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

ide, and stood still a moment looking at Hylda. Then he made low salutation

a?" asked David quietly, an

a. I come for a favour at thy hands." Nahoum sat d

it was mine but yesterday. It is well. To

truly rewarded here?

last when he chose your E

rit, then, in the ey

vid, as with a perfectly assured candour-"and my heart is like an empty house. But man must not be idle and live-if Kaid lets me live. I have riches. Are not Foorgat's riches mine, his Palace, his gardens, his cattle, and his plantations, are they not mine? I may sit in the court-yard and hear the singers, may listen to the tale-tellers by the light of the moon; I may hear the tales of Al-Raschid chanted by one whose tongue never falters, and whose voice is like music; after the manner of the East I may give bread and meat to the poor at sunset; I may call the dancers to the feast. But what comfort shall it give? I am no longer a youth. I would work. I

t not th

each other, until no honest man was left; till all were intent to save their lives by holding power; for in this land to lose power is to lose life. No man who has been in high place, has had the secrets of the Palace and the ear of the Prince, lives after he has lost favour. The Prince, for his safety, must ensure silence, and the only

l I save

he work of salvation in Egypt. I am rich since my brother was-" He paused; no covert look was in his eyes, no sign of knowledge, nothing but meditation and sorrowful frankness-"si

e appeared to be unconscious of David's pain-drawn face, as he sat with hands

o it was meet that he should die as he lived, in a moment of ease. And already he is forgotten. It is the custom here. He might have died by diamond-dust, and men would have set down their coffee-cups in surprise, and t

h unconsciously, she felt she must cry out and rush from the room. He recalled to her the scene in the little tapestried room as vividly as though it was there before her eyes, and it had for the moment all the effect of a hideous nightmare. At last, however, sh

ould not be said of any other servant of the Prince Pasha. Much he had heard of Nahoum's powerful will, hidden under a genial exterior, and behind his friendly, smiling blue eyes. He had heard also of cruelty-of banishment, and of enemies removed from his path suddenly, never to be seen again; but, on the whole, men spoke with more admiration of him than of any other public servant, Armenian Christian in a Mahommedan country though he was. That very day Kai

f I would have it, if it were well that it shou

long spear. Those who ride with him must do battle with the same valour. Excellency, I have now great riches-since Death smote Foorgat Bey in the forehead"-still his eyes conveyed no meaning, t

ne and honest; but my brother, Foorgat Bey, he was much among them, lived much in England, was a friend to many great English. Indeed, on the evening that he died I saw him in the gallery of the banquet-room with an English lady-can one be mistaken in an English face? Perhaps he cared for her; perhaps that

tainty, and heard his words of covert insult, which, as she saw, David did not appreciate, anger and determination grew in her. Yet she felt that caution must mark her words, and that nothing but danger lay in resentment. She felt the everlasting indignity behind the quiet, youthful eyes, the determined power of the man; but she saw also that, for the present, the course Nahoum suggested was

with eyes as steady as David's. David started at her action

ow that he passed away peacefully." She looked him in the eyes determinedly. "Monsieur Claridge is not my kinsman, but he is my fellow-countryman. If yo

ing. "But I am giving guarantees of good

lear that he meant peace

ncile you to Prince Kaid," she said quietly, t

e said. "If thee means as well by Egypt a

making lower salutation still, he said: "Thou hast lifted from my neck the yoke. Thou hast saved

d he stepped back. Hylda drew down her veil. David opened the door cautiously and ad

nes never return to dust, nor the light

ed, but did

ade low salutation to David, saying, "

said Nahoum, with a sneer in his vo

ina has sen

in?" The lean, ghastly being smiled. "He has

y are here, Mizraim, w

palace-I am here,

st thou I

hee, Excellency"-he turned to David. "He also was of my slaves. Word was delivered to his Highness that thou"-he turned to Nahoum again-"wast in thy palace, and Achmet Pasha w

thou have me

ahoum did not answer. His eyes were fixed in thought upo

se of a friend, is he s

; for who could look to find him where thou art who hast taken from him his place and office, Excellency-on whom the stars shine for ever! But in anothe

for thee to his Highness, and, I trust, bring thee pardon. It shall be so-but I shall prevail,"

t," said Nahoum. "Thou shalt prevail. I ca

a trap had been set, and that David was to be the victim of Oriental duplicity; but revolt,

er this roof to-night

nswered Nahoum slowly. "It is not my way to hide

, who met his look with a repugnance which made her face rigid. She rose an

ed David, with a mo

ave finished our business, a

est here, pasha, in peace. In a mome

saw an outcome of the intention which pleased him, but H

company me," she said.

he light of a brazier of coals. A short distance away, near the outer gate

oved towards David. "Yours to command, pasha, yours

come, friend

ands on her own feet every time. She don't seem as

er if thee will

gateway again and leaned against the

aceful figure of the girl who stood "upon her own feet." David drew

steamer next day for Marseilles. In a

aid. "Remembrance is not a thi

spring with thee. Spring should be in thy heart. T

that I may forg

ee will

uched his arm. "You will be a great man herein Egypt," she said. "You will have ene

oum?" he asked. "I take his place. It woul

atch him. Beware of him." David smiled slightly. "I shall have need to be

I can ever help you-

he other food or drink or medicine, and they move on again. And all grows dim with time. And the camel-drivers are forgotten; but th

lay there for a moment. "God

Tilman Lacey's drawling

d the ultramarine, and the nothing to do but lay me down and sleep. It doesn't give you the jim-jumps like

them. The reddish flame from the fire lit up his face under the broad-brimmed hat. His head, slightly bowed, was thrust forward to the dusk. Hylda looked at him stea

which had been born with him had met its reward in a labour herculean at the least, and the infinite drudgery of the practical issues came in a terrible pressure of conviction to his mind. The mind did not shrink from any thought of the dangers in which he would be placed, from any vision of the

him, since it must remain a secret crime, for which he could not openly atone. He asked himself as he stood by the brazier, the bowab apathetically rolling cigarettes at his feet, whether, in the flow of circumstance, the fact that he could not make open restitution, or take punishment for his unlawful act, would undermine the structure of his character. He was on the threshold of his career: actio

ich sat the displaced favourite of the Prince, h

imself, with a warmth at his heart as

on a nail. David's servant, Mahommed Hassan, whom he had had since first he came to Egypt, was gliding from the room-a large, square-shouldered fellow of over

me thy ser

Cairo. I picked hi

humour. "Ah, your Excellency used independent judgment. Thou art a judge of men.

they were wont to do whe

e who have neither stolen nor slain-i

he answered, after a moment, "how should any man be served in Egypt? Hereabouts is a man's life held cheap, else I had not been thy guest to-night; and Kaid's Palace its

murder,

as that of Mahommed

sh to know his crime. That is

English take of killing, and how set thou art to have thy household above reproach, as is meet in a Christian home. So, I took it, would be thy mind-whic

nd," rejoined David quietly. "Thee

been against

ccording to the custom of the land, th

hadst never killed a man; and I know that thy religion condemns killing even in war. Yet in Egypt thou wilt kill, or thou shalt thyself be killed, and thy aims

d, and I wil

ind great. It moveth above small thi

ugh; my wan

in office to withhold his han

try to make

ate-like a bird blown to se

ind an island

sea, Saadat, the

e to Nahoum, and loo

hy Church has preserved the faith. It is still like a lamp in the mist and the cloud in the East. Thou saidst but now that thy heart was

t in the highway, and because he loved the sun, and the talk of men, and the ways of wome

ainst Death? These things cannot

n his sleep like a child. Yet if it had been the hand of man, Prince Kai

yet thou wouldst meet

h I have never seen. I will learn of thee, Saadat, and thou shalt learn of me also many things which I know. They

to David. "Where wilt tho

pointing to another room. "I will sleep here

aming, followed Mahom

aside, the Armenian entered stealthily, and moved a step towards the couch where David lay. Suddenly he was stopped by a

for a moment. Then Nahoum passed back into

arm thrown over his head, resting softly, a moist

, scarcely above his breath, and then with his eyes upon the

lah, the Compassio