Die Nilbraut. English

  CHAPTER V.

  After that interview with Orion, Philippus hurried off through thetown, paying so little heed to the people he met and to the processionsbesieging Heaven with loud psalms to let the Nile at last begin to rise,that he ran up against more than one passer-by, and had many a word ofabuse shouted after him. He went into two or three houses, and neitherhis patients nor their attendants could recognize, in this abrupt andhasty visitor, the physician and friend who was usually so sympatheticto the sufferer: who would speak with a cordiality that brought new lifeto his heart, who would toss the children in the air, kiss one and nodmerrily to another. To-day their elders even felt shy and anxious inhis presence. For the first time he found the duty he loved a wearisomeburthen; the sick man was a tormenting spirit in league with the worldagainst his peace of mind. What possessed him, that he should feel suchlove of his fellow-men as to deprive himself of all comfort in life andof his night's rest for their sake? Rufinus was right. In these timeseach man lived solely to spite his neighbor, and he who could be mostbrazenly selfish, looking neither to the right hand nor to the left, wasthe most certain to get on in life. Fool that he was to let other folks'woes destroy his peace and hinder him in his scientific advancement!

  Tormented by such bitter thoughts as these, he went into a neat littlehouse by the harbor where a worthy pilot lay dying, surrounded by hiswife and children; and there, at once, he was himself again, puttingforth all his knowledge and heartfelt kindliness, quitting the scenewith a bleeding heart and an empty purse; but no sooner was he out ofdoors than his former mood closed in upon him with double gloom. Thecase was plain: Even with the fixed determination not to sacrificehimself for others he could not help doing it; the impulse was toostrong for him. He could no more help suffering with the sufferer,and giving the best he had to give with no hope of a return, than thedrunkard can help drinking. He was made to be plundered; it was hisfate!

  With a drooping head he returned to his old friend's work-room.Horapollo was sitting, just as he had sat the night before, at hiswriting-table with his scrolls and his three lamps, a slave below,snoring while he awaited his master's pleasure.

  The leech's pretty Greek greeting "Rejoice!" sounded rather like "Mayyou choke!" as he flung aside his upper garment; and to the old man'sanswer and anxious exclamation: "How badly you look, Philip!" heanswered crossly: "Like a man who deserves a kick rather than a welcome;a booby who has submitted to have his nose pulled; a cur who has lickedthe hand of the lout who has thrashed him!"

  He threw himself on the divan and told Horapollo all that had passedbetween him and Orion. "And the maddest part of it all," he ended, "isthat I almost like the man; that he really seems to me to be on the highroad to become a capital fellow; and that I no longer feel inclined topitch him into a lime-kiln at the mere thought of his putting out a handto Paula. At the same time," and he started to his feet, "even if I helphim to bring the poor little girl away from that demented old hag, Icannot and will not continue to be her physician. There are plenty ofquacks about in this corpse of a town, and they may find one of them.

  "You will continue to treat the child," interrupted the old man quietly.

  "To have my heart daily flogged with nettles!" exclaimed the leech,going towards Horapollo with wild gesticulations. "And do you believethat I have any desire to meet that young fellow's sweetheart day afterday, often twice a day, that the barb may be twisted round and round inmy bleeding wound?"

  "I expect a quite different result from your frequent meeting," said theother. "You will get accustomed to see her under the aspect which aloneshe can hence forth bear to you: that of a handsome girl--there arethousands such in Egypt,--and the betrothed of another."

  "Certainly, if my heart were like a hunting-dog that lies down themoment it is bid," said Philippus with a scornful laugh. "The end ofit is that I must go away, away from Memphis--away from this miserableworld for all I care! I?--Recover my peace of mind within reach of her?Alas, for my blissful, lost peace!"

  "And why not? To every man a thing is only as he conceives of it. Onlylisten to me: I had finished a treatise on the old and new Calendars,and my master desired me to deliver a lecture on it in the Museum--ifthe school of pedants in Alexandria now deserves the name; but I didnot wish to do so because I knew that the presence of such a large andlearned audience would embarrass me. But my master advised me to imaginethat my hearers were not men, but mere cabbages. This gave me new light;I took his advice, got over my shyness, and my speech flowed like oil."

  "A very good story," said Philippus, "but I do not see...."

  "The moral of it for you," interrupted the old man, "is that you mustregard the supremely adorable lady of your love as one among a dozenothers--I will not say as a cabbage--as one with whom your heart hasno more concern. Put a little strength of will into it, and you willsucceed."

  "If a heart were a cipher, and if passion were calendar-making!..."retorted Philippus. "You are a very wise man, and your manuscripts andtables have stood like walls between you and passion."

  "Who can tell?" said Horapollo. "But at any rate, it never should havehad such power over me as to make me embitter the few remaining daysunder the sun yet granted to my father and friend for the sake of awoman who scorned my devotion. Will you promise me to talk no morenonsense about flying from Memphis, or anything of the kind?"

  "Teach me first to measure my strength of will."

  "Will you try, at any rate?"

  "Yes, for your sake."

  "Will you promise to continue your treatment of that poor little girl,whom I love dearly in spite of her forbears?"

  "As long as I can endure the daily meeting with her--you know..."

  "That, then, is a bargain.--Now, come and let us translate a few morechapters."

  The friends sat at work together till a late hour, and when the old manwas alone again he reflected: "So long as he can be of use to the childhe will not go away, and by that time I shall have dug a pit for thatdamned siren."

  .........................

  Orion had his hands full of work for the next morning. Before it waslight he sent off two trustworthy messengers to Doomiat, giving each ofthem a letter with instructions that a sailing vessel should be heldin readiness for the fugitives. One was to start three hours after theother, so that the business in hand should not fail if either of themshould come to grief.

  He then went out; first to the harbor, where he succeeded in hiring alarge, good Nile-boat from Doomiat, whose captain, a trustworthy andexperienced man, promised to keep their agreement a secret and to beprepared to start by noon next day. Next, after taking council withhimself, he went to the treasurer's office, and there, with theassistance of Nilus, made his will, to be ratified and signed nextmorning in the presence of a notary and witnesses. His mother, littleMary, and Paula were to inherit the bulk of his property. He alsobequeathed a considerable sum as a legacy to the hospitals and orphanasylums, as well as to the Church, to the end that they might prayfor his soul; and a legacy to Nilus "as the most just judge of hishousehold." Eudoxia, Mary's Greek governess, was not forgotten; andfinally he commanded that all his house-slaves should be liberated, andto the end that they might not suffer from want he bequeathed to themone of his largest estates in Upper Egypt, where they might settle andlabor for their common good. He increased the handsome sums alreadydevised by his father to the freedmen of his family.

  This business occupied several hours. Nilus, who wrote while Oriondictated, giving the document a legal form, was deeply touched bythe young man's fore thought and kindness; for in truth, since hisdesecration of the judgment-seat, he had given him up for a lost soul.

  By Orion's orders this will was to be opened after four weeks, in casehe should not have returned from a journey on which he proposed startingon the morrow, and this injunction revealed to the faithful steward, whohad grown grey in the service, that the last scion of the houseexpected to run considerable risk; however, he was too modest to ask anyquestions,
and his master did not take him into his confidence.

  When, after all this, the two men went back into the anteroom, Anubis,the young clerk and Katharina's ally, was standing there. Nilus took nonotice of him, and while he, with tearful eyes, stooped to kiss the handOrion held out to him as he bid him come to take leave of him oncemore next evening, Anubis, who had withdrawn respectfully to a littledistance, keeping his ears open, however, officiously opened the heavyiron-plated door.

  Orion was exhausted and hungry; he enquired for his mother, and hearingthat she had gone to lie down, he went into the dining-room to get somefood. Although breakfast had but just been served, Eudoxia was awaitinghim with evident impatience. Her heart was bursting with a great pieceof news, and as Orion entered, greeting her, she cried out:

  "Have you heard? Do you know?" Then she began, encouraged by his curtnegative, to pour out to him how that Neforis, by the desire of thephysician who had lately been to see her, had decided on sending her,Eudoxia, away with her granddaughter to enjoy better air under the roofof a friend of the leech's; they were to go this very day, or to-morrowat latest.

  Orion was disagreeably startled by this intelligence. He had notexpected that Philippus would come so early, and he himself had been thefirst to promote a scheme which now no longer seemed advisable.

  "How very provoking!" he muttered between his teeth, as a slave offeredhim a roast fowl and asparagus.

  "Is it not? And perhaps we shall have to go quite far into the country,"said the Greek, with a languishing look, as she drew one of the longstems between her teeth.

  The words and the glance made Orion feel as if he grudged the oldfool the good food she was eating, and his voice was not particularlyingratiating as he replied that town and country were all the same, theonly point was which would be best for the child. When he went on to saythat he was quitting home next evening, Eudoxia cried out, let astick of asparagus drop in her lap, and said despairingly: "Oh, theneverything is at an end!"

  He, however, interposed reproachfully: "On the contrary, then your dutybegins; you must devote yourself wholly and exclusively to the child.You know that her own grandmother is averse to her. Give her your bestaffection, as you have already begun to do, be a mother to her; and ifyou really are my well-wisher, show it in that way. For my part you willfind me grateful, and not in words alone. Go tomorrow to the treasurer'soffice; Nilus will give you the only thing by which I can at presentprove my gratitude. Do your best to cherish the child; I have taken careto provide for your old age."

  He rose, cutting short the Greek's profuse expressions of thanks, andbetook himself to his mother. She was still in her room; however, he nowsent word that he had come to see her, and she was ready to admit him,having expected that he would come even sooner.

  She was reclining, half-sitting, on a divan in her cool and shadybedroom, and she at once told her son of her determination to follow thephysician's advice and entrust the little girl to his friend. She spokein a tone of sleepy indifference; but as soon as Orion opposed her andbegged her to keep Mary at home, she grew more lively, and looking himwrathfully in the face exclaimed: "Can you wish that? How can you askme?" and she went on in repining lamentation:

  "Everything is changed nowadays. Old age no longer forgets; it is youththat has a short memory. Your head has long been full of other things,but I--I still remember who it was that made my lost dear one's lasthours on earth a hell, even in view of the gates of Heaven!" Her breastheaved with feeble, tearless sobs--a short, convulsive gasping, andOrion did not dare contravene her wishes. He sought to soothe herwith loving words and, when she recovered herself, he told her that heproposed to leave her for a short time to look after his estates, asthe law required, and this information gladdened her greatly. To bealone--solitary and unobserved now seemed delightful. Those white pillsdid more for her, raised her spirits better, than any human society.They brought her dreams, sleeping or waking; dreams a thousand timesmore delightful than her real, desolate existence. To give herself up tomemory, to pray, to dream, to picture herself in the other world amongher beloved dead--and besides that to eat and drink, which she wasalways ready to do very freely--this was all she asked henceforth oflife on earth.

  When, to her further questions, Orion replied that he was going firstto the Delta, she expressed her regret, since, if he had gone to UpperEgypt, he might have visited his sister-in-law, Mary's mother, in herconvent. She sat up as she spoke, passed her hand across her forehead,and pointed to a little table near the head of the couch, on which, bythe side of a cup with fruit syrup, phials, boxes, and other objects,lay a writing-tablet and a letter-scroll. This she took up and handed toOrion, saying:

  "A letter from your sister-in-law. It came last evening and I beganto read it; but the first words are a complaint of your father, andthat--you know, just before going to sleep--I could not read any more;I could not bear it! And to-day; first there was church, and then thephysician came with his request about the child; I have not yet foundcourage to read the rest of it.--What can any letter bring to me butevil! Do you know at all whence anything pleasant could come to me? Butnow: read me the letter. Not that part again about your father; that Iwill keep till presently for myself alone."

  Orion undid the roll, and with quivering lips glanced over the nun'saccusations against his father. The wildest fanaticism breathed inevery line of this epistle from the martyr's widow. She had found in thecloister all she sought: she lived now, she said, in God alone and inthe Divine Saviour. She thought of her child, even, only as an alien,one of God's young creatures for whom it was a joy to pray. At the sametime it was her duty to care for the little one's soul, and if it werenot too hard for her grandmother to part from her, she longed to seeMary once more. She had lately been chosen abbess of her convent--andno one could prevent her taking possession of the child; but she fearedlest an overwhelming natural affection might drag her back to the carnalworld, which she had for ever renounced, so she would have Mary broughtup in a neighboring nunnery, and led to Heavenly joys, not to earthlymisery--to be the wife of no sinful husband, but a pure bride of Christ.

  Orion shuddered as he read and, when he laid the letter down, his motherexclaimed:

  "Perhaps she is right, perhaps it is already ordained that the childshould be sent to the convent, and not to the leech's friend, andstarted on the only path that leads to Heaven without danger orhindrance!"

  But Orion said to himself that he would make it his duty to guard thehappy-hearted child from this fate, and he begged his mother to considerthat the first important point was to restore the little girl to health.He now saw that she had been right. His father had always obeyed theprescriptions of Philippus, and for that reason, if for no other, itwould be her duty to act by his advice.

  Neforis, who for some time had been casting longing eyes at a small boxby her side, did not contradict him; and in the course of the afternoonOrion conducted little Mary and her governess to the house of Rufinus,who, notwithstanding the doubts he had expressed the day before, madethem heartily welcome.

  When Mary was lying in her bed, close by the side of Paula's, the childthrew her arms round the young girl's neck as she leaned over her, andlaying her head on her bosom, felt herself in soft and warm security.There, as one released from prison and bondage, she wept out her woes,pouring all the grief of her deeply wounded child's heart into that ofher friend.

  Paula, however, heard Orion's voice, and she longed to go down to herlover, whom she had greeted but briefly on his arrival; still, shecould not bear to snatch the child from her bosom, to disturb her in hernewly-found happiness and leave her at this very moment! And yet, shemust--she must see him! Every impulse urged her towards him and, whenPulcheria came into the room, she placed Mary's hand in hers and said:"There, now make friends and stay together like good children till Icome back again and have something nice to tell you. You are fond ofOrion, little one, my story shall be all about him."

  "He was obliged to go," said Pulcheria, interrupt
ing her. "Here is hismessage on this tablet. He was almost dying of impatience, and when hecould wait no longer he wrote this for you."

  Paula took the tablet, with a cry of regret, and carried it to her roomto read. He had longed for their meeting as eagerly as herself, but atlast he could wait no longer. How differently--so he wrote--had he hopedto end this day which must be devoted to the rescue of her friends.

  Why, oh why had she allowed herself to be detained here? Why had she notflown to him, at least for a few moments, to thank him for his kindnessand faithfulness, and to hear him confess publicly and aloud what he hadbut murmured in her ear the day before? She returned to the little girl,anxious and dissatisfied with herself.

  Orion had in fact postponed his departure till the last moment; hethought it necessary to give Amru due notice of his journey and of hisrupture with the patriarch. Of all the motives which could prompt him toaid the nuns, revenge was that which the Arab could best understand.