The Bride of the Nile | Page 6

was there building his
new capital. For this the temples of the old gods were used as quarries,
and they supplied not only finely-squared blocks of the most durable
stone, but also myriads of Greek columns of every order, which had
only to be ferried over and set up again on the other shore; for the
Arabs disdained nothing in the way of materials, and made
indiscriminate use of blocks and pillars in their own sanctuaries,
whether they took them from heathen temples or Christian churches.
The walls of the temple of Imhotep had originally been completely
covered with pictures of the gods, and hieroglyphic inscriptions; but the
smoke of reeking hearths had long since blackened them, fanatical
hands had never been wanting to deface them, and in many places they
had been lime-washed and scrawled with Christian symbols or very
unchristian mottoes, in Greek and the spoken dialect of the Egyptians.
The Arab and his men took their meal in what had been the great hall of
the temple--none of them drinking wine excepting the captain of the
caravan, who was no Moslem but belonged to the Parsee sect of the
Masdakites.
When the old merchant, sitting at a table by himself, had satisfied his
hunger, he called this chief and desired him to load the bale containing
the hanging on a litter between the two largest baggage camels, and to

fasten it securely but so that it could easily be removed.
"It is done," replied the Persian, as he wiped his thick moustache--he
was a magnificent man as tall and stalwart as an oak, with light flowing
hair like a lion's mane.
"So much the better," said Haschim. "Then come out with me." And he
led the way to the palmgrove.
The sun had sunk to rest behind the pyramids, the Necropolis, and the
Libyan hills; the eastern sky, and the bare limestone rock of Babylon
on the opposite shore were shining with hues of indescribable diversity
and beauty. It seemed as though every variety of rose reared by the
skilled gardeners of Arsinoe or Naukratis had yielded its hues, from
golden buff to crimson and the deepest wine-tinted violet, to shed their
magic glow on the plains, the peaks and gorges of the hills, with the
swiftness of thought.
The old man's heart beat high as he gazed at the scene; he drew a deep
breath, and laying his slender hand on the Persian's mighty arm he said:
"Your prophet, Masdak, taught that it was God's will that no one should
think himself more or less chosen than another, and that there should be
neither rich nor poor on earth, but that every possession should belong
to all in common. Well, look around you here as I do. The man who has
not seen this has seen nothing. There is no fairer scene here below and
to whom does it belong? To poor simple Salech yonder, whom we
allowed to tramp half naked at our camels' heels out of pity.--It is his as
much as it is yours or mine or the Khaliff's. God has given us all an
equal share in the glory of his works, as your prophet would have it.
How much beauty is the common possession of our race! Let us be
thankful for it, Rustem, for indeed it is no small matter.--But as to
property, such as man may win or lose, that is quite a different matter.
We all start on the same race-course, and what you Masdakites ask is
that lead should be tied to the feet of the swift so that no one should
outstrip another; but that would be. . . . Well, well! Let us feast our eyes
now on the marvellous beauty before us. Look: What just now was the
purple of this flower is now deep ruby red; what before was a violet
gleam now is the richest amethyst. Do you see the golden fringe to

those clouds? It is like a setting.--And all this is ours--is yours and
mine--so long as we have eyes and heart to enjoy and be uplifted by it!"
The Masdakite laughed, a fresh, sonorous laugh, and said: "Yes, Master,
for those who see as you see. The colors are bright no doubt over the
sky and the hills, and we do not often see such a red as that at home in
my country; but of what use is all that magic show? You see rubies and
amethysts--but as for me! The gems in your hanging stand for
something more than that shining show. I mean no harm, Master, but I
would give all the sunsets that ever glowed on earth for your bales and
never repent of the bargain!" He laughed more heartily than before and
added: "But you, worthy