"There is no comfort if I do not find her!"
"There is comfort. Isis seeking for Osiris recovered all the pieces of his body except that piece which fructified her. And yet she found comfort, in the end."
"I am wisdom, child, and you are young. Serve wisdom, but honour love."
"Father, why did the pirates resemble one another?"
"My son, even my wisdom does not tell me that whereof you have not dreamed. You dreamed of many pirates, who resembled one another like doubles. There was one pirate, my child."
"Did Serapis conjure up his image before you?"
"Then go in peace. And let love and wisdom comfort you."
Lucius went. On the threshold of the pyramid he met an hetaira. She glittered like an idol in her ceremonial garb, sewn with jewels, and looked at him with painted eyes.
"It's Tamyris, my lord," said Caleb. "She is going to consult Amphris. She has paid a talent! Has Amphris interpreted your dream? The door-keeper, who also is wise, has interpreted mine for me! And for only five drachmæ."
"One pirate! One pirate!" murmured Lucius.
And he clenched his fists, impotently....
The multitude streamed away along the terraces. The barges glided back on the canal, in the night.
And constantly, near the pleasure-houses and taverns, the vessels stopped and the dreamers alighted.
Here mead flowed and foaming golden beer and heavy Mareotis wines and the intoxicating liqueurs of Napata. Here the naked women, who beckoned with lotus-stalks, twisted in the dance.
"Back!" cried Lucius. "Back to Alexandria!"
The barge stopped at no pleasure-houses, at no taverns. The master sobbed, his head wrapped in his golden dreaming-veil. There was no music. Only the plaintive song of the rowers made itself heard from below.
Behind, in the east, the dawn paled in one long, rosy line, above the sea ... while the festal lamps flickered out and died....
Serapis had opened the floodgates of the sky.
The first spring rains had already descended in heavy torrents; the water-gods had already poured the kindly streams from their urns into the swelling Nile; the river-surveyors, who had consulted the Nilometers [2] at every place, declared that the sacred stream was steadily rising and that the maximum gauge would be reached that summer.