CHAPTER XX.
When the door in the tall prison-wall was closed behind the women,Joanna made her way through streets still sultry under the silence ofthe night, Rustem following with the child.
The giant's good heart was devoted to Mary, and he often passed hishuge hand over his eyes while she told him all that the scene they hadwitnessed meant, and the fearful end that threatened Paula. He brokein now and again, giving utterance to his grief and wrath in strange,natural sounds; for he looked up to his beautiful sick nurse as to asuperior being, and Mandane, too, had often remarked that they couldnever forget all that the noble maiden had done for them.
"If only," Rustem cried at length, clenching his powerful fist, "Ifonly I could--they should see..." and the child looked up with shrewd,imploring eyes, exclaiming eagerly:
"But you could, Rustem, you could!"
"I?" asked Rustem in surprise, and he shook his head doubtfully.
"Yes, you, Rustem; you of all men. We were talking over something inthe prison, and if only you were ready and willing to help us in thematter."
"Willing!" laughed the worthy fellow striking his heart; and he went onin his strangely-broken Greek, which was, however, quite intelligible:"I would give hair and skin for the noble lady. You have only to speakout."
The child clung to the big man with both hands and drew him to hersaying: "We knew you had a grate ful heart. But you see..." and sheinterrupted herself to ask in an altered voice:
"Do you believe in a God? or stay--do you know what a sacred oath is?Can you swear solemnly? Yes, yes..." and drawing herself up as tall aspossible she went on very seriously: "Swear by your bride Mandane--astruly as you believe that she loves you...."
"But, sweet soul...."
"Swear that you will never betray to a living soul what I am goingto say--not even to Mother Joanna and Pulcheria; no, nor even to yourMandane, unless you find you cannot help it and she gives her sacredword...."
"What is it? You quite frighten me! What am I to swear?"
"Not to reveal what I am now going to tell you."
"Yes, yes, little Mistress; I can promise you that." Mary sighed, along-drawn "Ah...!" and told him that a trustworthy messenger must befound to go forth to meet Amru, so as to be in time to save Paula. Thencame the question whether he knew the road over the hills from Babylonto the ancient town of Berenice; and when he replied that he had latelytravelled that way, and that it was the shortest road to the sea forDjidda and Medina, she repeated her satisfied "Ah!" took his hand, andwent on with coaxing but emphatic entreaty while she played with his bigfingers: "And now, best and kindest Rustem, in all Memphis there is butone really trusty messenger; but he, you see, is betrothed, and so hewould rather get married and go home with his bride than help us to savethe life of poor Paula."
"The cur!" growled the Persian.
At this Mary laughed out: "Yes, the cur!" and went on gaily: "But youare abusing yourself, you stupid Rustem. You, you are the messenger Imean, the only faithful and trustworthy one far or near. You, you mustmeet the governor...."
"I!" said the man, and he stood still with amazement; but Marypulled him onward, saying: "But come on, or the others will noticesomething.--Yes, you, you must...."
"But child, child," interrupted Rustem lamentably,
"I must go back to my master; and you see, common right and justice...."
"You do not choose to leave your sweetheart; not even if the kindcreature who watched over you day and night should die for it--die themost cruel and horrible death! You were ready enough to call that other,as you supposed, a cur--that other whom no one nursed till he was wellagain; but as for yourself...."
"Have patience then! Hear me, little Mistress!" Rustem broke in again,and pulled away his hand. "I am quite willing to wait and Mandane mustjust submit. But one man is not good for all tasks. To ride, or guidea train of merchandise, to keep the cameldrivers in order, to pitch acamp---all that I can do; but to parley with grand folks, to gostraight up to such a man as the great chief Amru with prayers andsupplications--all that, you see, sweetheart--even if it were to save myown father, that would be...."
"But who asks you to do all that?" said the child. "You may stand asmute as a fish: it will be your companion's business to do the talking."
"There is to be another one then? But, great Masdak! I hope that will beenough at any rate!"
"Why will you constantly interrupt me?" the little girl put in. "Listenfirst and raise objections after wards. The second messenger--now openyour ears wide--it is I, I myself;--but if you stand still again, youwill really betray me. The long and short of it is, that as surely as Imean to save Paula, I mean to go forth to meet Amru, and if yourefuse to go with me I will set out alone and try whether Gibbus thehunchback...."
Rustem had needed some time to collect his senses after this stupendoussurprise, but now he exclaimed: "You--you--to Berenice, and over themountains...."
"Yes, over the mountains," she repeated, "and if need be, through theclouds."
"But such a thing was never heard of, never heard of on this earth!" thePersian remonstrated. "A girl, a little lady like you--a messenger, andall alone with a clumsy fellow like me. No, no, no!"
"And again no, and a hundred times over no!" cried the child merrily."The little lady will stop at home and you will take a boy with you--aboy called Marius, not Mary."
"A boy! But I thought.--It is enough to puzzle one...."
"A boy who is a girl and a boy in one," laughed Mary. "But if youmust have it in plain words: I shall dress up as a boy to go with you;to-morrow when we set out you will see, you will take me for my ownbrother."
"Your own brother! With a little face like yours! Then the mostimpossible things will become possible," cried Rustem laughing, andhe looked down good humoredly at the little girl. But suddenly thepreposterousness of her scheme rose again before his mind, and heexclaimed half-frantically: "But then my master!--It will not do--Itwill never do!"
"It is for his sake that you will do us this service," said Maryconfidently. "He is Paula's friend and protector; and when he hears whatyou have done for her he will praise you, while if you leave us in thelurch I am quite sure..."
"Well?"
"That he will say: 'I thought Rustem was a shrewder man and had a betterheart.'"
"You really think he will say that?"
"As surely as our house stands before us!--Well, we have no time for anymore discussion, so it is settled: we start together. Let me find you inthe garden early to-morrow morning. You must tell your Mandane that youare called away by important business."
"And Dame Joanna?" asked the Persian, and his voice was grave andanxious as he went on: "The thing I like least, child, is that youshould not ask her, and take her into your confidence."
"But she will hear all about it, only not immediately," replied Mary."And the day after to-morrow, when she knows what I have gone off forand that you are with me, she will praise us and bless us; yes, shewill, as surely as I hope that the Almighty will succor us in ourjourney!"
At these words, which evidently came from the very depths of her heart,the Masdakite's resistance altogether gave way--just in time, for theirwalk was at an end, and they both felt as though the long distance hadbeen covered by quite a few steps. They had passed close to severalgroups of noisy and quarrelsome citizens, and many a funeral train hadborne the plague-stricken dead to the grave by torchlight under theirvery eyes, but they had heeded none of these things.
It was not till they reached the garden-gate that they observed whatwas going on around them. There they found the gardener and all thehousehold, anxiously watching for the return of their belated mistress.Eudoxia too was waiting for them with some alarm. In the house they weremet by Horapollo, but Joanna and Pulcheria returned his greeting witha cold bow, while Mary purposely turned her back on him. The old manshrugged his shoulders with regretful annoyance, and in the solitude ofhis own room he muttered to himself:
"Oh, that woman! She
will be the ruin even of the peaceful days I hopedto enjoy during the short remainder of my life!"
The widow and her daughter for some time sat talking of Mary. Shehad bid them good-night as devotedly and tenderly as though they wereparting for life. Poor child! She had forebodings of the terrible fateto which the bishop, and perhaps her own mother had predestined her.
But Mary did not look as if she were going to meet misfortune; Eudoxia,who slept by her side, was rejoiced on the contrary at seeing her sogay; only she was surprised to see the child, who usually fell asleepas soon as her little head was on the pillow, lying awake so longthis evening. The elderly Greek, who suffered from a variety of littleailments and always went to sleep late, could not help watching thelittle girl's movements.
What was that? Between midnight and dawn Mary sprang from her bed, threwon her clothes, and stole into the next room with the night-lamp in herhand. Presently a brighter light shone through the door-way. She musthave lighted a lamp,-and presently, hearing the door of the sitting-roomopened, Eudoxia rose and noiselessly watched her. Mary immediatelyreturned, carrying a boy's clothes--a suit, in point of fact, whichPulcheria and Eudoxia had lately been making as a Sunday garb--for thelame gardener's boy. The child smilingly tried on the little blue tunic;then, after tossing the clothes into a chest, she sat down at the tableto write. But she seemed to have set herself some hard task; for now shelooked down at the papyrus and rubbed her forehead, and now she gazedthoughtfully into vacancy. She had written a few sentences when shestarted up, called Eudoxia by name, and went towards the sleeping-room.
Eudoxia went forward to meet her; Mary threw herself into her arms, andbefore her governess could ask any questions she told her that she hadbeen chosen to accomplish a great and important action. She had beenintending to wake her, to make her her confidant and to ask her advice.
How sweet and genuine it all sounded, and how charmingly confused sheseemed in spite of the ardent zeal that inspired her!
Eudoxia's heart went forth to her; the words of reproof died on herlips, and for the first time she felt as though the orphaned child wereher own; as though their joy and grief were one; as though she, who allher life long had thought only of herself and her own advantage, and whohad regarded her care of Mary as a mere return in kind for a salary andhome, were ready and willing to sacrifice herself and her last coin forthis child. So, when the little girl now threw her arms round Eudoxia'sneck, imploring her not to betray her, but, on the contrary, to help herin the good work which aimed at nothing less than the rescue of Paulaand Orion-the imperilled victims of Fate, her dry eyes sparkled throughtears; she kissed Mary's burning cheeks once more and called her her owndear, dear little daughter. This gave the child courage; with tragicaldignity, which brought a smile to the governess' lips, she tookEudoxia's bible from the desk, and said, fixing her beseeching gaze onthe Greek's face:
"Swear!--nay, you must be quite grave, for nothing can be moresolemn--swear not to tell a soul, not even Mother Joanna, what I want toconfess to you."
Eudoxia promised, but she would take no oath. "Yea, yea, and nay, nay,"was the oath of the Christian by the law of the Lord; but Mary clung toher, stroked her thin cheeks, and at last declared she could not say aword unless Eudoxia yielded. In such an hour the Greek could not resistthis tender coaxing; she allowed Mary to take possession of her hand andlay it on the Bible; and when once this was done Eudoxia gave way, andwith much head shaking repeated the oath that her pupil dictated, thoughmuch against her will.
After this the governess threw herself on the divan, as if exhausted andshocked at her own weakness; and the little girl took advantage of hervictory, seating herself at her feet, and telling her all she knew aboutPaula and the perils that threatened her and Orion; and she was artfulenough to give special prominence to Orion's danger, having long sinceobserved how high he stood in Eudoxia's good graces. So far Eudoxia hadnot ceased stroking her hair, while she assented to everything that wassaid; but when she heard that Mary proposed to undertake the embassyto Amru herself, she started to her feet in horror, and declared mostpositively that she would never, never consent to such rashness, to suchfatal folly.
Mary now brought to bear her utmost resources of persuasion andflattery. There was no other fit messenger to be found, and the livesof Orion and Paula were at stake. Was a ride across the mountains sucha tremendous matter after all? How well she knew how to manage a beast,and how little she suffered from the heat! Had she not ridden more thanonce from Memphis to their estates by the seaboard? And faithful Rustemwould be always with her, and the road over the mountains was the safestin all the country, with frequent stations for the accommodation oftravellers. Then, if they found Amru, she could give a more completereport than any other living soul.
But Eudoxia was not to be shaken; though she admitted that Mary'sproject was not so entirely crazy as it had at first appeared.
At this the little girl began again; after reminding Eudoxia once moreof her oath, she went on to tell her of the doom she herself hoped toescape by setting out on her errand. She told Eudoxia of her meetingwith the bishop, and that even Joanna was uneasy as to her futurefate. Ah! that life within walls under lock and key seemed to her sofrightful--and she pictured her terrors, her love of freedom and of abusy, useful, active life among men and her friends, and her hope thatthe great general, Amru, would defend her against every one if once shecould place herself under his protection--painting it all so vividly, sopassionately, and so pathetically, that the governess was softened.
She clasped her hands over her eyes, which were streaming with tears,and exclaimed: "It is horrible, unheard-of--still, perhaps it is thebest thing to do. Well, go to meet the governor,--ride off, ride off!"
And when the sweet, warm-hearted, joyous creature clang round her neckshe was glad of her own weakness: this fair, fresh, and blooming bud ofhumanity should not pine in confinement and seclusion; she should findand give happiness, to her own joy and that of all good souls, andunfold to a full and perfect flower. And Eudoxia knew the widow well;she knew that Joanna would by-and-bye understand why she helped thechild to escape the greatest peril that can hang over a human soul:that of living in perpetual conflict with itself in the effort tobecome something totally different from what, by natural gifts andinclinations, it is intended to be.
With a sigh of anguish Eudoxia reflected what she herself, forced bycruel fate and lacking freedom and pleasurable ease, had become, from anardent and generous young creature; and she, the narrow-hearted teacher,could make allowances for the strange, adventurous yearning of a child,where a larger souled woman might have derided, and blamed and repressedit.
When it was daylight Eudoxia fulfilled the offices she commonly leftto the maid: she arranged Mary's hair, talking to her and listening thewhile, as though in this night the child had developed into a woman.Then she went into the garden with her, and hardly let her out of hersight.
At breakfast Joanna and Pulcheria wondered at her singular behavior, butit did not displease them, and Marv was radiant with contentment.
The widow made no objection to allowing the child to go into the cityto execute her uncle's mysterious commission. Rustem was with her; andwhatever it was that made the child so happy must certainly be right andunobjectionable. Orion's maps and lists were sent to the prison earlyin the day, and before the child set out with her stalwart escort Gibbushad returned with the prisoner's letter to the Arab governor.
On their way it was agreed that Mary should join Rustem at dusk at theriverside inn of Nesptah. In these clays of famine and death beastsof burthen of every description were easily procurable, as well asattendants and guides; and the Masdakite, who was experienced in suchmatters, thought it best to purchase none but swift dromedaries and tocarry only a light tent for the "little mistress!"
At the door of Gamaliel's shop Mary bid him wait; the jovial goldsmithwelcomed her with genuine pleasure....
What had befallen the house of the Mukaukas! Fire had destroyed th
edwelling-place of justice, like the Egyptian cities to whom the prophethad announced a similar fate a thousand years since.
Gamaliel knew in what peril Orion stood, and the fate that hung overthe noble maiden who had once given him the costliest of gems, andafterwards entrusted to him a portion of her fortune.
To see any member of his patron's family alive and well rejoiced hisheart. He asked Mary one sympathizing question after another, and hiswife wanted to give her some of her good apricot tarts; but the littlegirl begged Gamaliel to grant her at once a private interview, sothe jeweller led her into his little work-shop, bidding her trust himentirely, for whatever a grandchild of Mukaukas George might ask of himit was granted beforehand.
Blushing with confusion she took Orion's ring out of its wrapper,offered it to the Jew, and desired him to give her whatever was right.
She looked enquiringly into his face with her bright eyes, in fullconfidence that the kind-hearted man would at once pay her down goldcoins and to spare; but he did not even take the ring out of her hand.He merely glanced at it, and said gravely:
"Nay, my little maid, we do not do business with children."
"But I want the money, Gamaliel," she urged. "I must have it."
"Must?" he repeated with a smile. "Well, must is a nail that drivesthrough wood, no doubt; but if it hits iron it is apt to bend. Not thatI am so hard as that; but money, money, money! And whose money do youmean, little maid? If you want money of mine to spend in bread, or incakes, which is more likely, I will shut my eyes and put my hand boldlyinto my wallet; but, if I am not mistaken, you are well provided for byRufinus the Greek, in whose house there is no lack of anything; and Ihave a nice round sum in my own keeping which your grandfather placed inmy hands at interest two years since, with a remark that it was a legacyto you from your godmother, and the papers stand in your name; so yournecessity looks very like what other folks would call ease."
"Necessity! I am in no necessity," Mary broke in. "But I want the moneyall the same; and if I have some of my own, and you perhaps have itthere in your box, give me as much of it as I want."
"As much as you want?" laughed the jeweller. "Not so fast, little maid.Before such matters can be settled here in Egypt we must have plentyof time, and papyrus and ink, a grand law court, sixteen witnesses, aKyrios..."
"Well then, buy the ring! You are such a good, kind man Gamaliel. Justto please me. Why, you yourself do not really think that I want to buycakes!"
"No. But in these hard times, when so many are starving, a soft heartmay be moved to other follies."
"No indeed! Do buy the ring; and if you will do me this favor..."
"Old Gamaliel will be both a rogue and a simpleton!--Have you forgottenthe emerald? I bought that, and a pretty piece of business that was! Ican have nothing to say to the ring, my little maid." Mary withdrew herhand, and the grief and disappointment expressed by her large, tearfuleyes were so bitter and touching, that the Jew paused, and then went onseriously and heartily:
"I would sooner give my own old head to be an anvil than distress you,sweet child; and Adonai! I do not mean to say--why should I--that youshould ever leave old Gamaliel without money. He has plenty, and thoughhe is always ready to take, he is ready to give, too, when it ismeet and fitting. I cannot buy the ring, to be sure, but do not bedown-hearted and look me well in the face, little maid. It is much toask, and I have handsomer things in my stores, but if you see anythingin it that gives you confidence, speak out and whisper to the man ofwhom even your grandfather had some good opinion: 'I want so much, andwhat is more--how did you put it?--what is more, I must have it.'"
Mary did see something in the Jew's merry round face that inspired herwith trust, and in her childlike belief in the sanctity of an oath shemade a third person--a believer too, in a third form of religion--swearnot to betray her secret, only marvelling that the administering of theoath, in which she had now had some practice, should be so easy. Evengrown-up people will sometimes buy another's dearest secret for a lightasseveration. And when she had thus ensured the Israelite's silence, sheconfided to him that she was charged by Orion to send out a messenger tomeet Amru, that he and Paula might be reprieved in time. The goldsmithlistened attentively, and even before she had ended he was busyinghimself with an iron chest built into the wall, and interrupted her toask! "How much?"
She named the sum that Nilus had suggested, and hardly had she finishedher story when the Jew, who kept the trick by which he opened the chesta secret even from his wife, exclaimed:
"Now, go and look out of the window, you wonder among envoys andmoney-borrowers, and if you see nothing in the courtyard, then fancy toyourself that a man is standing there who looks like old Gamaliel, andwho puts his hand on your head and gives you a good kiss. And you mayfancy him, too, as saying to himself: 'God in Heaven! if only my littledaughter, my Ruth may be such another as little Mary, grandchild of thejust Mukaukas!'"
And as he spoke, the vivacious but stout man, who had dropped on hisknees, rose panting, left the lid of his strong box open, hurried upto the child, who had been standing at the window all the while, andbending over her from behind pressed a kiss on her curly head, sayingwith a laugh: "There, little pickpocket, that is my interest. But lookout still, till I call you again." He nimbly trotted back on his shortlittle legs, wiping his eyes; took from the strong box a little bag ofgold, which contained rather more than the desired sum, locked thechest again, looking at Mary with a mixture of suspicion and heartyapprobation; then at last he called her to him. He emptied the money-bagbefore her, counted out the sum she needed, put the remainder of thecoins into his girdle, and handed the bag to the little girl requestingher to count his "advance", back into it, while he, with a cunningsmile, quitted the room.
He presently returned and she had finished her task, but she timidlyobserved: "One gold piece is wanting." At this he clasped his hands overhis breast and raised his eyes to Heaven exclaiming: "My God! what achild. There is the solidus, child; and you may take my word for it asa man of experience: whatever you undertake will prosper. You know whatyou are about; and when you are grown up and a suitor comes he will goto a good market. And now sign your name here. You are not of age, tobe sure, and the receipt is worth no more than any other note scribbledwith ink--however, it is according to rule."
Mary took the pen, but she first hastily glanced through what Gamalielhad written; the Jew broke out in fresh enthusiasm:
"A girl--a mere child! And she reads, and considers, and makes all surebefore she will sign! God bless thee, Child!--And here come the tarts,and you can taste them before.... Just Heaven! a mere child, and suchimportant business!"