to yell like a bird plucked alive
An officer ca Thamar
”What does this wo her in this way?”
”I want to see the Pharaoh,” cried Tha herself to the knees of the officer
”Out of the question,” replied the latter; ”it is out of the question,--even if, instead of being a loretch, you were one of the greatest personages in the kingdom”