Egypt -- History -- Fiction; German fiction -- Translations into English
But now, in the sober light of day, how different did this mad, rash
deed appear; how heavily had he already been punished; what consequences
might it not entail? His hatred of Paula grew every minute: she had
certainly seen all that had happened and would not hesitate to betray
him--that she had shown last night. War, as it were, was declared
between them, and he vowed to himself, with fire in his eyes, that he
would not shirk it! At the same time he could not deny that she had
never looked handsomer than when she stood, with hair half undone,
confronting him--threatening him. “It is to be love or hate between
us.” he muttered to himself. “No half-measures: and she has chosen hate!
Good! Hitherto I have only had to fight against men; but this bold,
hard, and scornful maiden, who rejects every gentle feeling, is no
despicable foe. She has me at bay. If she does her worst by me I will
return it in kind!--And who is the owner of the shoes? I have taken all
possible means to find him. Shameful, shameful! that I cannot hold up
my head to look boldly at my own face in the glass. Heliodora is a sweet
creature, an angel of kindness. She loved me truly; but this--this--Ah;
even for her, this is too great a sacrifice!”
He pressed his hand to his brow and flung himself on a divan. He might
well be weary, for he had not closed his eyes for more than thirty hours
and had already done much business that morning. He had given orders to
Sebek the house-steward and to the captain of the Egyptian guard to hunt
out the owner of the sandals by the aid of the dogs, and to cast him
into prison; next he had of his own accord--since his father generally
did not fall asleep till the morning and had not yet left his
room--tried to pacify the Arab merchant with regard to the mishap that
had befallen his head man under the governor’s roof; but with small
success.
Finally the young man had indulged his desire to compose a few lines
addressed to the fair Heliodora--for there was no form of physical or
mental effort to which he was not trained. He had not lost the idea that
had occurred to him yesterday before his theft in the tablinum, and
to put it into verse was in his present mood an easy task. He wrote as
follows:
“‘Like liketh like’ saith the saw; and like to like is but fitting.
Yet, in the hardest of gems thy soft nature rejoices?
Nay, but if noble and rare, if its beauty is priceless,
Then, Heliodora, the stone is like thee--akin to thy beauty.
Thus let this emerald please thee;--and know that the fire
That fills it with light burns more fierce in the heart of thy
Friend.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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