Presently I roused myself and bade Atoua go seek a mirror and bring it to me, that I might look therein.Īnd I saw this: a face shrunken and pallid, on which no smile came great eyes grown wan with gazing into darkness looking out beneath the shaven head, emptily, as the hollow eye-pits of a skull a wizened halting form wasted by abstinence, sorrow, and prayer a long wild beard of iron grey thin blue-veined hands that ever trembled like a leaf bowed shoulders and lessened limbs. The curtain of dark night was closing in upon the history of my ancient Race its very Gods were tottering to their fall I could already, in the spirit, hear the shriek of the Roman eagles as they flapped their wings above the furthest banks of Sihor. In the rush and turmoil of events, the great plot of which I had been the pivot was covered up and forgotten scarce a memory of it remained. Khem was lost, and lost was I, Harmachis. Nine years! nine long years! and now, once again, I set my foot in Alexandria! Once again in the appointed circle of things I came forth from the solitude of preparation to be a fate to Cleopatra and this second time I came not forth to fail.Īnd yet how changed the circumstance! I was out of the story: my part now was but the part of the sword in the hands of Justice I might no more hope to make Egypt free and great and sit upon my lawful throne. Her hair was white as snow, and shrivelled with age was the wrinkled countenance of the woman who, when all deserted me, had yet clung to me, in her great love forgetting my great sins.
I sat and crouched upon a rug near to the door, lay the aged Atoua. I sat in a carven lion-footed chair, and looked upon the swinging lamps of scented oil, the pictured tapestries, the rich Syrian rugs-and, amidst all this luxury, bethought me of that tomb of the Harpers which is at Tápé, and of the nine long years of dark loneliness and preparation. Rider HaggardĬlad in my plain black robe, I sat in the guest-chamber of the house that had been made ready for me.
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