Such a crushing, such a feeling of helplessness and nothingness he had never experienced. At moments it seemed to him that the priests would leave him in one of those narrow doorless chambers. Then despair seized the young pharaoh; he touched his sword and was ready to cut them down. But he remembered directly that without their assistance he could not go hence, and he dropped his head.
"Oh to see the light of day, even for a moment! How terrible must death be among three thousand rooms filled with gloom or utter darkness!"
Heroic souls have moments of deep depression which the common man cannot even imagine.
The advance had lasted an hour almost when at last they entered a low hall resting on octagonal pillars. The three priests surrounding the pharaoh, separated then Ramses noticed that one of them nestled up to a column and vanished, as it were, in the interior of it.
After a while a narrow opening appeared in one of the walls, the priests returned to their places, and the guide commanded to light four torches. All turned toward that opening and pushed through it cautiously.
"Here are the chambers," said the overseer.
The priests lighted quickly torches which were fixed to the walls and columns. Ramses saw a series of immense chambers filled with most varied products of priceless value. In this collection every dynasty, if not every pharaoh, had placed from what he or it possessed, that which was most peculiar, or which had the most value.
There were chariots, boats, beds, tables, caskets, and thrones gold or covered with gold plate, also inlaid with ivory, mother-of-pearl and colored wood so ornamentally that artists must have worked tens of years at them. There were weapons, shields and quivers glittering with jewels. There were pitchers, plates, and spoons of pure gold, costly robes, and baldachins.
All this treasure, thanks to dry and pure air, was preserved without change during ages.
Among rare objects the pharaoh saw the silver model of the Assyrian palace brought to Ramses XII by Sargon. The high priest, while explaining to the pharaoh whence each gift came, looked at his face diligently. But in place of admiration for the treasures, he noticed dissatisfaction. "Tell me, worthiness," inquired Ramses on a sudden, "what good comes of these treasures shut up in darkness?"