Uarda : a Romance of Ancient Egypt — Complete

by Georg Ebers

  CHAPTER XIX.

  As soon as Paaker had disappeared behind the shrubs, Katuti struck alittle sheet of metal, a slave appeared, and Katuti asked her whetherNefert had returned from the temple.

  "Her litter is just now at the side gate," was the answer.

  "I await her here," said the widow. The slave went away, and a fewminutes later Nefert entered the hall.

  "You want me?" she said; and after kissing her mother she sank upon hercouch. "I am tired," she exclaimed, "Nemu, take a fan and keep the fliesoff me."

  The dwarf sat down on a cushion by her couch, and began to wave thesemi-circular fan of ostrich-feathers; but Katuti put him aside andsaid:

  "You can leave us for the present; we want to speak to each other inprivate."

  The dwarf shrugged his shoulders and got up, but Nefert looked at hermother with an irresistible appeal.

  "Let him stay," she said, as pathetically as if her whole happinessdepended upon it. "The flies torment me so, and Nemu always holds histongue."

  She patted the dwarf's big head as if he were a lap-dog, and calledthe white cat, which with a graceful leap sprang on to her shoulder andstood there with its back arched, to be stroked by her slender fingers.

  Nemu looked enquiringly at his mistress, but Katuti turned to herdaughter, and said in a warning voice:

  "I have very serious things to discuss with you."

  "Indeed?" said her daughter, "but I cannot be stung by the flies all thesame. Of course, if you wish it--"

  "Nemu may stay then," said Katuti, and her voice had the tone of that ofa nurse who gives way to a naughty child. "Besides, he knows what I haveto talk about."

  "There now!" said Nefert, kissing the head of the white cat, and shegave the fan back to the dwarf.

  The widow looked at her daughter with sincere compassion, she went up toher and looked for the thousandth time in admiration at her pretty face.

  "Poor child," she sighed, "how willingly I would spare you the frightfulnews which sooner or later you must hear--must bear. Leave off yourfoolish play with the cat, I have things of the most hideous gravity totell you."

  "Speak on," replied Nefert. "To-day I cannot fear the worst. Mena'sstar, the haruspex told me, stands under the sign of happiness, and Ienquired of the oracle in the temple of Besa, and heard that my husbandis prospering. I have prayed in the temple till I am quite content. Onlyspeak!--I know my brother's letter from the camp had no good news in it;the evening before last I saw you had been crying, and yesterday you didnot look well; even the pomegranate flowers in your hair did not suityou."

  "Your brother," sighed Katuti, "has occasioned me great trouble, and wemight through him have suffered deep dishonor--"

  "We-dishonor?" exclaimed Nefert, and she nervously clutched at the cat.

  "Your brother lost enormous sums at play; to recover them he pledged themummy of your father--"

  "Horrible!" cried Nefert. "We must appeal at once to the king;--I willwrite to him myself; for Mena's sake he will hear me. Rameses is greatand noble, and will not let a house that is faithfully devoted to himfall into disgrace through the reckless folly of a boy. Certainly I willwrite to him."

  She said this in a voice of most childlike confidence, and desired Nemuto wave the fan more gently, as if this concern were settled.

  In Katuti's heart surprise and indignation at the unnatural indifferenceof her daughter were struggling together; but she withheld all blame,and said carelessly:

  "We are already released, for my nephew Paaker, as soon as he heard whatthreatened us, offered me his help; freely and unprompted, from puregoodness of heart and attachment."

  "How good of Paaker!" cried Nefert. "He was so fond of me, and you know,mother, I always stood up for him. No doubt it was for my sake that hebehaved so generously!"

  The young wife laughed, and pulling the cat's face close to her own,held her nose to its cool little nose, stared into its green eyes, andsaid, imitating childish talk:

  "There now, pussy--how kind people are to your little mistress."

  Katuti was vexed daughter's childish impulses.

  "It seems to me," she said, "that you might leave off playing andtrifling when I am talking of such serious matters. I have long sinceobserved that the fate of the house to which your father and motherbelong is a matter of perfect indifference to you; and yet you wouldhave to seek shelter and protection under its roof if your husband--"

  "Well, mother?" asked Nefert breathing more quickly.

  As soon as Katuti perceived her daughter's agitation she regretted thatshe had not more gently led up to the news she had to break to her; forshe loved her daughter, and knew that it would give her keen pain.

  So she went on more sympathetically:

  "You boasted in joke that people are good to you, and it is true; youwin hearts by your mere being--by only being what you are. And Mena tooloved you tenderly; but 'absence,' says the proverb, 'is the one realenemy,' and Mena--"

  "What has Mena done?" Once more Nefert interrupted her mother, and hernostrils quivered.

  "Mena," said Katuti, decidedly, "has violated the truth and esteem whichhe owes you--he has trodden them under foot, and--"

  "Mena?" exclaimed the young wife with flashing eyes; she flung the caton the floor, and sprang from her couch.

  "Yes--Mena," said Katuti firmly. "Your brother writes that he would haveneither silver nor gold for his spoil, but took the fair daughter of theprince of the Danaids into his tent. The ignoble wretch!"

  "Ignoble wretch!" cried Nefert, and two or three times she repeated hermother's last words. Katuti drew back in horror, for her gentle, docile,childlike daughter stood before her absolutely transfigured beyond allrecognition.

  She looked like a beautiful demon of revenge; her eyes sparkled, herbreath came quickly, her limbs quivered, and with extraordinary strengthand rapidity she seized the dwarf by the hand, led him to the door ofone of the rooms which opened out of the hall, threw it open, pushed thelittle man over the threshold, and closed it sharply upon him; then withwhite lips she came up to her mother.

  "An ignoble wretch did you call him?" she cried out with a hoarse huskyvoice, "an ignoble wretch! Take back your words, mother, take back yourwords, or--"

  Katuti turned paler and paler, and said soothingly:

  "The words may sound hard, but he has broken faith with you, and openlydishonored you."

  "And shall I believe it?" said Nefert with a scornful laugh. "ShallI believe it, because a scoundrel has written it, who has pawned hisfather's body and the honor of big family; because it is told you bythat noble and brave gentleman! why a box on the ears from Mena wouldbe the death of him. Look at me, mother, here are my eyes, and ifthat table there were Mena's tent, and you were Mena, and you took thefairest woman living by the hand and led her into it, and these eyes sawit--aye, over and over again--I would laugh at it--as I laugh at it now;and I should say, 'Who knows what he may have to give her, or to say toher,' and not for one instant would I doubt his truth; for your son isfalse and Mena is true. Osiris broke faith with Isis--but Mena may befavored by a hundred women--he will take none to his tent but me!"

  "Keep your belief," said Katuti bitterly, "but leave me mine."

  "Yours?" said Nefert, and her flushed cheeks turned pale again. "What doyou believe? You listen to the worst and basest things that can be saidof a man who has overloaded you with benefits! A wretch, bah! an ignoblewretch? Is that what you call a man who lets you dispose of his estateas you please!"

  "Nefert," cried Katuti angrily, "I will--"

  "Do what you will," interrupted her indignant daughter, "but do notvilify the generous man who has never hindered you from throwing awayhis property on your son's debts and your own ambition. Since theday before yesterday I have learned that we are not rich; and I havereflected, and I have asked myself what has become of our corn and ourcattle, of our sheep and the rents from the farmers. The wretch's estatewas not so contemptible; but I tell you plainly I should be unworthy
tobe the wife of the noble Mena if I allowed any one to vilify his nameunder his own roof. Hold to your belief, by all means, but one of usmust quit this house--you or I."

  At these words Nefert broke into passionate sobs, threw herself on herknees by her couch, hid her face in the cushions, and wept convulsivelyand without intermission.

  Katuti stood behind her, startled, trembling, and not knowing what tosay. Was this her gentle, dreamy daughter? Had ever a daughter dared tospeak thus to her mother? But was she right or was Nefert? This questionwas the pressing one; she knelt down by the side of the young wife,put her arm round her, drew her head against her bosom, and whisperedpitifully:

  "You cruel, hard-hearted child; forgive your poor, miserable mother, anddo not make the measure of her wretchedness overflow."

  Then Nefert rose, kissed her mother's hand, and went silently into herown room.

  Katuti remained alone; she felt as if a dead hand held her heart in itsicy grasp, and she muttered to herself:

  "Ani is right--nothing turns to good excepting that from which we expectthe worst."

  She held her hand to her head, as if she had heard something too strangeto be believed. Her heart went after her daughter, but instead ofsympathizing with her she collected all her courage, and deliberatelyrecalled all the reproaches that Nefert had heaped upon her. She did notspare herself a single word, and finally she murmured to herself: "Shecan spoil every thing. For Mena's sake she will sacrifice me and thewhole world; Mena and Rameses are one, and if she discovers what we areplotting she will betray us without a moment's hesitation. Hithertoall has gone on without her seeing it, but to-day something has beenunsealed in her--an eye, a tongue, an ear, which have hitherto beenclosed. She is like a deaf and dumb person, who by a sudden fright isrestored to speech and hearing. My favorite child will become the spy ofmy actions, and my judge."

  She gave no utterance to the last words, but she seemed to hear themwith her inmost ear; the voice that could speak to her thus, startledand frightened her, and solitude was in itself a torture; she calledthe dwarf, and desired him to have her litter prepared, as she intendedgoing to the temple, and visiting the wounded who had been sent homefrom Syria.

  "And the handkerchief for the Regent?" asked the little man.

  "It was a pretext," said Katuti. "He wishes to speak to you about thematter which you know of with regard to Paaker. What is it?"

  "Do not ask," replied Nemu, "I ought not to betray it. By Besa, whoprotects us dwarfs, it is better that thou shouldst never know it."

  "For to-day I have learned enough that is new to me," retorted Katuti."Now go to Ani, and if you are able to throw Paaker entirely intohis power--good--I will give--but what have I to give away? I will begrateful to you; and when we have gained our end I will set you free andmake you rich."

  Nemu kissed her robe, and said in a low voice: "What is the end?"

  "You know what Ani is striving for," answered the widow. "And I have butone wish!"

  "And that is?"

  "To see Paaker in Mena's place."

  "Then our wishes are the same," said the dwarf and he left the Hall.

  Katuti looked after him and muttered:

  "It must be so. For if every thing remains as it was and Mena comes homeand demands a reckoning--it is not to be thought of! It must not be!"