CHAPTER IX
THE PRINCE AT HOME
A wise man wishing to know another always attends him when he is innarrative. The reader may be familiar with the principle, and abeliever in it; for his better satisfaction, therefore, a portion ofthe Prince's conversation with Uel over the tea-table the night of hisarrival in Constantinople shall be reported nearly as possible in hisown words. It will be found helpful to the story as well as an exposeof character.
"I said in my letter, as thou mayst remember, O son of Jahdai"--thevoice of the speaker was low, but earnest, and admirably in harmonywith the sentiment, "that I hoped thou wouldst allow me to relatemyself to thee as father to son. Thou hast not forgotten it, I am sure."
"I recall it distinctly," Uel answered, respectfully.
"Thou wilt remember not less clearly then that I added the words, 'inall things a help, in nothing a burden.'"
Uel assented.
"The addition I thought of great importance," the Prince continued;"for it was very desirable that thou shouldst not imagine me coming tosit down upon thee, and in idleness fatten upon the fruits of thyindustry. As something of even greater importance, thou shouldst knownow, at this earliest moment of our intercourse, that I am abundantlyable from what I have of goods and treasure to keep any condition I maychoose to assume. Indeed thou shouldst not be too much astonished did Ipractise the style and manner of the nobles who are privileged in thepalaces of thy Caesar. At home I shall be as thou seest me now, thyfriend of simplest habits, because my tastes really incline to them;when I go abroad, the officials of the Church and State whom I chanceto encounter shall be challenged to comparison of appearance, and bepiqued to inquire about me. Then when the city observes thou artintimate with me, the demand for thy wares will increase; thou maysteven be put to stress to keep apace with it. In speaking thus, I trustthy natural shrewdness, sharpened as it must have become by muchdealing as a merchant."
He paused here to give his cup to Syama for replenishment; whereuponUel said: "I have followed thy discourse with interest, and I hope withunderstanding; yet I am conscious of a disadvantage. I do not know thyname, nor if thou hast a title."
"Yes, and thou mightest have set down in the table of defaults," theWanderer began pleasantly in reply, but broke off to receive the cupsmoking hot from the servant, and say--"Thanks, Syama. I see thy handhath not lost its deftness; neither has the green leaf suffered fromits long journey over the sea."
Uel noticed with what intentness Syama watched the master's lips whilehe was speaking, and the gratification that beamed from his face inanswer to the compliment; and he thought, "Verily this must be a goodman to be so beloved by his dependents."
"I was saying, O son of Jahdai, that thou mightest have set down theother points of information equally necessary to ourintercourse--Whence I come? And why? And I will not leave thee in thedark respecting them. Only let me caution thee--It is not required thatthe public should be taken into our confidence. I have seen a flowergood to look upon, but viscous, and with a scent irresistible toinsects. That flower represents the world; and what is the folly of itsvictims but the madness of men who yield themselves with too easy faithto the seductions of the world? Nay, my son--observe thou the term--Iuse it to begin the relationship I seek--observe also I begin therelationship by confidences which were unwisely given without theinjunction that they are intended to be put away in thyinner-conscience. Tell me if I am understood."
The question was emphasized by a look whose magnetism thrilled Uel'severy nerve.
"I believe I understand you," he replied.
Then, as if the Prince knew the effect he had wrought, and that itrelieved him from danger of betrayal, he returned to his former easymanner.
"And yet, as thou shalt see, my son, the confidences are notcrimes--But thy cup is empty, and Syama waiting for it."
"The drink is new to me," Uel replied, yielding to the invitation.
"New? And wilt thou not also say it is better than wine? The world ofwhich we are talking, will one day take up the admission, and behappier of it."
Turning then to serious matter:
"Afterwhile," he said, "thou wilt be importuned by the curious to knowwho I am, and thou shouldst be able to answer according to the fact--Heis a Prince of India. The vulgar will be satisfied with the reply.Others will come demanding more. Refer them to me. As to thyself, O sonof Jahdai, call me as I have instructed thee to speak of me--call mePrince. At the same time I would have thee know that on my eighth day Iwas carried into a temple and registered a son of a son of Jerusalem.The title I give thee for my designation did not ennoble me. Thebirthright of a circumcised heritor under the covenant with Israel issuperior to every purely human dignity whatever its derivation."
"In other words, O Prince, thou art"--Uel hesitated.
"A Jew!" the other answered promptly--"A Jew, as thy father was--asthou art."
The look of pleasure that appeared on the shopkeeper's face was swiftlyinterpreted by the Prince, who felt he had indeed evoked a tie ofblood, and bound the man with it.
"So much is despatched," he said, with evident satisfaction; then,after a draught from the tea-cup, and a re-delivery to Syania for more,he continued: "Possibly thou wilt also remember my letter mentions anecessity for my crossing from India to Mecca on the way to Kash-Cush,and that, despite the stoppage, I hoped to greet thee in person withinsix months after Syama reported himself. How stands the time?"
"This is the last day of the six months," Uel answered.
"Yes, there was never man"--the Prince paused, as if the thought wereattended with a painful recollection--"never a man," he presentlyresumed, "who kept account of time more exactly than myself."
A copious draught of tea assuaged the passing regret.
"I wrote the letter while in Cipango, an island of the great easternsea. Thirty years after I set foot upon its shore, theretoforeunvisited by a white man, a countryman of ours from this city, the solesurvivor of a shipwreck, joined me. From him I heard of thy father'sdeath. He also gave me thy name.... My life on the island wascomparatively untroubled. Indeed, for thy perfect comprehension, myson, it is best to make an explanation now; then thou wilt have a keyto many things in my conduct to come as well as conduct gone whichwould otherwise keep thee in doubtful reflection. The study of greatestinterest is religion. I have travelled the world over--I mean theinhabited parts--and in its broad extent there is not a people withoutworship of some kind. Wherefore my assertion, that beyond the arts,above the sciences, above commerce, above any or all other humanconcernments, religion is the superlative interest. It alone is divine.The study of it is worship. Knowledge of it is knowledge of God. Can asmuch be said of any other subject?"
Uel did not answer; he was following the speech too intently, and thePrince, seeing it, drank again, and proceeded:
"The divine study took me to Cipango. Fifty years thou mayst say tothyself was a long term in such a country. Not so, my son. I foundthere two faiths; the one Sin-Siu, which I turned my back upon asmythologic, without the poetry of the Greek and Roman; the other--well,a life given to the laws of Buddha were well spent. To say truth, thereis such similitude between them and the teachings of him we are in thehabit of calling the carpenter's son that, if I did not know better, itwere easy to believe the latter spent the years of his disappearance insome Buddhistic temple.... Leaving explanation to another time, thesame study carried me to Mecca. The binding of men, the putting yokesabout their necks, trampling them in the dust, are the events supposedmost important and therefore most noticeable in history; but they areas nothing in comparison with winning belief in matters indeterminableby familiar tests. The process there is so mysterious, the achievementso miraculous that where the operator is vastly successful one may welllook under them for the permission of God. The day was when Islamismdid but stir contemptuous laughter; now it is the faith acceptable tomore men than any other. Is it not worthy the vigils of a student? Andthen it happens, my son, that in the depths of th
eir delusion, peoplesometimes presume to make their own gods, and reform them or cast themout. Deities have been set up or thrown down by their makers in thechanges of a moon. I wanted to see if such calamity had befallen theAllah of Mahomet.... My going to Kash-Cush was on what thou wouldstcall business, and of it I will also tell thee. At Jedda, whither Ibetook myself after making the pilgrimages at Mecca, I regained myship, and descended the Red Sea, landing at a village on the extremeinland shore of the bay of Tajurrah, below the Straits ofBab-el-Mandel. I was then in Kash-Cush. From the village on the coast,I passed into the interior, travelling in a litter on the shoulders ofnative porters, and, after many days, reached my destination--acollection of bungalows pitched on the bank of a tributary of the BlueNile called the Dedhesa. The journey would have been difficult andtedious but that one of my attendants--a black man--had been king ofthe tribe I sought. His name was Nilo, and his tribe paramountthroughout the uncivilized parts of Kash-Cush. More than fifty yearsbefore,--prior, in fact, to my setting out for Cipango,--I made thesame tour, and found the king. He gave me welcome; and so well did heplease me that I invited him to share my wanderings. He accepted theproposal upon condition that in his old age he should be returned home,and exchanged for a younger man of his blood. I agreed, provided oneyounger could be found who, besides the requisite physique and thevirtues of intellect and courage, was also deaf and dumb, like himself.A treaty was thus perfected. I call it a treaty as distinct from apurchase, for Nilo was my friend and attendant--my ally, if youplease--never my slave. There was a reception for us the like of whichfor feasting and merriment was without mention in the traditions of thetribe. A grandson filled my friend's throne; but he gave it back tohim, and voluntarily took his place with me. Thou shalt see himto-morrow. I call him Nilo, and spend the morning hours teaching him totalk; for while he keeps me reminded of a Greek demi-god--so tall,strong and brave is he--he is yet deaf and dumb, and has to be taughtas Syama was. When thou hast to do with him be gentle and courteous. Iwish it kept in mind he is my friend and ally, bound to me by treaty ashis grandfather was.... The only part of the tour given thee in myletter which I omitted was the descent of the Nile. Having performed itbefore, my curiosity was sated, and I allowed my impatience to be inthy city here to determine my course. I made way back to the village onthe bay of Tajurrah where, in anticipation of such a change, my vesselwas held in detention. Thence, up the sea and across the Isthmus, Iproceeded to Alexandria, and to-night happily find myself at home, inhope of rest for my body and renewal of my spirit."
With this, the explanation appeared concluded; for the Prince notifiedSyama that he did not desire more tea, and lapsed into a thoughtfulsilence. Presently Uel arose, saying: "You must be weary. Withpermission I will take my leave now. I confess you have given me muchto think over, and made me happy by taking me into your confidence. Ifit be agreeable, I will call at noon to-morrow."
The Prince went with him to the head of the stairs, and there bade himpeace and good-night.