第27章

“Thatyouwhohaveprovedyourselfaprophetessbyyourdeedsinyondertempleshoulddedicateyourpowerstotheserviceofyourpeople，receivinginreturnfullforgivenessfortheevilsyouhavewroughtagainstthem，whichwesweartoyouinthenameofGod。“ “Iamnoprophetess，andIhavewroughtnoevilsagainstmypeople，Priest。Ihaveonlysavedthemfromtheevilofmurderingonewhohasshownhimselftheirfriend，evenasIheartothelayingdownofhiscrownfortheirsake。“ “ThatisfortheFathersofIsraelandnotforyoutojudge，woman。 Youranswer？“ “Itisneitherforthemnorforme，butforGodonly。“Shepaused，thenadded，“Isthisallyouaskofme？“ “ItisalltheFathersask，butLabanaskshisaffiancedwife。“ “AndamItobegiveninmarriageto——thisassassin？“ “Withoutdoubtyouaretobegiventothisbravesoldier，beingalreadyhis。“ “AndifIrefuse？“ “Then，DaughterofNathan，itismyparttocurseyouinthenameofGod，andtodeclareyoucutoffandoutcastfromthepeopleofGod。Itismyparttoannouncetoyoufurtherthatyourlifeisforfeit，andthatanyHebrewmaykillyouwhenandhowhecan，andtakenoblame。“ Merapipaledalittle，thenturningtoJabez，asked： “Youhaveheard，myuncle。Whatsayyou？“ Jabezlookedroundshiftily，andsaidinhisunctuousvoice： “Myniece，surelyyoumustobeythecommandsoftheEldersofIsraelwhospeakthewillofHeaven，asyouobeyedthemwhenyoumatchedyourselfagainstthemightofAmon。“ “Yougavemeadifferentcounselyesterday，myuncle。ThenyousaidI hadbetterbidewhereIwas。“ Themessengerturnedandglaredathim。 “Thereisagreatdifferencebetweenyesterdayandto-day，“wentonJabezhurriedly。“YesterdayyouwereprotectedbyonewhowouldsoonbePharaoh，andmighthavebeenabletomovehismindinfavourofyourfolk。To-dayhisgreatnessisstrippedfromhim，andhiswillhasnomoreweightinEgypt。Adeadlionisnottobefeared，myniece。“ Setismiledatthisinsult，butMerapi’sface，likemyown，grewred，asthoughwithanger。 “Sleepinglionshavebeentakenfordeaderenow，myuncle，asthosewhowouldspurnthemhavediscoveredtotheircost。PrinceSeti，haveyounowordtohelpmeinthisstrait？“ “Whatisthestrait，Lady？Ifyouwishtogotoyourpeopleand——toLaban，who，Iunderstand，isrecoveredfromhishurts，thereisnaughtbetweenyouandmesavemygratitudetoyouwhichgivesmetherighttosayyoushallnotgo。If，however，youwishtostay，thenperhapsI amstillnotsopowerlesstoshieldorsmiteasthisworthyJabezthinks，whostillremainthegreatestlordinEgyptandonewiththosethatlovehim。Thereforeshouldyoudesiretoremain，Ithinkthatyoumaydosounmolestedofany，andleastofallbythatfriendinwhoseshadowitpleasesyoutosojourn。“ “Thoseareverygentlewords，“murmuredMerapi，“wordsthatfewwouldspeaktoamaidfromwhomnaughtisaskedandwhohasnaughttogive。“ “Atrucetothistalk，“snarledthemessenger。“Doyouobeyordoyourebel？Youranswer。“ Sheturnedandlookedhimfullintheface，saying： “IdonotreturntoGoshenandtoLaban，ofwhoseswordIhaveseenenough。“ “Mayhapyouwillseemoreofitbeforeallisdone。Forthelasttime，thinkerethecurseofyourGodandyourpeoplefallsuponyou，andafterit，death。ForfallIsayitshall，I，who，asPharaohknowsto-day，amnofalseprophet，andasthatPrinceknowsalso。“ “IdonotthinkthatmyGod，whoseestheheartsofthosethathehasmade，willavengehimselfuponawomanbecausesherefusestobeweddedtoamurdererwhomofherownwillsheneverchose，which，Priest，isthefateyouofferme。ThereforeIamcontenttoleavejudgmentinthehandsofthegreatJudgeofall。FortherestIdefyyouandyourcommands。IfImustbeslaughtered，letmedie，butatleastletmediemistressofmyselfandfree，whoamnoman’slove，orwife，orslave。“ “Wellspoken!“whisperedSetitome。 Thenthispriestbecameterrible。Wavinghisarmsandrollinghiswildeyes，hepouredoutsomehideouscurseupontheheadofthispoormaid，muchofwhich，asitwasspokenrapidlyinanancientformofHebrew，wedidnotunderstand。Hecursedherliving，dying，andafterdeath。Hecursedherinherloveandhate，weddedoralone。Hecursedherinchild-bearingorinbarrenness，andhecursedherchildrenafterhertoallgenerations。Lastly，hedeclaredhercutofffromandrejectedbythegodsheworshipped，andsentencedhertodeathatthehandsofanywhocouldslayher。Sohorriblewasthatcursethatsheshrankawayfromhim，whileJabezcrouchedaboutthegroundhidinghiseyeswithhishands，andevenIfeltmybloodturncold。 Atlengthhepaused，foamingatthelips。Then，suddenly，shouting，“Afterjudgment，doom!“hedrewaknifefromhisrobeandsprangather。 Shefledbehindus。Hefollowed，butSeti，crying，“Ah，Ithoughtit，“ leaptbetweenthem，ashedidsodrawingtheironswordwhichheworewithhisceremonialdress。AthimhesprangandthenextthingIsawwastheredpointoftheswordstandingoutbeyondthepriest’sshoulders。 Downhefell，babbling： “IsthishowyoushowyourloveforIsrael，Prince？“ “ItishowIshowmyhateofmurderers，“answeredSeti。 Thenthemandied。 “Oh!“criedMerapiwringingherhands，“oncemoreIhavecausedHebrewbloodtoflowandnowallthiscursewillfallonme。“ “Nay，onme，Lady，ifthereisanythingincurses，whichIdoubt，forthisdeedwasmine，andattheworstyondermadbrute’sknifedidnotfallonyou。“ “Yes，lifeisleftifonlyforalittlewhile。Haditnotbeenforyou，Prince，bynow，I-“andsheshuddered。 “Andhaditnotbeenforyou，MoonofIsrael，bynowI-“andhesmiled，adding，“SurelyFateweavesastrangewebroundyouandme。 Firstyousavemefromthesword；thenIsaveyou。Ithink，Lady，thatintheendweoughttodietogetherandgiveAnaherestuffforthebestofallhisstories。FriendJabez，“hewentontotheIsraelitewhowasstillcrouchinginthecornerwiththeeyesstartingfromhishead，“getyoubacktoyourgentle-heartedpeopleandmakeitcleartothemwhytheladyMerapicannotcompanionyou，takingwithyouthatcarriontoproveyourtale。Tellthemthatiftheysendmorementomolestyourniecealikefateawaitsthem，butthatnowasbeforeIdonotturnmybackuponthembecauseofthedeedsofafewmadmenorevil-doers，asIhavegiventhemproofto-day。Ana，makeready，sincesoonIleaveforMemphis。SeethattheLadyMerapi，whowilltravelalone，hasfitescortforherjourney，thatisifitpleaseshertodepartfromTanis。“ Now，notwithstandingallthewoesthatfellonEgyptandacertainsecretsorrowofmyown，beganthehappiestofthedayswhichthegodshavegivenme。WewenttoMenneferorMemphis，thewhite-walledcitywhereIwasborn，thecitythatIloved。NownolongerdidIdwellinalittlehouseneartotheenclosureofthetempleofPtah，whichisvasterandmoresplendidthanallthoseofThebesorTanis。MyhomewasinthebeautifulpalaceofSeti，whichhehadinheritedfromhismother，theGreatRoyalWife。Itstood，andindeedstillstands，onapiled-upmoundwithoutthewallsneartothetempleofthegoddessNeit，whoalwayshasherhabitationtothenorthofthewall，whyIdonotknow，becauseevenherpriestscannottellme。Infrontofthispalace，facingtothenorth，isagreatportico，whereoftheroofisborneuponpalm-headed，paintedcolumnswhencemaybeseenthemostlovelyprospectinEgypt。Firstthegardens，thenthepalm-groves，thenthecultivatedland，thenthebroadandgentleNileand，faraway，thedesert。 Here，then，wedwelt，keepingsmallstateandalmostunguarded，butinwealthandcomfort，spendingourtimeinthelibraryofthepalace，orinthoseofthetemples，andwhenweweariedofwork，inthelovelygardensor，perchance，sailinguponthebosomoftheNile。TheladyMerapidwelttherealso，butinaseparatewingofthepalace，withcertainslavesandservantswhomSetihadgiventoher。Sometimeswemetherinthegardens，whereitpleasedhertowalkatthesamehoursthatwedid，namelybeforethesungrewhot，orinthecooloftheevening，andnowandagainwhenthemoonshoneatnight。Thenthethreeofuswouldtalktogether，forSetineversoughthercompanyaloneorwithinwalls。 Thosetalkswereverypleasant。Moreovertheygrewmorefrequentastimewenton，sinceMerapihadathirstforlearning，andthePrincewouldbringherrollstoreadinalittlesummer-housetherewas。Herewewouldsit，oriftheheatwasgreat，outsidebeneaththeshadowoftwospreadingtreesthatstretchedabovetheroofofthelittlepleasure-house，whileSetidiscoursedofthecontentsoftherollsandinstructedherinthesecretsofourwriting。Sometimes，too，Ireadthemstoriesofmymaking，towhichitpleasedthembothtolisten，orsotheysaid，andI，inmyvanity，believed。AlsowewouldtalkofthemysteryandthewonderoftheworldandoftheHebrewsandtheirfate，orofwhatpassedinEgyptandtheneighbouringlands。