The Last Egyptian

ning, bearing on her head an earthen jar. She was bound for

ding in the archway, and he drew the girl toward him

dmother?" she ask

lding her arm with one hand and fee

d and glanced ask

go," s

nd kissed her again, while she put up

nst the opposite wall. At the same time the jar toppled from Nephthys' head and was shattered on the gr

with silver, and where it parted in front a vest of white silk showed, with a line of bright silver buttons. His knee breeches were of saffron pongee, wide and flowing, like those of a Turk, and f

ndsome. His eyes were nearly as large and black as Kāra's, and at the present moment they flashed fire, while an angry frown distorte

face was quite as expressionless as before, but h

!" she

from the ground and stood

n again!" he exclai

irect a look of scorn upon his enemy

anded, sternly. "Are you the plaything of e

ollowed carefully its curves and twists. The blue satin was the color of lapis lazuli, she

dragoman, in Arabic. "If I am to be toyed with and befooled

to her feet and examined

she said, with a

way a bit of the earthenware. "It will cost old S?ra m

e door of her mother's hut, paying no heed to the evil

lowed, meek

rude and scanty, and the beds were rushes from the Nile. A black goat that had a whi

form and a pleasant face met Tadros,

arms upon her breast and bending h

rned Tadros, carelessly, an

or and looked with pride and satis

honored by your splendid presence. Gaze upon your affianced bride, O Dragoman! I

an, lighting a cigarette. "She is too free with thes

mposed by this time, and his f

e with the work until you take her away with you. I cannot keep her secluded like a princes

me," said Tadros, puffi

ancient kings has{43} certain liberties, and therefore takes others, and he merel

agoman scornfully. "How do we kn

have been revered by those who were Egyptians, although their throne is a dream of the past, and they are condemned to live in poverty. Be reasonable, my Tadros!

English to be sneered at, my S?ra. I know them well, and also their allies, the Americans and the Germans and French. They travel far to see Cairo and our Nile, and drop golden sovereigns into my po

jaculated the old woman, w

hartoum." He tossed a cigarette at S?ra, who caught it deftly and put it between

reading the contents of the bundle upon the chest. Then she turned her back to the others, unfastened her dusty black gown, and allowed it to fall to her hips. Over her head she dropped a white tunic, and afterward a robe of coa

sfaction. When she had twined a vine of artificial flowers in her dark hair, the girl came to him

woman, inhaling the smoke of her cigarette with eviden

dead," said

e. Then she uttered a shrill wail and threw h

ng away the cloth. "It is time enoug

ed up her

go to Anubis?" she

girl. "I was with her at the last

atcha is better off in the nether world, and her rascally

ccent of awe. "They have never worked.

rabs, and funeral idols, and amulets, and vases and utensils of olden days, all of which can be sold in Cairo for a good price. Sometimes it means jewels and gold ornaments as we

ble whiff from her cigarette. Then she left the hut an

the rushes upon which lay the dead. Someone had closed Hatatcha's eyes, but otherw

ody with a rhythmical motion. The others followed her example, and their cries were ne

nly delayed it until the mourners were in possession of the house. But the sun wa

h a long head and solemn eyes, stood near the door, and its owner was seated upon the ground rubbing its fee

kko, turning his sigh

nd tried to strap the girth. The old man twined his thin legs aroun

g to resist. "No other would try to rob me of my dear Mammek.

p with a moan and rolled upon the ground. Then the royal one led

s into the animal's flanks; and awa

d another. Finally a heap of rocky boulders arose just ahead of him, with a group of date palms at its foot. The heap grew bigger as he approached, and resolved itself into a small mountain, seared by deep fiss

ng which welled sparkling and cool from the rocks. Mammek followed and thr

stood up and

Sebbet;

ted strangely with his dark chocolate skin. He was scarcely as tall as Kāra's waist, but his body and limbs were so enormous as to convey t

g man stared t

aid he, in ancient Egypt

" returned K

f, rubbing his nose reflectively; "and she was right. A wonderful woma

wondering. "Do you know the a

days. But I successfully embalmed her mother-your great-grandmother-and Hatatcha was greatly

hook h

et," h

tcha long since entrusted me. The strips of fine linen for the bandages and the urns for the entrails are still in my storehouse, whe

turn with me

refore it must be carefully preserved. The process will require forty days, as you know. At the end of that time I will deliver Hatatcha's mummy into y

, my S

to find it?" asked t

w," sa

Kāra fell asleep in the cave, for the sun had been terribly hot and the long

eat and a draught of goat's milk. Then he brought out a stout donkey of a pure white color

were riding togeth

nd Kāra nodded assent. So they went at a moderate pace and bore

āra dismounted from Mammek's back at its master's hut, and at a slap on the thigh the donkey bolted quic

y alone; but someone had placed a coarse c

he gazed for several minutes earnestly upon the features of the dead woman. Then he

rim of the moon. In a short time the dwarf's white

e pace, and bore the blistering rays of

bore the blistering rays of the su

5

he saddle. Kāra could see i

s hand on

ithout tumbling

onkey's back behind the burden. "Poor Hatatcha! She will not k

ght," sa

In forty da

orty

he eme

ll have

ssed silently down the little street. Presen

s. In only one, that of old S?ra, a dim light

d. "For me Cairo, London and the great world bec

hat hung across the archway, fastening it s