The Pharaoh And The Priest Part 70

Kama knelt before him a second time.

"How can that be?" asked she, clasping her hands.

Rameses was so roused that he had forgotten his position and his duties; he was ready to promise the priestess even marriage. He was restrained from that step, not by judgment, but by some dumb instinct.

"How can this be? How can this be?" whispered Kama, devouring him with her glances and kissing his feet.

The prince raised her, seated her at a distance from him, and said with a smile,--

"Thou askest how this can be--I will explain immediately. My last teacher, before I reached maturity, was a certain old priest, who knew a mult.i.tude of marvellous histories from the lives of G.o.ds, kings, priests, even lower officials and laborers.

"This old man, famed for devotion and miracles, did not like women, I know not why; he even dreaded them. Very frequently he described the perversity of women, and once, to show how great the power is which ye wield over men, he told me the following history:--

"A certain scribe, young and indigent, who had not an uten in his purse, who had nothing save a barley cake, travelled down from Thebes to Lower Egypt while seeking for employment. Men said that in the north dwelt the richest lords and merchants, and that in case of luck he would find a place in which he might acquire extensive property.

"He walked along the Nile, for he had no coin with which to hire a boat, and he pondered,--

"'How improvident are men inheriting a talent or two, or even ten talents! Instead of adding to their wealth by traffic, or by lending at high interest,' thought he, 'these men waste what they have, to no purpose. Had I a drachma,--well, one drachma is too little,--but had I one talent, or, better, a plot of land, I would increase it yearly, and toward the end of life I should be as wealthy as the wealthiest nomarch.

"'But how begin!' said he, sighing. 'Only fools are favored by the G.o.ds; and I am filled with wisdom from my wig to my two naked heels.

If in my heart a grain of dulness lurks, it is perhaps my inability to squander, and I should not even know how to set about a work so G.o.dless in its object.'

"As the needy scribe was thus musing, he pa.s.sed a mud hut at which sat some man, neither old nor young, with a very keen glance, which reached to the depth of whatever heart came before him. The scribe, as wise as a stork, thought at once that this must be some divinity; so he bowed down and said to him,--

"'I greet thee, worthy master of this splendid mansion. I grieve that I have neither meat nor wine, so as to divide them between us, in sign that I respect thee, and that whatever I own is thy property.'

"This kindness of the scribe was pleasing to Amon, for he it was, in human aspect. He looked at the scribe, and inquired of him,--

"'Of what wert thou thinking while pa.s.sing along here? for I see wisdom on thy forehead, and I am of those who seize words of truth as partridges pick up wheat kernels.'

"The scribe sighed.

"'I was thinking,' said he, 'of my misery, and of those frivolous rich men who spend their wealth without knowing why or in what manner.'

"'And wouldst thou not waste wealth?' inquired the G.o.d, retaining human semblance.

"'Look at me, lord,' said the scribe. 'I have a tattered rag around my hips, and on the road I have lost my sandals; but my papyrus and reed I bear with me at all times, as I do the heart in my body. Both while rising in the morning and lying down at night, I repeat that wise poverty is far better than foolish riches. If I know how to express myself in two kinds of writing and to solve the most complicated problems, if I know all plants and every beast beneath the sky, thou mayst judge whether I, the master of such lore, am capable of wasting property.'

"The G.o.d pondered awhile, and continued,--

"'Thy speech flows as vigorously as the Nile at Memphis; but if thou art so wise, indeed, write for me the name of Amon in two manners.'

"The scribe took his reed and brush, and in no long time he wrote the name Amon in two manners on the door of the hut, and so clearly that even dumb creatures would have stopped to give Lord Amon homage.

"The G.o.d was satisfied, and answered,--

"'If thou art as skilled in reckoning as in writing, reckon for me the following problem: If they give me four hen eggs for one partridge, how many hen eggs should they give me for seven partridges?'

"The scribe gathered pebbles, placed them in various rows, and before the sun had set, he answered that they should give twenty-eight eggs for seven partridges.

"The almighty Amon smiled when he saw before him a sage of such uncommon proportions, and answered,--

"'I recognize that thou hast spoken truth concerning thy wisdom. If thou shalt appear equally enduring in virtue I will so arrange that thou shalt be happy to the end of life, and after death thy sons shall place thy shade in a beautiful tomb. But now tell me: what wealth dost thou wish,--wealth which thou wouldst not merely refrain from wasting, but wouldst increase?'

"The scribe fell to the feet of the generous deity, and answered,--

"'If I had even this hut and three measures of land, I should be wealthy.'

"'Well,' said the G.o.d, 'but first look around and see if it would suffice thee.'

"He led him into the hut, and said,--

"'Thou hast four caps and skirts, two mantles for bad weather, and two pairs of sandals. Here is a fire, here a bench on which thou mayst sleep, a mortar for crus.h.i.+ng wheat, and a pan for dough.'

"'But what is this?' asked the scribe, pointing to a certain figure covered with linen.

"'That is one thing which thou must not touch; if thou do, thou wilt lose all thy property.'

"'Ai!' cried the scribe. 'That may remain a thousand years there; I will not trouble it. With permission of thy honor, what estate is that over there?' and he bent through the hut window.

"'Thou hast spoken wisely,' said Amon, 'for that is an estate, and even a fine one. It is composed of fifty measures of land. There is a s.p.a.cious house on it, some tens of cattle, and ten slaves belong to the establishment. If thou prefer that estate--'

"The scribe fell at the feet of the deity.

"'Is there,' inquired he, 'a man under the sun who instead of a barley cake would not prefer a loaf of wheaten bread?'

"When he heard this, Amon repeated a formula, and that moment both were in the mansion.

"'Here thou hast,' said the G.o.d, 'a carved bed, five tables, and ten armchairs; thou hast embroidered clothing, thou hast pitchers, and gla.s.s bottles for wine, a lamp for olive oil, and a litter.'

"'And what is this?' asked the scribe, pointing to a figure robed in muslin and standing in a corner.

"'Thou must not touch that or thou wilt lose all thy property.'

"'Were I to live ten thousand years I would not touch it. For, after wisdom, I consider wealth the highest blessing.'

"'But what do I see?' inquired he after a while, pointing to an immense palace in a garden.

"'Over there is a princely estate,' replied the G.o.d. 'That is a palace, five hundred measures of land, one hundred slaves, and two hundred head of cattle. That is a grand property; but if thou think thy wisdom sufficient to manage it--'

"The scribe fell again at the feet of Amon, and covered himself with tears of delight.

"'O lord,' said he, 'is there on earth a mad man who instead of a goblet of beer would not take a cask of wine?'

"'Thy words are worthy of the sage who can make the most difficult reckonings,' said Amon.

"He p.r.o.nounced the mighty words of the formula; the G.o.d and the scribe found themselves in the palace.

"'Here thou hast,' said the kind G.o.d, 'a dining-hall; in it gold and gilded curtains, and armchairs, also tables inlaid with woods of various colors. In the lower story is a kitchen for five cooks; a storehouse where thou wilt find all kinds of meat, fish, bread; finally, a cellar with perfect wines in it. Thou hast a bedchamber with a movable roof, with which thy slaves will cool thee while thou art sleeping. I turn attention to the bed, which is made of cedar wood, and rests on four lion legs cast from bronze skilfully. Thou hast a wardrobe filled with linen and woollen garments; in caskets thou wilt find rings, chains, and bracelets.'