cleopatra-第54章

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questions；　thus　I　took　farewell　of　my　humble　hosts。　First　I　placed

some　pieces　of　gold　on　the　well…cleaned　table　of　wood；　and　then　taking

a　pot　of　flour　I　strewed　it　in　the　form　of　letters；　writing：



　〃This　gift　from　Olympus；　the　Egyptian；　who　returns　into　the　sea。〃



Then　I　went；　and　on　the　third　day　I　came　to　the　great　city　of　Salamis；

that　is　also　on　the　sea。　Here　I　abode　in　the　fishermen's　quarters　till

a　vessel　was　about　to　sail　for　Alexandria；　and　to　the　captain　of　this

vessel；　a　man　of　Paphos；　I　hired　myself　as　a　sailor。　We　sailed　with　a

favouring　wind；　and　on　the　fifth　day　I　came　to　Alexandria；　that

hateful　city；　and　saw　the　light　dancing　on　its　golden　domes。



Here　I　might　not　abide。　So　again　I　hired　myself　out　as　a　sailor；

giving　my　labour　in　return　for　passage；　and　we　passed　up　the　Nile。　And

I　learned　from　the　talk　of　men　that　Cleopatra　had　come　back　to

Alexandria；　drawing　Antony　with　her　and　that　they　lived　together　with

royal　state　in　the　palace　on　the　Lochias。　Indeed；　the　boatmen　already

had　a　song　thereon；　which　they　sang　as　they　laboured　at　the　oar。　Also

I　heard　how　the　galley　that　was　sent　to　search　for　the　vessel　which

carried　the　Syrian　merchant　had　foundered　with　all　her　crew；　and　the

tale　that　the　Queen's　astronomer；　Harmachis；　had　flown　to　Heaven　from

the　roof　of　the　house　at　Tarsus。　And　the　sailors　wondered　because　I

sat　and　laboured　and　would　not　sing　their　ribald　song　of　the　loves　of

Cleopatra。　For　they；　too；　began　to　fear　me；　and　mutter　concerning　me

among　themselves。　Then　I　knew　that　I　was　a　man　accursed　and　set　apart

a　man　whom　none　might　love。



On　the　sixth　day　we　drew　nigh　to　Abouthis；　where　I　left　the　craft；　and

the　sailors　were　right　glad　to　see　me　go。　And；　with　a　breaking　heart；

I　walked　through　the　fertile　fields；　seeing　faces　that　I　knew　well。

But　in　my　rough　disguise　and　limping　gait　none　knew　me。　At　length；　as

the　sun　sank；　I　came　near　to　the　great　outer　pylon　of　the　temple；　and

here　I　crouched　down　in　the　ruins　of　a　house；　not　knowing　why　I　had

come　or　what　I　was　about　to　do。　Like　a　lost　ox　I　had　strayed　from　far；

back　to　the　fields　of　my　birth；　and　for　what？　If　my　father；　Amenemhat；

still　lived；　surely　he　would　turn　his　face　from　me。　I　dared　not　go

into　the　presence　of　my　father。　I　sat　hidden　there　among　the　broken

rafters；　and　idly　watched　the　pylon　gates；　to　see　if；　perchance；　a

face　I　knew　should　issue　from　them。　But　none　came　forth　or　entered　in；

though　the　great　gates　stood　wide；　and　then　I　saw　that　herbs　were

growing　between　the　stones；　where　no　herbs　had　grown　for　ages。　What

could　this　be？　Was　the　temple　deserted？　Nay；　how　could　the　worship　of

the　eternal　Gods　have　ceased；　that　for　thousands　of　years　had；　day　by

day；　been　offered　in　the　holy　place？　Was；　then；　my　father　dead？　It

well　might　be。　And　yet；　why　this　silence？　Where　were　the　priests：

where　the　worshippers？



I　could　bear　the　doubt　no　more；　but　as　the　sun　sank　red　I　crept　like　a

hunted　jackal　through　the　open　gates；　and　on　till　I　reached　the　first

great　Hall　of　Pillars。　Here　I　paused　and　gazed　around　menot　a　sight；

not　a　sound；　in　the　dim　and　holy　place！　I　went　on　with　a　beating　heart

to　the　second　great　hall；　the　hall　of　six…and…thirty　pillars　where　I

had　been　crowned　Lord　of　all　the　Lands：　still　not　a　sight　or　a　sound！

Thence；　half　fearful　of　my　own　footfall；　so　terribly　did　it　echo　in

the　silence　of　the　deserted　Holies；　I　passed　down　the　passage　of　the

names　of　the　Pharaohs　towards　my　father's　chamber。　The　curtain　still

swung　over　the　doorway；　but　what　would　there　be　within？also

emptiness？　I　lifted　it；　and　noiselessly　passed　in；　and　there　in　his

carven　chair　at　the　table　on　which　his　long　white　beard　flowed；　sat　my

father；　Amenemhat；　clad　in　his　priestly　robes。　At　first　I　thought　that

he　was　dead；　he　sat　so　still；　but　at　length　he　turned　his　head；　and　I

saw　that　his　eyes　were　white　and　sightless。　He　was　blind；　and　his　face

was　thin　as　the　face　of　a　dead　man；　and　woeful　with　age　and　grief。



I　stood　still　and　felt　the　blind　eyes　wandering　over　me。　I　could　not

speak　to　himI　dared　not　speak　to　him；　I　would　go　and　hide　myself

afresh。



I　had　already　turned　and　grasped　the　curtain；　when　my　father　spoke　in

a　deep；　slow　voice：



〃Come　hither；　thou　who　wast　my　son　and　art　a　traitor。　Come　hither；

thou　Harmachis；　on　whom　Khem　builded　up　her　hope。　Not　in　vain；　then；

have　I　drawn　thee　from　far　away！　Not　in　vain　have　I　held　my　life　in　me

till　I　heard　thy　footfall　creeping　down　these　empty　Holies；　like　the

footfall　of　a　thief！〃



〃Oh！　my　father；〃　I　gasped；　astonished。　〃Thou　art　blind：　how　knowest

thou　me？〃



〃How　do　I　know　thee？and　askest　thou　that　who　hast　learned　of　our

lore？　Enough；　I　know　thee　and　I　brought　thee　hither。　Would；　Harmachis；

that　I　knew　thee　not！　Would　that　I　had　been　blasted　of　the　Invisible

ere　I　drew　thee　down　from　the　womb　of　Nout；　to　be　my　curse　and　shame；

and　the　last　woe　of　Khem！〃



〃Oh；　speak　not　thus！〃　I　moaned；　〃is　not　my　burden　already　more　than　I

can　bear？　Am　I　not　myself　betrayed　and　utterly　outcast？　Be　pitiful；　my

father！〃



〃Be　pitiful！be　pitiful　to　thee　who　hast　shown　so　great　pity？　It　was

thy　pity　which　gave　up　noble　Sepa　to　die　beneath　the　hands　of　the

tormentors！〃



〃Oh；　not　thatnot　that！〃　I　cried。



〃Ay；　traitor；　that！to　die　in　agony；　with　his　last　poor　breath

proclaiming　thee；　his　murderer；　honest　and　innocent！　Be　pitiful　to

thee；　who　gavest　all　the　flower　of　Khem　as　the　price　of　a　wanton's

arms！thinkest　thou　that；　labouring　in　the　darksome　desert　mines；

those　noble　ones　in　thought　are　pitiful　to　thee；　Harmachis？　Be　pitiful

to　thee；　by　whom　this　Holy　Temple　of　Abouthis　hath　been　ravaged；　its

lands　seized；　its　priests　scattered；　and　I　alone；　old　and　withered；

left　to　count　out　its　ruinto　thee；　who　hast　poured　the　treasures　of

/Her/　into　thy　leman's　lap；　who　hast　forsworn　Thyself；　thy　Country；

thy　Birthright；　and　thy　Gods！　Yea；　thus　am　I　pitiful：　Accursed　be

thou；　fruit　of　my　loins！Shame　be　thy　portion；　Agony　thy　end；　and

Hell　receive　thee　at　the　last！　Where　art　thou？　Yea；　I　grew　blind　with

weeping　when　I　heard　the　truthsure；　they　strove　to　hide　it　from　me。

Let　me　find　thee　that　I　may　spit　upon　thee；　thou　Renegade！　thou

Apostate！　thou　Outcast！〃and　he　rose　from　his　seat　and　staggered　like

a　living　Wrath　toward　me；　smiting　the　air　with　his　wand。　And　as　he

came　with　outstretched　arms；　awful　to　see；　suddenly　his　end　found　him；

and　with　a　cry　he　sank　down　upon　the　ground；　the　red　blood　streaming

from　his　lips。　I　ran　to　him　and　lifted　him；　and　as　he　died；　he

babbled：



〃He　was　my　son；　a　bright…eyed　lovely　boy；　and　full　of　promise　as　the

Spring；　and　nowand　nowoh；　would　that　he　were　dead！〃



Then　came　a　pause　and　the　breath　rattled　in　his　throat。



〃Harmachis；〃　he　gasped；　〃art　there？〃



〃Yea；　father。〃



〃Harmachis；　atone！atone！　Vengeance　can　still　be　wreakedforgiveness

may　still　be　won。　There's　gold；　I've　hidden　itAtouashe　can　tell

theeah；　this　pain！　Farewell！〃



And　he　struggled　faintly　in　my　arms　and　was　dead。







Thus；　then；　did　I　and　my　holy　father；　the　Prince　Amenemhat；　meet

together　for　the　last　time　in　the　flesh；　and　for　the　last　time　part。







CHAPTER　II



OF　THE　LAST　MISERY　OF　HARMACHIS；　OF　THE　CALLING　DOWN　OF　THE

HOLY　ISIS　BY　THE　WORD　OF　FEAR；　OF　THE　PROMISE　OF　ISIS；　OF　THE

COMING　OF　ATOUA；　AND　OF　THE　WORDS　OF　ATOUA



I　crouched　upon　the　floor　gazing　at　the　dead　body　of　my　father；　who

had　lived　to　curse　me；　the　utterly　accursed；　while　the　darkness　crept

and　gathered　round　us；　till　at　length　the　dead　and　I　were　alone　in　the

black　silence。　Oh；　how　tell　the　misery　of　that　hour！　Imagination

cannot　dream　it；　nor　words　paint　it　forth。　Once　more　in　my

wretchedness　I　bethought　me　of　death。　A　knife　was　at　my　girdle；　with

which　I　might　cut　the　thread　of　sorrow　and　set　my　spirit　free。　Free？

ay；　free　to　fly　and　face　the　last　vengeance　of　the　Holy　Gods！　Alas！

and　alas！　I　did　not　dare