“Their look, with the reach of past ages, was wise,
And the soul of eternity thought in their eyes.
“By divine revelation David beheld the present time, when, after Christ’s travail for the sins of humanity, the time of Ethiopia’s atonement being past, purged of idolatry, accepting the One Only God through His Son Jesus, suddenly should come a new birth to the descendants of Ham, and Ethiopia should return to her ancient glory! Ergamenes, all hail!
“You come from afar
From the land of the stranger,
The dreadful in war,
The daring in danger;
Before him our plain
Like Eden is lying;
Behind him remain
But the wasted and dying.
“The weak finds not ruth,
Nor the patriot glory;
No hope for the youth,
And no rest for the hoary;
O’er Ethiop’s lost plains
The victor’s sword flashes,
Her sons are in chains,
And her temples in ashes!
“Who will assume the bays
That the hero wore?
Wreaths on the Tomb of Days
Gone evermore!”
Upon his companions the song of the past of Ethiopia had a strange effect. Soothing at times, at times exciting, with the last notes from the instruments the company sprang to their feet; with flashing dark eyes, faces reflecting inward passions, they drew their short, sabrelike arms and circled about Reuel’s throne with the shout “Ergamenes! Ergamenes!”
CHAPTER XVI.
Once more Reuel found himself alone with Ai. It was far into the night, but he felt sleepless and restless. At last Ai broke a long silence:
“Tell me of the country from which you come, Ergamenes. Is it true that the Ethiopian there is counted less than other mortals?”
“It is true, Ai,” replied Reuel. “There, the dark hue of your skin, your waving hair with its trace of crispness, would degrade you below the estate of any man of fair hue and straight locks, belonging to any race outside the Ethiopian, for it is a deep disgrace to have within the veins even one drop of the blood you seem so proud of possessing.”
“That explains your isolation from our race, then?”
Reuel bowed his head in assent, while over his face passed a flush of shame. He felt keenly now the fact that he had played the coward’s part in hiding his origin. What though obstacles were many, some way would have been shown him to surmount the difficulties of caste prejudice.