ROSEMARY FOR REMEMBRANCE
One more picture--the last--in the gorgeous panorama which had so
uninterruptedly passed before our eyes ever since we had as it were
taken possession of this beautiful land--the picture of Kamt in
mourning, bidding farewell to him who was beloved of the gods.
Hugh had made hard conditions with the high priest of Ra. He had
demanded beasts, provisions for the journey across the desert, and
Ur-tasen’s own person as hostage for his good faith. The high priest,
humbly, without question, had agreed to all, and now two days later at
even, while we, wrapped in our dark mantles ready for our great
homeward journey across the desert, stood behind that heavy black
curtain on the very spot at the rear of the sanctuary of Ra from
whence we had first caught a glimpse of the glories of Kamt, Ur-tasen
prepared himself to obey Hugh’s final commands.
The oxen had been chosen, we had inspected the carts and provisions,
all of which stood ready in the vast corridors which led to the great
copper gate, and now, from where we stood, we watched the high priest
as he went up to the mighty gong and, taking the clapper, beat the
metal, so that its volume of sound went echoing far beyond the gateway
of the temple. Thrice he struck the gong, then there was silence in
the sacred edifice: but only for a while, for, very soon, from the
city which was preparing for its evening rest, after the toil of day,
sounds of fast approaching footsteps, of hurried whispers, penetrated
to our ears. The people of Men-ne-fer heard the summons which bade
them come to the temple of Ra, and obedient, half-frightened, lest
they were being called to hear some tidings of evil, they hurriedly
left their homes and flocked to the sanctuary of the god.
Ur-tasen had withdrawn to the foot of the statue of Ra; there he
waited until the vast edifice was full of people; the lights glimmered
low, only bringing out here and there into brilliant relief some blue
or green iridescent enamel upon a pillar. Men, women and children were
lying prostrate upon the floor waiting for the high priest to speak.
The gossamer veil had been drawn aside so that all might look upon the
majesty of the god, and at the foot of the sanctuary steps the blind
priestesses intoned their monotonous, lugubrious chant.
Then, when from end to end the gigantic building was filled with
prostrate figures, Ur-tasen began to speak:
“Oh, people of Kamt, behold the majesty of the gods!
“They who have filled your hearts with joy have now shed sorrow upon
the land!
“Thou art mighty, oh, Ra, and mighty is thy son!
“Thou art great, Osiris, and great is thy beloved!
“Oh, people of Kamt, look upwards to the vault of heaven, and there,
amidst the innumerable lamps, which the hand of Phtah doth kindle in
the skies, seek for the face of him who was the emissary of the gods!
“People of Kamt, look upwards to the skies! and at night, when Isis
doth shine, pure and bounty-giving from above, then remember him who
is beloved of the gods!
“Oh, people of Kamt, look within your hearts, for there alone shall in
future dwell the image of him who is the son of Ra!”
Awestruck, not understanding, one by one the dark heads were raised
aloft, and thousands of anxious eyes peered upwards in the gloom.
“Oh, people of Kamt, do not mourn! He who is beloved of the gods hath
dwelt amidst you all! He gave you joy and happiness, he spoke to you
of mercy and of love! but the gods up above have need of him, they
called to him, and he hath gone!”
There was a long and universal shriek: the sorrow and disappointment
it expressed was quite unmistakable. I felt strangely impressed and
sad, as if I were assisting at my own funeral. Hugh’s face, too, was
white and set. It is hard to leave those who love one dearly, hard to
go in the very summit of one’s popularity.
The high priest had waited for a while, until the demonstration of
sorrow had somewhat subsided, then he added:
“Oh, people of Kamt! the beloved of the gods has gone!
“Remember, his spirit still hovers round you!
“Remember the joy he gave you and obey his behests.
“Before he left he spoke his wishes to me, the humble servant of Ra,
our god, his sire, and bade me transmit these wishes unto you, his
people. He, as your ruler and your king, has appointed as his
successor upon the throne, Neit-akrit, the well-beloved of the house
of Usem-ra, and he hath ordained that since Maat-kha, now twice a
widow, hath decided to vow herself to the service of Ra, that you do
obey Neit-akrit as you would himself. She will rule over you, she, the
holy Pharaoh, entrusted by him with the fullest powers, and on her
head alone shall rest the double crown of Kamt, which I, the high
priest of the Most High, All-creating Ra, will place upon her brow.”
Ur-tasen had done his duty. Hugh could rest satisfied. Neit-akrit
would be Queen indeed, and after the proclamation issued at the very
foot of their most cherished god, the people of Kamt would truly
reverence and honour her.
After this Ur-tasen read a short proclamation embodying the other
promises he had made to Hugh: the abolition of the “casting-out” form
of punishment, the complete cessation of all description of
mutilation. The blind priestesses began to sing again, and from the
four corners of the temple clouds of incense rose: the priests of Ra
had crowded round the steps of the sanctuary; they were offering up a
final sacrifice in honour of him who had gone.
Then suddenly, from amidst a distant group, one solitary figure
detached itself. I did not recognise it at first, but Hugh gave a
start, and then I knew who it was.
She came slowly forward, while on each side of her the people knelt,
in order to kiss the ground on which she walked. I don’t think that I
had ever seen her look more beautiful; she was draped from below the
bust, down to her ankles, in a long kalasiris of dull black, against
which her ruddy tresses fell in strands of living gold, each side of
her, right down to her knees. She had neither jewel nor ornament of
any kind; her tiny feet were bare, as were her arms and shoulders.
Beside her Sen-tur walked slowly and majestically, as if conscious of
the solemnity of the sacred building. She stared straight before her,
at the figure of the god; the blind priestesses were softly chanting a
hymn, and she--Neit-akrit--almost as in a dream, began to mount the
sanctuary steps.
Instinctively my hand grasped that of Hugh: it was cold as a piece of
marble. He did not move, but watched her with a yearning look which
brought the tears into my eyes.
I think that Ur-tasen had not expected to see her, and I saw him
glance furtively in our direction. The group of priests parted when
she came near, to allow her to pass; none dared to stop her, though
the sanctuary of Ra is sacred, and no profane foot should ever stand
upon its steps. But she seemed almost ethereal, as if she had left her
body away somewhere, and it was only the exquisite spirit of love,
beauty and womanhood which stepped towards the god.
At last she reached the foot of the great marble throne--she and
Sen-tur, for the panther had not left her side--her tall figure looked
strangely small and childlike standing alone in the vast sanctuary, at
the foot of the mammoth statue. She was very pale, and her large blue
eyes looked upwards searchingly in the gloom above. Then she raised
her hand, and I saw that in it she held a sprig of white rosemary; she
raised it to her lips and placed it at the foot of the god.
“Rosemary for remembrance,” she whispered softly, so softly that I
felt sure none behind her could hear, and as slowly, as automatically
as she had come, she turned and went, the group of priests parting
respectfully in order to let her pass.
And the vision of the quaint, straight figure, draped in black so like
an Egyptian idol, standing as in a dream at the foot of the marble
statue of the god, was the last which Hugh had of the beautiful girl
whom he loved so passionately, and the word “remembrance” was the last
which would for ever linger in his ear.
After that we allowed the heavy curtain to drop; we neither of us
wished to look again. Let that vision be the last which we should
carry away in our hearts of the beauties of ancient Kamt. Poor old
Hugh, I think he suffered terribly. But he was a man of iron
determination; he had decided that it was right, for her sake and his
own, that he should go, and at this moment even I do not think that
any temptation assailed him to change his resolution. About an hour
later Ur-tasen joined us; he preceded us up the great staircase of
black granite, which was so peopled with memories of our first
arrival. The sleek and poisonous guardians of the gates of Kamt were
lying caged under the baskets of rush, to enable those who had charge
of the preparations for our journey to pass to and fro.
How strange it was to see that great copper slab lowered from within,
and to look out from the gloom of the temple precincts onto the
illimitable desert beyond. Far ahead the Rock of Anubis towered
against the sky, and all along we could see the long road, made white
by innumerable bones of the dead criminals of Kamt.
One by one, on the ponderous grapnel, oxen and carts and provisions
were lowered into the desert. Three priests of Ra were already below,
and were busy loading the waggons and harnessing the oxen. Then, when
all was ready, they were hauled up, and Ur-tasen, without a word,
allowed the belt to be slipped round his waist. The three priests
stood above, placid and silent, doing their work, obeying Hugh’s
directions without a comment. They were to remain here, ready to
reopen the gates for the returning high priest.
I followed Ur-tasen, and finally Hugh also descended. Everything was
in order. I took charge of one team of oxen, Hugh of the other. And we
started on our way.
Above us, without a sound, silently, drawn by unseen hands, the gates
of Kamt were shut against us for ever.