ben-hur-第74章

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〃PhilaeKarnak。　Mourn　rather　that　you　have　not　seen　the　Rameses　at　Aboo　Simbel；　looking　at　which　makes　it　so　easy　to　think　of　God；　the　maker　of　the　heavens　and　earth。　Or　why　should　you　mourn　at　all？　Let　us　go　on　to　the　river；　and　if　I　cannot　sing〃she　laughed〃because　I　have　said　I　would　not；　yet　I　can　tell　you　stories　of　Egypt。〃

〃Go　on！　Ay；　till　morning　comes；　and　the　evening；　and　the　next　morning！〃　he　said；　vehemently。

〃Of　what　shall　my　stories　be？　Of　the　mathematicians？〃

〃Oh　no。〃

〃Of　the　philosophers？〃

〃No；　no。〃

〃Of　the　magicians　and　genii？〃

〃If　you　will。〃

〃Of　war？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Of　love？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃I　will　tell　you　a　cure　for　love。　It　is　the　story　of　a　queen。　Listen　reverently。　The　papyrus　from　which　it　was　taken　by　the　priests　of　Philae　was　wrested　from　the　hand　of　the　heroine　herself。　It　is　correct　in　form；　and　must　be　true：


NE…NE…HOFRA。

I。

〃There　is　no　parallelism　in　human　lives。

〃No　life　runs　a　straight　line。

〃The　most　perfect　life　develops　as　a　circle；　and　terminates　in　its　beginning；　making　it　impossible　to　say；　This　is　the　commencement；　that　the　end。

〃Perfect　lives　are　the　treasures　of　God；　of　great　days　he　wears　them　on　the　ring…finger　of　his　heart　hand。〃

II。

〃Ne…ne…hofra　dwelt　in　a　house　close　by　Essouan；　yet　closer　to　the　first　cataractso　close；　indeed；　that　the　sound　of　the　eternal　battle　waged　there　between　river　and　rocks　was　of　the　place　a　part。

〃She　grew　in　beauty　day　by　day；　so　that　it　was　said　of　her；　as　of　the　poppies　in　her　father's　garden；　What　will　she　not　be　in　the　time　of　blooming？

〃Each　year　of　her　life　was　the　beginning　of　a　new　song　more　delightful　than　any　of　those　which　went　before。

〃Child　was　she　of　a　marriage　between　the　North；　bounded　by　the　sea；　and　the　South；　bounded　by　the　desert　beyond　the　Luna　mountains；　and　one　gave　her　its　passion；　the　other　its　genius；　so　when　they　beheld　her；　both　laughed；　saying；　not　meanly；　'She　is　mine；'　but　generously；　'Ha；　ha！　she　is　ours。'

〃All　excellences　in　nature　contributed　to　her　perfection　and　rejoiced　in　her　presence。　Did　she　come　or　go；　the　birds　ruffled　their　wings　in　greeting；　the　unruly　winds　sank　to　cooling　zephyrs；　the　white　lotus　rose　from　the　water's　depth　to　look　at　her；　the　solemn　river　loitered　on　its　way；　the　palm…trees；　nodding；　shook　all　their　plumes；　and　they　seemed　to　say；　this　one；　I　gave　her　of　my　grace；　that；　I　gave　her　of　my　brightness；　the　other；　I　gave　her　of　my　purity：　and　so　each　as　it　had　a　virtue　to　give。

〃At　twelve；　Ne…ne…hofra　was　the　delight　of　Essouan；　at　sixteen；　the　fame　of　her　beauty　was　universal；　at　twenty；　there　was　never　a　day　which　did　not　bring　to　her　door　princes　of　the　desert　on　swift　camels；　and　lords　of　Egypt　in　gilded　barges；　and；　going　away　disconsolate；　they　reported　everywhere；　'I　have　seen　her；　and　she　is　not　a　woman；　but　Athor　herself。'〃

III。

〃Now　of　the　three　hundred　and　thirty　successors　of　good　King　Menes；　eighteen　were　Ethiopians；　of　whom　Oraetes　was　one　hundred　and　ten　years　old。　He　had　reigned　seventy…six　years。　Under　him　the　people　thrived；　and　the　land　groaned　with　fatness　of　plenty。　He　practised　wisdom　because；　having　seen　so　much；　he　knew　what　it　was。　He　dwelt　in　Memphis；　having　there　his　principal　palace；　his　arsenals；　and　his　treasure…house。　Frequently　he　went　down　to　Butos　to　talk　with　Latona。

〃The　wife　of　the　good　king　died。　Too　old　was　she　for　perfect　embalmment；　yet　he　loved　her；　and　mourned　as　the　inconsolable；　seeing　which；　a　colchyte　presumed　one　day　to　speak　to　him。

〃'O　Oraetes；　I　am　astonished　that　one　so　wise　and　great　should　not　know　how　to　cure　a　sorrow　like　this。'

〃'Tell　me　a　cure；'　said　the　king。

〃Three　times　the　colchyte　kissed　the　floor；　and　then　he　replied；　knowing　the　dead　could　not　hear　him；　'At　Essouan　lives　Ne…ne…hofra；　beautiful　as　Athor　the　beautiful。　Send　for　her。　She　has　refused　all　the　lords　and　princes；　and　I　know　not　how　many　kings；　but　who　can　say　no　to　Oraetes？'〃

IV。

〃Ne…ne…hofra　descended　the　Nile　in　a　barge　richer　than　any　ever　before　seen；　attended　by　an　army　in　barges　each　but　a　little　less　fine。　All　Nubia　and　Egypt；　and　a　myriad　from　Libya；　and　a　host　of　Troglodytes；　and　not　a　few　Macrobii　from　beyond　the　Mountains　of　the　Moon；　lined　the　tented　shores　to　see　the　cortege　pass；　wafted　by　perfumed　winds　and　golden　oars。

〃Through　a　dromos　of　sphinxes　and　couchant　double…winged　lions　she　was　borne；　and　set　down　before　Oraetes　sitting　on　a　throne　specially　erected　at　the　sculptured　pylon　of　the　palace。　He　raised　her　up；　gave　her　place　by　his　side；　clasped　the　uraeus　upon　her　arm；　kissed　her；　and　Ne…ne…hofra　was　queen　of　all　queens。

〃That　was　not　enough　for　the　wise　Oraetes；　he　wanted　love；　and　a　queen　happy　in　his　love。　So　he　dealt　with　her　tenderly；　showing　her　his　possessions；　cities；　palaces；　people；　his　armies；　his　ships：　and　with　his　own　hand　he　led　her　through　his　treasure…house；　saying；　'O。　Ne…ne…hofra！　but　kiss　me　in　love；　and　they　are　all　thine。'

〃And；　thinking　she　could　be　happy；　if　she　was　not　then；　she　kissed　him　once；　twice；　thricekissed　him　thrice；　his　hundred　and　ten　years　notwithstanding。

〃The　first　year　she　was　happy；　and　it　was　very　short；　the　third　year　she　was　wretched；　and　it　was　very　long；　then　she　was　enlightened：　that　which　she　thought　love　of　Oraetes　was　only　daze　of　his　power。　Well　for　her　had　the　daze　endured！　Her　spirits　deserted　her；　she　had　long　spells　of　tears；　and　her　women　could　not　remember　when　they　heard　her　laugh；　of　the　roses　on　her　cheeks　only　ashes　remained；　she　languished　and　faded　gradually；　but　certainly。　Some　said　she　was　haunted　by　the　Erinnyes　for　cruelty　to　a　lover；　others；　that　she　was　stricken　by　some　god　envious　of　Oraetes。　Whatever　the　cause　of　her　decline；　the　charms　of　the　magicians　availed　not　to　restore　her；　and　the　prescript　of　the　doctor　was　equally　without　virtue。　Ne…ne…hofra　was　given　over　to　die。

〃Oraetes　chose　a　crypt　for　her　up　in　the　tombs　of　the　queens；　and；　calling　the　master　sculptors　and　painters　to　Memphis；　he　set　them　to　work　upon　designs　more　elaborate　than　any　even　in　the　great　galleries　of　the　dead　kings。

〃'O　thou　beautiful　as　Athor　herself；　my　queen！'　said　the　king；　whose　hundred　and　thirteen　years　did　not　lessen　his　ardor　as　a　lover；　'Tell　me；　I　pray；　the　ailment　of　which；　alas！　thou　art　so　certainly　perishing　before　my　eyes。'

〃'You　will　not　love　me　any　more　if　I　tell　you；'　she　said；　in　doubt　and　fear。

〃'Not　love　you！　I　will　love　you　the　more。　I　swear　it；　by　the　genii　of　Amente！　by　the　eye　of　Osiris；　I　swear　it！　Speak！'　he　cried；　passionate　as　a　lover；　authoritative　as　a　king。

〃'Hear；　then；'　she　said。　'There　is　an　anchorite；　the　oldest　and　holiest　of　his　class；　in　a　cave　near　Essouan。　His　name　is　Menopha。　He　was　my　teacher　and　guardian。　Send　for　him；　O　Oraetes；　and　he　will　tell　you　that　you　seek　to　know；　he　will　also　help　you　find　the　cure　for　my　affliction。'

〃Oraetes　arose　rejoicing。　He　went　away　in　spirit　a　hundred　years　younger　than　when　he　came。〃

V。

〃'Speak！'　said　Oraetes　to　Menopha；　in　the　palace　at　Memphis。

〃And　Menopha　replied；　'Most　mighty　king；　if　you　were　young；　I　should　not　answer；　because　I　am　yet　pleased　with　life；　as　it　is；　I　will　say　the　queen；　like　any　other　mortal；　is　paying　the　penalty　of　a　crime。'

〃'A　crime！'　exclaimed　Oraetes；　angrily。

〃Menopha　bowed　very　low。

〃'Yes；　to　herself。'

〃'I　am　not　in　mood　for　riddles；'　said　the　king。

〃'What　I　say　is　not　a　riddle；　as　you　shall　hear。　Ne…ne…hofra　grew　up　under　my　eyes；　and　confided　every　incident　of　her　life　to　me；　among　others；　that　she　loved　the　son　of　her　father's　gardener；　Barbec　by　name。'

〃Oraetes's　frown；　strangely　enough；　began　to　dissipate。

〃'With　that　love　in　her　heart；　O　king；　she　came　to　you；　of　that　love　she　is　dying。'

〃'Where　is　the　gardener's　son　now？'　asked　Oraetes。

〃'In　Essouan。'

〃The　king　went　out　and　gave　two　orders。　To　one　oeris　he　said；　'Go　to　Essouan　and　bring　hither　a　youth　named　Barbec。　You　will　find　him　in　the　garden　of　the　queen's　father；'　to　another；　'Assemble　workmen　and　cattle　and　tools；　and　construct　for　me　in　Lake　Chemmis　an　island；　which；　though　laden　with　a　temple；　a　palace；　and　a　garden；　and　all　manner　of　trees　bearing　fruit；　and　all　manner　of　vines；　s