"My lord."
"Pa.s.sed the Queen that way?"
"She did, my lord."
"In tears?"
"Nay! very joyful!"
"Call Honain, quick as my thought. Honain! Honain! He waits without. I have seen the best of life, that"s very sure. My heart is cracking. She surely jests! Hah! Honain. Pardon these distracted looks. Fly to the Armoury! fly, fly!"
"For what, my lord?"
"Ay! for what, for what! My brain it wanders. Thy brother, thy great brother, the Queen, the Queen has stolen my signet ring, that is, I gave it her. Fly, fly! or in a word, Jabaster is no more. He is gone. Pharez!
your arm; I swoon!"
"His Highness is sorely indisposed to-day."
"They say he swooned this morn."
"Ay, in the bath."
"No, not in the bath. "Twas when he heard of Jabaster"s death."
"How died he, Sir?"
"Self-strangled. His mighty heart could not endure disgrace, and thus he ended all his glorious deeds."
"A great man!"
"We shall not soon see his match. The Queen had gained his pardon, and herself flew to the Armoury to bear the news; alas! too late."
"These are strange times. Jabaster dead!"
"A very great event."
"Who will be High Priest?"
"I doubt if the appointment will be filled up."
"Sup you with the Lord Ithamar to-night?"
"I do."
"I also. We"ll go together. The Queen had gained his pardon. Hum! "tis strange."
"Pa.s.sing so. They say Abidan has escaped?"
"I hear it. Shall we meet Medad to-night?"
""Tis likely."
CHAPTER X.
_The Fall of Alroy_
SHE comes not yet! her cheerful form, not yet it sparkles in our mournful sky. She comes not yet! the shadowy stars seem sad and l.u.s.treless without their Queen. She comes not yet!"
"_WE ARE THE WATCHERS OF THE MOON,[78] AND LIVE IN LONELINESS TO HERALD LIGHT._"
"She comes not yet! her sacred form, not yet it summons to our holy feast. She comes not yet! our brethren far wait mute and motionless the saintly beam. She comes not yet!"
"_WE ARE THE WATCHERS OF THE MOON, AND LIVE IN LONELINESS TO HERALD LIGHT_."
"She comes, she comes! her beauteous form sails with soft splendour in the glittering air. She comes, she comes! The beacons fire, and tell the nation that the month begins! She comes, she comes!"
"_WE ARE THE WATCHERS OF THE MOON, TO TELL THE NATION THAT THE MONTH BEGINS_."
Instantly the holy watchers fired the beacons on the mountain top, and anon a thousand flames blazed round the land. From Caucasus to Lebanon, on every peak a crown of light.
"Sire! a Tatar has arrived from Hamadan, who will see none but thyself.
I have told him your Highness was engaged, and sent him to the Lord Honain; but all denial is lost upon him. And as I thought perhaps the Lady Miriam----"
"From Hamadan? You did well, Pharez. Admit him."
The Tatar entered.
"Well, Sir; good news, I hope!"
"Sire, pardon me, the worst. I come from the Lord Abner, with orders to see the Caliph, and none else."
"Well, Sir, you see the Caliph. Your mission? What of the Viceroy?"
"Sire, he bade me tell thee, that, the moment the beacon that announced the Feast of the New Moon was fired on Caucasus, the dreaded monarch of Karasme, the great Alp Arslan, entered thy kingdom, and now overruns all Persia."
"Hah! and Abner?"
"Is in the field, and prays for aid."
"He shall have it. This is indeed great news! When left you Hamadan?"
"Night and day I have journeyed upon the swiftest dromedary. The third morn sees me at Bagdad."
"You have done your duty. See this faithful courier be well tended, Pharez. Summon the Lord Honain."