The Emperor (Historical Novel). Georg Ebers
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set a clay head that was like him on the shoulders of the fat Silenus near the gate, that had lost its own head. It was my first piece of independent work.”
“But you did it to vex my father.”
“Certainly not, Selene; I was delighted with the joke and nothing more.”
“But you knew how touchy he is.”
“And does a wild boy of fifteen ever reflect on the consequences of his audacity? If he had but given me a thrashing his annoyance would have discharged itself like thunder and lightning, and the air would have been clear again. But, as it was, he cut the face off the work with a knife, and deliberately trod the pieces under foot as they lay on the ground. He gave me one single blow—with his thumb—which I still feel, it is true, and then he treated me and my parents with such scorn, so coldly and hardly, with such bitter contempt—”
“He never is really violent, but wrath seems to eat him inwardly, and I have rarely seen him so angry as he was that time.”
“But if he had only settled the account with me on the spot! but my father was by, and hot words fell like rain, and my mother added her share, and from that time there has been utter hostility between our little house and you up here. What hurt me most was that you and your sister were forbidden to come to see us and to play with me.”
“That has spoilt many pleasant hours for me, too.”
“It was nice when we used to dress up in my father’s theatrical finery and cloaks.”
“And when you made us dolls out of clay.”.
“Or when we performed the Olympian games.”
“I was always the teacher when we played at school with our little brothers and sisters.”
“Arsinoe gave you most trouble.”
“Oh! and what fun when we went fishing!”
“And when we brought home the fishes and mother gave us meal and raisins to cook them.”
“Do you remember the festival of Adonis, and how I stopped the runaway horse of that Numidian officer?”
“The horse had knocked over Arsinoe, and when we got home mother gave you an almond-cake.”
“And your ungrateful sister bit a great piece out of it and left me only a tiny morsel. Is Arsinoe as pretty as she promised to become? It is two years since I last saw her; at our place we never have time to leave work till it is dark. For eight months I had to work for the master at Ptolemais, and often saw the old folks but once in the month.”
“We go out very little, too, and we are not allowed to go into your parents’ house. My sister—”
“Is she pretty?”
“Yes, I think she is. Whenever she can get hold of a piece of ribbon she plaits it in her hair, and the men in the street turn round to look at her. She is sixteen now.”
“Sixteen! What, little Arsinoe! Why, how long then is it since your mother died?”
“Four years and eight months.”
“You remember the date very exactly; such a mother is not easily forgotten, indeed. She was a good woman and a kinder I never met. I know, too, that she tried to mollify your father’s feeling, but she could not succeed, and then she need must die!”
“Yes,” said Selene gloomily. “How could the gods decree it! They are often more cruel than the hardest hearted man.”
“Your poor little brothers and sisters!”
The girl bowed her head sadly and Pollux stood for some time with his eyes fixed on the ground. Then he raised his head and exclaimed:
“I have something for you that will please you.”
“Nothing ever pleases me now she is dead.”
“Yes, yes indeed,” replied the young sculptor eagerly. “I could not forget the good soul, and once in my idle moments I modelled her bust from memory. To-morrow I will bring it to you.”
“Oh!” cried Selene, and her large heavy eyes brightened with a sunny gleam.
“Now, is not it true, you are pleased?”
“Yes indeed, very much. But when my father learns that it is you who have given me the portrait—”
“Is he capable of destroying it?”
“If he does not destroy it, he will not suffer it in the house as soon as he knows that you made it.” Pollux took the handkerchief from the steward’s head, moistened it afresh, and exclaimed as he rearranged it on the forehead of the sleeping man:
“I have an idea. All that matters is that my bust should serve to remind you often of your mother; the bust need not stand in your rooms. The busts of the women of the house of Ptolemy stand on the rotunda, which you can see from your balcony, and which you can pass whenever you please; some of them are badly mutilated and must be got rid of. I will undertake to restore the Berenice and put your mother’s head on her shoulders. Then you have only to go out and look at her. Will that do?”
“Yes, Pollux; you are a good man.”
“So I told you just now. I am beginning to improve. But time—time! if I am to undertake to repair Berenice I must begin by saving the minutes.”
“Go back to your work now; I know how to apply a wet compress only too well.”
With these words Selene threw back her mantle over her shoulders so as to leave her hands free for use, and stood with her slender figure, her pale face, and the fine broadly-flowing folds of rich stuff, like a statue in the eyes of the young sculptor.
“Stop—stay so—just so,” cried Pollux to the astonished girl, so loudly and eagerly that she was startled.
“Your cloak hangs with a wonderfully-free flow from your shoulders—in the name of all the gods do not touch it. If only I might model from it I should in a few minutes gain a whole day for our Berenice. I will wet the handkerchief at intervals in the pauses.” Without waiting for Selene’s answer the sculptor hastened into his nook and returned first with one of the lamps he worked by in each hand, and some small tools in his mouth, and then fetched his wax model which he placed on the outer side of the table, behind which the steward was sleeping. The tapers were put out, the lamps pushed aside, and raised or lowered, and when at last a tolerably suitable light was procured Pollux threw himself on a stool, straddled his legs, craned his head forward as far as his neck would allow, looking, with his hooked nose, like a vulture that strives to descry his distant prey-cast his eyes down, raised them again to take in something fresh, and after a long gaze looked down again while his fingers and nails moved over the surface of the wax-figure, sinking into the plastic material, applying new pieces to apparently complete portions, removing others with a decided nip and rounding them off with bewildering rapidity to use them for a fresh purpose.
He seemed to be seized with cramp in his hands, but still under his knotted brow his eye shone earnest, resolute and calm, and yet full of profound and speechless inspiration. Selene had said not a word that permitted his using her as a model; but, as if his enthusiasm was infectious, she remained motionless, and when, as he worked, his gaze met hers she could detect the stern earnestness which at this moment possessed her eager companion.
Neither of them opened their lips for some time. At last he stood back from his work, stooping low to look first at Selene and then at his statuette with keen examination from head to foot; and then, drawing a deep breath, and rubbing the wax over with his finger, he said:
“There, that is how it must go! Now I will wet your father’s handkerchief and then we can go on again. If you are tired you can rest.”
She availed herself but little of this permission and presently he began work again. As he proceeded carefully to replace some folds of her drapery which had fallen out of place, she moved her foot as