Die Nilbraut. English

  CHAPTER XXI.

  While Rustem, to whom Mary had entrusted the jeweller's gold, was makinghis preparations for their journey with all the care of a practisedguide, and while Mary was comforting her governess and Mandane, to whomshe explained that Rustem's journey was to save Paula's life, a freshtrial was going forward in the Court of Justice.

  This time Orion was the accused. He had scarcely begun to study the mapsand lists he required for his undertaking when he was bidden to appearbefore his judges.

  The members composing the Court were the same as yesterday. Among thewitnesses were Paula and the new bishop, as well as Gamaliel, who hadbeen sent for soon after Mary had left him.

  The prosecutor accused the son of the Mukaukas of having made away, indefiance of the patriarch's injunction, with a costly emerald bequeathedto the Church by his father.

  Orion had determined to conduct his own defence; he recapitulatedeverything that he had told the prelate in self-justification in hisfather's private room, and then added, that to put a speedy end to thisodious affair he was now prepared to restore the stone, and he placed itat the disposal of his judges. He handed Paula's emerald to the Kadi whopresented it to the bishop. John, however, did not seem satisfied; hereferred to the written testimony of the widow Susannah, who had beenpresent when the deceased Mukaukas had designated all the jewels inthe Persian hanging as included in his gift to the Church. This was inOrion's presence so he was still under suspicion of a fraud; and itwas difficult to determine whether the fine gem now lying on the tablebefore them were indeed the same to which the Church laid claim.

  All this was urged with excessive vehemence and bore the stamp of ahostile purpose.

  Obedience and conviction alike prompted the zealous prelate to thisdemeanor, for the same carrier-pigeon which had brought from thepatriarch his appointment to the bishopric required him to insist onOrion's punishment, for he was a thorn in the flesh of the Jacobitechurch, a tainted sheep who might infect the rest of the flock. Ifthe young man should offer an emerald it was therefore to be closelyexamined, to see whether it were the original stone or a substitute.

  On these grounds the bishop had expressed his doubts, and though theygave rise to an indignant murmur among the judges, the Kadi so faradmitted the prelate's suspicions as to explain that last evening aletter had reached him from his uncle at Djidda, Haschim the merchant,in which mention was made of the emerald. His son happened to haveweighed that stone, without his knowledge, before he started for Egypt,and Othman had here a note of its exact weight. The Jew Gamaliel hadbeen desired to attend with his balances, and could at once use them tosatisfy the bishop.

  The jeweller immediately proceeded to do so, and old Horapollo, whowas an expert in such matters, went close up to him, and watched himnarrowly.

  It was in feverish anxiety, and more eagerly than any other bystander,that Paula and Orion kept their eyes fixed on the Jew's hands and lips;after weighing it once, he did so a second time. Old Horapollo himselfweighed it a third time, with a keen eye though his hands trembled alittle; all three experiments gave the same result: this gem was heavierby a few grains of doura than that which the merchant's son had weighed,and yet the Jew declared that there was no purer, clearer, or fineremerald in the world than this.

  Orion breathed more freely, and the question arose among the judges asto whether the young Arab might have failed in precision, or an exchangehad in fact been effected. This was difficult to imagine, since in thatcase the accused would have given himself the loss, and the Church theadvantage.

  The bishop, an honest man, now said that the patriarch's suspicions hadcertainly led him too far in this instance, and after this he spoke nomore.

  All through this enquiry the Vekeel had kept silence, but the defiantgaze, assured of triumph, which he fixed on Paula and Orion alternately,augured the worst.

  When the prosecutor next accused the young man of complicity in themuch discussed escape of the nuns Orion again asserted his innocence,pointing out that during the fatal contest between the Arabs and thechampions of the sisters, he had been with the Arab governor, as Amruhimself could testify. By an act of unparalleled despotism, he had beendeprived of his estates and his freedom on mere false suspicion, and heput his trust in the first instance in a just sentence from his judgesand, failing that, he threw himself on the protection and satisfactionof his sovereign lord the Khaliff.

  As he spoke his eyes flashed flames at the Vekeel; but the negro stillpreserved his self-control, and this doubled the alarm of those whowished the youth well.

  It was clear from all this that Obada felt sure that he had the noosewell around his victim's neck, and why he thought so, soon becameevident; for Orion had hardly finished his defence when he rose, andwith a malicious grin, handed to the Kadi the little tablet given himyesterday by old Horapollo, describing it as a document addressed toPaula and desiring the Kadi to examine it. The heat had effaced much ofwhat had been written on the wax, but most of the words could still bedeciphered. The venerable Horapollo had already made them out, and wasquite ready to read to the judges all that the accused--who by hisown account, was a spotless dove--had written in his innocence andtruthfulness for his fair one. He signed to the old man and helpedhim as he rose with difficulty, but the Kadi begged him to wait, madehimself acquainted with the contents of the letter by the help of theinterpreter, and when the man had, with much pains, fulfilled histask, he turned, not to Horapollo, but to Obada, and asked whence thisdocument had come.

  "From Paula's desk," replied the Vekeel. "My old friend found it there."He pointed to Horapollo, who confirmed his statement by a nod of assent.

  The Kadi rose, went up to the girl, whose cheeks were pale withindignation, and asked whether she recognized the tablets as herproperty; Paula, after convincing herself, replied with a flaming glanceof scorn and aversion at Horapollo: "Yes, my lord. It is mine. That baseold man has taken it with atrocious meanness from among my things."For an instant her voice failed her; then, turning to the judges, sheexclaimed:

  "If there is one among you to whom helplessness and innocence are sacredand malice and cunning odious, I beg him to go to Rufinus' wife, overwhose threshold this man has crept like a ferret into a dovecote, forno other end but to tread hospitable kindness in the dust, to rifle herhome and make use of whatever might serve his vile purpose--to go, Isay, and warn the lonely woman against this treacherous spy and thief."

  At this the old man, gasping and inarticulate, raised his withered arm;the Christian judges whispered together, but at cross-purposes,while the Jew fidgeted his round little person on the bench, drummingincessantly with his fingers on his breast, and trying to meet Orion'sor Paula's eye and to make her understand that he was the man who wouldwarn Joanna. But a thump from the Vekeel's fist, that came down onhis shoulder unawares, reduced him to sitting still; and while he satrubbing the place with subdued sounds of pain, not daring to reproachthe all-powerful negro for his violence, the Kadi gave the tablets toHorapollo and bid him read the letter.

  But the terrible accusation cast at him by the hated Patrician maiden,ascribing his removal to Rufinus house to a motive which, in truth, hadbeen far from his, had so enraged and agitated him that his old lungs,at all times feeble, refused their office. This woman had done him afresh wrong, for he had gone to live with the widow from the kindestimpulse; only an accident had thrown this document in his way. And yetit would not fail to be reported to Joanna in the course of the daythat he had gone to her house as a spy, and there would be an end to thepleasant life of which he had dreamed--nay, even Philippus might perhapsquarrel with him.

  And all, all through this woman.

  He could not utter a word but, as he sank back on the seat, a glanceso full of hatred, so dark with malignant fury, fell on Paula that sheshuddered, and told herself that this man was ready to die himself ifonly he could drag her down too.

  The interpreter now began to read Orion's letter and to translate itfor the Arabs; and while he blundered
through it, declaring that not aletter could be plainly made out, she recovered her self-control and,before the interpreter had done his task, a gleam as of sunshine lightedup her pure features. Some great, lofty, and rapturous thought must haveflashed through her brain, and it was evident that she had seized it andwas feeding on it.

  Orion, sitting opposite to her, noticed this; still, he did notunderstand what her beseeching gaze had to say to him, what it asked ofhim as she pressed her hand on her breast, and looked into his eyes withsuch urgent entreaty that it went to his very heart.

  The interpreter ceased; but what he had read had had a great effect onthe judges. The Kadi's benevolent face expressed extreme apprehension,and the contents of the letter were indeed such as to cause it. It ranas follows:

  "After waiting for you a long time in vain, I must at last make up mymind to go; and how much I still had to say to you. A written farewell."

  Here a few lines were effaced, and then came the--fatal and quitelegible conclusion:

  "How far otherwise I had dreamed of ending this day, which has been forthe most part spent in preparations for the flight of the Sisters; andI have found a pleasure in doing all that lay in my power for those kindand innocent, unjustly persecuted nuns. We must hope for the bestfor them; and for ourselves we must look to-morrow for an undisturbedinterview and a parting which may leave us memories on which we canlive for a long time. The noble governor Amru is, among the Arabs, suchanother as he whom we mourn was among the Egyptians..." Here the letterended; not quite three lines were wanting to conclude it.

  The Kadi held the tablets for a few minutes in his hand; then lookingup again at the assembly, who were waiting in great suspense, he began:"Even if the accused was not one of those who raised their hands inmutiny against our armed troops, it is nevertheless indisputable, afterwhat has just been read, that he not only knew of the escape ofthe nuns, but aided them to the utmost.--When did you receive thiscommunication, noble maiden?"

  At this Paula clasped her hands tightly and replied with a slightly benthead and her eyes fixed on the ground.

  "When did I receive it?--Never; for I wrote it myself. The writing ismine."

  "Yours?" said the Kadi in amazement. "It is from me to Orion," repliedPaula.

  "From you to him? How then comes it in your desk?"

  "In a very simple way," she explained, still looking down. "Afterwriting the letter to my betrothed I threw it in with the other tabletsas soon as I had no need for it; for he himself came, and there was nonecessity for his reading what could be better said by word of mouth."

  As she spoke a peculiar smile passed over her lips and a loud murmur ranthrough the room. Orion looked first at the girl and then at the Kadi ingrowing bewilderment; but the Negro started up, struck his fist on thetable, making it shake, and roared out:

  "An atrocious fabrication! Which of you can allow yourself to be takenin by a woman's guile?" Horapollo, who had recovered himself by thistime, laughed hoarsely and maliciously; the judges looked at each othermuch puzzled; but when the Vekeel went on raging the Kadi interruptedhim, and desired that Orion might speak, for he had twice tried to makehimself heard. Now, with scarlet cheeks and a choking utterance, hesaid:

  "No, Othman--no, no indeed, my lords. Do not believe her. Not she, butI--I wrote the letter that...."

  But Paula broke in:

  "He? Do you not feel that all he wants is to save me, and so he takes myguilt on himself? It is his generosity, his love for me! Do not, do notbelieve him! Do not allow yourselves to be deceived by him."

  "I? No, it is she, it is she," Orion again asserted; but, before hecould say more, Paula declared with a flashing glance that it was a poorsort of love which sacrificed itself out of false generosity. And as,at the same time, she again pressed her hand to her bosom with patheticentreaty, he was suddenly silent, and casting his eyes up to heaven, hesank back on the prisoners' bench, deeply affected.

  Paula joyfully went on:

  "He has thought better of it, and given up his crazy attempt to takemy guilt on himself. You see, Othman, you all see, worthy men.--Let meatone for what I did to help the poor nuns."

  "Have your way!" shrieked the old man; but the Negro cried out:

  "A hellish tissue of lies, an unheard-of deception! But in spite ofthe shield a woman holds before you, I have my foot on your neck,treacherous wretch! Is it credible--I ask you, judges--that a finishedletter should be found, after weeks had elapsed, in the hands of thewriter and not those of the person to whom it was addressed?"

  The Kadi shrugged his shoulders and replied with calm dignity:

  "Consider, Obada, that we are condemning this damsel on the evidence ofa letter which was found in possession, not of the person to whom it wasaddressed, but of the writer. This document gave rise to no doubts inyour mind. The judge should mete out equal measure to all, Obada."

  The aptness of these words, spoken in a dogmatic tone, aroused theapproval of the Arabs, and the Jew could not restrain himself fromexclaiming: "Capital!" but no sooner had it escaped him than he shrankas quick as lightning out of the Vekeel's reach; and Obada hardly heardhim, for he did not allow himself to be interrupted by the Kadi but wenton to explain in wrathful words what a disgrace it was to them, asmen and judges, to have dust cast in their eyes by a woman, and allowthemselves to be molified by the arts of a pair of love-stricken fools;and how desirable it must be in the eyes of every Moslem to guard thesecurity of life and bring the severest punishment on the instigator ofa sanguinary revolt against the champions of the Khaliff's power.

  His eloquent and stormy address was not without effect; still, theChristians, who ascribed every form of evil to the Melchite girl, wouldhave been satisfied with her death and have been ready to forgive theson of the Mukaukas this crime--supposing him to have committed it. Andit was after the judges had agreed that it was impossible to decide bywhom the letter on the tablet had been written, and there had been agreat deal of argument on both sides, that the real discussion began.

  It was long before the assembly could agree, and all the while Orion satnow looking as though he had already been condemned to a cruel death,and now exchanging glances with Paula, while he pressed his hand to hisheart as though to keep it from bursting. He perfectly understood her,and her magnanimity upheld him. He had indeed persuaded himself toaccept her self-sacrifice, but he was fully determined that if shemust die he would follow her to the grave. "Non dolet,"--[It does nothurt]--Arria cried to her lover Paetus, as she thrust the knife into herheart that she might die before him; and the words rang in his ear; buthe said to himself that Paula would very likely be pardoned, and thatthen he would be free and have a whole lifetime in which to thank her.

  At last--at last. The Kadi announced the verdict: It was impossible tofind Orion worthy of death, and equally so to give up all belief in hisguilt; the court therefore declared itself inadequate to pronouncea sentence, and left it to be decided by the Khaliff or by hisrepresentative in Egypt, Amru. The court only went so far as to rulethat the prisoner was to be kept in close confinement, so that he mightbe within reach of the hand of justice, if the supreme decision shouldbe "guilty!"

  When the Kadi said that the matter was to be referred to the Khaliff orhis representative, the Vekeel cried out:

  "I--I am Omar's vicar!" but a disapproving murmur from the judges, aswith one voice, rejected his pretensions, and at a proposal of theKadi it was resolved that the young man should be protected against anyarbitrary attack on the part of the Vekeel by a double guard; for manygrave accusations against Obada were already on their way to Medina. Thenegro quitted the court, mad with rage, and concocting fresh indictmentsagainst Paula with the old man.

  When Paula returned to her cell old Betta thought that she must havebeen pardoned; for how glad, how proud, how full of spirit she enteredit! The worst peril was diverted from her lover, and she and her lovehad saved him!

  She gave herself up for lost; but whatever fate might have in store forher, life lay open
before him; he would have time to prove his splendidpowers, and that he would do so, as she would have him do it, she feltcertain.

  She had not ended telling her nurse of the judges' decision, when thewarder announced the Kadi. In a minute or two he made his appearance;she expressed her thanks, and he warmly assured her that he regarded thedisgrace of being perhaps a beguiled judge as a favor of Fortune; thenhe turned the conversation on the real object of his visit.

  In the letter, he began, which he had received the evening before fromhis uncle Haschim, there was a great deal about her. She had quite wonthe old merchant's heart, and the enquiries for her father which he hadset on foot....

  Here she interrupted him saying: "Oh, my lord; is the wish, the prayerof my life to be granted?"

  "Your father, the noble Thomas, before whom even the Moslem bows, hasbeen..." and then Othman went on to tell her that the hero of Damascushad in fact retired to Sinai and had been living there as a hermit.But she must not indulge in premature rejoicing, for the messengers hadfound him ill, consumed by disease arising from his wounded lungs, andalmost at death's door. His days were numbered....

  "And I, I am a prisoner," groaned the girl. "Held fast, helpless, robbedof all means of flying to his arms!"

  He again bid her be calm, and went on to tell her: in his soft, composedmanner, that two days since a Nabathaean had come to him and had askedhim, as the chief administrator of justice in Egypt, whether an old foeof the Moslems, a general who had fought in the service of the emperorand the cross against the Khaliff and the crescent, and who was nowsick, weary, and broken, might venture on Egyptian soil without fear ofbeing seized by the Arab authorities; and when he, Othman, had learntthat this man was no other than Thomas, the hero of Damascus, he hadpromised him his life and freedom, promised them gladly, as he feltassured his sovereign the Khaliff would desire.

  So this very day her father had reached Fostat, and the Kadi hadreceived him as a guest into his house. Thomas, indeed, stood on thebrink of the grave; but he was inspirited and sustained by the hope ofseeing his daughter. It had been falsely reported to him that she hadperished in the massacre at Abyla and he had already mourned her fate.

  It was now his duty to fulfil the wish of a dying man, and he hadordered the prison servants to prepare the room adjoining Paula's cellwith furniture which was on the way from his house. The door between thetwo would be opened for her.

  "And I shall see him again, have him again to live with--to close hiseyes, perhaps to die with him!" cried Paula; and, seizing the good man'shand, she kissed it gratefully.

  The Moslem's eyes filled with tears as he bid her not to thank him,but God the All-merciful; and before the sun went down the head of thedoomed daughter was resting on the breast of the weary hero who was sonear his end, though his unimpaired mind and tender heart rejoiced intheir reunion as fully and deeply as did his beloved and only child. Anew and unutterable joy came to Paula in the gloom of her prison; andthat same day the warder carried a letter from her to Orion, conveyingher father's greetings; and, as he read the fervent blessing, he feltas though an invisible hand had released him for ever from the curse hisown father had laid upon him. A wonderful glad sense of peace came overhim with power and pleasure in work, and he gave his brains and pen norest till morning was growing grey.