第32章

“Areyouthenlonely？“ “Howcanitbeotherwisewithanoutcast，Prince？“ “No，itcannotbeotherwise。Iknowitwhoamalsoanoutcast。“ “AtleastthereisherHighnessyourwife，whodoubtlesswillcometocomfortyou，“shesaid，lookingdown。 “HerHighnesswillnotcome。IfyouhadseenAna，hewouldperhapshavetoldyouthatshehasswornnottolookuponmyfaceagain，unlessaboveitshinesacrown。“ “Oh!howcanawomanbesocruel？Surely，Prince，suchastabmustcutyoutotheheart，“sheexclaimed，withalittlecryofpity。 “HerHighnessisnotonlyawoman；sheisaPrincessofEgyptwhichisdifferent。Fortherestitdoescutmetotheheartthatmyroyalsistershouldhavedesertedme，forthatwhichshelovesbetter——powerandpomp。Butsoitis，unlessAnadreams。Itseemsthereforethatweareinthesamecase，bothoutcasts，youandI，isitnotso？“ Shemadenoanswerbutcontinuedtolookupontheground，andhewentonveryslowly： “AthoughtcomesintomymindonwhichIwouldaskyourjudgment。Iftwowhoareforlorncametogethertheywouldbelessforlornbyhalf，wouldtheynot？“ “Itwouldseemso，Prince——thatisiftheyremainedforlornatall。 ButIdonotunderstandtheriddle。“ “Yetyouhaveansweredit。IfyouarelonelyandIamlonelyapart，weshould，yousay，belesslonelytogether。“ “Prince，“shemurmured，shrinkingawayfromhim，“Ispokenosuchwords。“ “No，Ispokethemforyou。Hearkentome，Merapi。TheythinkmeastrangemaninEgyptbecauseIhaveheldnowomandear，neverhavingseenonewhomIcouldholddear。“Hereshelookedathimsearchingly，andhewenton，“Awhileago，beforeIvisitedyourlandofGoshen—— Anacantellyouaboutthematter，forIthinkhewroteitdown——KiandoldBakenkhonsucametoseeme。Now，asyouknow，Kiiswithoutdoubtagreatmagician，thoughitwouldseemnotsogreatassomeofyourprophets。HetoldmethatheandothershadbeensearchingoutmyfutureandthatinGoshenIshouldfindawomanwhomitwasfatedI mustlove。Headdedthatthiswomanwouldbringmemuchjoy。“HereSetipaused，doubtlessrememberingthiswasnotallthatKihadsaid，orJabezeither。“Kitoldmealso，“hewentonslowly，“thatIhadalreadyknownthiswomanforthousandsofyears。“ Shestartedandastrangelookcameintoherface。 “Howcanthatbe，Prince？“ “ThatiswhatIaskedhimandgotnogoodanswer。Stillhesaidit，notonlyofthewomanbutofmyfriendAnaaswell，whichindeedwouldexplainmuch，anditwouldappearthattheothermagicianssaiditalso。ThenIwenttothelandofGoshenandthereIsawawoman-“ “Forthefirsttime，Prince？“ “No，forthethirdtime。“ Hereshesankuponthebenchandcoveredhereyeswithherhands。 “-andlovedher，andfeltasthoughIhadlovedherfor’thousandsofyears。’“ “Itisnottrue。Youmockme，itisnottrue!“shewhispered。 “ItistrueforifIdidnotknowitthen，Iknewitafterwards，thoughneverperhapscompletelyuntilto-day，whenIlearnedthatUsertihaddesertedmeindeed。MoonofIsrael，youarethatwoman。I willnottellyou，“hewentonpassionately，“thatyouarefairerthanallotherwomen，orsweeter，ormorewise，thoughthesethingsyouseemtome。IwillonlytellyouthatIloveyou，yes，loveyou，whateveryoumaybe。IcannotofferyoutheThroneofEgypt，evenifthelawwouldsufferit，butIcanofferyouthethroneofthisheartofmine。Now，LadyMerapi，whathaveyoutosay？Beforeyouspeak，rememberthatalthoughyouseemtobemyprisonerhereatMemphis，youhavenaughttofearfromme。Whateveryoumayanswer，suchshelterandsuchfriendshipasIcangivewillbeyourswhileIlive，andnevershallIattempttoforcemyselfuponyou，howevermuchitmaypainmetopassyouby。Iknownotthefuture。ItmayhappenthatIshallgiveyougreatplaceandpower，itmayhappenthatIshallgiveyounothingbutpovertyandexile，orevenperhapsashareinmyowndeath，butwitheitherwillgotheworshipofmybodyandmyspirit。Now，speak。“ Shedroppedherhandsfromherface，lookingupathim，andthereweretearsshininginherbeautifuleyes。 “Itcannotbe，Prince，“shemurmured。 “Youmeanyoudonotwishittobe？“ “Isaidthatitcannotbe。SuchtiesbetweenanEgyptianandanIsraelitearenotlawful。“ “Someinthiscityandelsewhereseemtofindthemso。“ “AndIammarried，ImeanperhapsIammarried——atleastinname。“ “AndItooammarried，Imean-“ “Thatisdifferent。Alsothereisanotherreason，thegreatestofall，Iamunderacurse，andshouldbringyou，notjoyasKisaid，butsorrow，or，attheleast，sorrowwiththejoy。“ Helookedathersearchingly。 “HasAna-“hebegan，thencontinued，“ifsowhatliveshaveyouknownthatarenotcompoundedofmingledjoyandsorrow？“ “None。ButthewoeIshouldbringwouldoutweighthejoy——toyou。ThecurseofmyGodrestsuponmeandIcannotlearntoworshipyours。Thecurseofmypeoplerestsuponme，thelawofmypeopledividesmefromyouaswithasword，andshouldIdrawclosetoyouthesewillbeincreaseduponmyhead，whichmattersnot，butalsouponyours，“andshebegantosob。 “Tellme，“hesaid，takingherbythehand，“butonething，andiftheanswerisNo，Iwilltroubleyounomore。Isyourheartmine？“ “Itis，“shesighed，“andhasbeeneversincemyeyesfelluponyouyonderinthestreetsofTanis。Oh!thenachangecameintomeandI hatedLaban，whombeforeIhadonlymisliked。Moreover，ItoofeltthatofwhichKispoke，asthoughIhadknownyouforthousandsofyears。Myheartisyours，myloveisyours；allthatmakesmewomanisyours，andnever，nevercanturnfromyoutoanyotherman。Butstillwemuststayapart，foryoursake，myPrince，foryoursake。“ “Then，wereitnotforme，youwouldbereadytorunthesehazards？“ “Surely!AmInotawomanwholoves？“ “Ifthatbeso，“hesaidwithalittlelaugh，“beingoffullageandofanunderstandingwhichsomehavethoughtgood，byyourleaveI thinkIwillrunthemalso。Oh!foolishwoman，doyounotunderstandthatthereisbutonegoodthingintheworld，onethinginwhichselfanditsmiseriescanbeforgot，andthatthingislove？Mayhaptroubleswillcome。Well，letthemcome，forwhatdotheymatterifonlytheloveoritsmemoryremains，ifoncewehavepickedthatbeauteousflowerandforanhourwornitonourbreasts。Youtalkofthedifferencebetweenthegodsweworshipandmaybeitexists，butallgodssendtheirgiftsofloveupontheearth，withoutwhichitwouldceasetobe。Moreover，myfaithteachesmemoreclearlyperhapsthanyours，thatlifedoesnotendwithdeathandthereforethatlove，beinglife’ssoul，mustendurewhileitendures。Lastofall，Ithink，asyouthink，thatinsomedimwaythereistruthinwhatthemagicianssaid，andthatlongagointhepastwehavebeenwhatoncemoreweareabouttobe，andthatthestrengthofthisinvisibletiehasdrawnustogetheroutofthewholeworldandwillbindustogetherlongaftertheworldisdead。Itisnotamatterofwhatwewishtodo，Merapi，itisamatterofwhatFatehasdecreedweshalldo。Now，answeragain。“ Butshemadenoanswer，andwhenIlookedupafteralittlemomentshewasinhisarmsandherlipswereuponhislips。 ThusdidPrinceSetiofEnglandandMerapi，MoonofIsrael，cometogetheratMemphisinEgypt。 OnthemorrowofthisnightIfoundthePrincealoneforalittlewhile，andputhiminmindofcertainancientmanuscriptsthathewishedtoread，whichcouldonlybeconsultedatThebeswhereImightcopythem；alsoofothersthatweresaidtobeforsalethere。Heansweredthattheycouldwait，butIrepliedthatthelattermightfindsomeotherpurchaserifIdidnotgoatonce。 “Youareoverfondoflongjourneysuponmybusiness，Ana，“hesaid。 Thenheconsideredmecuriouslyforawhile，andsincehecouldreadmymind，asindeedIcouldhis，sawthatIknewall，andaddedinagentlevoice： “YoushouldhavedoneasItoldyou，andspokenfirst。Ifso，whoknows-“ “Youdo，Prince，“Ianswered，“youandanother。“