egypt-第31节

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writhes　with　laughter；　and　eats　a　corner　of　his　shroud　as　if　to

prevent　himself　from　bursting　into　a　too　unseemly　mirth。



And　then；　suddenly；　black　night！　And　we　stand　as　if　congealed　in　our

place。　The　electric　light　has　gone　outeverywhere　at　once。　Above；　on

the　earth；　midday　must　have　soundedfor　those　who　still　have

cognisance　of　the　sun　and　the　hours。



The　guard　who　has　brought　us　hither　shouts　in　his　Bedouin　falsetto；　in

order　to　get　the　light　switched　on　again；　but　the　infinite　thickness

of　the　walls；　instead　of　prolonging　the　vibrations；　seems　to　deaden

them；　and　besides；　who　could　hear　us；　in　the　depths　where　we　now　are？

Then；　groping　in　the　absolute　darkness；　he　makes　his　way　up　the

sloping　passage。　The　hurried　patter　of　his　sandals　and　the　flapping　of

his　burnous　grow　faint　in　the　distance；　and　the　cries　that　he

continues　to　utter　sound　so　smothered　to　us　soon　that　we　might

ourselves　be　buried。　And　meanwhile　we　do　not　move。　But　how　comes　it

that　it　is　so　hot　amongst　these　mummies？　It　seems　as　if　there　were

fires　burning　in　some　oven　close　by。　And　above　all　there　is　a　want　of

air。　Perhaps　the　corridors；　after　our　passage；　have　contracted；　as

happens　sometimes　in　the　anguish　of　dreams。　Perhaps　the　long　fissure

by　which　we　have　crawled　hither；　perhaps　it　has　closed　in　upon　us。



But　at　length　the　cries　of　alarm　are　heard　and　the　light　is　turned　on

again。　The　three　corpses　have　not　profited　by　the　unguarded　moments　to

attempt　any　aggressive　movement。　Their　positions；　their　expressions

have　not　changed：　the　queen　calm　and　beautiful　as　ever；　the　man　eating

still　the　corner　of　his　rags　to　stifle　the　mad　laughter　of　thirty…

three　centuries。



The　Bedouin　is　now　returned；　breathless　from　his　journey。　He　urges　us

to　come　to　see　the　king　before　the　electric　light　is　again

extinguished；　and　this　time　for　good　and　all。　Behold　us　now　at　the　end

of　the　hall；　on　the　edge　of　a　dark　crypt；　leaning　over　and　peering

within。　It　is　a　place　oval　in　form；　with　a　vault　of　a　funereal　black；

relieved　by　frescoes；　either　white　or　of　the　colour　of　ashes。　They

represent；　these　frescoes；　a　whole　new　register　of　gods　and　demons；

some　slim　and　sheathed　narrowly　like　mummies；　others　with　big　heads

and　big　bellies　like　hippopotami。　Placed　on　the　ground　and　watched

from　above　by　all　these　figures　is　an　enormous　sarcophagus　of　stone；

wide　open；　and　in　it　we　can　distinguish　vaguely　the　outline　of　a　human

body：　the　Pharaoh！



At　least　we　should　have　liked　to　see　him　better。　The　necessary　light

is　forthcoming　at　once：　the　Bedouin　Grand　Master　of　Ceremonies　touches

an　electric　button　and　a　powerful　lamp　illumines　the　face　of

Amenophis；　detailing　with　a　clearness　that　almost　frightens　you　the

closed　eyes；　the　grimacing　countenance；　and　the　whole　of　the　sad

mummy。　This　theatrical　effect　took　us　by　surprise；　we　were　not

prepared　for　it。



He　was　buried　in　magnificence；　but　the　pillagers　have　stripped　him　of

everything；　even　of　his　beautiful　breastplate　of　tortoiseshell；　which

came　to　him　from　a　far…off　Oriental　country；　and　for　many　centuries

now　he　has　slept　half　naked　on　his　rags。　But　his　poor　bouquet　is　there

stillof　mimosa；　recognisable　even　now；　and　who　will　ever　tell　what

pious　or　perhaps　amorous　hand　it　was　that　gathered　these　flowers　for

him　more　than　three　thousand　years　ago。



The　heat　is　suffocating。　The　whole　crushing　mass　of　this　mountain；　of

this　block　of　limestone；　into　which　we　have　crawled　through　relatively

imperceptible　holes；　like　white　ants　or　larvae；　seems　to　weigh　upon

our　chest。　And　these　figures　too；　inscribed　on　every　side；　and　this

mystery　of　the　hieroglyphs　and　the　symbols；　cause　a　growing

uneasiness。　You　are　too　near　them；　they　seem　too　much　the　masters　of

the　exits；　these　gods　with　their　heads　of　falcon；　ibis　and　jackal；

who；　on　the　walls；　converse　in　a　continual　exalted　pantomime。　And　then

the　feeling　comes　over　you；　that　you　are　guilty　of　sacrilege　standing

there；　before　this　open　coffin；　in　this　unwonted　insolent　light。　The

dolorous；　blackish　face；　half　eaten　away；　seems　to　ask　for　mercy：

〃Yes；　yes；　my　sepulchre　has　been　violated　and　I　am　returning　to　dust。

But　now　that　you　have　seen　me；　leave　me；　turn　out　that　light；　have

pity　on　my　nothingness。〃



In　sooth；　what　a　mockery！　To　have　taken　so　many　pains；　to　have　adopted

so　many　stratagems　to　hide　his　corpse；　to　have　exhausted　thousands　of

men　in　the　hewing　of　this　underground　labyrinth；　and　to　end　thus；　with

his　head　in　the　glare　of　an　electric　lamp；　to　amuse　whoever　passes。



And　out　of　pityI　think　it　was　the　poor　bouquet　of　mimosa　that

awakened　itI　say　to　the　Bedouin：　〃Yes；　put　out　the　light；　put　it

outthat　is　enough。〃



And　then　the　darkness　returns　above　the　royal　countenance；　which　is

suddenly　effaced　in　the　sarcophagus。　The　phantom　of　the　Pharaoh　is

vanished；　as　if　replunged　into　the　unfathomable　past。　The　audience　is

over。



And　we；　who　are　able　to　escape　from　the　horror　of　the　hypogeum；

reascend　rapidly　towards　the　sunshine　of　the　living；　we　go　to　breathe

the　air　again；　the　air　to　which　we　have　still　a　rightfor　some　few

days　longer。







CHAPTER　XVIII



AT　THEBES　IN　THE　TEMPLE　OF　THE　OGRESS



This　evening；　in　the　vast　chaos　of　ruinsat　the　hour　in　which　the

light　of　the　sun　begins　to　turn　to　roseI　make　my　way　along　one　of

the　magnificent　roads　of　the　town…mummy；　that；　in　fact；　which　goes　off

at　a　right　angle　to　the　line　of　the　temples　of　Amen；　and；　losing

itself　more　or　less　in　the　sands；　leads　at　length　to　a　sacred　lake　on

the　border　of　which　certain　cat…headed　goddesses　are　seated　in　state

watching　the　dead　water　and　the　expanse　of　the　desert。　This　particular

road　was　begun　three　thousand　four　hundred　years　ago　by　a　beautiful

queen　called　Makeri；＇*＇　and　in　the　following　centuries　a　number　of

kings　continued　its　construction。　It　was　ornamented　with　pylons　of　a

superb　massivenesspylons　are　monumental　walls；　in　the　form　of　a

trapezium　with　a　wide　base；　covered　entirely　with　hieroglyphs；　which

the　Egyptians　used　to　place　at　either　side　of　their　porticoes　and　long

avenuesas　well　as　by　colossal　statues　and　interminable　rows　of　rams；

larger　than　buffaloes；　crouched　on　pedestals。



＇*＇　To…day　the　mummy　with　the　baby　in　the　museum　at　Cairo。



At　the　first　pylons　I　have　to　make　a　detour。　They　are　so　ruinous　that

their　blocks；　fallen　down　on　all　sides；　have　closed　the　passage。　Here

used　to　watch；　on　right　and　left；　two　upright　giants　of　red　granite

from　Syene。　Long　ago　in　times　no　longer　precisely　known；　they　were

broken　off；　both　of　them；　at　the　height　of　the　loins。　But　their

muscular　legs　have　kept　their　proud；　marching　attitude；　and　each　in

one　of　the　armless　hands；　which　reach　to　the　end　of　the　cloth　that

girds　their　loins；　clenches　passionately　the　emblem　of　eternal　life。

And　this　Syenite　granite　is　so　hard　that　time　has　not　altered　it　in

the　least；　in　the　midst　of　the　confusion　of　stones　the　thighs　of　these

mutilated　giants　gleam　as　if　they　had　been　polished　yesterday。



Farther　on　we　come　upon　the　second　pylons；　foundered　also；　before


which　stands　a　row　of　Pharaohs。



On　every　side　the　overthrown　blocks　display　their　utter　confusion　of

gigantic　things　in　the　midst　of　the　sand　which　continues　patiently　to

bury　them。　And　here　now　are　the　third　pylons；　flanked　by　their　two

marching　giants；　who　have　neither　head　nor　shoulders。　And　the　road；

marked　majestically　still　by　the　debris；　continues　to　lead　towards　the

desert。



And　then　the　fourth　and　last　pylons；　which　seem　at　first　sight　to　mark

the　extremity　of　the　ruins；　the　beginning　of　the　desert　nothingness。

Time…worn　and　uncrowned；　but　stiff　and　upright　still；　they　seem　to　be

set　there　so　solidly　that　nothing　could　ever　overthrow　them。　The　two

colossal　statues　which　guard　them　on　the　right　and　left　are　seated　on

thrones。　One；　that　on　the　eastern　side；　has　almost　disappeared。　But

the　other　stands　out　entire　and　white；　with　the　whiteness　of　marble；

against　the　brown…coloured　background　of　the　enormous　stretch　of　wall

covered　with　hieroglyphs。　His　face　alone　has　been　mutilated；　and　he

preserves　still　his　imperious　chin；　his　ears；　his　Sphinx's　headgear；

one　might　almost　say　his　meditative　expression；　before　this　deployment

of　the　vast　solitude　which　seems　to　begin　at　his　very　feet。



Here　however　was　only　the　boundary　of　the　quarters　of　the　God　Amen。

The　boundary　of　Thebes　was　much　farther　on；　and　the　avenue　which　will

lead　me　directly　to　the　home　of　the　cat…headed　goddesses　extends

farther　still　to　the　old　gates　of　the　town；　albeit　you　can　scarcely

distinguish　it　between　the　double　row　of　Krio…sphinxes　all　broken　and

well…nigh　buried。



The　day　falls；　and　the　dust　of　Egypt；　in　accordance　with　its

invariable　practice　every　evening；　begins　to　resemble　in　the　distance

a　powder　of　gold。　I　look　behind　me　from　time　to　time　at　the　giant　who

watches　me；　seated　at　the　foot　of　his　pylon　on　whi