cleopatra- 第31部分

to　consecrate　the　act。　So；　fearing　lest　the　curse　should　fall　upon

them；　they　went　hence　sorrowing。〃



She　thought　a　little；　till　at　last　her　spirit　overcame　her　fear。



〃At　the　least　I　will　see　with　mine　own　eyes；〃　she　said。



〃It　is　well；〃　I　answered。　Then；　stones　having　been　piled　up　by　me　and

the　eunuch　who　was　with　us　on　a　certain　spot　at　the　base　of　the

pyramid；　to　somewhat　more　than　the　height　of　a　man；　I　climbed　on　them

and　searched　for　the　secret　mark；　no　larger　than　a　leaf。　I　found　it

with　some　trouble；　for　the　weather　and　the　rubbing　of　the　wind…stirred

sand　had　worn　even　the　Ethiopian　stone。　Having　found　it；　I　pressed　on

it　with　all　my　strength　in　a　certain　fashion。　even　after　the　lapse　of

many　years　the　stone　swung　round；　showing　a　little　opening；　through

which　a　man　might　scarcely　creep。　As　it　swung；　a　mighty　bat；　white　in

colour　as　though　with　unreckoned　age；　and　such　as　I　had　never　seen

before　for　bigness；　for　his　measure　was　the　measure　of　a　hawk；　flew

forth　and　for　a　moment　hovered　over　Cleopatra；　then　sailed　slowly　up

and　up　in　circles；　till　at　last　he　was　lost　in　the　bright　light　of　the

moon。



But　Cleopatra　uttered　a　cry　of　terror；　and　the　eunuch；　who　was

watching；　fell　down　in　fear；　believing　it　to　be　the　guardian　Spirit　of

the　pyramid。　And　I；　too；　feared；　though　I　said　nothing。　For　even　now　I

believe　that　it　was　the　Spirit　of　Menkau…ra；　the　Osirian；　who；　taking

the　form　of　a　bat；　flew　forth　from　his　holy　House　in　warning。



I　waited　a　while；　till　the　foul　air　should　clear　from　the　passage。

Then　I　drew　out　the　lamps；　kindled　them；　and　passed　them；　to　the

number　of　three；　into　the　entrance　of　the　passage。　This　done；　I　went

to　the　eunuch；　and；　taking　him　aside；　I　swore　him　by　the　living　spirit

of　Him　who　sleeps　at　Abouthis　that　he　should　not　reveal　those　things

which　he　was　about　to　see。



This　he　swore；　trembling　sorely；　for　he　was　very　much　afraid。　Nor；

indeed；　did　he　reveal　them。



This　done；　I　clambered　through　the　opening；　taking　with　me　a　coil　of

rope；　which　I　wound　around　my　middle；　and　beckoned　to　Cleopatra　to

come。　Making　fast　the　skirt　of　her　robe；　she　came；　and　I　drew　her

through　the　opening；　so　that　at　length　she　stood　behind　me　in　the

passage　which　is　lined　with　slabs　of　granite。　After　her　came　the

eunuch；　and　he　also　stood　in　the　passage。　Then；　having　taken　counsel

of　the　plan　of　the　passage　that　I　had　brought　with　me；　and　which；　in

signs　that　none　but　the　initiated　can　read；　was　copied　from　those

ancient　writings　that　had　come　down　to　me　through　one…and…forty

generations　of　my　predecessors；　the　Priests　of　this　Pyramid　of　/Her/；

and　of　the　worship　of　the　Temple　of　the　Divine　Menkau…ra；　the　Osirian；

I　led　the　way　through　that　darksome　place　towards　the　utter　silence　of

the　tomb。　Guided　by　the　feeble　light　of　our　lamps；　we　passed　down　the

steep　incline；　gasping　in　the　heat　and　the　thick；　stagnated　air。

Presently　we　had　left　the　region　of　the　masonry　and　were　slipping　down

a　gallery　hewn　in　the　living　rock。　For　twenty　paces　or　more　it　ran

steeply。　Then　its　slope　lessened　and　shortly　we　found　ourselves　in　a

chamber　painted　white；　so　low　that　I；　being　tall；　had　scarcely　room　to

stand；　but　in　length　four　paces；　and　in　breadth　three；　and　cased

throughout　with　sculptured　panels。　Here　Cleopatra　sank　upon　the　floor

and　rested　awhile；　overcome　by　the　heat　and　the　utter　darkness。



〃Rise！〃　I　said。　〃We　must　not　linger　here；　or　we　faint。〃



So　she　rose；　and　passing　hand　in　hand　through　that　chamber；　we　found

ourselves　face　to　face　with　a　mighty　door　of　granite；　let　down　from

the　roof　in　grooves。　Once　more　I　took　counsel　of　the　plan；　pressed

with　my　foot　upon　a　certain　stone；　and　waited。　Then；　suddenly　and

softly；　I　know　not　by　what　means；　the　mass　heaved　itself　from　its　bed

of　living　rock。　We　passed　beneath；　and　found　ourselves　face　to　face

with　a　second　door　of　granite。　Again　I　pressed　on　a　certain　spot；　and

this　door　swung　wide　of　itself；　and　we　went　through；　to　find　ourselves

face　to　face　with　a　third　door；　yet　more　mighty　than　the　two　through

which　we　had　won　our　way。　Following　the　secret　plan；　I　struck　this

door　with　my　foot　upon　a　certain　spot；　and　it　sank　slowly　as　though　at

a　word　of　magic　till　its　head　was　level　with　the　floor　of　rock。　We

crossed　and　gained　another　passage　which；　descending　gently　for　a

length　of　fourteen　paces；　led　us　into　a　great　chamber；　paved　with

black　marble；　more　than　nine　cubits　high；　by　nine　cubits　broad；　and

thirty　cubits　long。　In　this　marble　floor　was　sunk　a　great　sarcophagus

of　granite；　and　on　its　lid　were　graved　the　name　and　titles　of　the

Queen　of　Menkau…ra。　In　this　chamber；　too；　the　air　was　purer；　though　I

know　not　by　what　means　it　came　thither。



〃Is　the　treasure　here？〃　gasped　Cleopatra。



〃Nay；〃　I　answered；　〃follow　me；〃　and　I　led　the　way　to　a　gallery；　which

we　entered　through　an　opening　in　the　floor　of　the　great　chamber。　It

had　been　closed　by　a　trap…door　of　stone；　but　the　door　was　open。

Creeping　along　this　shaft；　or　passage；　for　some　ten　paces；　we　came　at

length　to　a　well；　seven　cubits　in　depth。　Making　fast　one　end　of　the

rope　that　I　had　brought　about　my　body　and　the　other　to　a　ring　in　the

rock；　I　was　lowered；　holding　the　lamp　in　my　hand；　till　I　stood　in　the

last　resting…place　of　the　Divine　Menkau…ra。　Then　the　rope　was　drawn

up；　and　Cleopatra；　being　made　fast　to　it；　was　let　down　by　the　eunuch；

and　I　received　her　in　my　arms。　But　I　bade　the　eunuch；　sorely　against

his　will；　since　he　feared　to　be　left　alone；　await　our　return　at　the

mouth　of　the　shaft。　For　it　was　not　lawful　that　he　should　enter　whither

we　went。







CHAPTER　XI



OF　THE　TOMB　OF　THE　DIVINE　MENKAU…RA；　OF　THE　WRITING　ON　THE

BREAST　OF　MENKAU…RA；　OF　THE　DRAWING　FORTH　OF　THE　TREASURE；

OF　THE　DWELLER　IN　THE　TOMB；　AND　OF　THE　FLIGHT　OF　CLEOPATRA

AND　HARMACHIS　FROM　THE　HOLY　PLACE



We　stood　within　a　small　arched　chamber；　paved　and　lined　with　great

blocks　of　the　granite　stone　of　Syene。　There　before　ushewn　from　a

single　mass　of　basalt　shaped　like　a　wooden　house　and　resting　on　a

sphinx　with　a　face　of　goldwas　the　sarcophagus　of　the　Divine

Menkau…ra。



We　stood　and　gazed　in　awe；　for　the　weight　of　the　silence　and　the

solemnity　of　that　holy　place　seemed　to　crush　us。　Above　us；　cubit　over

cubit　in　its　mighty　measure；　the　pyramid　towered　up　to　heaven　and　was

kissed　of　the　night　air。　But　we　were　deep　in　the　bowels　of　the　rock

beneath　its　base。　We　were　alone　with　the　dead；　whose　rest　we　were

about　to　break；　and　no　sound　of　the　murmuring　air；　and　no　sight　of

life　came　to　dull　the　awful　edge　of　solitude。　I　gazed　on　the

sarcophagus；　its　heavy　lid　had　been　lifted　and　rested　at　its　side；　and

around　it　the　dust　of　ages　had　gathered　thick。



〃See；〃　I　whispered；　pointing　to　a　writing；　daubed　with　pigment　upon

the　wall　in　the　sacred　symbols　of　ancient　times。



〃Read　it；　Harmachis；〃　answered　Cleopatra；　in　the　same　low　voice；　〃for

I　cannot。〃



Then　I　read：　〃I；　Rameses　Mi…amen；　in　my　day　and　in　my　hour　of　need；

visited　this　sepulchre。　But；　though　great　my　need　and　bold　my　heart；　I

dared　not　face　the　curse　of　Menkau…ra。　Judge；　O　thou　who　shalt　come

after　me；　and；　if　thy　soul　is　pure　and　Khem　be　utterly　distressed；

take　thou　that　which　I　have　left。〃



〃Where；　then；　is　the　treasure？〃　she　whispered。　〃Is　that　Sphinx…face　of

gold？〃



〃Even　there；〃　I　answered；　pointing　to　the　sarcophagus。　〃Draw　near　and

see。〃



And　she　took　my　hand　and　drew　near。



The　cover　was　off；　but　the　painted　coffin　of　the　Pharaoh　lay　in　the

depths　of　the　sarcophagus。　We　climbed　the　Sphinx；　then　I　blew　the　dust

from　the　coffin　with　my　breath　and　read　that　which　was　written　on　its

lid。　And　this　was　written：



　〃Pharaoh　Menkau…ra；　the　Child　of　Heaven。



　〃Pharaoh　Menkau…ra；　Royal　Son　of　the　Sun。



　〃Pharaoh　Menkau…ra；　who　didst　lie　beneath　the　heart　of　Nout。



　〃Nout；　thy　Mother；　wraps　thee　in　the　spell　of　Her　holy　name。



　〃The　name　of　thy　Mother；　Nout；　is　the　mystery　of　Heaven。



　〃Nout；　thy　Mother；　gathers　thee　to　the　number　of　the　Gods。



　〃Nout；　thy　Mother；　breathes　on　thy　foes　and　utterly　destroys　them。



　〃O　Pharaoh　Menkau…ra；　who　livest　for　ever！〃



〃Where；　then；　is　the　treasure？〃　she　asked　again。　〃Here；　indeed；　is　the

body　of　the　Divine　Menkau…ra；　but　the　flesh　even　of　Pharaohs　is　not

gold；　and　if　the　face　of　this　Sphinx　be　gold　how　may　we　move　it？〃



For　answer　I　bade　her　stand　upon　the　Sphinx　and　grasp　the　upper　part

of　the　coffin　while　I　grasped　its　foot。　Then；　at　my　word；　we　lifted；

and　the　lid　of　the　case；　which　was　not　fixed；　came　away；　and　we　set　it

upon　the　floor。　And　there　in　the　case　was　the　mummy　of　Pharaoh；　as　it

had　been　laid　three　thousand　years　before。　It　was　a　large　mummy；　and

somewhat　ungainly。　Nor　was　it　adorned　with　a　gilded　mask；　as　is　the

fashion　of　our　day；　for　the　head　was　wrapped　in　clothes　yellow　with

age；　which　were　made　fast　with　pink　flaxen　bandages；　under　which　were

pushed　the　stems　of　lotus…blooms。　And　on　the　breast；　wreathed　round

with　lotus…flowers；　lay　a　large　plate　of　gold　closely　written　over

with　sacred　writing。　I　lifted　up　the　plate；　and；　holding　it　to　the

light；　I　read：



　〃I；　Menkau…ra；　the　Osirian；　aforetime　Pharaoh　of　the　Land　of　Khem；

　　who　in　my　day　did　live　justly　and　ever　walked　in　the　path　marked

　　for　my　feet　by　the　decree　of　the　Invisible；　who　was　the　beginning

　　and　is　the　end；　speak　from　my　tomb　to　those　who　after　me　shall　for

　　an　hour　sit　upon　my　Throne。　Behold；　I；　Menkau…ra；　the　Osirian；

　　having　in　the　days　of　my　life　been　warned　of　a　dream　that　a　time

　　will　come　when　Khem　shall　fear　to　fall　into　the　hands　of

　　strangers；　and　her　monarch　shall　have　great　need　of　treasure

　　wherewith　to　furnish　armies　to　drive　the　barbarian　back；　have　out

　　of　my　wisdom　done　this　thing。　For　it　having　pleased　the　protecting

　　Gods　to　give　me　wealth　beyond　any　Pharaoh　who　has　been　since　the

　　days　of　Horusthousan