CHAPTER IV.

"Spirit," he said, "give me the name of thy master."

"My earthly master," she made answer, "is one Alric, the grandson of Emil, who was called the wise man of Damascus."

"It is well, oh spirit. And although now, thou dost abide in a clay tenement, that the humanity of this generation, name Miriam, the Israelitish maiden, I know full well that thou, the soul, the life principal, can in memory go so far back, through eons of time, that its mention would be meaningless to the world of to-day; yet, because thou hast responded to my power, I know, oh spirit, that we have met before, that we came close in love, or hate, and that in the evolution of law, and order, we have met again. Tell me of that time. Speak of our past, oh spirit, it is my will."

"My name was Gweneth," answered a voice (that was not Miriam's voice at all). "In that fleshly captivity I abode far to the westward. My land was over many leagues of immeasureable water. The nation, powerful then, is forgotten; its people are dust; its cities buried in the bowels of the earth.

"You were my father's favorite knight--and his two daughters loved you; you were bold, and wooed them both in secret, and apart; but one that watched, made speed to tell the King! And it was so grave a crime that naught but life, could be its expiation, and yet, you had said no word; had only looked into her eyes and mine.

"The day of doom came, and all were gathered to see the archer twang his bow, and mark how surely the sharp arrow should find your heart; but they who watched, saw a stranger sight. Behold! one arrow did set free three souls.

"The winds of destiny parted us asunder; and through a dreary, dreary length of time, have I wandered. A myriad times have I been born, and lived, and died, and never in this infinite migration once beheld the soul I sought, until in Egypt's land, a slave, a bondmaid, I serve my sister now the Princess Hatsu. I kneel, to do the bidding of my father's knight who is called Alric now."

"It is well, sweet Gweneth, we are met again. Now tell me all thou dost know concerning the life of Hatsu the Egyptian Princess?"

"Alas, beloved, thou canst gain no secret knowledge concerning the Princess Hatsu from me, for the God to whom Miriam, the Israelitish maiden, prays is mightier than all the gods of Egypt. All thought, beloved, is of the soul, and I, Gweneth, dare not approach to read what is written in the mind of this Heaven-guarded maid, Miriam."

An exclamation of irritation escaped from Alric's lips; and in that moment Miriam stirred, as one does who is about to awake; but he hastily made some passes above her head with his hand, and once more acknowledging his hypnotic power, she grew still.

"Come, sweet Gweneth," he said gently, "time flies and thou must follow Hatsu on her way. Tell me what thou seest?"

Miriam raised her head, and lifted her arm, placing her hand above her eyes, as one does who peers into the distance.

"She is wending her way along a road," she said, "a narrow road, walled in and lighted by lamps, enclosed in globes of dull red glass, thus giving, if it were possible, a more grewsome effect to the creatures sepulchered there; but Hatsu has no dread, she has been used to count these things when living, as her friends, so she does not fear them dead! Neither does Hatsu's heart tremble, at the thought of meeting the great High Priest, although she knows that no woman has ever before beheld his face. Although she knows that when he ministers to the people, it is always behind the Temple's silken veil."

"It is truth that thou speaketh, fair spirit, so lead on."

"She is pausing," said Miriam, "for there has come to her ears the sound of voices. They the voices of a great company of priests, and they are repeating in low, even tones the prayers for the dead. She has prostrated herself upon the earth, and the priests forming in two lines, walk past her, swinging their golden censers right and left, and I can hear the voice of the Princess, joining in the petition, for the soul of her father--still on its journey to the kingdom that lies beyond the tomb. Now the sound of the singing grows fainter, the silence comes again, and Hatsu rises and goes on her way. She has reached a flight of broad stone steps. She is weary and the steps are many, but she presses on. She has reached the great door. She timidly touches it with her finger tips, but it swings noiselessly open, and she enters and finds herself within the temple."

"Tell me of this temple."

"It is a great hall, lofty and spacious, and it shines from floor to dome, with gold and silver and jewels. Panels of delicate yellow amber, give a satin-like touch of softness to the cold stone. The recesses that hold the cages of the sacred birds and beasts, are veiled by curtains of heavily embroidered silken stuffs, and all this splendor is added to by the brilliant lights that are set into the walls. Through the centre of the temple, and at intervals along its sides, are massive pillars of yellow and rose colored sand-stone. Beyond is the great altar, brilliant with lights, heavy with the fragrance of burning incense and of the sacred blossoms.

"No human thing is in sight. The tame beasts and birds are wandering about the temple. They have noted the Princess's entrance, and are hastening to surround her.

"Thus accompanied she is nearing the altar.

"The heavy silken curtains are parting, and from between them there comes, not a man! but a god! the Sun God! in man's stature! He is exceeding tall and lithe and sinewy. He is in the zenith of manhood, neither young nor old.

"His flesh is firm and white and colorless. His eyes are large and bright, and deeply blue, and his hair is as yellow as the sunbeam, and it falls in waves of glory about his shoulders.

"His robe of blue and gold, is sprinkled with jewels as the dew sprinkles the green sward in the early morning time. He speaks, and his voice is like the tenderest note of music.

"'Hatsu,' he says; 'Hatsu.' And the birds at the sound of his voice fly to him, and nestle against him, as children nestle close to a mother.

"'Hatsu,' he says, 'daughter of Tothmes the First, draw near without fear, and mount the steps of the altar, and pass under the folds of the divine wings, into the sanctuary--the Holy of the Holies--and be thou not consumed.' With a cry Miriam rose and stretched out her arms.

"God of my fathers," she wailed. "Save her! save Hatsu! Let no vengeance from any heathen god fall upon her, because in the madness of her grief, she has said defiant words! Stay their power, oh God, to turn Egypt's hope into the semblance of some defiled beast or bird.

"She will not ask mercy from them, my strong, proud Princess! She knows not what fear may mean! Her eyes are calm, her lips are parted in a quiet smile; no fate can daunt her!

"As I speak, lo! following the Sun God, she has passed through the folds! she stands on the other side of the curtain. It is a bare, plain room. In the centre of the apartment is set a rude table and a few chairs. The man with the golden hair speaks.

"'Princess,' he says, 'I have bidden that you come thither, that I may speak in your ear, concerning that, which can no longer be cherished by me alone. I am, Princess, Zelas, the High Priest of Osirus.

"'I am, at your father's behest, left to guide, and to guard you, I am left with the power to place you on the throne of Egypt, a virgin queen.

"'Full well our late King knew, that his people could not be ruled over by his eldest son (his sister's child) who has not so much wisdom as yonder gibbering ape, and Ashel, Tothmes the Second's mother, the King had discovered to be a creature of mean cunning, and low covetuousness, and he saw in your second brother, an artful and ambitious plotter. Listen, oh Princess, while I rehearse to you the earth story of Tothmes the first. He was a born King, a statesman, and a diplomat, from the earliest day of his reign, Egypt was his constant and absorbing thought, Her power, Her glory, Her advancement, his waking theme.

"'He revolutionized the army, added ships to the depleted squadrons on the sea, enlarged and beautified the temple of Ammon, and built the pyramid of Cheops--thus enabling the Scientists of his day, to bring to a completion, much that had never before been deemed possible of demonstration, in electricity, astronomy, and mathematics.

"'It was at his bidding, that Egypt, after ten centuries of isolation, flung wide her gates, and welcomed to the marts of trade, the commerce of the outer world.

"'He encouraged his people to export all their various manufactured and agricultural products, urging upon them the wisdom of learning from other nations, all that was best and most progressive in the arts and sciences.

"'Thus it came to pass, that the King took small heed to his personal surroundings.

"'Forced to marry--for state reasons--his own sister, a woman of repulsive appearance, and unlovable character, the domestic ties weighed lightly upon him.

"'Being a scientist, he felt no surprise at the issue of this marriage.

"'He knew that if the mating of near kin, is not thought wise for the horse, and hound, it must perforce prove disastrous, in humankind.

"'The other son--a concubine's child--was brought into the world in accordance with the wishes of his ministers of state, who trembled at the thought of the idiot prince being sole heir to the kingdom.

"'Thus matters stood, until one day when weary of the affairs of camp, and court, the King disguised his royalty, and wandered incognito through the city of Thebes, and he came at last to the quarter of the market place, set aside for the slave traders and their human merchandise.

"'It was a scene that stirred the great heart with pity!

"'The long, low building formed a square of considerable size, and after mounting a pair of steps, the King found himself in a hall, around which ran a platform of wood, encompassing every side of the apartment.

"'This platform was divided into pens, shut in by wooden railings, and in these pens were confined human beings who were exposed for sale.

"'These men and women represented life from earliest infancy to infirm age.

"'In color they were from the blackest ebony to the whitest snowdrift.

"'Walking about were merchants, and buyers, loudly commenting upon the occupants of the cages.

"'The black folk for sale, either stared out upon these buyers, and sellers, with a stolid indifference, or with closed eyes, seemed wrapt in total oblivion of their surroundings.

"'The white men, either paced nervously up and down their limited enclosure, or sat looking out, with inquiring eyes, that spoke of a questioning mind.

"'The white women huddled together in groups, with their arms entwined and their faces full of silent sadness.

"'One of the traders approached a cage within which the most highly priced group of the market were confined.

"'He was followed by a portly, unctuous Egyptian, whose best years were behind him, and on whose bestial face was written the story of sensual indulgence.

"'The merchant unlocked the door of this cage, and entering, selected from among the now pale and trembling group the particular slave that the fat Egyptian had indicated with his forefinger.

"'Roughly seizing her by the arm, the merchant forced her to stand up; then pushing her before him (with no gentle hand) he brought her out of the cage--which he carefully re-locked--and bade her "go to the purchaser."

"'The fat Egyptian, surveyed the girl, from head to foot, to the accompaniment, of the merchant's monotonous chanting, of her especial physical charms and at just the right time, in his oration, he placed one of his hands, on the back of the girl's neck, and with the other he jerked her head to his shoulder, and pried open the beautiful mouth, calling upon the purchaser, to examine the whiteness, and the soundness of her teeth.

"'He next pinched her neck, and her arms, to show the firm quality of the flesh.

"'As the trader drew aside the loose toga of linen, and displayed the small beautiful breast, the Egyptian who had before haggled and hesitated, began to draw out his purse and the girl looking up and seeing the other man--a man in whose eyes dwelt compassion for her helplessness--said softly the one word "Mercy."

"'Then a courage born of his sheltering presence, came to her, and she removed the pin that held her golden hair and it fell like a mantle of light, all about her.

"'The disguised monarch, impelled, by some strange force spoke:

"'"Stay thy hand oh buyer," he said. "Thy bargain, is not sealed. _I_ bid for this _slave_ a thousand more pieces of gold, and I will pay as much _more_ for the little lad, from whose arms she was untwined."

"'Whether or not, the Egyptian saw through the king's disguise none can tell; but with many profound saalams, he expressed his willingness, to yield all _claim_, and making another appointment with the dealer, withdrew, leaving the king alone with the merchant.

"'"Tell me," said the King, "of this maiden's past? Surely so fair a woman was not born for captivity!"

"'"No my lord," answered the slave merchant, "none of these of the white skin are born slaves. Our vessels with well-armed crews thread the distant seas and visit remote lands in search of human gems. Our men seek some sequestered spot along the coast, wherein they may hide the ship, then they divide themselves, into companies, and steal to the main land, and watch about the villages, and towns until the husbands and fathers go off to the chase, or to do battle; then they enter the unprotected settlements, and securing such among the women and the children as seem salable, make off with them. It is a pleasant trade, my lord, and profitable."'"