The Weavers: a tale of England and Egypt of fifty years ago - Volume 1

etter came to David Claridge in C

rom the village and t

e love so well. Does

ead to eat ere thy goi

he baking. Thee didst

that mad midsummer

oads, and the cockpi

l of a strange thing.

Kimber smitten by the

thee has happened? He

nd besought her to ret

ith anger; but afterwa

the same mind, and s

would give him an ans

has become maid to a

efrien

hings? Even from Jasp

s taken to his bed wit

by thee, I went to ma

s whole mind. That min

k to being thankf

ing I hinted. After vi

back over the hill b

ting-Ebn Ezra Bey, my

w near the chairmaker

onths. It was late ev

t needs go and lay my

which had been ever

path swiftly, and the

or. But, as I did so,

e door was open, but I

ded, one sharp and pe

I could not hear what

oor and went quickly d

ven "neighbour Egling

t of the head. Inside

nd of fear, but yet I

ked

dusk, my limbs trem

re, a half-finished c

chair-maker! Yes, it

staring blue eyes and

aid I, my heart hamme

and buried? His eyes

said in a hoarse whisp

m come

d myself, for it was

raught than was mysel

ou are Mercy Claridge

dazedly. "I am Fait

d, peered forward at

the fear went from

he answered, with appa

No, thee said Mercy C

asleep these many yea

God!" he replied, an

her name?" I inquired

answered, and added q

to a day-which, thin

nd peered over at me

udden quickening of

med to drop from all a

and miseries, in a chi

elf alone-thee in Egy

beside me. For we ar

But I said coldly, an

d link his name and

two goes first is God

h, think thee," add

ying it-"which, think

ow which would do mos

his throat. Yet his

an to nod pleasantly.

h had seemed not witho

I said to him presen

me shrink, and answer

gh-handed, second-bes

e it pleased him to h

arrow on a tree-top,

hunt it down the wo

of paradise. And when

ut the fun of the chas

n-if it can-if it ca

r was, the last Earl,

now. He came to snatc

to use it for a telesc

icks like his father

emistry, and suchlike

h let God A'mighty m

y's palace for his sp

gh I was the devil him

time-a day later, and

t below before giving

and here I sat and

this and should do tha

y my Colisyum, and I w

might offer. Isn't the

urtle's shell to the

hemicals here, or devi

t autumn," said I, "Da

s a prison then." "

ecords here? And do y

ind me?" "Records? W

. "Writings of his th

left in the cupboard.

," said I. "All but o

his mind upon Soolsby

heathen sword that sle

chair!" He placed the

poke of him. Ah, Davi

ent was no pain to t

, in my hands, and I,

said he, "come, and I

a taste of it now," h

riting. "Th

, Davy. What think

use I know Soolsby as

p here, I spent many

ns on all around them

heir breath, the floo

in which they have s

l Soolsby here at tim

in and was in this roo

t came he lived here

ith brains enough to

was that drink and he

lived here among us

evere. I think it true

h he is able to satisf

ies a virtue, may give

ibilities of his life

m, and neither miss n

mbition which he has l

real as the simpl

ow not what to think o

well to understand th

eman." Is my story

d itself upon my min

ave been so much in m

down here. When I ask

dead, he said that he

hat purpose he would n

nd had made up his min

d, "and I was set to

ars go on, and frien

e years," he said. An

e even to my father's

nts be with you," he s

rom them. And tell him

lsby's busy making a

h is spread, and the

ll him the old man sa

ar

e told thee all, near

r hearts good. My fat

ead sadly, for, truth

hand upon thee. One

inst Lord Eglington.

s like a constant fro

looking out towards th

forth, perhaps upon h

is dogs, he draws his

elf. I think he is e

; and that is foolish,

rthy. His is the so

t down? I must ask the

ee did find all he sai

to set a mark by my u

gypt has set up a cla

though, thanks be to

p us fed and clothed

heritance to bring th

England is ever grey,

e "Quaker drab," as s

a good land, and he

and reme

s sister, thy mo

IT

as it passed in the form of taxes to the Palace of the Prince Pasha; while in the dark corners crouched, waiting, the cormorant usurers-Greeks, Armenians, and Syrians, a hideous salvage corps, who saved the house of a man that they might at last walk off with his shirt and the cloth under which he was carried to his grave. In a thousand narrow streets

xes and backsheesh and life to the State, and the long line of tyrants above him, under the sting of the kourbash; the high officials

hamelessly to the men, and indolent musicians beat on their tiny drums, and sang the song of "O Seyyid," or of "Antar"; and the reciter gave his sing-song tale from a bench above his fellows. Here a devout Muslim, indifferent to the presence of strangers, turned his face to the East, touched his forehead to the ground, and said his prayers. There, hung to a tree by a deserted mosque near by, the body of one who was with them all an hour before, and who had paid the penalty for some real or imaginary crime; while his fellows blessed Allah that the storm had passed them by. Guilt or innocence did not weigh with them; and t

d to have been reached. When he had brought the influence of the British Consulate to bear, promises were made, doors were opened wide, and Pasha and Bey offered him coffee and talked to him sympathetically. They had respect for him more than for most Franks, because the Prince Pasha had honoured him with especial favour. Perhaps because David wore his hat always and the long coat with high collar like a Turk, or because Prince Kaid was an acute judge of human nature, and also because honesty was a thing he

he presence of his superior, and this wide, droll hat on his head. David knew that he ran risks, that his confidence invited the occasional madness of a fanatical mind, which makes murder of the infidel a passport to heaven; but as a man he took his chances, and as a Christian he

and shell. The Nile wound its way through the green plains, stretching as far to the north as eye could see between the opal and mauve and gold of the Libyan Hills. Far over in the western vista a long line of trees, twining through an oasis flanking the city, led out to a point where the d

d years of t

nd years o

d in fiery

nd years of

Constantine, and how many conquests have been made in the name of God! But after other conquests there

had written. The return of the drunken chair-maker made a deep impression on

apart as the poles, and yet it comes to me now, with a strange conviction, that somehow my life will be linked with that of the drunken Romish chair-

h a plaintive colour, which spoke of peace and rest, but not of hope. As he stood watching, he was conscious of people approaching. Voices mingled, there was light laughter, little bursts of admir

nd nodded, and in a moment they were gone. The man turned round, and looked at Davi

enough

ound, blue eyes, the rather opulent figure, the shrewd, whimsical smile, all aglow now with beamin

," he continued, with a friendly manner quite with

hia," answered David, declining a cig

English every day and improving on the patent. If Chicago can't have the newest thing, she won't have anything. 'High hopes that burn like stars sublime,' has Chicago. She won't let Shakespeare or Milton be standards much longer. She won't have it-simply won't have England swaggering over the

thee," sa

you,

d Cla

f-

Haml

, I am glad to meet you." They shook

month

the whole thing glitters and stews! Out of Shoobra his High Jinks Pasha kennels with his lions and lives with his cellars of gold, as if he was going to take them with him where he's going-and he's going fas

strange confidence in the garrulous man, whose frankne

d toss this cigar down there where the last Mameluke captain made his great jump, where women-Lord A'mighty! where women are divorced by one evil husband, by the dozen, for nothing they ever did or left undone, and yet 'd b

ised life here. Yet-yet a

d quizzical

worrying, but I learned to be patient. The Dagos wanted to live in their own way, and they did. It's one thing to be a missionary and say the little word in season; it's another to run your soft red head against a hard stone wall. I went to Mexico a conquistador, I left it a child of time, who had learned to smile; and I left some millions behind me, too. I said to an old Padre down there that I knew-we used to meet in the Cafe Manrique and drink chocolate-I said to him, 'Padre, the Lord's Prayer is a mi

e like that here?" Da

dness-"laughing on the other side of his mouth one morning. They were 'kourbashing' his feet; I landed on them as the soles came away. I hit out." His face became grave, he turned the cigar round in his mouth. "It made me feel better, but I had a close call. Lucky for me that in Mexico I got into the habit of carrying a pop-gun. It saved me then. But it isn't any use goi

ghtly on him, and his expansive temperament, his childlike sentimentality, gave him an appearance of beaming, sophisticated youth. David was slowly apprehending these things as he talked-subconsciou

istener I ever saw," ad

nd. "Thee sees things

rasped

towards them. "He's after us-one

ve be not made till the karadh-gathere

Claridge," a

tam Hills after thee, then here-from the Effendi

ter. "I thank thee

the orderly in Arabic "How

ly grinne

the effendi honours. It is not

ve a low

ow," he said, as David folded up t

miles on you, the servant

hich he had no right to shut with his own hand. There was no reason why he should not go; therefore there might be a reason why he should go. It might be, it

" said Lacey, as he saw the gold piece g

"It is a land of backsheesh. The fault is not with the people; it i

f I had those millions I left in Mexico-" Suddenly he stopped. "Is it you

clined h

and that the pashas and judges and all the high-mogul sharks of t

he pashas and judges and the others of the Medjidie, as thee said, a

I see. Jerusalem, that's masterly! I admire you. It's a new way in this country." Then, after a momen

harity and for proper service done o

clinch with the strong man at the top, and, down below, you've got as your partners the poor man, whose name is Legion. If you get a fall out of the man at the top, you're solid with the Legion. And if the man at the top gets up again and s

from the citadel. David tu

Egypt, you'll find that Achmet is the worst, and Nahoum the Armenian the deepest, pasha in all this sickening land. Achmet is cruel as a tiger to any one that stands in his way; Nahoum, the whale, only opens out to swallow now and then; but when Nahoum does open out, down goes Jonah, and never comes up ag

down the hills, Lacey

love to the g