Donovan Pasha, and Some People of Egypt — CompleteParker, Gilbert
General
Donovan Pasha, and Some People of Egypt — Complete
Parker, Gilbert
Egypt -- Fiction; Short stories
Abdalla continued. “Then did I stretch forth my hand, and, because I
loved her, a slave with the freedom of God in her soul and on her face,
I said, ‘Come with me,’ and behold! she came, without a word, for our
souls spake to each other, as it was in the olden world, ere the hearts
of men were darkened. I, an Egyptian of a despised and down-trodden
land, where all men save the rich are slaves, and the rich go in the
fear of their lives; she, a woman from afar, of that ancient tribe
who conquered Egypt long ago--we went forth from the palace alone
and penniless. He, the Prince, dared not follow to do me harm, for my
father’s father ye knew, and my father ye knew, and me ye knew since I
came into the world, and in all that we had ye shared while yet we had
to give; yea, and he feared ye. We lived among ye, poor as ye are poor,
yet rich for that Egypt was no poorer because of us.” He waved his hand
as though to still the storm he was raising.... “If ye call aloud,
I will drive ye from this place of peace, this garden of her who was
called Light from the Light. It hath been so until yesterday, when God
stooped and drew the veil from her face, and she dropped the garment
of life and fled from the world.... Go, go hence,” he added, his voice
thick with sorrow. “But ere ye go, answer me, as ye have souls that
desire God and the joys of Paradise, will ye follow where I go, when I
come to call ye forth? Will ye obey, if I command?”
“By the will of God, thou hast purchased our hearts we will do thy will
for ever,” was the answer of the throng.
“Go then, bring down the infidels that have stood in the minaret above,
where the Muezzin calls to prayer;” sharply called Abdalla, and waved an
arm towards the tower where Dicky and Renshaw were.
An oath broke from the lips of the Southerner; but Dicky smiled. “He’s
done it in style,” he said. “Come along.” He bounded down the steps to
the doorway before the crowd had blocked the way. “They might toss us
out of that minaret,” he added, as they both pushed their way into the
open.
“You take too many risks, effendi,” he called up to Abdalla in French,
as excited Arabs laid hands upon them, and were shaken off. “Call away
these fools!” he added coolly to the motionless figure watching from the
pulpit stairs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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