Arachne — Complete

  CHAPTER XI.

  No morning brightened Hermon's night of darkness.

  When the returned slave had finished his report, the sun was alreadyshining into his master's room.

  Without lying down again, the latter went at once to the Tennis notary,who had moved to Alexandria two months before, and with his assistanceraised the money which his friend needed.

  Worthy Melampus had received the news that Myrtilus was still alive in avery singular manner. Even now he could grasp only one thing at a time,and he loved Hermon with sincere devotion. Therefore the lawyer whohad so zealously striven to expedite the blind man's entering intopossession of his friend's inheritance would very willingly havepermitted Myrtilus--doubtless an invalid--to continue to rest quietlyamong the dead. Yet his kind heart rejoiced at the deliverance of thefamous young artist, and so during Hermon's story he had passed fromsincere regret to loud expressions of joyous sympathy.

  Lastly, he had placed his whole property at the disposal of Hermon, whohad paid him liberally for his work, to provide for the blind sculptor'sfuture. This generous offer had been declined; but he now assistedHermon to prepare the emancipation papers for his faithful Bias, andfound a ship that was bound to Tanis. Toward evening he accompaniedHermon to the harbour and, after a cordial farewell from his helpfulfriend, the artist, with the new "freedman" Bias and the slave clerkPatran, went on board the vessel, now ready to sail.

  The voyage was one of the speediest, yet the end came too soon for bothmaster and servant--Hermon had not yet heard enough of the friend beyondhis reach, and Bias was far from having related everything he desiredto tell about Myrtilus and Ledscha; yet he was now permitted to expressevery opinion that entered his mind, and this had occupied a great dealof time.

  Bias also sought to know much more about Hermon's past and future thanhe had yet learned, not merely from curiosity, but because he foresawthat Myrtilus would not cease to question him about his blind friend.

  The misfortune must have produced a deep and lasting effect upon theartist's joyous nature, for his whole bearing was pervaded by suchearnestness and dignity that years, instead of months, seemed to haveelapsed since their separation.

  It was characteristic of Daphne that her lover's blindness did notalienate her from him; yet why had not the girl, who still desired tobecome his wife, been able to wed the helpless man who had lost hissight? If the father did not wish to be separated from his daughter,surely he could live with the young couple. A home was quickly madeeverywhere for the rich, and, if Archias was tired of his house inAlexandria, as Hermon had intimated, there was room enough in the worldfor a new one.

  But that was the way with things here below! Man was the cause of man'smisfortune! Daphne and Hermon remained the same; but Archias from anaffectionate father had become transformed into an entirely differentperson. If the former had been allowed to follow their inclinations,they would now be united and happy, while, because a third person sowilled, they must go their way solitary and wretched.

  He expressed this view to his master, and insisted upon his opinionuntil Hermon confided to him what had driven Archias from Alexandria.

  Patran, Bias's successor, was by no means satisfactory to him. HadHermon retained his sight, he certainly would not have purchased him, inspite of his skill as a scribe, for the Egyptian had a "bad face."

  Oh, if only he could have been permitted to stay with his benefactorinstead of this sullen man! How carefully he would have removed thestones from his darkened pathway!

  During the voyage he was obliged to undergo severe struggles to keep theoath of secrecy imposed upon him; but perjury threatened him with themost horrible tortures, not to mention the sorceress Tabus, whom he wasto meet.

  So Myrtilus's abode remained unknown to Hermon.

  Bias approved his master's intention of going into the desert. He hadoften seen the oracle of Amon tested, and he himself had experienced thehealthfulness of the desert air. Besides, it made him proud to see thatHermon was disposed to follow his suggestion of pitching his tent in aspot which he designated. This was at the end of the arm of the sea atClysma. Several trees grew there beside small springs, and a peacefulfamily of Amalekites raised vegetables in their little garden, situatedon higher ground, watered by the desert wells.

  When a boy, before the doom of slavery had been pronounced upon himand his father, his mother, by the priest's advice, took him there torecover from the severe attack of fever which he could not shake offamid the damp papyrus plantations surrounding his parents' house. Inthe dry, pure air of the desert he recovered, and he would guide Hermonthere before returning to Myrtilus.

  From Tanis they reached Tennis in a few hours, and found shelter in thehome of the superintendent of Archias's weaving establishments, whosehospitality Myrtilus and Hermon had enjoyed before their installationin the white house, now burned to the ground. The Alexandrian bills ofexchange were paid in gold by the lessee of the royal bank, who was agood friend of Hermon. Toward evening, both rowed to the Owl's Nest,taking the five talents with which the runaway wife intended to purchasefreedom from her husband.

  As the men approached the central door of the pirates' house, amiddy-aged Biamite woman appeared and rudely ordered them to leavethe island. Tabus was weak, and refused to see visitors. But she wasmistaken; for when Bias, in the dialect of his tribe, shouted loudlythat messengers from the wife of her grandson Hanno had arrived, therewas a movement at the back of the room, and broken sentences, gaspedwith difficulty, expressed the old dame's wish to receive the strangers.

  On a sheep's-wool couch, over which was spread a wolfskin, the lastgift of her son Satabus, lay the sorceress, who raised herself as Hermonpassed through the door.

  After his greeting, she pointed to her deaf ear and begged him tospeak louder. At the same time she gazed into his eyes with a keen,penetrating glance, and interrupted him by the question: "The Greeksculptor whose studio was burned over his head? And blind? Blind still?"

  "In both eyes," Bias answered for his master.

  "And you, fellow?" the old dame asked; then, recollecting herself,stopped the reply on the servant's lips with the hasty remark: "Youare the blackbeard's slave--a Biamite? Oh, I remember perfectly! Youdisappeared with the burning house."

  Then she gazed intently and thoughtfully from one to the other, andat last, pointing to Bias, muttered in a whisper: "You alone come fromHanno and Ledscha, and were with them on the Hydra? Very well. What newshave you for the old woman from the young couple?"

  The freedman began to relate what brought him to the Owl's Nest, andthe gray-haired crone listened eagerly until he said that Ledscha livedunhappily with her husband, and therefore had left him. She sent backto her, as the head of Hanno's family, the bridal dowry with which Hannohad bought her from her father as his wife.

  Then Tabus struggled into a little more erect posture, and asked: "Whatdoes this mean? Five talents--and gold, not silver talents? And shesends the money to me? To me? And she ran away from her husband? Butno--no! Once more--you are a Biamite--repeat it in our own language--andloudly. This ear is the better one."

  Bias obeyed, and the old dame listened to the end without interruptinghim: then raising her brown right hand, covered with a network ofblue-black veins, she clinched it into a fist, which she shook far moreviolently than Bias would have believed possible in her weak condition.At the same time she pressed her lips so tightly together that hertoothless mouth deepened into a hole, and her dim eyes shone with akeen, menacing light. For some time she found no reply, though strange,rattling, gasping sounds escaped her heaving breast.

  At last she succeeded in uttering words, and shrieked shrilly:"This--this--away with the golden trash! With the bridal dowry of thefamily rejected, and once more free, the base fool thinks she would belike the captive fox that gnawed the rope! Oh, this age, these people!And this, this is the haughty, strong Ledscha, the daughter of theBiamites, who--there stands the blind girl--deceiver!--who so admirablyavenged herself?"

/>   Here her voice failed, and Hermon began to speak to assure her that sheunderstood Ledscha's wish aright. Then he asked her for a token by whichshe acknowledged the receipt of the gold, which he handed her in a stoutlinen bag.

  But his purpose was not fulfilled, for suddenly, flaming with passionatewrath, she thrust the purse aside, groaning: "Not an obol of theaccursed destruction of souls shall come back to Hanno, nor even intothe family store. Until his heart and hers stop beating, the mostindissoluble bond will unite both. She desires to ransom herself froma lawful marriage concluded by her father, as if she were a captive ofwar; perhaps she even wants to follow another. Hanno, brave lad, wasready to go to death for her sake, and she rewards him by bringingshame on his head and disgrace on us all. Oh, these times, this world!Everything that is inviolable and holy trampled in the dust! But theyare not all so! In spite of Grecian infidelity, marriage is stillhonoured among our people. But she who mocks what is sacred, andtramples holy customs under foot, shall be accursed, execrated, givenover to want, hunger, disease, death!"

  With rattling breath and closed eyes she leaned farther back against thecushions that supported her; but Bias, in their common language, triedto soothe her, and informed her that, though Ledscha had probably runaway from her husband, she had by no means renounced her vengeance. Hewas bringing two talents with him to place in the Temple of Nemesis.

  "Of Nemesis?" repeated the old dame. Then she tried to raise herselfand, as she constantly sank back again, Bias aided her. But she hadscarcely recovered her sitting posture when she gasped to the freedman:"Nemesis, who helped, and is to continue to help her to destroy her foe?Well, well! Five talents--a great sum, a great sum! But the more thebetter! To Nemesis with them, to Ate and the Erinyes! The talons of theavenging goddess shall tear the beautiful face, the heart, and the liverof the accursed one! A twofold malediction on her who has wronged theson of my Satabus!"

  While speaking, her head nodded swiftly up and down, and when at lastshe bowed it wearily, her visitors heard her murmur the names of Satabusand Hanno, sometimes tenderly, sometimes mournfully.

  Finally she asked whether any one else was concerned in Ledscha'sflight; and when she learned that a Gallic bridge-builder accompaniedthe fugitive wife, she again started up as if frantic, exclaiming: "Yes,to Nemesis with the gold! We neither need nor want it, and Satabus, myson, he will bless me for renunciation--"

  Here exhaustion again silenced her. She gazed mutely and thoughtfullyinto vacancy, until at last, turning to Bias, she began more calmly:"You will see her again, man, and must tell her what the clan of Tabusbought with her talents. Take her my curse, and let her know thather friends would be my foes, and her foes should find in Tabus abenefactress!"

  Then, deeply buried in thought, she again fixed her eyes on the floor;but at last she called to Hermon, saying: "You, blind Greek--am I notright?--the torch was thrust into your face, and you lost the sight ofboth eyes?"

  The artist assented to this question; but she bade him sit down beforeher, and when he bent his face near her she raised one lid after theother with trembling fingers, yet lightly and skilfully, gazed longand intently into his eyes, and murmured: "Like black Psoti and lawlessSimeon, and they are both cured."

  "Can you restore me?" Hermon now asked in great excitement. "Answerme honestly, you experienced woman! Give me back my sight, and demandwhatever gold and valuables I still possess--"

  "Keep them," Tabus contemptuously interrupted. "Not for gold or goodswill I restore you the best gift man can lose. I will cure you becauseyou are the person to whom the infamous wretch most ardently wished thesorest trouble. When she hoped to destroy you, she perceived in thisdeed the happiness which had been promised to her on a night whenthe full moon was shining. To-day--this very night--the diskbetween Astarte's horns rounds again, and presently--wait a littlewhile!--presently you shall have what the light restores you--" Then shecalled the Biamite woman, ordered her to bring the medicine chest, andtook from it one vessel after another. The box she was seeking wasamong the last and, while handing it to Bias, she muttered: "Oh, yes,certainly--it does one good to destroy a foe, but no less to make herfoe happy!"

  Turning to the freedman, she went on in a louder tone: "You, slave,shall inform Hanno's wife that old Tabus gave the sculptor, whoseblindness she caused, the remedy which restored the sight of blackPsoti, whom she knew." Here she paused, gazed upward, and murmuredalmost unintelligibly: "Satabus, Hanno! If this is the last act of theold mother, it will give ye pleasure."

  Then she told Hermon to kneel again, and ordered the slave to hold thelamp which her nurse Tasia had just lighted at the hearth fire.

  "The last," she said, looking into the box, "but it will be enough. Theodour of the herb in the salve is as strong as if it had been preparedyesterday."

  She laid the first bandage on Hermon's eyes with her own weak fingers,at the same time muttering an incantation; but it did not seem tosatisfy her. Great excitement had taken possession of her, and as thesilver light of the full moon shone into her room she waved her handsbefore the artist's eyes and fixed her gaze upon the threshold illuminedby the moonbeams, ejaculating sentences incomprehensible to the blindman. Bias supported her, for she had risen to her full height, and hefelt how she tottered and trembled.

  Yet her strength held out to whisper to Hermon: "Nearer, still nearer!By the light of the august one whose rays greet us, let it be said: Youwill see again. Await your recovery patiently in a quiet place in thepure air, not in the city. Refrain from everything with which the Greeksintoxicate themselves. Shun wine, and whatever heats the blood. Recoveryis coming; I see it drawing near. You will see again as surely as I nowcurse the woman who abandoned the husband to whom she vowed fidelity.She rejoiced over your blindness, and she will gnash her teeth with rageand grief when she hears that it was Tabus who brought light into thedarkness that surrounds you."

  With these words she pushed off the freedman's supporting arms and sankback upon the couch.

  Again Hermon tried to thank her; but she would not permit it, and saidin an almost inaudible tone: "I really did not give the salve to do yougood--the last act of all--"

  Finally she murmured a few words of direction for its use, and addedthat he must keep the sunlight from his blind eyes by bandages andshades, as if it were a cruel foe.

  When she paused, and Bias asked her another question, she pointed to thedoor, exclaiming as loudly as her weakness permitted, "Go, I tell you,go!"

  Hermon obeyed and left her, accompanied by the freedman, who carried thebox of salve so full of precious promise.

  The next morning Bias delivered to the astonished priest of Nemesis thelarge gifts intended for the avenging goddess.

  Before Hermon entered the boat with him and his Egyptian slave, thefreedman told his master that Gula was again living in perfect harmonywith the husband who had cast her off, and Taus, Ledscha's youngersister, was the wife of the young Biamite who, she had feared, wouldgive up his wooing on account of her visit to Hermon's studio.

  After a long voyage through the canal which had been dug a short timebefore, connecting the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, the three menreached Clysma. Opposite to it, on the eastern shore of the narrownorthern point of the Erythraean sea--[Red Sea]--lay the goal of theirjourney, and thither Bias led his blind master, followed by the slave,on shore.