The Yoke: A Romance of the Days when the Lord Redeemed the Children of Israel from the Bondage of Egypt — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The Yoke: A Romance of the Days when the Lord Redeemed the Children of Israel from the Bondage of Egypt
John Stuart Mill · en
"Endure it a while. I shall move the people into the large valley
where they may have the north breeze and the water-smell after sunset,
now that the summer is near. I am glad I met thee. Deborah tells me
the water for the camp-cooking is turbid, and I doubt not the children
draw it from some point below the wharf where the drawing for the
quarry-supply stirs up the ooze. Do thou go with the children in the
morning when they are sent for the camp supply, and get it above the
wharf."
"I hear," she answered.
"The gods attend thee," he said, riding away.
"Be thy visit pleasant," she responded, and turned again up the valley.
The taskmaster was forgotten at her second step, and her contrition and
humiliation came back with a rush. There was little sleep for her that
night, so heavy was her heart.
The next morning Rachel obeyed Atsu and followed the children to the
Nile. Crossing the field, absorbed in her trouble, she did not hear
the beat of hoofs or the grind of wheels until she was face to face
with the attendants of a company of charioteers. The troop of
water-carriers had scattered out of the road-way and each little
bronzed Israelite was bending with his right hand upon his left knee in
token of profound respect. Rachel hastily joined them.
When she looked again the retinue of servants had passed. After them
came a gilded chariot with a sumptuous Egyptian within. By the
annulets over his temples and the fringed ribbons pendent therefrom,
the Israelite knew him to be royal.
Behind, a second chariot was driven by a single occupant, who wore the
badges of princehood also.
The third was a chariot of ebony drawn by two prancing coal-black
horses whose leathers and housings shone and jingled. Rachel's eyes
met those of the driver and the life-current froze in her veins.
Har-hat, fan-bearer to the Pharaoh, late governor of Bubastis, drew up
his horses and calmly surveyed her. The action halted the chariots of
a dozen courtiers following him. One by one they came to a stand-still
and each man peered around his predecessor until the fan-bearer became
conscious of the pawing horses behind him. He drove out of line and
alighted. With an apologetic wave of his hand, he motioned the
procession to proceed and busied himself with the harness as if he had
found a breakage. Those that had passed were by this time some
distance ahead and, missing the grind of wheels in their wake, looked
back. The fan-bearer beckoned to one of the attendants who had gone
before, and the man returned.