egypt-第33节

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contrary　the　field　of　the　great　fear；　which；　out　of　pity；　it　would

have　been　better　if　we　had　never　been　able　to　see；　the　incommensurable

black　void；　where　the　worlds　in　their　frenzied　whirling　precipitate

themselves　like　rain；　crash　into　and　annihilate　one　another；　only　to

be　renewed　for　fresh　eternities。



All　this　is　seen　too　vividly；　the　horror　of　it　becomes　intolerable；　on

a　clear　night　like　this；　in　a　place　so　silent　and　littered　so　with

ruins。　More　and　more　the　cold　penetrates　youthe　mournful　cold　of　the

sidereal　spheres　from　which　nothing　now　seems　to　protect　you；　so

rarefiedalmost　non…existentdoes　the　limpid　atmosphere　appear。　And

the　gravel；　the　poor　dried　herbs；　that　crackle　under　foot；　give　the

illusion　of　the　crunching　noise　we　know　at　home　on　winter　nights　when

the　frost　is　on　the　ground。



I　approach　at　length　the　temple　of　the　Ogress。　These　stones　which　now

appear；　whitish　in　the　night；　this　secret…looking　dwelling　near　the

boundary　wall　of　Thebes；　proclaim　the　spot；　and　verily　at　such　an　hour

as　this　it　has　an　evil　aspect。　Ptolemaic　columns；　little　vestibules；

little　courtyards　where　a　dim　blue　light　enables　you　to　find　your　way。

Nothing　moves；　not　even　the　flight　of　a　night　bird：　an　absolute

silence；　magnified　awfully　by　the　presence　of　the　desert　which　you

feel　encompasses　you　beyond　these　walls。　And　beyond；　at　the　bottom；

three　chambers　made　of　massive　stone；　each　with　its　separate　entrance。

I　know　that　the　first　two　are　empty。　It　is　in　the　third　that　the

Ogress　dwells；　unless；　indeed；　she　has　already　set　out　upon　her

nocturnal　hunt　for　human　flesh。　Pitch　darkness　reigns　within　and　I

have　to　grope　my　way。　Quickly　I　light　a　match。　Yes；　there　she　is

indeed；　alone　and　upright；　almost　part　of　the　end　wall；　on　which　my

little　light　makes　the　horrible　shadow　of　her　head　dance。　The　match

goes　outirreverently　I　light　many　more　under　her　chin；　under　that

heavy；　man…eating　jaw。　In　very　sooth；　she　is　terrifying。　Of　black

granitelike　her　sisters；　seated　on　the　margin　of　the　mournful　lake

but　much　taller　than　they；　from　six　to　eight　feet　in　height；　she　has　a

woman's　body；　exquisitely　slim　and　young；　with　the　breasts　of　a

virgin。　Very　chaste　in　attitude；　she　holds　in　her　hand　a　long…stemmed

lotus　flower；　but　by　a　contrast　that　nonplusses　and　paralyses　you　the

delicate　shoulders　support　the　monstrosity　of　a　huge　lioness'　head。

The　lappets　of　her　bonnet　fall　on　either　side　of　her　ears　almost　down

to　her　breast；　and　surmounting　the　bonnet；　by　way　of　addition　to　the

mysterious　pomp；　is　a　large　moon　disc。　Her　dead　stare　gives　to　the

ferocity　of　her　visage　something　unreasoning　and　fatal；　an

irresponsible　ogress；　without　pity　as　without　pleasure；　devouring

after　the　manner　of　Nature　and　of　Time。　And　it　was　so　perhaps　that　she

was　understood　by　the　initiated　of　ancient　Egypt；　who　symbolised

everything　for　the　people　in　the　figures　of　gods。



In　the　dark　retreat；　enclosed　with　defaced　stones；　in　the　little

temple　where　she　stands；　alone；　upright　and　grand；　with　her　enormous

head　and　thrust…out　chin　and　tall　goddess'　headdressone　is

necessarily　quite　close　to　her。　In　touching　her；　at　night；　you　are

astonished　to　find　that　she　is　less　cold　than　the　air；　she　becomes

somebody；　and　the　intolerable　dead　stare　seems　to　weigh　you　down。



During　the　/tete…a…tete/；　one　thinks　involuntarily　of　the

surroundings；　of　these　ruins　in　the　desert；　of　the　prevailing

nothingness；　of　the　cold　beneath　the　stars。　And；　now；　that　summation

of　doubt　and　despair　and　terror；　which　such　an　assemblage　of　things

inspires　in　you；　is　confirmed；　if　one　may　say　so；　by　the　meeting　with

this　divinity…symbol；　which　awaits　you　at　the　end　of　the　journey；　to

receive　ironically　all　human　prayer；　a　rigid　horror　of　granite；　with

an　implacable　smile　and　a　devouring　jaw。







CHAPTER　XIX



A　TOWN　PROMPTLY　EMBELLISHED



Eight　years　and　a　line　of　railway　have　sufficed　to　accomplish　its

metamorphosis。　Once　in　Upper　Egypt；　on　the　borders　of　Nubia；　there　was

a　little　humble　town；　rarely　visited；　and　wanting；　it　must　be　owned；

in　elegance　and　even　in　comfort。



Not　that　it　was　without　picturesqueness　and　historical　interest。　Quite

the　contrary。　The　Nile；　charged　with　the　waters　of　equatorial　Africa；

flung　itself　close　by　from　the　height　of　a　mass　of　black　granite；　in　a

majestic　cataract；　and　then；　before　the　little　Arab　houses；　became

suddenly　calm　again；　and　flowed　between　islets　of　fresh　verdure　where

clusters　of　palm…trees　swayed　their　plumes　in　the　wind。



And　around　were　a　number　of　temples；　of　hypogea；　of　Roman　ruins；　of

ruins　of　churches　dating　from　the　first　centuries　of　Christianity。　The

ground　was　full　of　souvenirs　of　the　great　primitive　civilisations。　For

the　place；　abandoned　for　ages　and　lulled　in　the　folds　of　Islam　under

the　guardianship　of　its　white　mosque；　was　once　one　of　the　centres　of

the　life　of　the　world。



And；　moreover；　in　the　adjoining　desert；　some　three　or　four　thousand

years　ago；　the　ancient　history　of　the　world　had　been　written　by　the

Pharaohs　in　immortal　hieroglyphicswell…nigh　everywhere；　on　the

polished　sides　of　the　strange　blocks　of　blue　and　red　granite　that　lie

scattered　about　the　sands　and　look　now　like　the　forms　of　antediluvian

monsters。



*****



Yes；　but　it　was　necessary　that　all　this　should　be　co…ordinated；

focused　as　it　were；　and　above　all　rendered　accessible　to　the　delicate

travellers　of　the　Agencies。　And　to…day　we　have　the　pleasure　of

announcing　that；　from　December　to　March；　Assouan　（for　that　is　the　name

of　the　fortunate　locality）　has　a　〃season〃　as　fashionable　as　those　of

Ostend　or　Spa。



In　approaching　it；　the　huge　hotels　erected　on　all　sideseven　on　the

islets　of　the　old　rivercharm　the　eye　of　the　traveller；　greeting　him

with　their　welcoming　signs；　which　can　be　seen　a　league　away。　True；

they　have　been　somewhat　hastily　constructed；　of　mud　and　plaster；　but

they　recall　none　the　less　those　gracious　palaces　with　which　the

Compagnie　des　Wagon…Lits　has　dowered　the　world。　And　how　negligible

now；　how　dwarfed　by　the　height　of　their　facades；　is　the　poor　little

town　of　olden　times；　with　its　little　houses；　whitened　with　chalk；　and

its　baby　minaret。



The　cataract；　on　the　other　hand；　has　disappeared　from　Assouan。　The

tutelary　Albion　wisely　considered　that　it　would　be　better　to　sacrifice

that　futile　spectacle　and；　in　order　to　increase　the　yield　of　the　soil；

to　dam　the　waters　of　the　Nile　by　an　artificial　barrage：　a　work　of

solid　masonry　which　（in　the　words　of　the　Programme　of　Pleasure　Trips）

〃affords　an　interest　of　a　very　different　nature　and　degree〃　（sic）。



But　nevertheless　Cook　&　Sona　business　concern　glossed　with　poetry；

as　all　the　world　knowshave　endeavoured　to　perpetuate　the　memory　of

the　cataract　by　giving　its　name　to　a　hotel　of　500　rooms；　which　as　a

result　of　their　labours　has　been　established　opposite　to　those　rocks

now　reduced　to　silenceover　which　the　old　Nile　used　to　seethe　for　so

many　centuries。　〃Cataract　Hotel！〃that　gives　the　illusion　still；　does

it　not？and　looks　remarkably　well　at　the　head　of　a　sheet　of

notepaper。



Cook　&　Son　（Egypt　Ltd。）　have　even　gone　so　far　as　to　conceive　the　idea

that　it　would　be　original　to　give　to　their　establishment　a　certain

/cachet/　of　Islam。　And　the　dining…room　reproduces　（in　imitation；　of

coursebut　then　you　must　not　expect　the　impossible）　the　interior　of

one　of　the　mosques　of　Stamboul。　At　the　luncheon　hour　it　is　one　of　the

prettiest　sights　in　the　world　to　see；　under　this　imitation　holy

cupola；　all　the　little　tables　crowded　with　Cook's　tourists　of　both

sexes；　the　while　a　concealed　orchestra　strikes　up　the　〃Mattchiche。〃



The　dam；　it　is　true；　in　suppressing　the　cataract　has　raised　some

thirty　feet　or　so　the　level　of　the　water　upstream；　and　by　so　doing　has

submerged　a　certain　Isle　of　Philae；　which　passed；　absurdly　enough；　for

one　of　the　marvels　of　the　world　by　reason　of　its　great　temple　of　Isis；

surrounded　by　palm…trees。　But　between　ourselves；　one　may　say　that　the

beautiful　goddess　was　a　little　old…fashioned　for　our　times。　She　and

her　mysteries　had　had　their　day。　Besides；　if　there　should　be　any

chagrined　soul　who　might　regret　the　disappearance　of　the　island；　care

has　been　taken　to　perpetuate　the　memory　of　it；　in　the　same　way　as　that

of　the　cataract。　Charming　coloured　postcards；　taken　before　the

submerging　of　the　island　and　the　sanctuary；　are　on　sale　in　all　the

bookshops　along　the　quay。



Oh！　this　quay　of　Assouan；　already　so　British　in　its　orderliness；　its

method！　Nothing　better　cared　for；　nothing　more　altogether　charming

could　be　conceived。　First　of　all　there　is　the　railway；　which；　passing

between　balustrades　painted　a　grass…green；　gives　out　its　fascinating

noise　and　joyous　smoke。　On　one　side　is　a　row　of　hotels　and　shops；　all

European　in　characterhairdressers；　perfumers；　and　numerous　dark

rooms　for　the　use　of　the　many　amateur　photographers；　who　make　a　point

of　taking　away　with　the