elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第3部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃Who　are　they？〃　I　asked　Sennia。
　〃They　are　Americans。　Can　I　have　an　ice？〃
　〃May　I　have　an　ice。　Yes；　you　may。〃
　〃Is　the　lady　his　wife？〃　Nefret　asked。　〃Goodness；　look　at　that　frock；　and　the　diamonds；　and　the　rubies。〃
　〃Vulgarly　large；〃　I　said　with　a　sniff。
　〃I　think　they　are　very　beautiful；〃　said　Miss　Sennia。　〃She　let　me　look　at　them　one　day　…　it　was　in　the　saloon　…　but　only　because　Mr。　Albion　told　her　to。　She　is　not　as　nice　as　he　is；　and　their　son　is　not　nice　at　all。〃　She　took　firm　hold　of　the　bowl　and　dug　her　spoon　into　the　pink　mound。　〃Mr。　Albion　wanted　to　meet　you；　but　I　told　him　you　did　not　meet　people。〃
　〃Good　girl；〃　said　Emerson　approvingly。
　Between　bites　Sennia　told　us　about　the　gray…haired　gentleman；　who　was　going　out　to　join　a　firm　in　Alexandria；　and　about　several　of　the　other　passengers。　The　storm　began　to　subside；　the　howls　of　the　wind　were　not　so　loud；　the　motion　not　quite　so　violent；　but　I　believe　we　were　all　relieved　when　the　attendants　came　round　with　champagne　and　the　captain　rose　to　propose　a　toast。　It　was　somewhat　long…winded。　I　remember　only　the　end。
　〃To　the　health　of　His　gracious　Majesty　and　to　victory　in　1917！〃
　Somehow　I　was　not　surprised　to　hear　a　familiar　voice　amend　the　statement。　〃To　peace；〃　said　Ramses。　We　drank　to　that。
　
　As　it　turned　out；　we　reached　Alexandria　without　being　torpedoed；　and　were　met　by　Selim　and　Daoud。　Selim　had　replaced　his　father　Abdullah　as　our　reis；　or　foreman；　he　and　his　Uncle　Daoud；　like　Abdullah's　other　relations；　were　as　close　as　family；　and　valued　assistants　in　all　our　endeavors。　They　assisted　us　in　resuscitating　poor　Basima　and　Gargery；　our　butler；　who　had　suffered　horribly　from　seasickness　the　entire　time；　and　Sennia's　cat；　who　had　not　been　seasick　but　whose　normally　bad　temper　was　even　more　strained　by　long　confinement　in　a　room　that　was　in　constant　motion。　It　would　have　been　impossible　to　leave　the　nasty　beast　behind　because　Sennia；　and；　to　a　lesser　degree；　Nefret；　were　the　only　persons　who　could　control　him。　Horus　was　the　only　cat　with　us　that　year。　Seshat；　Ramses's　erstwhile　panion　and　guardian；　had　given　up　a　professional　career　for　domesticity。　Perhaps　she　felt　she　could　now　trust　Nefret　to　look　after　him。
　Basima　brightened　as　soon　as　she　set　foot　on　dry　land；　and　Gargery；　though　still　unsteady；　went　off　with　Daoud　to　see　about　the　luggage。　We　had　a　great　deal　more　than　usual　this　time；　for　we　had　reached　a　momentous　decision。　Ordinarily　we　left　for　Egypt　in　the　autumn　and　ended　our　excavation　season　before　the　summer　heat　set　in；　but　this　time　we　had　e　for　an　indefinite　stay。　Emerson；　who　does　not　fear　man　nor　beast　nor　demon　of　the　night　on　his　own　account；　had　declared　his　nerves　were　unequal　to　having　the　rest　of　us　travel　back　and　forth　as　long　as　the　submarine　menace　remained。
　〃It　will　get　worse　before　it　gets　better；　mark　my　words；〃　he　had　declared。　〃I　don't　mind　people　shooting　at　us　or　shutting　us　up　in　pyramids　or　trying　to　brain　us　with　heavy　objects　…　that　is　to　say；　I　don't　much　like　it；　but　I　have　bee　accustomed　to　it。　Having　a　bloody　ship　sunk　under　us　by　a　bloody　U…boat　is　something　else　again。　Call　me　a　coward　if　you　will　。　。　。〃
　None　of　us　did；　as　Ramses　remarked；　there　was　not　a　man　alive　who　would　have　dared。　I　knew　how　Emerson　felt；　for　I　have　the　same　fear　of　air　raids。　We　had；　all　of　us；　been　in　deadly　peril　on　more　than　one　occasion；　and　felt　quite　fortable　about　our　ability　to　deal　with　ordinary　human　adversaries。　To　be　sure；　there　were　human　beings　at　the　control　of　aeroplanes　and　submarines；　but　since　one　never　saw　them；　one　was　inclined　to　think　of　the　machine　itself　as　the　enemy　…　a　remote　mechanical　menace。
　Nor　for　worlds　would　I　have　questioned　Emerson's　motives　in　proposing　the　scheme；　but　he　had　always　yearned　to　work　year…round　in　Egypt　instead　of　having　to　close　down　the　dig　in　March　or　April；　sometimes　when　the　excavation　was　at　its　most　interesting。　For　the　past　several　seasons　our　archaeological　activities　had　been　even　more　constrained　by　family　matters　and　by　Ramses's　undercover　work　for　the　War　Office。　This　season　Emerson　had　been　awarded　the　firman　for　a　site　in　Luxor。　It　was　of　all　places　in　Egypt　the　one　we　loved　best　…　the　scene　of　several　of　our　greatest　discoveries；　our　home　for　many　happy　years；　and　the　home　as　well　of　our　dear　friends　the　Vandergelts；　who　were　even　then　settling　in　for　a　long　season　of　excavation。
　There　was　only　one　objection　I　could　think　of　to　such　a　splendid　prospect。　I　do　not　refer　to　the　blistering　heat　of　Luxor　in　summer　…　an　objection　that　would　never　have　occurred　to　Emerson；　who　has　the　constitution　of　a　camel　…　but　to　the　fact　that　we　would　leave　behind　for　Heaven　knew　how　long　our　beloved　family。　The　Reader　will　be　cognizant；　after　my　earlier　remarks　on　the　subject；　that　I　was　not　thinking　of　the　members　of　my　side　of　the　family。
　〃Nonsense；〃　said　Emerson；　when　I　mentioned　this。　〃You　are　hopelessly　given　to　melodrama；　Peabody。　We　are　not　bidding　anyone　a　final　farewell；　only　prolonging　the　separation　a　trifle。　Circumstances　may　change；　we　will　not　be　pletely　cut　off。〃
　He　had　readily　agreed　that　we　must　spend　Christmas　with　our　loved　ones　and　we　did　our　best　to　make　a　merry　time　of　it；　for　the　sake　of　the　children　…　Sennia；　and　Lia　and　David's　little　Dolly；　who　was　just　old　enough　to　toddle　about。　All　our　surviving　nieces　and　nephews　were　there：　Raddie　and　his　new　wife；　the　widow　of　a　friend　who　had　died　in　France；　Margaret；　newly　engaged　to　a　young　officer；　even　Willie；　on　leave　from　France；　who　tried；　dear　lad；　to　make　twice　as　many　jokes　to　pensate　for　the　absence　of　his　twin　brother；　Johnny；　who　had　been　killed　in　action　the　year　before。　There　were　tears　as　well　as　laughter；　the　war　was　too　much　with　us；　but　we　carried　it　off；　I　think；　and　there　was　one　moment　of　genuine　hilarity　when　Emerson　asked　David　if　he　had　considered　ing　out　later　in　the　season。
　〃Up　to　you；　of　course；〃　he　added　hastily。　〃But　little　Dolly　is　fit　and　healthy；　and　Lia　…〃
　〃She　is　doing　very　well；〃　said　Nefret。　〃All　things　considered。〃
　She　smiled　at　David；　whose　candid　countenance　betrayed　his　relief　at　her　intervention。　He　had　difficulty　in　refusing　Emerson　anything；　and　he　had　not　known　how　to　break　the　news。
　I；　of　course；　had　known　the　moment　I　set　eyes　on　Lia。
　Emerson's　jaw　dropped。　〃Oh；　good　Gad！〃　he　shouted。　〃Not　again！　Just　like　her　mother！　It　must　be　a　hereditary　…〃
　〃Emerson！〃　I　exclaimed。
　The　reminder　was　sufficient；　for　Emerson　is　really　the　kindest　of　men。　He　managed　to　choke　out　a　few　words　of　congratulatory　import；　but　everyone　had　heard　his　bellow　and　most　of　them　knew　what　had　occasioned　it。　Even　Evelyn；　who　had　not　laughed　a　great　deal　since　Johnny's　death；　had　to　retreat　behind　the　Christmas　tree　to　conceal　her　mirth。　She　was　well　aware　that　Emerson　had　never　entirely　forgiven　her　for　abandoning　a　promising　career　as　a　copier　of　Egyptian　scenes　in　favor　of　motherhood。
　We　would　miss　David　and　Lia；　and　not　only　for　their　affectionate　panionship；　David　was　one　of　the　best　artists　and　epigraphers　in　the　field　and　Lia　had　learned　enough　about　Egyptology　to　have　bee　a　valued　assistant。　Their　absence　would　leave　us　somewhat　shorthanded　that　season。　I　did　not　allow　that　to　worry　me。　We　would　manage　somehow。　As　I　stood　on　the　dock　at　Alexandria；　the　old　joy　of　being　back　in　Egypt　pervaded　every　atom　of　my　being。　We　got　ourselves　and　our　baggage　onto　the　train　for　Cairo　with　only　the　usual　confusion；　which　was　pounded　by　the　presence　of　the　cat。　Horus　had　to　sit　between　Sennia　and　Nefret；　since　he　refused　to　tolerate　anyone　else。
　Other　members　of　our　Egyptian　family　awaited　us　at　the　station　in　Cairo。　We　were　soon　the　center　of　a　shouting；　cheering　mob；　which　included　not　only　our　friends　but　practically　every　Egyptian　who　happened　to　be　there；　all　greeting　us　by　our　Egyptian　names。　Emerson　disliked　formal　titles　and　would　not　allow　our　workers　to　address　him　as　Effendi；　but　he　rather　reveled　in　his　well…deserved　sobriquet　of　the　Father　of　Curses。　Many　Egyptians　still　called　me　Sitt　Hakim；　though　a　lady　doctor　I　was　not；　however；　in　my　early　days　in　Egypt；　when　medical　services　for　the　fellahin　were　practically　nonexistent；　even　my　limited　medical　s