Uarda: a Romance of Ancient Egypt

the house of the charioteer Mena h

faded, and the large garden lacked careful attention. In the vicinity of the house only, a few well-kept beds blazed with sp

ally worked Syrian drinking vessels on the sideboard, tables, and consoles were of many forms; beautiful vases full of flowers st

these various objects there reigned a peculiar

te cat, lay the fair Nefert-fanned to coolness by a negro-girl-while her

is since the marriage of Mena with Nefert, and the old enmity seemed now

behind the pomegranate shrubs at the entrance of

it yesterday? I believe

ed softly, while she hit th

the

ti s

sps, which most of the Egyptian ladies-and indeed her own sister and daughter-were accustomed to wear, she had only fresh flowers, which were never wanting in the garden of her son-in-law. Only a plain gold diadem, the badge of her royal descent, always rested, from early morning till late at night, on her high brow-for a woman too high, though nobly formed-and confined t

f her own, but lived on the estate of her son-in-law as his guest, and as the administrator of his possessions; a

the wife of h

others and sisters we

princes adopted this,

s. When Ptolemy II. P

ms to have been though

ions of Venus and Sat

g influences of

part of the possessions which had been left to him by

in a house of her own, enjoyed the income of an estate assigned to her by the old Mohar, and left to her son-in-law the

might pretend to a more brilliant outward position, felt herself hurt when her heedless son, while he attended school, was warned to work more seriously, as he would by and by have to rely on his own skill and

fts, compensate for the insults they heaped upon her; and thus taught them by experience that we quarrel w

asked the hand of her daughter for h

by this union she foresaw that she could se

g himself had not supported the suit of his favorite officer. After the wedding, she retired with Nefert to Mena's house, and un

rself of them to gratify her innate desire to be esteemed and admired; to obtain admission for her son, splendidly equi

of the Pharaohs, he made her advances, and the clever and decided woman knew how t

e old royal house to pique his ambition, and to open to him a view, which even to thin

h would refuse, and personally offend the Regent, and so make him more inclined to tread the d

nly with blows from a fan, and, only the day before, had been so audacious as to say that if the Pharoah were called Ani instead of Rameses, Katuti wou

s blush, for she was looking anxious

e must be some news arri

o long," Nefert said softly

er, who had entered the ve

ou bring,"

r, "presses for payment. The new S

corn," orde

ready so much has been delivered to the dealers that scarcely enoug

ay with

har; and the water-wheels must be turned, and the corn must be thrashed, and we need beasts

is so little wood, to

the commonest

thoughtfully

his, and say to the keeper of the stud that he mus

hat Mena strictly forbade him to part with even one of the horses, fo

edly and cutting short the steward's wor

ring man, whom Mena looks up

Katuti enraged, "and I require the horses in

dolent attitude. On hearing the last words she rose from her co

Mena loves shall stay in their stalls. Take this armlet th

recious stones, and looked enquiringly at Katuti. S

Mena's booty arrives. For a year your h

fert stretched herself again

ht we we

h rank imposes great duties on us. Princely blood flows in our veins, and the eyes of the people are turned on the wife of th

court," said Nefert.

again toward

at, the daughter of the king, had dismounted at the gate

d went with her mother to

ent-Anat signed them back from her. "Keep farther from me," she said

who accompanied her, her brother of seventeen, who was brought up at the H

"He would positively accompany me. Your husband, Nefert, is his model,

young wife, pressing

his ability, and writes that he, before all others,

glance at her mother, and

rned to Katuti, led her into the garden, and begged her to aid her,

e Regent Ani desires me for his wife, and advises me to reward the fidelity of

u?" aske

ent-Anat decidedly

u mu

a sign of ass

ar to me. I can

since even thy father, I well know, w

m, I would save him from this humiliation. Endeavor to persuade him to give up

ery well to pass his hours of leisure with me gossiping or playing draughts,

e women's affairs," s

a state event," replied the widow

and even the Spaniard

of uncle to a p

lf of his life the brightest. Ani is kind and without severity. Thou would'st win i

d by my dogs, my servants, my officers, if the Gods so will it, by my children. Abject beings, who will kiss my feet, I meet on every road, and can buy by the hundred, if I wish it, in the slave market. I may be courted twenty times, and reject twenty suitors, but not because I fear that they might bend my pride

ile by which the experienced love to sign

he said. "But if in these days thou thinkest

a curl of hair which

ore at the side of the

sented w

no heroes, and our heroes are no sage

o give up his suit!" sai

eplied Katuti. Then, turning half to the yo

, that art growing up under the young sycamores, which shall some day over-shadow the land-whom dost thou esteem the highest

: "We are all much alike, and do more or less willingly what we

tmes, or even an Amem? Dost thou know none such in the House of S

s-?" aske

Bent-Anat's face glowed with scarlet col

we used to go to sleep in the lecture-hall; but his words carry us away, and if we do n

at these words, and her e

to our souls. Do not laugh, Katuti, I feel it burning still. This morning we were informed that he had been sent from the temple, who knows where-and had left us a message of farewell. It was not thought at all necessary to communicate the reason to us; but we know more than the masters think. He did not reprove you strongly enough, Bent-Anat, and therefore he is driven out

. "Take care, you lordlings; Ameni and the

place me at the school at Heliopolis or Chennu, and the others will follow me. Come, Bent-Anat, I must

nd sister lef

d turned their backs, Bent-Anat grasped her bro

ur demand is just, and I will