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

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ht o'clock, and he was there on the instant; yet here was every one assembled, the Prince Pasha included. As he walked up the room he suddenly realised this fact, and, for a moment, he thought he had made a mistake; but again he remembered distinctly that the letter said half-past eight, and he wondered now if this had been arranged by the Prince-for what purpose? To afford amusement to the assembled company? He drew himself up with dignity, his face became graver. He had come in a Quaker suit of black broadcloth,

and all the official Europeans should be already present, remained to be seen. As David entered, Kaid was busy receiving salaams, and returning greeting, b

ly humour lurking at the corner of his eye. Conscious of t

rning dew, friend," he added

odly paths, by the grace of God

had seen him, and now all eyed with inquisitive interest one who defied so many of the customs of his countrymen; who kept on his hat; who used a Mahommedan salutation like a

ant and favourite of the Prince Pasha, laugh in his throat; for, if there was a man in Egypt who enjoyed the thrust of a word or the bite of a phrase, it was Nahoum. Christian though he was, he was, nevertheless, Oriental to his farthermost corner, and had the culture of a French savant. He had also the primitive view of life, and the morals of a race who, in the clash of East and West, set against Western character and directness, and loyalty to the terms of a bargain, the demoralised cunning of the desert folk; the circuitous tactics of those who believed that no man spoke the truth directly, that it must ever be found beneath

of causing his Highness to turn a sharp corner of conversation

in the East-that it is a characteristic of civilisati

that Kaid had once more got the idea of making a European his confidant and adviser; to introduce to his court one of those mad Englishmen who cared nothing for gold-only for power; who loved administration for the sa

which lies behind civilisation, as thee

red for David's knowledge that he was an Armenia

g. To cherish the lives of others, and to be careless of our own; to give that of great value as though it were of no worth-is it not the Great Lesson?" He said it with such an air of sincerity, with such di

eless when care would be useless," he said, with a chuckle. "When the khamsin blows the dust-storms upon the

ean loans, and made himself the richest man in Egypt, whose spies were everywhere, whose shadow was across every man's path. Kaid might slay, might toss a pasha or a slave into the Nile now and then, might invite a Bey to visit him, and stroke his beard and call him brother and put diamond-dust in t

ed as black as the sudden dilation of the pupil of an e

hath a ti

time," answered N

behind their words, and there had flashed into his own mind tales told him, with every circumstance of accuracy, of deaths within and

fashion or time in England, effendi?"

iver and Taker of life and himself-save

an and man-is it that you

rivileges here," an

vileges or no," rejoined Na

own faith forbids the sword,

Prince of Peace, friend," answered Da

nterest in his eyes. He asked the question as a ma

dness of God, neve

punishment n

judge nor so

et far to go! Thou art

that, friend," said David, i

w is no m

n-looking out of a panel in a mooshrabieh screen in a gallery above. He would not have dwelt upon the incident, he would have set it down to the curiosity of a w

nt. Demonstration was discouraged, if not forbidden, among the Quakers, and if, to others, it gave a cold and austere manner, in D

hout replying, he bowed gravely and deferentially to Kaid, who rose from the table. He

is hand, and the circle withd

as will not startle. Death-tribute is no new thing in the East. It is fortunate for t

aid David. "I would that I might show thee kindness. Though

ng, and not that which makes me poorer the more I have of it-as though one s

uth. Is not truth che

s never besought men, but he beseeches thee. Once there was in Egypt, Joseph, a wise youth, who served a Pharaoh, and was his chief counsellor, and it was well with the land. Thy name is a good name; well-being may follow thee. The ages have gone, and the rest of the world has changed, but Egypt is the same Egypt, the Nile rises an

an Jonathan had been loved by the young shepherd-prince of Israel. In his ears he heard the voice that had called him in his sleep-the voice of Benn Claridge; and,

wer thee now," he sai

ink upon it. Come with me." He stepped for

rk for thee to do. Com

ed at hand: the coming of a European counsellor and confidant. They realised that in the man who had jus

ed High Pasha to Ac

the swine of Gadarene," said

an." The face of Achmet the Ropemaker wa

whom you have to deal, but

r and well groomed. His light brown beard and hair and blue eyes gave him a

in Egypt since a child. Bar to progress as his religion had been at first, it had been an advantage afterwards; for, through it, he could exclude himself from complications with the Wakfs, the religious court of the Muslim creed, which had lands to administer, and controlled the laws of marriage and inheritance. He could shrug his shoulders and play with his beads, and urbanely explain his own helplessness and ineligibility when his influence was summoned, or it w

one of the Turkish Embassy, and, having none of the outward characteristics of the Turk, and being in appearance more of a Spaniard than an Oriental, he had, by his gifts, his address and personal appearance, won the good-will of the Duchess of Middl

fluenced their father to give him wealth while he was yet alive? He was aware also that his brother had visited the Palace often of late. It would seem as though the Prince Pasha was ready to make him, as well as David, a favourite. But the face of the girl-it was an English face! Familiar with the Palace, and bribing when it was necessary to bribe, Foorgat Bey had evide

as to which room they were likely to enter. They had not gone by the door convenient to passage to Kaid's own apartments. He would give much to hear the conversation between Kaid and the stranger; he w

thy sun never pass its noon!" sa

his death was determined on; for spies were everywhere, and slaves in the pay of Kaid were everywhere, and such as were not could be bought or compelled, even if he took refuge in the house of a foreign consul. The lean, invisible, ghastly arm of death could find him, if Kaid willed, though he delved in the bowels of the Cairene earth, or climbed to an eagle's eyrie in the Libyan Hills. Whether it was diamond-dust or Achmet's thin thong that stopped the breath, it mattered not; it was sure. Yet he was not of the breed to tremble under the descending sword, an

than the trees; so that every man in Egypt shall, thinking on him, be as covetous as Ashaah, who knew but one thing

softly at h

d's again, after a low s

me might sheathe itself in the b

n, with a gesture towards the consuls and Europeans, he said to them in French: "If I might but beg your pres

swung slowly round and

n rise first," he said, with a sarcastic lau

l, he slowly left the room by the door ou

d trained himself in his own way to the mastery of his will, and the will in each was stronger than any passion of emotion in them. So far at

opening on its own garden, which also had its own exits to the public road. The quarters of the Chief Eunuch separated the suite from the harem, and Mizraim, the present Chief Eunuch, was a man of power in the Palace, knew more secrets, was more courted, and was richer than some of the princes. Nahoum had an offic

Besides, the game afoot was not of his making, and he was ready to await the finish, the more so because he was sure that to-morrow would bring forth momentous things. There was a crisis in the Soudan, there was trouble in the army, there was dark conspiracy of which he knew the heart, and anything might happen to-morrow! He had yet some cards to play, and Achmet and Higli-and another v

e room where he had been brought and left alone with coffee and cigarettes, se

ds, pistols which had been used in the Syrian wars of Ibrahim, lances which had been taken from the Druses at Palmyra, rude battle-axes from the tribes of the Soudan, and neboots of dom-wo

er effacement of life, as he well knew, all too often! In looking at this prospect for good work in the cause of civilisation, he was not deceived, he was not allured. He knew into what subterranean ways he must walk, through what mazes of treachery and falsehood he must find his way; and though he did not know to the full the corruption which it was his duty to Kaid to turn to incorruption, he knew enough to give his spirit pause. What would be-what could be-the end? Would he not prove to be as much out of place as was the face of that English girl? The English girl! England rushed back upon him-the love

othered cry, then a call of dist

fingers quickly and heavily down the crack between. It came upon the button of a spring. He pressed it, the door yielded, and, throwing it back, he stepped into the room-to see a woman struggling to resist the embraces and kisses of a man.

weapons from the wall above him. He seized one-a dagger-and sprang to his feet. Before he could move forward or raise his arm, however, David struck him a blow in the neck which flu

. There was a cut where the hair met the temple. He opened the waistcoat an

almost contemplatively it might have seemed

brother of Nahoum

ay was in her face, but the look of horror and desperation was gone. She seemed not to realise, as did David, the awful

?" said David. "Come,

e here," she sai

rought

s of the dead man were open. He stooped and closed them gently. The collar

ly. My maid is outside the garden-in a carriage. Oh, come, let us go, let us escape. They will kill you-!" Terro

eyond. "But we first entered through doors with sphinxes on

took her hand. "Come quickly. I know the way. It is here,"

the room, and shut the panel behind them. As they passed through, a hand d

oped down, and laid a hand on his brother's breast. The slight wound on the forehead answered his rapid scr

ard the outer doors close. For a moment he listened, then went forward and passed through into the hall. Softly turning the handle of the big wooden doors which faced him, he opened them an inch or so, and listened. He could hear swiftly ret

ong them all, and so pass out unsuspected and safe. For who but I-who but I

' said Kaid. 'Never,' said he-'by the goodness of God, never!' The voice of Him

which David and Kaid had first entered. Drawing behind a clump of palms near a door opening to a passage leading to Mizraim's quar

time there

ld not act yet. A new factor had changed the equati

e door by which the Prince Pasha would enter, now upon the door through which he had passed to the rescue of the English girl, whom he had seen drive off safely with her maid. In their swift passage from the Palace to the carriage, a thing had been done of even greater moment than the killing of the sensuali

ack. I will say that I killed him. I have ta

rpose. She had seen the issue also clearly. He would give hi

er voice had got harder. "He would have killed my life because he was evil. Will you kill it because you are good? Will you be brave, quixotic, but not pitiful?... No, no, no!" she had said, as his hand was upon the gate, "I will

stinctly. But that did not matter, for she had won; she had a feeling that all would be well. Then he had placed her in her c

e satisfaction. David's life had suddenly come upon problems for which his whole past was no preparation. Consc

feeling another scene, another inanimate thing which must be for ever and for ever a picture burning in his memory. Yet he appeared to be casually doing a trivial and necessary act. He did not definitely realise his actions; but long afterwards he could have drawn an accurat

d beyond the great gateway. Was it the chilly hand of death passing over everything, and smothering all the activities? His pulses, which, but a few minutes past, were throbbing and pounding like drums in his ears, seemed now to

, had imposed upon him had been overturned in one moment. To take a human life, even in battle, was against t

d yet again he were placed in the same position he would do even as he had done-even as he had done with the man Kimber by the Fox and Goose tavern beyond Hamley. He knew that the blow he had given then was inevitable, and he had never felt real repentance. T

where Foorgat Bey was lying dead. He lifted his arms with a sudden passionate gesture. The blood came rushing through his vei

rvice for this land. What I have done in secret, let me atone fo

himself to quietness again. Kaid entered, and stood before him in silence.

out his hand. Kaid took it, but said, in smiling comment on

o-morrow, Kaid,"

the place I will require

e standing among the consuls

ed Kaid, looking round

miling, Kaid whisp