第14章

ThePrincebeingsummonedcommandedthatthegirlandherkinshouldbeadmittedandstatetheircase。Shecame，weepingandwailingandtearinghergarments，throwingdustonherheadalso，thoughitappearedthatshehadtakennogreatharmfromthesoldierfromwhomsheranaway。ThePrincebadeherpointoutthemanifshecouldseehim，andsheshowedusoneofthebodyguardoftheCountAmenmeses，whosefacewasscratchedasthoughbyawoman’snails。Onbeingquestionedhesaidhecouldrememberlittleofthematter，butconfessedthathehadseenthemaidenbythecanalatmoonriseandjestedwithher。 Thekinofthisgirlclamouredthatheshouldbekilled，becausehehadofferedinsulttoahigh-bornladyofIsrael。ThisSetirefused，sayingthattheoffencewasnotoneofdeath，butthathewouldorderhimtobepubliclybeaten。ThereuponAmenmeses，whowasfondofthesoldier，agoodmanenoughwhennotinhiscups，sprangupinarage，sayingthatnoservantofhisshouldbetouchedbecausehehadofferedtocaresssomelightIsraelitishwomanwhohadnobusinesstobewanderingaboutaloneatnight。HeaddedthatifthemanwerefloggedheandallthoseunderhiscommandwouldleavethecampandmarchbacktomakereporttoPharaoh。 NowthePrince，havingconsultedwiththecouncillors，toldthewomanandherkinthatasPharaohhadbeenappealedto，hemustjudgeofthematter，andcommandedthemtoappearathiscourtwithinamonthandstatetheircaseagainstthesoldier。Theywentawayveryill- satisfied，sayingthatAmenmeseshadinsultedtheirdaughterevenmorethanhisservanthaddone。Theendofthismatterwasthatonthefollowingnightthissoldierwasdiscovereddead，piercedthroughandthroughwithknifethrusts。Thegirl，herparentsandbrethrencouldnotbefound，havingfledawayintothedesert，norwasthereanyevidencetoshowbywhomthesoldierhadbeenmurdered。Thereforenothingcouldbedoneinthebusinessexceptburythevictim。 OnthefollowingmorningtheInquirybeganwithdueceremony，thePrinceSetiandtheCountAmenmesestakingtheirseatsattheheadofalargepavilionwiththecouncillorsbehindthemandthescribes，amongwhomIwas，seatedattheirfeet。ThenwelearnedthatthetwoprophetswhomIhadseenatPharaoh’scourtwerenotinthelandofGoshen，havingleftbeforewearrived“tosacrificetoGodinthewilderness，“nordidanyknowwhentheywouldreturn。Othereldersandpriests，however，appearedandbegantosetouttheircase，whichtheydidatgreatlengthandinafierceandturbulentfashion，speakingoftenallofthematonce，thusmakingitdifficultfortheinterpreterstorendertheirwords，sincetheypretendedthattheydidnotknowtheEgyptiantongue。 Moreovertheytoldtheirstoryfromtheverybeginning，whentheyhadenteredEgypthundredsofyearsbeforeandweresuccouredbythevizierofthePharaohofthatday，oneYusuf，apowerfulandclevermanoftheirracewhostoredcorninatimeoffamineandlowNiles。 ThisPharaohwasoftheHyksospeople，oneoftheShepherdkingswhomweEgyptianshatedandaftermanywarsdroveoutofKhem。UndertheseShepherdkings，beingjoinedbymanyoftheirownblood，theIsraelitesgrewrichandpowerful，sothatthePharaohswhocameafterandwholovedthemnot，begantofearthem。 Thiswasasfarasthestorywastakenonthefirstday。 Ontheseconddaybeganthetaleoftheiroppression，underwhich，however，theystillmultipliedlikegnatsupontheNile，andgrewsostrongandnumerousthatatlengththegreatRamesesdidawickedthing，orderingthattheirmalechildrenshouldbeputtodeath。Thisorderwasnevercarriedout，becausehisdaughter，shewhofoundMosesamongthereedsoftheriver，pleadedforthem。 AtthispointthePrince，weariedwiththenoiseandheatinthatcrowdedplace，brokeoffthesittinguntilthemorrow。Commandingmetoaccompanyhim，heorderedachariot，nothisown，tobemadeready，and，althoughIprayedhimnottodoso，setoutunguardedsaveformyselfandthecharioteer，sayingthathewouldseehowthesepeoplelabouredwithhisowneyes。 TakingaHebrewladtorunbeforethehorsesasourguide，wedrovetothebanksofacanalwheretheIsraelitesmadebricksofmudwhich，afterdryinginthesun，wereladenintoboatsthatwaitedforthemonthecanalandtakenawaytootherpartsofEgypttobeusedonPharaoh’sworks。Thousandsofmenwereengageduponthislabour，toilingingangsunderthecommandofEgyptianoverseerswhokeptcountofthebricks，cuttingtheirnumberupontallysticks，orsometimeswritingthemuponsherds。Theseoverseerswerebrutalfellows，forthemostpartofthelowclass，whousedvilelanguagetotheslaves。Norweretheycontentwithwords。Notingacrowdgatheredatoneplaceandhearingcries，wewenttoseewhatpassed。Herewefoundaladstretcheduponthegroundbeingcruellybeatenwithhidewhips，sothatthebloodrandownhim。AtasignfromthePrinceI askedwhathehaddoneandwastoldroughly，fortheoverseersandtheirguardsdidnotknowwhowewere，thatduringthepastsixdayshehadonlymadehalfofhisallottedtaleofbricks。 “Loosehim，“saidthePrincequietly。 “Whoareyouthatgivemeorders？“askedtheheadoverseer，whowashelpingtoholdtheladwhiletheguardsfloggedhim。“Begone，lestI serveyouasIservethisidlefellow。“ Setilookedathim，andashelookedhislipsturnedwhite。 “Tellhim，“hesaidtome。 “Youdog!“Igasped。“Doyouknowwhoitistowhomyoudaretospeakthus？“ “No，norcare。Layon，guard。“ ThePrince，whoserobeswerehiddenbyawide-sleevedcloakofcommonstuffandmake，threwthecloakopenrevealingbeneathitthepectoralhehadwornintheCourt，abeautifulthingofgoldwhereonwereinscribedhisroyalnamesandtitlesinblackandredenamel。AlsohehelduphisrighthandonwhichwasasignetofPharaoh’sthatheworeashiscommissioner。Themenstared，thenoneofthemwhowasmorelearnedthantherestcried： “Bythegods!thisishisHighnessthePrinceofEgypt!“atwhichwordsallofthemfellupontheirfaces。 “Rise，“saidSetitotheladwholookedathim，forgettinghispaininhiswonderment，“andtellmewhyyouhavenotdeliveredyourtaleofbricks。“ “Sir，“sobbedtheboyinbadEgyptian，’fortworeasons。First，becauseIamacripple，see，“andhehelduphisleftarmwhichwaswitheredandthinasamummy’s，“andthereforecannotworkquickly。 Secondly，becausemymother，whoseonlychildIam，isawidowandliessickinbed，sothattherearenowomenorchildreninourhomewhocangoouttogatherstrawforme，asPharaohhascommandedthatweshoulddo。ThereforeImustspendmanyhoursinsearchingforstraw，sinceIhavenomeanswherewithtopayotherstodothisforme。“ “Ana，“saidthePrince，“writedownthisyouth’snamewiththeplaceofhisabode，andifhistaleprovetrue，seethathiswantsandthoseofhismotherarerelievedbeforewedepartfromGoshen。Writedownalsothenamesofthisoverseerandhisfellowsandcommandthemtoreportthemselvesatmycampto-morrowatsunrise，whentheircaseshallbeconsidered。Saytotheladalsothat，beingoneafflictedbythegods，PharaohfreeshimfromthemakingofbricksandallotherlabouroftheState。“ NowwhileIdidthesethingstheoverseerandhiscompanionsbeattheirheadsuponthegroundandprayedformercy，beingcowardsasthecruelalwaysare。HisHighnessansweredthemneveraword，butonlylookedatthemwithcoldeyes，andInotedthathisfacewhichwassokindhadgrownterrible。Sothosementhoughtalso，forthatnighttheyranawaytoSyria，leavingtheirfamiliesandalltheirgoodsbehindthem，norweretheyeverseenagaininEgypt。 WhenIhadfinishedwritingthePrinceturnedand，walkingtowherethechariotwaited，badethedrivercrossthecanalbyabridgetherewashere。Wedroveonawhileinsilence，followingatrackwhichranbetweenthecultivatedlandandthedesert。AtlengthIpointedtothesinkingsunandaskedifitwerenottimetoreturn。 “Why？“repliedthePrince。“Thesundies，butthererisesthefullmoontogiveuslight，andwhathavewetofearwithswordsatoursidesandherHighnessUserti’smailbeneathourrobes？Oh!Ana，Iamwearyofmenwiththeircrueltiesandshoutsandstrugglings，andI findthiswildernessaplaceofrest，forinitIseemtodrawnearertomyownsoulandtheHeavenwhenceitcame，orsoIhope。“ “YourHighnessisfortunatetohaveasoultowhichhecarestodrawnear；itisnotsowithallofus“；Iansweredlaughing，forIsoughttochangethecurrentofhisthoughtsbyprovokingargumentofasortthatheloved。 Justthen，however，thehorses，whichwerenotofthebest，cametoahaltonaslopeofheavysand。NorwouldSetiallowthedrivertoflogthem，butcommandedhimtoletthemrestaspace。Whiletheydidsowedescendedfromthechariotandwalkedupthedesertrise，heleaningonmyarm。Aswereacheditscrestweheardsobsandasoftvoicespeakingonthefurtherside。Whoitwasthatspokeandsobbedwecouldnotsee，becauseofalineoftamariskshrubswhichoncehadbeenafence。 “Morecruelty，oratleastmoresorrow，“whisperedSeti。“Letuslook。“ Sowecrepttothetamarisks，andpeepingthroughtheirfeatherytops，sawaverysweetsightinthepureraysofthatdesertmoon。There，notfivepacesaway，stoodawomancladinwhite，youngandshapelyinform。Herfacewecouldnotseebecauseitwasturnedfromus，alsothelongdarkhairwhichstreamedabouthershouldershidit。Shewasprayingaloud，speakingnowinHebrew，ofwhichbothofusknewsomething，andnowinEgyptian，asdoesonewhoisaccustomedtothinkineithertongue，andstoppingfromtimetotimetosob。 “OGodofmypeople，“shesaid，“sendmesuccourandbringmesafehome，thatThychildmaynotbeleftaloneinthewildernesstobecomethepreyofwildbeasts，orofmenwhoareworsethanbeasts。“ Thenshesobbed，kneltdownonagreatbundlewhichIsawwasstubblestraw，andagainbegantopray。ThistimeitwasinEgyptian，asthoughshefearedlesttheHebrewshouldbeoverheardandunderstood。 “OGod，“shesaid，“OGodofmyfathers，helpmypoorheart，helpmypoorheart!“ Wewereabouttowithdraw，orrathertoaskherwhatsheailed，whensuddenlysheturnedherhead，sothatthelightfellfulluponherface。SolovelywasitthatIcaughtmybreathandthePrinceatmysidestarted。Indeeditwasmorethanlovely，forasalampshinesthroughanalabastervaseorashellofpearlsodidthespiritwithinthiswomanshinethroughhertear-stainedface，makingitmysteriousasthenight。ThenIunderstood，perhapsforthefirsttime，thatitisthespiritwhichgivestruebeautybothtomaidandmanandnottheflesh。Thewhitevaseofalabaster，howevershapely，isstillavasealone；itisthehiddenlampwithinthatgracesitwiththegloryofastar。Andthoseeyes，thoselarge，dreamingeyesaswimwithtearsandhuedlikerichestlapis-lazuli，oh!whatmancouldlookonthemandnotbestirred？