Show ChAPTER X Orion Meets Meet the Patriarch Like tho the physician Philippus Orion enjoyed little rest that night He no longer doubted Paulas Paula's but buthIs buthis buthis his whole whole- heart yearned for tor her and andlor for lor tho assurance that sho she loved him and him alone and this longing kept him At the first approach of ot day he lie Ie sprung up delighted that the night was past and an crossed the Nile for he purpose of ot placing In the hands of the tho banker the tho brother of ol the theold theold theold old merchant the half halt of the time fortune of the daughter of or Thomas In Memphis all was still quiet and today tollay everything that came camo under his observation seemed more than over ever worn out decayed sluggish and dilapidated dilapidated all seemed ready really to fall Into ruins while on the opposite side of the river in tho the youthful and vigorous vigor Igor ous he found everything e wherever wherever ever over he lie turned his e eyes es in a state of ot wakeful stirring and growing activity Involuntarily arll he ho compared the tho old city of ot the tho Pharaohs behind him to a decaying mummy and the new residence residence resi resi- dence deuce of ot the commander Ami to a lust lusty youth Here Bere everything was In motion ever over bus busy ever active The banker like all had risen early so soon as ono one could distinguish distinguish distinguish dis dis- a white from rom a n black thread to offer up his first prayer and Orion found round him employed In counting rolls of or gold and ond silver er and It was wonderful wonder wonder- ful with what rapidity accuracy and cleverness erness tho the Arabian completed the time business transaction for Orion and ond Nilus who had accompanied him Wherever here he looked he lie t aw saw nothing but bright eyes strong bold and enterprising en- en n- n countenances No stooping shoulders no bended beaded necks no slothful brooding no gloomy humble glances such us liB met his eye ce on every overy hand hond In his native town across tho the river Hero In his blood seemed to O course courso more freely through his ln there his ver very existence seemed to oppress op p 1 press and weigh welSh him down Everything Everything Every Even thing attracted him to the tho Arabians The shop of or the tho banker as os all other business stall stalls In tho the suIt auk or market marketplace place of consisted of or a woo wooden en Inc inclosure within wll which h the mer merchant aim anu ala nis dents s walled nor for patrons l' l From rom the open side of this isis Inclosure facing the time street tho they would converse with their patrons who when the tho matter of if business seemed likely to last a long longtime longtime time limo were invited to rest themselves upon tho counter Orion Oon and KIlus Nilus had complied with an Invitation of or this Is natu nature o and while they were seated In full rull view o of all passers passers-by and were enS engaged d in conversation with the banker bank bank- er or the- the negro who time the evening before had so deeply aroused the resentment of or the time governors governor's son again passed by close to tho the bankers banker's booth To his great astonishment he received tho the most friendly greeting from him and mindful of the warning of ot tho time In commander although It required great self control Orion acknowledged ac cc- the salutation of the detestable de tIe- testable man When however r. passed by the tho booth for the second and ind third time ho he felt relt that he was being watched however It was possible that the lie might also have ha business with tho the banker and was walS only awaiting await awalt- In ing hl his tu turn rn Jut But Orion was soon to for forget et this meeting for far lar more moro weighty matters were awaiting him at ot homo home As It often otten happened the time death of ofa a cm single le man although his house LJ by I his made modo departure was isas neither richer nor and poorer although during his Ins last days his lug unobtrusive control had been beon scarcely observed had changed his ho hoUse se completely and almost be beyond beyond be be- yond ond recognition The tho rooms before so 80 full of or life seemed now forsaken and dead dad The halls were no longer full of petitioners and complainants and according to an ancient custom nil fill who came to offer sympathy and con on dolence had been received on the da day following the tho burial Tho The noisy housekeeping of Lad Lady X N Ns- Ns I her commands and tb the tbt clinkIng clink clink- In ing of ot her keys were no longer to be lie heard about V the tho 1 house for she sho held herself herMit ner olf aloof from all antI and when slit she was not at church which she now re regularly visited twice a day she would withdraw to her chamber or tl to the fountain room which had boon bon her husbands husband's 8 favorite rc resting place With the same samo tired and expression x 0 with which she in- in entered entered en- en the house or of G God d fu fuG Sh she would return return re- re turn home homo and anti whoever had hotl seen her lying upon tho the divan dlan which ho her de do- Je- Je ceased husband had formerly occupied with a a. wearied and gloomy gloom stare tn in her C eyes 8 could with difficulty have recognized the tho once so 80 tender and active wire wife wiio She did not seem to ii be mourning or longing for tor hor her husband and as thou though h she Rhe had hd on the day ot of lila his death and or of his burial forever exhausted ex- ex hausted her tears tear she had none loft heft for tor her WOO woe She had however or not been able oble to att attain ln that thai ot of grief which is consecrated by tender memo memo- ties and in which comforting angels I often mix a a. few sweet drops after tho ho first piercing sorrow has boon been overcome over over- come Sho felt and knew however that with her husband a part of ot her own existence had been torn from her herbut but she sho had not yet ot learned that this the part contained nothing less leas than essential conditions o of ot her lazier Inner and outer life ure Her own father rather and tho the father of or her husband had hod been Lleen the first men In Memphis no nay even In all Egypt Proud happy with a heart full of ot love she sho had bestowed her hand upon the son Moans Monas Ho lie In conjunction with her not flirt ho alone had attained to the highest honors that could be bo reached ranched IJ by an Egyptian and she sho had all her powers to maintain him In his much-envied much position and to enable him him to fill till It with dl dignity and honor After man many years of or unusual happiness tho ho sorrow over o the tho assassination o otheir of their sons hind had only bound these two hearts more firmly together and when her husband foil fell a victim to Incurable sickness she Joyfully shared his hla con con- devoted her herself elf wholly to nursing him and shared with him the tho doubts and cares that his political conduct conduct con con- duct duel had called colled Into life lire The consciousness that to him sh she sho she was not only much but everything was he lid her jO Joy jay and her pride The Tho aversion aver avor- slon sion that she felt for Paula was waR due duo first of or all to tho Ill discovery covery that she was no longer indispensable to her suffering husband when he heva was va enjoying the time society of his pretty young niece And now Alas now When sho she awoke ol e In the sleepless night from froma troma a lI light ht restless slumber she would Involuntarily listen for those gentle Irregular Int respirations and still there was no bosom hosom near her rising and fallIng fallIng fall lall- In Ing periodically When she left he her lonely couch In the tho early earh morning th time the approaching day doy seemed to her lien ani onlan only an empty desert desort void of ot vegetation Dy By day tiny anti and b by nl night ht she often otten tried to summon before her Ier lIer mind the pic Ille- turo ture at of the dead man yet yot ot until re re- re as often as her feeble Imagination tion had succeeded In depIcting depleting him sho sue had seen him only In the tho last las few moments of or his life seen him heard him with tho the curse of or his own son upon his lila trembling lips This frightful recollection destroyed he her last and only consolation tho tender tende remembrance of or her only child and a proud and Joyous satisfaction In him Herson who until recently had hod been heen the Idol of ot her soul now seemed t to tobe tobe be branded with a mark of ot shame shamo am and disgrace Tho TIme burden which tho the moa most Just of all tho Just had Imposed upon Orion should not have been lIeen overlooked by her Instead of at drawing rawln him to he her heart with mIth double tenderness and attempting attempting at at- tempting to lessen and ond alleviate that solemn and null awful thing timing that his father fathe had Inflicted upon him she did nothing but lame lament nt When Orion came camo to see seo her she would stroke his curly hair and because sh shedid she sho did not desire to wound his feelings feeling and anti make mako him more unhappy than thon h lie he would otherwise be bo she neither cen cen- him nor admonished him no nor reminded him of or tho the euro curo of err his father And how destitute was this heart that had been beon wont to lavish all the lovo love It upon a few lew nay upon one single Ringle object that now no longer existed The rhe Joyous voices of or children had been a welcome sound In the tho house so long as 05 the they did not disturb her sufferIng suf suf- ferIng husband now they too were si silent silent silent si- si lent and sho she had hod withdrawn her love lov from her own granddaughter who had received some small portion of or the sunshine sunshine sun sun- shine Rhine of ot her narrow love lore slight poor lithe Maria to bear the blame o of ot that tha terrific thing that had happened to Orion and her during the last moments moment of ot her husbands husband's life lito Yes tho the Insane Idea had become fixed In the irritated mind of tho sorrowing woman that tha tho the child was the evil genius of ot the tho house louse and an Implement In time the hands hand handsor of or Satan Since Sinco day before yesterday had lad had a few fow better hours During the time sleeplessness that had begun to torment her like some bodily pain she suddenly remembered what wonderful relief the little white pills of ot opium had lad afforded her deceased husband ant and especially against as and a vial Ial full of ot these pills that had Imad scarcely scarce scarce- l ly y been opened was near at hand Was Vas sho she not suffering unspeakable woes woe Why should she sho hesitate to use uso a remedy reme remedy rem rem- e edy that had alleviated In such a wonderful wonderful won won- manner her husbands husband's pain I Iwas It was said that the time pills would become vel very Injurious If It used too to-o long or too frequently and she had often prevented her lor husband from resorting to them too often otten but would It be possible t tt to mol make mako o her suffering more Intense Ought sho simo not to bestow bostow her grateful thanks upon tho the medicine If Ir It would shorten her miserable existence And so she made uso of the time valuable medicine at first with hesitation then more frequently but on the second da Ila day already with true zest and Joyous jOO expectation ex ex- for It had not only brought brough her ler a peaceful night but had bestowed upon her nor on the Iso following morning a great benefit for her deceased husband husband hus hus- band and had appeared to her for the time first firs time lino since his death not as ono one uttering utter utter- Ins Ins- ng terrible curses but ns os a young oun and happy man No ono one In tho the house knew kno what means of consolation the widow willow had hod found and the tho doctor an and her son had rejoiced yesterday to lind her more composed When rhen Orion returned home after the completion of ot his transaction with the time banker at Fos at ho lie was compelled to face taco his wa way a lars largo crowd that lint had assembled before the gate and ho lie found the court full of or people and tho guard suard and domestics in a great state of excitement No less a personage personage personage per per- than the tho patriarch had hall arrived on a visit at tho the palace of ot the governor and was at present beIng received recel b bi by his mother He Ho was Informed by the chief steward that he ho had In Inqui Inquired inquired In- In qui red after him hum and that Lady No- No desired him to come Immediately t to to her apartments and pa pay his reverence reverence rever rover ence once to the most Holy Father She Sho wishes that 1 asked time the young man and antI throwing his traveling hat hatto hatto hatto to a slave sla remained Irresolutely standI stand- stand I Ing n g Ho lie was too much a child of ot his time and the Church and Its servants hall had exercised too great an Influence upon his education for him not to look upon the visit of ot the great reat prelate a as a high honor But he lie could not forget forgot the time dishonor that had hind been upon his fathers father's memory ho could not forget forget for for- get time the warning of or the thu noble Arabian general to beware of the time enmity of Benjamin and so he said to himself It ml might ht perhaps be bo be better to avoid a conversation with the tho mighty man than to Lo expose himself to tho time danger of ot los lomi- In ing his self command during such a conversation and of giving gl nourIshment nourishment nourish nourIsh- ment meat to his own resentment But no choice was left lect him for forthe time the ecclesiastical prince at this moment emerged from the room fountain-room Into the tho Ills his tall aged figure was erect white snow-white hair covered his proud head and his white beard board fell In gentle wavelets wavelets' deep down upon his hs breast The sharp harp glance of ot his powerful powerful powerful pow pow- erful eyes rested upon the young man In whom although he had last seen seel him as a boy he ho at once recognized time the he master of o the house As Orion bent low before him the time patriarch joy Joyfully tully exclaimed In a deeply sonorous voice olce out of c which ou a serene dignity spoke spoke- Welcome son of or m my to be forgotten friend The Tho child as I see has las grown Into a magnificent man I have lave Just bestowed upun upon the mother a few months and now It me to discuss with the tho son what necessity suggests J ro 10 my fathers father's office exclaimed Orion to the chief steward while he led tho way for the patriarch In the formal beckoning manner of ot the cham chain ot of the Imperial court Continue |