An Egyptian Princess | Page 9

which he stood to the Spartan
women (more especially to the fair Megalostrata), he gained the name
of the woman's poet.]
"Do you think then," replied Phanes, "that I have no longing for my
beloved Athens, for the scenes of our youthful games, for the busy life
of the market? Truly, the bread of exile is not less distasteful to my
palate than to yours, but, in the society afforded by this house, it loses
some of its bitterness, and when the dear melodies of Hellas, so
perfectly sung, fall on my ear, my native land rises before me as in a
vision, I see its pine and olive groves, its cold, emerald green rivers, its
blue sea, the shimmer of its towns, its snowy mountain-tops and marble
temples, and a half-sweet, half-bitter tear steals down my cheek as the
music ceases, and I awake to remember that I am in Egypt, in this
monotonous, hot, eccentric country, which, the gods be praised, I am
soon about to quit. But, Aristomachus, would you then avoid the few
Oases in the desert, because you must afterwards return to its sands and
drought? Would you fly from one happy hour, because days of sadness

await you later? But stop, here we are! Show a cheerful countenance,
my friend, for it becomes us not to enter the temple of the Charites with
sad hearts."--[The goddesses of grace and beauty, better known by their
Roman name of "Graces."]
As Phanes uttered these words, they landed at the garden wall, washed
by the Nile. The Athenian bounded lightly from the boat, the Spartan
following with a heavier, firmer tread. Aristomachus had a wooden leg,
but his step was so firm, even when compared with that of the light-
footed Phanes, that it might have been thought to be his own limb.
The garden of Rhodopis was as full of sound, and scent and blossom as
a night in fairy-land. It was one labyrinth of acanthus shrubs, yellow
mimosa, the snowy gelder-rose, jasmine and lilac, red roses and
laburnums, overshadowed by tall palm-trees, acacias and balsam trees.
Large bats hovered softly on their delicate wings over the whole, and
sounds of mirth and song echoed from the river.
This garden had been laid out by an Egyptian, and the builders of the
Pyramids had already been celebrated for ages for their skill in
horticulture. They well understood how to mark out neat flower-beds,
plant groups of trees and shrubs in regular order, water the whole by
aqueducts and fountains, arrange arbors and summerhouses, and even
inclose the walks with artistically clipped hedges, and breed goldfish in
stone basins.
At the garden gate Phanes stopped, looked around him carefully and
listened; then shaking his head, "I do not understand what this can
mean," he said. "I hear no voices, there is not a single light to be seen,
the boats are all gone, and yet the flag is still flying at its gay flag-staff,
there, by the obelisks on each side of the gate."
[Obelisks bearing the name of the owner were sometimes to be seen
near the gates of the Egyptian country-houses. Flags too were not
uncommon, but these were almost exclusively to be found at the gates
of the temples, where to this day the iron sockets for the flagstaff can
still be seen. Neither were flags unknown to the Greeks. It appears from
some inscriptions on the staffs of the Pylons, that if the former were not

actually erected for lightning-rods, it had been noticed that they
attracted the electricity.]
"Rhodopis must surely be from home; can they have forgotten?"--Here
a deep voice suddenly interrupted him with the exclamation, "Ha! the
commander of the body-guard!"
"A pleasant evening to you, Knakais," exclaimed Phanes, kindly
greeting the old man, who now came up. "But how is it that this garden
is as still as an Egyptian tomb, and yet the flag of welcome is fluttering
at the gate? How long has that white ensign waved for guests in vain?"
"How long indeed?" echoed the old slave of Rhodopis with a smile.
"So long as the Fates graciously spare the life of my mistress, the old
flag is sure to waft as many guests hither as the house is able to contain.
Rhodopis is not at home now, but she must return shortly. The evening
being so fine, she determined on taking a pleasure-trip on the Nile with
her guests. They started at sunset, two hours ago, and the evening meal
is already prepared; they cannot remain away much longer. I pray you,
Phanes, to have patience and follow me into the house. Rhodopis
would not easily forgive me, if I allowed such valued guests to depart.
You stranger," he added, turning to the Spartan, "I entreat most