she-第31章

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him；　and　as　I　did　so　I　caught　sight　of　something　
bright　lying　on　the　floor；　which　I　picked　up。　Perhaps　
the　reader　will　remember　that　with　the　potsherd　in　the　
casket　was　a　composition　scarabaeus　marked　with　a　
round　O；　a　goose；　and　another　curious　hieroglyphic；　
the　meaning　of　which　signs　is　〃Suten　se　Ra^；〃　or　
〃Royal　Son　of　the　Sun。〃　This　scarab；　which　is　a　very　
small　one；　Leo　had　insisted　upon　having　set　in　a　
massive　gold　ring；　such　as　is　generally　used　for　
signets；　and　it　was　this　very　ring　that　I　now　picked　
up。　He　had　pulled　it　off　in　the　paroxysm　of　his　fever；　
at　least　I　suppose　so；　and　flung　it　down　upon　the　
rock…floor。　Thinking　that　if　I　left　it　about　it　might　
get　lost；　I　slipped　it　on　to　my　own　little　finger；　and　
then　followed　Billali；　leaving　Job　and　Ustane　with　
Leo。

We　passed　down　the　passage；　crossed　the　great　aisle…
like　cave；　and　came　to　the　corresponding　passage　on　
the　other　side；　at　the　mouth　of　which　the　guards　stood　
like　two　statues。　As　we　came　they　bowed　their　heads　in　
salutation；　and　then　lifting　their　long　spears　placed　
them　transversely　across　their　foreheads；　as　the　
leaders　of　the　troop　that　had　met　us　had　done　with。　
their　ivory　wands。　We　stepped　between　them；　and　found　
ourselves　in　an　exactly　similar　gallery　to　that　which　
led　to　our　own　apartments；　only　this　passage　was；　
comparatively　speaking；　brilliantly　lighted。　A　few　
paces　down　it　we　were　met　by　four　mutestwo　men　and　
two　womenwho　bowed　low　and　then　arranged　themselves；　
the　women　in　front　and　the　men　behind　us；　and　in　this　
order　we　continued　our　procession　past　several　
doorways　hung　with　curtains　resembling　those　leading　
to　our　own　quarters；　and　which　I　afterwards　found　
opened　out　into　chambers　occupied　by　the　mutes　who　
attended　on　_i_　She　_i_　。　A　few　paces　more　and　we　came　
to　another　doorway　facing　us；　and　not　to　our　left　like　
the　others；　which　seemed　to　mark　the　termination　of　
the　passage。　Here　two　more　white；　or　rather　yellow；　
robed　guards　were　standing；　and　they　too　bowed；　
saluted；　and　let　us　pass　through　heavy　curtains　into　a　
great　ante…chamber；　quite　forty　feet　long　by　as　many　
wide；　in　which　some　eight　or　ten　women；　most　of　them　
young　and　handsome；　with　yellowish　hair；　sat　on　
cushions　working　with　ivory　needles　at　what　had　the　
appearance　of　being　embroidery…frames。　These　women　
were　also　deaf　and　dumb。　At　the　farther　end　of　this　
great　lamp　lit　apartment　was　another　doorway　closed　in　
with　heavy　Oriental…looking　curtains；　quite　unlike　
those　that　hung　before　the　doors　of　our　own　rooms；　and　
here　stood　two　particularly　handsome　girl　mutes；　their　
heads　bowed　upon　their　bosoms　and　their　hands　crossed　
in　an　attitude　of　the　humblest　submission。　As　we　
advanced　they　each　stretched　out　an　arm　and　drew　back　
the　curtains。　Thereupon　Billali　did　a　curious　thing。　
Down　he　went；　that　venerable…looking　old　gentleman
for　Billali　is　a　gentleman　at　the　bottomdown　on　to　
his　hands　and　knees；　and　in　this　undignified　position；　
with　his　long　white　beard　trailing　on　the　ground；　he　
began　to　creep　into　the　apartment　beyond。　I　followed　
him；　standing　on　my　feet　in　the　usual　fashion。　Looking　
over　his　shoulder；　he　perceived　it。

〃Down；　my　son；　down；　my　Baboon；　down　on　to　thy　hands　
and　knees。　We　enter　the　presence　of　_i_　She　_i_　；　and；　
if　thou　art　not　humble；　of　a　surety　she　will　blast　
thee　where　thou　standest。〃

I　halted；　and　felt　scared。　Indeed；　my　knees　began　to　
give　way　of　their　own　mere　motion；　but　reflection　came　
to　my　aid。　I　was　an　Englishman；　and　why；　I　asked　
myself；　should　I　creep　into　the　presence　of　some　
savage　woman　as　though　I　were　a　monkey　in　fact　as　well　
as　in　name？　I　would　not　and　could　not　do　it；　that　is；　
unless　I　was　absolutely　sure　that　my　life　or　comfort　
depended　upon　it。　If　once　I　began　to　creep　upon　my　
knees　I　should　always　have　to　do　so；　and　it　would　be　a　
patent　acknowledgment　of　inferiority。　So；　fortified　by　
an　insular　prejudice　against　〃kootooing；〃　which　has；　
like　most　of　our　so…called　prejudices；　a　good　deal　of　
common…sense　to　recommend　it；　I　marched　in　boldly　
after　Billali。　I　found　myself　in　another　apartment；　
considerably　smaller　than　the　ante…room；　of　which　the　
walls　were　entirely　hung　with　rich…looking　curtains　of　
the　same　make　as　those　over　the　door；　the　work；　as　I　
subsequently　discovered；　of　the　mutes　who　sat　in　the　
ante…chamber　and　wove　them　in　strips；　which　were　
afterwards　sewn　together。　Also；　here　and　there　about　
the　room；　were　settees　of　a　beautiful　black　wood　of　
the　ebony　tribe；　inlaid　with　ivory；　and　all　over　the　
floor　were　other　tapestries；　or　rather　rugs。　At　the　
top　end　of　this　apartment　was　what　appeared　to　be　a　
recess；　also　draped　with　curtains；　through　which　shone　
rays　of　light。　There　was　nobody　in　the　place　except　
ourselves。

Painfully　and　slowly　old　Billali　crept　up　the　length　
of　the　cave；　and　with　the　most　dignified　stride　that　I　
could　command　I　followed　after　him。　But　I　felt　that　it　
was　more　or　less　of　a　failure。　To　begin　with；　it　is　
not　possible　to　look　dignified　when　you　are　following　
in　the　wake　of　an　old　man　writhing　along　on　his　
stomach　like　a　snake；　and　then；　in　order　to　go　
sufficiently　slowly；　either　I　had　to　keep　my　leg　some　
seconds　in　the　air　at　every　step；　or　else　to　advance　
with　a　full　stop　between　each　stride；　like　Mary　Queen　
of　Scots　going　to　execution　in　a　play。　Billali　was　not　
good　at　crawling；　I　suppose　his　years　stood　in　the　
way；　and　our　progress　up　that　apartment　was　a　very　
long　affair。　I　was　immediately　behind　him；　and　several　
times　I　was　sorely　tempted　to　help　him　on　with　a　good　
kick。　It　is　so　absurd　to　advance　into　the　presence　of　
savage　royalty　after　the　fashion　of　an　Irishman　
driving　a　pig　to　market；　for　that　is　what　we　looked　
like；　and　the　idea　nearly　made　me　burst　out　laughing　
then　and　there。　I　had　to　work　off　my　dangerous　
tendency　to　unseemly　merriment　by　blowing　my　nose；　a　
proceeding　which　filled　old　Billali　with　horror；　for　
he　looked　over　his　shoulder　and　made　a　ghastly　face　at　
me；　and　I　heard　him　murmur；　〃Oh；　my　poor　Baboon！〃

At　last　we　reached　the　curtains；　and　here　Billali　
collapsed　flat　on　to　his　stomach；　with　his　hands　
stretched　out　before　him　as　though　he　were　dead；　and　
I；　not　knowing　what　to　do；　began　to　stare　about　the　
place。　But　presently　I　dearly　felt　that　somebody　was　
looking　at　me　from　behind　the　curtains。　I　could　not　
see　the　person；　but　I　could　distinctly　feel　his　or　her　
gaze；　and；　what　is　more；　it　produced　a　very　odd　effect　
upon　my　nerves。　I　was　frightened；　I　do　not　know　why。　
The　place　was　a　strange　one；　it　is　true；　and　looked　
lonely；　notwithstanding　its　rich　hangings　and　the　soft　
glow　of　the　lampsindeed；　these　accessories　added　to；　
rather　than　detracted　from　its　loneliness；　just　as　a　
lighted　street　at　night　has　always　a　more　solitary　
appearance　than　a　dark　one。　It　was　so　silent　in　the　
place；　and　there　lay　Billali　like　one　dead　before　the　
heavy　curtains；　through　which　the　odor　of　perfume　
seemed　to　float　up　towards　the　gloom　of　the　arched　
roof　above。　Minute　grew　into　minute；　and　still　there　
was　no　sign　of　life；　nor　did　the　curtain　move；　but　I　
felt　the　gaze　of　the　unknown　being　sinking　through　and　
through　me；　and　filling　me　with　a　nameless　terror；　
till　the　perspiration　stood　in　beads　upon　my　brow。

At　length　the　curtain　began　to　move。　Who　could　be　
behind　it？some　naked　savage　queen；　a　languishing　
Oriental　beauty；　or　a　nineteenth…century　young　lady；　
drinking　afternoon　tea。　I　had　not　the　slightest　idea；　
and　should　not　have　been　astonished　at　seeing　any　of　
the　three。　I　was　getting　beyond　astonishment。　The　
curtain　agitated　itself　a　little；　then　suddenly　
between　its　folds　there　appeared　a　most　beautiful　
white　hand　（white　as　snow）；　and　with　long；　tapering　
fingers；　ending　in　the　pinkest　nails。　The　hand　grasped　
the　curtain　and　drew　it　aside；　and　as　it　did　so　I　
heard　a　voice；　I　think　the　softest　and　yet　most　
silvery　voice　I　ever　heard。　It　reminded　me　of　the　
murmur　of　a　brook。

〃Stranger；〃　said　the　voice　in　Arabic；　but　much　purer　
and　more　classical　Arabic　than　the　Amahagger　talk
〃stranger；　wherefore　art　thou　so　much