Upon entering the chamber the male servitors retired and six maidens took their places. Nellie was given a seat next to Enola, and next to her came Mr. Bruce and then Harry; Mrs. Graham sat next to the King with her husband at her left.
When all were seated, a strain of exquisite music from some hidden orchestra of stringed instruments burst forth. The King gave a command and fifteen maidens came tripping in singing a pretty song, their harmonious voices blending deliciously with the music. Seven of the maidens carried gold dishes containing chipped ice, while the others carried cups in one hand and a vase of honey in the other. They rested the cups on the tables and after filling them partly with honey added wine from the chalices and then dropped into the cups some of the chipped ice, stirring this gently with small golden ladles. This done they stepped back and the King raising his cup, waited for the others to do so; when they had done this the King arose and looking toward the skeleton at the end of the room, raising his cup and saying a few words, drank the contents. All had followed the King in his movements, and as the cool beverage touched their lips it seemed that they had never tasted anything half so sweet or refreshing. Months had passed since they had known such luxuries as ice and wine and they emptied their cups almost greedily, hoping that the etiquette of the feast would allow them to drink long and unsparingly of the delicious beverage.
The maidens bore the cups away, and others brought in trays containing small silken napkins and golden finger bowls filled with perfumed water. Other maidens brought in trays, covered with figs, fresh herbs, chipped ice and eggs of a peculiar kind in tiny cups of gold.
Thus far not a word had been spoken; the King, however, seemed surprised at the silence, and probably surmising the reason pointed to his lips and then to the guests, making them understand that he would like to hear them talk. Enola took upon herself to instruct the King as far as possible in English, pointing to different articles on the table and then naming them. Onrai, for this was the King’s name, named the articles slowly after her and then gave the names in his native tongue.
Mr. Bruce, who had listened intently to the names given the articles by the King, and who had carefully studied a piece of papyrus upon which the King had inscribed some characters when passed to him, declared the characters to be Egyptian hieroglyphics or closely resembling them. He had been a close student of the Egyptian hieroglyphics while at college, and had spent many spare moments in the great British museum going over the ancient inscriptions in the vast collection of that home of relics. He had noticed also the inscription upon the pennant held in the eagle’s talons on the ceiling, and the characters above the skeleton at the end of the room. All these convinced him that the strange people around him had originally come from Egypt, but it must have been thousands of years before, for the language and written characters of the ancient Egyptians had been obsolete for centuries. The skeleton in the banqueting hall was an old Egyptian custom, and this but added to the belief that these people had originally sprung from that race.
“One would think,” said Harry, “that we had been taken from the world of hurry and bustle which we so recently knew, and set back two or three thousand years into this ancient city.”
“Yes, it all seems very strange,” said Mr. Bruce, “but I must admit there is novelty in the change at least, and for my part I am enjoying it immensely.”
“Well, I never expected to find iced wine in the heart of Africa,” said Mr. Graham.
“Nor I,” said Mrs. Graham, “nor cups of gold from which to drink it.”
“Truly, we must have discovered a city of the gods,” exclaimed Mr. Graham.