"Brief is the life of man, but time is without end, and matter hath no death. Man dieth and maketh the earth fertile with the corruption of his body; the earth nourisheth the blade; the blade bringeth forth grain; man consumeth bread, and feedeth his body therewith. Mult.i.tudes, and mult.i.tudes upon mult.i.tudes, of ages shall pa.s.s; all things in the universe repeat themselves,--men, beasts, stones, plants,--all repeat themselves. In the multiform vortex of time and matter we, too, are repeated, my beloved. It is just as true as that, if thou and I were to fill a large bag up to the top with sea gravel, and were to cast therein but one precious sapphire,--though we were to take pebbles out of the bag many, many times, we still would, sooner or later, draw out the precious stone as well. Thou and I will meet, Sulamith, nor shall we know each other; but our hearts, with rapture and yearning, will strive to meet, for thou and I have already met,--my meek, my fair Sulamith,--though we remember it not."
"Nay, my king, nay! I remember. When thou didst stand beneath the window and didst call to me: "My fair, come out, for my locks are filled with the drops of the night!" I knew thee, I remembered thee; and fear and joy possessed my heart. Tell me, my king,--tell me, Solomon: if I were, say, to die on the morrow, wouldst thou recall thy swarthy maiden of the vineyard, thy Sulamith?"
And the king, pressing her to his breast, whispered in emotion:
"Never speak thus.... Speak not thus, O Sulamith! Thou art chosen of G.o.d, thou art the veritable one, thou art the queen of my soul.... Death shall not touch thee...."
The strident sound of bra.s.s suddenly soared over Jerusalem. For long it trembled mournfully and wavered in the air, and when it had grown silent its quavering echoes still floated on for a long while.
"This marks the ending of the mystery in the temple of Isis," said the king.
"I am afraid, my comely one," whispered Sulamith. "A dark terror has penetrated into my soul.... I do not want to die.... I have not yet had time to enjoy my fill of thy embraces.... Embrace me.... Press me closer to thee.... Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm!..."
"Fear not death, Sulamith! For love is strong as death.... Drive sad thoughts from thee.... Wouldst have me tell thee of the wars of David, of the feasts and hunts of the Pharaoh Shishak? Wouldst hear one of those fairy tales that come from the land of Ophir?... Wouldst have me tell thee of the wonders of Bakramaditiah?"
"Yea, my king. Thou dost know thyself that when I hearken to thee, my heart doth expand from happiness! But I would ask a boon of thee...."
"O Sulamith, all that thou dost desire! Ask my life of me,--I shall render it up to thee with delight. I shall only regret having paid too small a price for thy love."
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Then Sulamith smiled in the darkness for happiness, and, entwining the king with her arms, whispered in his ear:
"I beseech thee, when the morning cometh let us go together there ... to the vineyard.... There, where it is green, and the cypresses are, and the cedars; where, nigh the stone wall, thou didst take my soul with thy hands.... I beseech thee to do this, my beloved.... There will I give thee my loves anew...."
In a transport of delight the king kissed the lips of his love.
But Sulamith suddenly raised herself up on the couch and hearkened.
"What is it, my child?... What hath frightened thee?" asked Solomon.
"Stay, my beloved.... Some one is coming hither.... Yea ... I hear steps."
She became silent. And the stillness was such that they marked the beating of their hearts.
A slight rustling was heard beyond the door, and it was suddenly thrown ajar, quickly and without a sound.
"Who is there?" cried out Solomon.
But Sulamith had already sprung up from the bed, and with one move dashed toward the dark figure of a man with a gleaming sword in his hand. And immediately, stricken through by a short, quick stroke, she fell down to the floor with a faint cry, as though of wonder.
Solomon shattered with his hand the screen of carnelian that shaded the light of the night-lamp. He beheld Eliab, who was standing near the door, stooping a little over the body of the girl, swaying like one in wine. The young warrior raised his head under Solomon"s gaze, and, when his eyes met the wrathful, awesome eyes of the king, he blanched and groaned. An expression of despair and terror distorted his features. And suddenly, stooping, hiding his face in his mantle, he began timidly, like a frightened jackal, to slink out of the room. But the king stayed him, saying but three words:
"Who compelled thee?"
All a-tremble and with teeth chattering, with eyes grown white from fear, the young warrior let drop dully:
"Queen Astis...."
"Get thee hence," commanded Solomon. "Tell the guard on duty to watch thee."
Soon people with lights commenced running through the innumerable rooms of the palace. All the chambers were illuminated. The leeches came; the friends and the military officers of the king gathered.
The chief leech said:
"King, neither science nor G.o.d will now avail. She will die the instant we draw out the sword left in her breast."
But at this moment Sulamith came to and said with a calm smile:
"I would drink."
And when she had drunk, her eyes rested with a tender, beautiful smile upon the king, nor did she again take them away, the while he stood upon his knees before her couch, all naked, even as she, without perceiving that his knees were laved in her blood, nor that his hands were encrimsoned with the scarlet of her blood.
Thus, with difficulty, gazing upon her beloved and smiling gently, did the beautiful Sulamith speak:
"I thank thee, my king, for all things: for thy love, for thy beauty, for thy wisdom, to which thou didst allow me to set my lips, as to a sweet well of living waters. Let me to kiss thy hands; take them not away from my mouth till such time when the last breath shall have fled from me. Never has there been, nor ever shall there be, a woman happier than I. I thank thee, my king, my beloved, my fair. Think ever and anon upon thy slave, upon thy Sulamith, scorched of the sun."
And the king made answer to her, in a deep, slow voice:
"As long as men and women shall love one another; as long as beauty of soul and body shall be the best and sweetest dream in the universe,--so long, I swear to thee, Sulamith, shall thy name be uttered through many ages with emotion and gratefulness."
Toward morning Sulamith ceased to be.
Then did the king rise up, command the means for laving to be brought to him, and, donning his most magnificent chiton of purple, broidered with golden scarabae, he placed upon his head a crown of blood-red rubies.
After this he did call Benaiah to him, and spake calmly:
"Benaiah, thou shalt go and put Eliab to death."
But the old man covered his face with his hands and fell prostrate before the king.
"Eliab is my grandson, O King."
"Didst thou hear me, Benaiah?"
"Forgive me, O King,--threaten me not with thy wrath; command some other to do this. Eliab, having come out of the palace, did run to the temple, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. I am old, my death is nigh; I dare not take upon my soul this two-fold crime."
But the king retorted:
"Nevertheless, when I did instruct thee to put to death my brother Adonijah, who had likewise caught hold on the sacred horns of the altar, didst thou not hearken to me, Benaiah?"
"Forgive me! Spare me, King!"
"Lift up thy face," commanded Solomon.
And when Benaiah did raise up his face, and beheld the king"s eyes, he quickly rose up from the floor and obediently made his way to the exit.