This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By Georg Ebers
An hour later, Ani, in rich attire, left his father's tomb, and drove hisbrilliant chariot past the witch's cave, and the little cottage ofUarda's father.
Nemu squatted on the step, the dwarf's usual place. The little manlooked down at the lately rebuilt hut, and ground his teeth, when,through an opening in the hedge, he saw the white robe of a man,who was sitting by Uarda.
The pretty child's visitor was prince Rameri, who had crossed the Nile inthe early morning, dressed as a young scribe of the treasury, to obtainnews of Pentaur—and to stick a rose into Uarda's hair.
This purpose was, indeed, the more important of the two, for the othermust, in point of time at any rate, be the second.
He found it necessary to excuse himself to his own conscience with avariety of cogent reasons. In the first place the rose, which laycarefully secured in a fold of his robe, ran great danger of fading if hefirst waited for his companions near the temple of Seti; next, a hastyreturn from thence to Thebes might prove necessary; and finally, itseemed to him not impossible that Bent-Anat might send a master of theceremonies after him, and if that happened any delay might frustrate hispurpose.
His heart beat loud and violently, not for love of the maiden, butbecause he felt he was doing wrong. The spot that he must tread wasunclean, and he had, for the first time, told a lie. He had givenhimself out to Uarda to be a noble youth of Bent-Anat's train, and, asone falsehood usually entails another, in answer to her questions he hadgiven her false information as to his parents and his life.
Had evil more power over him in this unclean spot than in the House ofSeti, and at his father's? It might very well be so, for all disturbancein nature and men was the work of Seth, and how wild was the storm in hisbreast! And yet! He wished nothing but good to come of it to Uarda.She was so fair and sweet—like some child of the Gods: and certainly thewhite maiden must have been stolen from some one, and could not possiblybelong to the unclean people.
When the prince entered the court of the hut, Uarda was not to be seen,but he soon heard her voice singing out through the open door. She cameout into the air, for the dog barked furiously at Rameri. When she sawthe prince, she started, and said:
"You are here already again, and yet I warned you. My grandmother inthere is the wife of a paraschites."
"I am not come to visit her," retorted the prince, "but you only; and youdo not belong to them, of that I am convinced. No roses grow in thedesert."
"And yet: am my father's child," said Uarda decidedly, "and my poor deadgrandfather's grandchild. Certainly I belong to them, and those that donot think me good enough for them may keep away."
With these words she turned to re-enter the house; but Rameri seized herhand, and held her back, saying:
"How cruel you are! I tried to save you, and came to see you before Ithought that you might—and, indeed, you are quite unlike the people whomyou call your relations. You must not misunderstand me; but it would behorrible to me to believe that you, who are so beaut