cleopatra-第56章

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wife；　Atoua。　〃Why；　'tis　dark　as　the　House　of　the　Dead！　The　Holy　Ones

who　built　this　Temple　loved　not　the　blessed　sun；　however　much　they

worshipped　him。　Now；　where's　the　curtain？〃



Presently　it　was　drawn；　and　Atoua　entered；　a　stick　in　one　hand　and　a

basket　in　the　other。　Her　face　was　somewhat　more　wrinkled；　and　her

scanty　locks　were　somewhat　whiter　than　aforetime；　but　for　the　rest　she

was　as　she　had　ever　been。　She　stood　and　peered　around　with　her　sharp

black　eyes；　for　as　yet　she　could　see　nothing　because　of　the　shadows。



〃Now　where　is　he？〃　she　muttered。　〃Osirisglory　to　His　namesend　that

he　has　not　wandered　in　the　night；　and　he　blind！　Alack！　that　I　could

not　return　before　the　dark。　Alack！　and　alack！　what　times　have　we

fallen　on；　when　the　Holy　High　Priest　and　the　Governor；　by　descent；　of

Abouthis；　is　left　with　one　aged　crone　to　minister　to　his　infirmity！　O

Harmachis；　my　poor　boy；　thou　hast　laid　trouble　at　our　doors！　Why；

what's　this？　Surely　he　sleeps　not；　there　upon　the　ground？'twill　be

his　death！　Prince！　Holy　Father！　Amenemhat！　awake；　arise！〃　and　she

hobbled　towards　the　corpse。　〃Why；　how　is　it！　By　Him　who　sleeps；　he's

dead！　untended　and　alone/dead！　dead！/〃　and　she　sent　her　long　wail　of

grief　ringing　up　the　sculptured　walls。



〃Hush！　woman；　be　still！〃　I　said；　gliding　from　the　shadows。



〃Oh；　what　art　thou？〃　she　cried；　casting　down　her　basket。　〃Wicked　man；

hast　thou　murdered　this　Holy　One；　the　only　Holy　One　in　Egypt？　Surely

the　curse　will　fall　on　thee；　for　though　the　Gods　do　seem　to　have

forsaken　us　now　in　our　hour　of　trial；　yet　is　their　arm　long；　and

certainly　they　will　be　avenged　on　him　who　hath　slain　their　anointed！〃



〃Look　on　me；　Atoua；〃　I　cried。



〃Look！　ay；　I　lookthou　wicked　wanderer　who　hast　dared　this　cruel

deed！　Harmachis　is　a　traitor　and　lost　far　away；　and　Amenemhat　his　holy

father　is　murdered；　and　now　I'm　all　alone　without　kith　or　kin。　I　gave

them　for　him。　I　gave　them　for　Harmachis；　the　traitor！　Come；　slay　me

also；　thou　wicked　one！〃



I　took　a　step　toward　her；　and　she；　thinking　that　I　was　about　to　smite

her；　cried　out　in　fear：



〃Nay；　good　Sir；　spare　me！　Eighty　and　six；　by　the　Holy　Ones；　eighty　and

six；　come　next　flood　of　Nile；　and　yet　I　would　not　die；　though　Osiris

is　merciful　to　the　old　who　served　him！　Come　no　nearerhelp！　help！〃



〃Thou　fool；　be　silent；〃　I　said；　〃knowest　thou　me　not？〃



〃Know　thee？　Can　I　know　every　wandering　boatman　to　whom　Sebek　grants　to

earn　a　livelihood　till　Typhon　claims　his　own？　And　yetwhy；　'tis

strangethat　changed　countenance！that　scar！that　stumbling　gait！

It　is　thou；　Harmachis！'tis　thou；　O　my　boy！　Art　come　back　to　glad

mine　old　eyes？　I　hoped　thee　dead！　Let　me　kiss　thee？nay；　I　forget。

Harmachis　is　a　traitor；　ay；　and　a　murderer！　Here　lies　the　holy

Amenemhat；　murdered　by　the　traitor；　Harmachis！　Get　thee　gone！　I'll

have　none　of　traitors　and　of　parricides！　Get　thee　to　thy　wanton！it

is　not　thou　whom　I　did　nurse。〃



〃Peace！　woman；　peace！　I　slew　not　my　fatherhe　died；　alas！he　died

even　in　my　arms。〃



〃Ay；　surely；　and　cursing　thee；　Harmachis！　Thou　hast　given　death　to　him

who　gave　thee　life！　/La！　la！/　I　am　old；　and　I've　seen　many　a　trouble；

but　this　is　the　heaviest　of　them　all！　I　never　liked　the　looks　of

mummies；　but　I　would　I　were　one　this　hour！　Get　thee　gone；　I　pray

thee！〃



〃Old　nurse；　reproach　me　not！　Have　I　not　enough　to　bear？〃



〃Ah！　yes；　yes！I　did　forget！　Well；　and　what　is　thy　sin？　A　woman　was

thy　bane；　as　women　have　been　to　those　before　thee；　and　shall　be　to

those　after　thee。　And　what　a　woman！　/La！　la！/　I　saw　her；　a　beauty　such

as　never　wasan　arrow　pointed　by　the　evil　Gods　for　destruction！　And

thou；　a　young　man　bred　as　a　priestan　ill　traininga　very　ill

training！　'Twas　no　fair　match。　Who　can　wonder　that　she　mastered　thee？

Come；　Harmachis；　let　me　kiss　thee！　It　is　not　for　a　woman　to　be　hard　on

a　man　because　he　loved　our　sex　too　much。　Why；　that　is　but　nature；　and

Nature　knows　her　business；　else　she　had　made　us　otherwise。　But　here　is

an　evil　case。　Knowest　thou　that　this　Macedonian　Queen　of　thine　hath

seized　the　temple　lands　and　revenues；　and　driven　away　the　priests

all；　save　the　holy　Amenemhat；　who　lies　here；　and　whom　she　left；　I　know

not　why；　ay；　and　caused　the　worship　of　the　Gods　to　cease　within　these

walls。　Well；　he's　gone！he's　gone！　and　indeed　he　is　better　with

Osiris；　for　his　life　was　a　sore　burden　to　him。　And　hark　thou；

Harmachis：　he　hath　not　left　thee　empty…handed；　for；　so　soon　as　the

plot　failed；　he　gathered　all　his　wealth；　and　it　is　large；　and　hid　it

where；　I　can　show　theeand　it　is　thine　by　right　of　descent。〃



〃Talk　not　to　me　of　wealth；　Atoua。　Where　shall　I　go　and　how　shall　I

hide　my　shame？〃



〃Ah！　true；　true；　here　mayst　thou　not　abide；　for　if　they　found　thee；

surely　they　would　put　thee　to　the　dreadful　deathay；　to　the　death　by

the　waxen　cloth。　Nay；　I　will　hide　thee；　and；　when　the　funeral　rites　of

the　holy　Amenemhat　have　been　performed；　we　will　fly　hence；　and　cover

us　from　the　eyes　of　men　till　these　sorrows　are　forgotten。　/La！　la！/　it

is　a　sad　world；　and　full　of　trouble　as　the　Nile　mud　is　full　of

beetles。　Come；　Harmachis；　come。〃







CHAPTER　III



OF　THE　LIFE　OF　HIM　WHO　WAS　NAMED　THE　LEARNED　OLYMPUS；　IN

THE　TOMB　OF　THE　HARPERS　THAT　IS　BY　TáPé；　OF　HIS　COUNSEL　TO

CLEOPATRA；　OF　THE　MESSAGE　OF　CHARMION；　AND　OF　THE　PASSING

OF　OLYMPUS　DOWN　TO　ALEXANDRIA



These　things　then　came　to　pass。　For　eighty　days　I　was　hidden　of　the

old　wife；　Atoua；　while　the　body　of　the　Prince；　my　father；　was　made

ready　for　burial　by　those　skilled　in　the　arts　of　embalming。　And　when

at　last　all　things　were　done　in　order；　I　crept　from　my　hiding…place

and　made　offerings　to　the　spirit　of　my　father；　and　placing　lotus…

flowers　on　his　breast　went　thence　sorrowing。　And　on　the　following　day；

from　where　I　lay　hid；　I　saw　the　Priests　of　the　Temple　of　Osiris　and　of

the　holy　shrine　of　Isis　come　forth；　and　in　slow　procession　bear　his

painted　coffin　to　the　sacred　lake　and　lay　it　beneath　the　funeral　tent

in　the　consecrated　boat。　I　saw　them　celebrate　the　symbol　of　the　trial

of　the　dead；　and　name　him　above　all　men　just；　and　then　bear　him　thence

to　lay　him　by　his　wife；　my　mother；　in　the　deep　tomb　that　he　had　hewn

in　the　rock　near　to　the　resting…place　of　the　Holy　Osiris；　where；

notwithstanding　my　sins；　I；　too；　hope　to　sleep　ere　long。　And　when　all

these　things　were　done　and　the　deep　tomb　sealed；　the　wealth　of　my

father　having　been　removed　from　the　hidden　treasury　and　placed　in

safety；　I　fled；　disguised；　with　the　old　wife；　Atoua；　up　the　Nile　till

we　came　to　Tápé；＇*＇　and　here　in　this　great　city　I　lay　a　while；　till　a

place　could　be　found　where　I　should　hide　myself。



＇*＇　Thebes。Editor。



And　such　a　place　I　found。　For　to　the　north　of　the　great　city　are　brown

and　rugged　hills；　and　desert　valley　blasted　of　the　sun；　and　in　this

place　of　desolation　the　Divine　Pharaohs；　my　forefathers；　hollowed　out

their　tombs　in　the　solid　rock；　the　most　part　of　which　are　lost　to　this

day；　so　cunningly　have　they　been　hidden。　But　some　are　open；　for　the

accursed　Persians　and　other　thieves　broke　into　them　in　search　of

treasure。　And　one　nightfor　by　night　only　did　I　leave　my　hiding…place

just　as　the　dawn　was　breaking　on　the　mountain　tops；　I　wandered　alone

in　this　sad　valley　of　death；　like　to　which　there　is　no　other；　and

presently　came　to　the　mouth　of　a　tomb　hidden　amid　great　rocks；　which

afterwards　I　knew　for　the　place　of　the　burying　of　the　Divine　Rameses；

the　third　of　that　name；　now　long　gathered　to　Osiris。　And　by　the　faint

light　of　the　dawn　creeping　through　the　entrance　I　saw　that　it　was

spacious　and　that　within　were　chambers。



On　the　following　night；　therefore；　I　returned；　bearing　lights；　with

Atoua；　my　nurse；　who　ever　ministered　faithfully　to　me　as　when　I　was

little　and　without　discretion。　And　we　searched　the　mighty　tomb　and

came　to　the　great　Hall　of　the　Sarcophagus　of　granite；　in　which　the

Divine　Rameses　sleeps；　and　saw　the　mystic　paintings　on　the　walls：　the