CHAPTER III.
Orion had dreaded the drive home with his mother, but after complainingto him of Susannah's conduct in having made a startling display of hervexation in the women's place behind the screen, she had leaned on himand fallen fast asleep. Her head was on her son's shoulder when theyreached home, and Orion's anxiety for the mother he truly loved wasenhanced when he found it difficult to rouse her. He felt her staggerlike a drunken creature, and he led her not into the fountain-room butto her bed-chamber, where she only begged to lie down; and hardly hadshe done so when she was again overcome by sleep.
Orion now made his way to Gamaliel the jeweller, to purchase from him avery large and costly diamond, plainly set, and the Israelite's brotherundertook to deliver it to the fair widow at Constantinople, whowas known to him as one of his customers. Orion, in the jeweller'ssitting-room, wrote a letter to his former mistress, in which he beggedher in the most urgent manner to accept the diamond, and in exchangeto return to him the emerald by a swift and trustworthy messenger, whomSimeon the goldsmith would provide with everything needful.
After all this he went home hungry and weary, to the late midday mealwhich he shared, as for many days past, with no one but Eudoxia, Mary'sgoverness. The little girl was not yet allowed to leave her room, and ofthis, for one reason, her instructress was glad, for a dinner alone withthe handsome youth brought extreme gratification to her mature heart.How considerate was the wealthy and noble heir in desiring the slaves tooffer every dish to her first, how kind in listening to her stories ofher young days and of the illustrious houses in which she had formerlygiven lessons! She would have died for him; but, as no opportunityoffered for such a sacrifice, at any rate she never omitted to pointout to him the most delicate morsels, and to supply his room with freshflowers.
Besides this, however, she had devoted herself with the most admirableunselfishness to her pupil, since the child had been ill and hergrandmother had turned against her, noticing, too, that Orion took atender and quite fatherly interest in his little niece. This morningthe young man had not had time to enquire for Mary, and Eudoxia's reportthat she seemed even more excited than on the day before disturbed himso greatly, that he rose from table, in spite of Eudoxia's protest,without waiting till the end of the meal, to visit the little invalid.
It was with genuine anxiety that he mounted the stairs. His heart washeavy over many things, and as he went towards the child's room he saidto himself with a melancholy smile, that he, who had contemned many adistinguished man and many a courted fair one at Constantinople becausethey had fallen short of his lofty standard, had here no one but thischild who would be sure to understand him. Some minutes elapsed beforehis knock was answered with the request to 'come in,' and he heard ahasty bustle within. He found Mary lying, as the physician had ordered,on a couch by the window, which was wide open and well-shaded; her couchwas surrounded by flowering plants and, on a little table in front ofher, were two large nosegays, one fading, the other quite fresh andparticularly beautiful.
How sadly the child had changed in these few days. The soft round cheekshad disappeared, and the pretty little face had sunk into nothingness bycomparison with the wonderful, large eyes, which had gained in size andbrilliancy. Yesterday she had been free from fever and very pale, butto-day her cheeks were crimson, and a twitching of her lips and of herright shoulder, which had come on since the scene at the grandfather'sdeathbed, was so incessant that Orion sat down by her side in somealarm.
"Has your grandmother been to see you?" was his first question, but theanswer was a mournful shake of her head.
The blossoming plants were his own gift and so was the fading nosegay;the other, fresher one had not come from him, so he enquired who was thegiver, and was not a little astonished to see his favorite's confusionand agitation at the question. There must be something special connectedwith the posey, that was very evident, and the young man, who did notwish to excite her sensitive nerves unnecessarily, but could not recallhis words, was wishing he had never spoken them, when the discovery ofa feather fan cut the knot of his difficulty; he took it up, exclaiming:"Hey--what have we here?"
A deeper flush dyed Mary's cheek, and raising her large eyes imploringlyto his face, she laid a finger on her lips. He nodded, as understandingher, and said in a low voice:
"Katharina has been here? Susannah's gardener ties up flowers like that.The fan--when I knocked--she is here still perhaps?"
He had guessed rightly; Mary pointed dumbly to the door of the adjoiningroom.
"But, in Heaven's name, child," Orion went on, in an undertone, "whatdoes she want here?"
"She came by stealth, in the boat," whispered the child. "She sentAnubis from the treasurer's office to ask me if she might not come, shecould not do without me any longer, and she never did me any harm and soI said yes--and then, when I knew it was your knock, whisk--off she wentinto the bedroom."
"And if your grandmother were to come across her?"
"Then--well, then I do not know what would become of me! But oh! Orion,if you only knew how--how...." Two big tears rolled down her cheeksand Orion understood her; he stroked her hair lovingly and said in awhisper, glancing now and again at the door of the next room.
"But I came up on purpose to tell you something more about Paula. Shesends you her love, and she invites you to go to her and stay with her,always. But you must keep it quite a secret and tell no one, not evenEudoxia and Katharina; for I do not know myself how we can contrive toget your grandmother's consent. At any rate we must set to work veryprudently and cautiously, do you understand? I have only taken you intoour confidence that you may look forward to it and have something to beglad of at night, when you are such a silly little thing as to keepyour eyes open like the hares, instead of sleeping like a good child. Ifthings go well, you may be with Paula to-morrow perhaps--think of that!I had quite given up all hope of managing it at all; but now, justnow--is it not odd--just within these two minutes I suddenly said tomyself: 'It will come all right!'--So it must be done somehow."
A flood of tears streamed down Mary's burning cheeks but, freely as theyflowed, she did not sob and her bosom did not heave. Nor did she speak,but such pure and fervent gratitude and joy shone from her glisteningeyes that Orion felt his own grow moist. He was glad to find some wayof concealing his emotion when Mary seized his hand and, pressing a longkiss on it, wetted it with her tears.
"See!" he exclaimed. "All wet! as if I had just taken it out of thefountain."
But he said no more, for the bedroom door was suddenly thrown open andEudoxia's high, thin voice was heard saying:
"But why make any fuss? Mary will be enchanted! Here, Child, here isyour long-lost friend! Such a surprise!" And the water-wagtail, pushedforward by no gentle hand, appeared within the doorway. Eudoxia was asradiant as though she had achieved some heroic deed; but she drew backa little when she found that Orion was still in the room. The dividedcouple stood face to face. What was done could not be undone; but,though he greeted her with only a calm bow, and she fluttered her fanwith abrupt little jerks to conceal her embarrassment, nothing tookplace which could surprise the bystander; indeed, Katharina's prettyfeatures assumed a defiant expression when he enquired how the littlewhite dog was, and she coldly replied that she had had him chained up inthe poultry-yard, for that the patriarch, who was their guest, could notendure dogs.
"He honors a good many men with the same sentiments," replied Orion, butKatharina retorted, readily enough.
"When they deserve it."
The dialogue went on in this key for some few minutes; but the young manwas not in the humor either to take the young girl's pert stings orto repay her in the same coin; he rose to go but, before he could takeleave, Katharina, observing from the window how low the sun was, cried:"Mercy on me! how late it is--I must be off; I must not be absent atsupper time. My boat is lying close to yours in the fishing-cove. I onlyhope the gate of the treasurer's house is still open."
Orion, too, looked at the sun
and then remarked: "To-day is Sanutius."
"I know," said Katharina. "That is why Anubis was free at noon."
"And for the same reason," added Orion, "there is not a soul at work nowin the office."
This was awkward. Not for worlds would she have been seen in the house;and knowing, as she did from her games with Mary, every nook and cornerof it, she began to consider her position. Her delicate features assumeda sinister expression quite new to Orion, which both displeased him androused his anxiety--not for himself but for Mary, who could certainlyget no good from such a companion as this. These visits must not berepeated very often; he would not allude to the subject in the child'spresence, but Katharina should at once have a hint. She could notget out of the place without his assistance; so he intruded on hermeditations to inform her that he had the key of the office about him.Then he went to see if the hall were empty, and led her at once to thetreasurer's office through the various passages which connected it withthe main buildings. The office at this hour was as lonely as the grave,and when Orion found himself standing with her, close to the door whichopened on the road to the harbor, and had already raised the key tounlock it, he paused and for the first time broke the silence they hadboth preserved during their unpleasant walk, saying:
"What brought you to see Mary, Katharina? Tell me honestly." Her heart,which had been beating high since she had found herself alone with himin the silent and deserted house, began to throb wildly; a great terror,she knew not of what, came over her.
"She had come to the house for several reasons, but one had outweighedall the rest: Mary must be told that her young uncle and Paula werebetrothed; for she knew by experience that the child could keep nothingof importance from her grandmother, and that Neforis had no love forPaula was an open secret. As yet she certainly could know nothing ofher son's formal suit, but if once she were informed of it she woulddo everything in her power--of this Katharina had not a doubt--to keepOrion and Paula apart. So the girl had told Mary that it was alreadyreported that they were a betrothed and happy pair, and that she herselfhad watched them making love in her neighbor's garden. To her greatannoyance, however, Mary took this all very coolly and without anyspecial excitement.
"So, when Orion enquired of his companion what had brought her to thegovernor's house, she could only reply that she longed so desperately tosee little Mary.
"Of course," said Orion. "But I must beg of you not to yield again toyour affectionate impulse. Your mother makes a public display of hergrudge against mine, and her ill-feeling will only be increased if sheis told that we are encouraging you to disregard her wishes. Perhaps youmay, ere long, have opportunities of seeing Mary more frequently; but,if that should be the case, I must especially request you not to talkof things that may agitate her. You have seen for yourself how excitableshe is and how fragile she looks. Her little heart, her too precociousbrain and feelings must have rest, must not be stirred and goaded byfresh incitements such as you are in a position to apply. The patriarchis my enemy, the enemy of our house, and you--I do not say it to offendyou--you overheard what he was saying last night, and probably gatheredmuch important information, some of which may concern me and my family."
Katharina stood looking at her companion, as pale as death. He knew thatshe had played the listener, and when, and where! The shock it gave her,and the almost unendurable pang of feeling herself lowered in his eyes,quite dazed her. She felt bewildered, offended, menaced; however, sheretained enough presence of mind to reply in a moment to her antagonist:
"Do not be alarmed! I will come no more. I should not have come at all,if I could have foreseen..."
"That you would meet me?"
"Perhaps.--But do not flatter yourself too much on that account!--Asto my listening.... Well, yes; I was standing at the window. Inside theroom I could only half hear, and who does not want to hear what greatmen have to say to each other? And, excepting your father, I have metnone such in Memphis since Memnon left the city. We women have inheritedsome curiosity from our mother Eve; but we rarely indulge it so faras to hunt for a necklace in our neighbor's trunk! I have no luck as acriminal, my dear Orion. Twice have I deserved the name. Thanks to thegenerous and liberal use you made of my inexperience I sinned--sinnedso deeply that it has ruined my whole life; and now, again, in a morevenial way; but I was caught out, you see, in both cases."
"Your taunts are merited," said Orion sadly. "And yet, Child, we mayboth thank Providence, which did not leave us to wander long on thewrong road. Once already I have besought your forgiveness, and I do sonow again. That does not satisfy you I see--and I can hardly blame you.Perhaps you will be better pleased, when I assure you once more that nosin was ever more bitterly or cruelly punished than mine has been."
"Indeed!" said Katharina with a drawl; then, with a flutter of her fan,she went on airily: "And yet you look anything rather than crushed;and have even succeeded in winning 'the other'--Paula, if I am notmistaken."
"That will do!" said Orion decisively, and he raised the key tothe lock. Katharina, however, placed herself in his way, raised athreatening finger, and exclaimed:
"So I should think!--Now I am certain. However, you are right with yourinsolent 'That will do!' I do not care a rush for your love affairs;still, there is one thing I should like to know, which concerns myselfalone; how could you see over our garden hedge? Anubis is scarcely ahead shorter than you are...."
"And you made him try?" interrupted Orion, who could not forbearsmiling, perceiving that his honestly meant gravity was thrown away onKatharina. "Notwithstanding such a praiseworthy experiment, I may begyou to note for future cases that what is true of him is not true ofevery one, and that, besides foot-passengers, a tall man sometimesmounts a tall horse?"
"It was you, then, who rode by last night?"
"And who could not resist glancing up at your window."
At these words she drew back in surprise, and her eyes lighted up, butonly for an instant; then, clenching the feathers of her fan in bothhands, she sharply asked:
"Is that in mockery?"
"Certainly not," said Orion coolly; "for though you have reason enoughto be angry with me...."
"I, at any rate, have, so far given you none," she petulantly brokein. "No, I have not. It is I, and I alone, who have been insulted andill-used; you must confess that you owe me some amends, and that I havea right to ask them."
"Do so," replied he. "I am yours to command." She looked him straight inthe face.
"First of all," she began, "have you told any one else that I was..."
"That you were listening? No--not a living soul."
"And will you promise never to betray me?"
"Willingly. Now, what is the 'secondly' to this 'first of all?'"
But there was no immediate answer; the water-wagtail evidently found itdifficult. However, she presently said, with downcast eyes:
"I want.... You will think me a greater fool than I am... nevertheless,yes, I will ask you, though it will involve me in fresh humiliation.--Iwant to know the truth; and if there is anything you hold sacred, beforeI ask, you must swear by what is holiest to answer me, not as if I werea silly girl, but as if I were the Supreme judge at the last day.--Doyou hear?"
"This is very solemn," said Orion. "And you must allow me to observethat there are some questions which do not concern us alone, and ifyours is such...."
"No, no," replied Katharina, "what I mean concerns you and me alone."
"Then I see no reason for refusing," he said. "Still, I may ask you afavor in return. It seems to me no less important than it did to you, toknow what a great man like the patriarch finds to talk about, and sinceI place myself at your commands...."
"I thought," said the girl with a smile, "that your first object wouldbe to discharge some small portion of your debt to me; however, I expectno excessive magnanimity, and the little I heard is soon told. It cannotmatter much to you either--so I will agree to your wishes, and you, inreturn, must promise...."
"To
speak the whole truth."
"As truly as you hope for forgiveness of your sins?"
"As truly as that."
"That is well."
"And what is it that you want to know?"
At this she shook her head, exclaiming uneasily:
"Nay, nay, not yet. It cannot be done so lightly. First let me speak;and then open the door, and if I want to fly let me go without sayingor asking me another word.--Give me that chair; I must sit down." Andin fact she seemed to need it; for some minutes she had looked verypale and exhausted, and her hands trembled as she drew her handkerchiefacross her face.
When she was seated she began her story; and while her words flowed onquickly but without expression, as though she spoke mechanically, Orionlistened with eager interest, for what she had to tell struck him ashighly significant and important.
He had been watched by the patriarch's orders. By midnight Benjaminhad already been informed of Orion's visit to Fostat, and to the Arabgeneral. Nothing, however, had been said about it beyond a fear lest hehad gone thither with a view to abjuring the faith of his fathers andgoing over to the Infidels. Far more important were the factsOrion gathered as to the prelate's negotiations with the Khaliff'srepresentative. Amru had urged a reduction of the number of convents andof the monks and nuns who lived on the bequests and gifts of the pious,busied in all kinds of handiwork according to the rule of Pachomius, andenabled, by the fact of their living at free quarters, to produce almostall the necessaries of life, from the mats on the floors to the shoesworn by the citizens, at a much lower price than the independentartisans, whether in town or country. The great majority of these poorcreatures were already ruined by such competition, and Amru, seeing theArab leather-workers, weavers, ropemakers, and the rest, threatened withthe same fate, had determined to set himself firmly to restrict all thismonastic work. The patriarch had resisted stoutly and held out long,but at last he had been forced to sacrifice almost half the convents formonks and nuns.
But nothing had been conceded without an equivalent; for Benjamin waswell aware of the immense difficulties which he, as chief of the Church,could put in the way of the new government of the country. So it wasleft to him to designate which convents should be suppressed, and hehad, of course, begun by laying hands on the few remaining Melchiteretreats, among them the Convent of St. Cecilia, next to the house ofRufinus. This establishment was now to be closed within three days andto become the property of the Jacobite Church; but it was to be donequite quietly, for there was no small fear that now, when the delayedrising of the river was causing a fever of anxiety in all minds, theimpoverished populace of the town might rise in defence of the wealthysisterhood to whom they were beholden for much benevolence and kindcare.
Opposition from the town-senate was also to be looked for, since thedeceased Mukaukas had pronounced this measure unjust and detrimentalto the common welfare. The evicted orthodox nuns were to be taken intovarious Jacobite convents as lay sisters similar cases had alreadybeen known; but the abbess, whose superior intellect, high rank, andfar-reaching influence might, if she were left free to act, easily rousethe prelates of the East to oppose Benjamin, was to be conveyed to aremote convent in Ethiopia, whence no flight or return was possible.
Katharina's report took but few minutes, and she gave it with apparentindifference; what could the suppression of an orthodox cloister, andthe dispersion of its heretic sisterhood, matter to her, or to Orion,whose brothers had fallen victims to Melchite fanaticism? Orion did notbetray his deep interest in all he heard, and when at length Katharinarose and pointed feebly to the door, all she said, as though she werevexed at having wasted so much time, was: "That, on the whole, is all."
"All?" asked Orion unlocking the door.
"Certainly, all," she repeated uneasily. "What I meant to ask--whetherI ever know it or not--it does not matter.--It would be betterperhaps-yes, that is all.--Let me go."
But he did not obey her.
"Ask," he said kindly. "I will answer you gladly."
"Gladly?" she retorted, with an incredulous shrug. "In point of factyou ought to feel uncomfortable whenever you see me; but things do notalways turn out as they ought, in Memphis or in the world; for what doyou men care what becomes of a poor girl like me? Do not imagine thatI mean to reproach you; God forbid! I do not even owe you a grudge. Ifanyone can live such a thing down I can. Do not you think so? Everythingis admirably arranged for me; I cannot fail to do well. I am very rich,and not ugly, and I shall have a hundred suitors yet. Oh, I am a mostenviable creature! I have had one lover already, and the next will bemore faithful, at any rate, and not throw me over so ruthlessly as thefirst.--Do not you think so?"
"I hope so," said Oriole gravely. "Bitter as the cup is that you offerme to drink..."
"Well?"
"I can only repeat that I must even drink it, since the fault was mine.Nothing would so truly gladden me as to be able to atone in some degreefor my sin against you."
"Oh dear no!" she scornfully threw in. "Our hopes shall not be fixed sohigh as that! All is at an end between us, and if you ever were anythingto me, you are nothing to me now--absolutely nothing. One hour in thepast we had in common; it was short indeed, but to me--would you believeit?--a very great matter. It aged the young creature, whom you, butyesterday, still regarded as a mere child--that much I know--withamazing rapidity; aye, and made a worse woman of her than you canfancy."
"That indeed would grieve me to the bottom of my soul," replied Orion."There is, I know, no excuse for my conduct. Still, as you yourselfknow, our mothers' wish in the first instance..."
"Destined us for each other, you would say. Quite true!--And it wasall to please Dame Neforis that you put your arms round me, under theacacias, and called me your own, your all, your darling, your rose-bud?Was that--and this is exactly what I want to ask you, what I insiston knowing--was that all a lie--or did you, at any rate, in that briefmoment, under the trees, love me with all your heart--love me as now youlove--I cannot name her--that other?--The truth, Orion, the whole truth,on your oath!"
She had raised her voice and her eyes glowed with the excitement ofpassion; and now, when she ceased speaking, their sparkling, glisteningenquiry plainly and unreservedly confessed that her heart still was his,that she counted on his high-mindedness and expected him to say "yes."Her round arm lay closely pressed to her bosom, as though to keep itswild heaving within bounds. Her delicate face had lost its pallor andseemed bathed in a glow, now tender and now crimson. Her little mouth,which but now had uttered such bitter words, was parted in a smile asif ready to bestow a sweet reward for the consoling, saving answer,for which her whole being yearned, and her eager eyes, shining throughtears, did not cease to entreat him so pathetically, so passionately!How bewitching an image of helpless, love-sick, beseeching youth andgrace.
"As you love that other,--on your oath."--The words still rang in theyoung man's ear. All that was soft in his soul urged him to make goodthe evil he had brought upon this fair, hapless young creature; butthose very words gave him strength to remain steadfast; and thoughhe felt himself appealed to for comfort and compassion, he could onlystretch out imploring hands, as though praying for help, and say:
"Ah Katharina, and you are as lovely, as charming now, as you were then;but--much as you attracted me, the great love that fills a life can comebut once.... Forget what happened afterwards.... Put your question inanother form, alter it a little, and ask me again--or let me assureyou."
But he had no time to say more; for, before he could atop her, she hadslipped past him and flown away like some swift wild thing into the roadand down to the fishing cove.