By Far Euphrates A Tale 16
His own best garments Jack laid ready, with care, for the morning.
Rising very early, he put on his ordinary clothes, and went forth to
meet Der Garabed, who came by appointment to bless the bridegroom's
apparel. This ceremony accomplished, Jack arrayed himself for the
wedding, and, with Hohannes and the other men of the family, went to the
church. He sat in his own place on the men's side, Shushan coming in
afterwards with her mother and other female relatives, and sitting among
the women. The service proceeded as usual, until, at the appointed time,
Jack, with a beating heart, stepped out of his place, and came and stood
before the altar. Shushan also was led to the spot, and stood there
beside him. Neither dared to look up.
Der Garabed read from the Holy Book of the first bridal in Paradise; and
again, from its later pages, of how Christian wives and husbands ought
to love and cherish one another. Then, as they turned and stood face to
face, each for one instant looked into the other's eyes, and read there
the secret of the love that is more strong than death. They had to clasp
hands, and to bow their heads until each forehead touched the other.
Old Hohannes took a cross from the hand of the priest, and, his own
trembling with many emotions, laid it on the two bowed heads. The priest
recited a few prayers, and put the solemn questions that the ritual of
every Christian Church prescribes. Then, raising their bowed heads they
stood together, with the right, before God and man, to stand together
until death should part them. The psalm was sung, and the benediction
given; and John Grayson led forth his Lily--all his at last. There was
deep, solemn gladness in his heart; he felt as if, in the expressive
Scottish phrase, "his weird was won."
Peril might be behind them, before them, all around them, yet this one
hour must be given to joy. It is true he had no mother to "crown him in
the day of his espousals," no father to breathe the blessing his filial
heart missed so sorely. Still he believed in blessing, Divine and human.
His faith was strong, his hope was high. He thought it would be no hard
task to bring his bride in safety to his English home--and hers. Once
there, they could both work together for the deliverance of her
people--"_our_ people" was what John Grayson thought, with a throb of
joy, of sympathy, and--is it strange to say it?--of _pride_.
Chapter XI
AN ADVENTUROUS RIDE
"What if we still ride on, we two,
With life for ever old yet new,
Changed not in kind but in degree,
The instant made eternity."
--_R. Browning._
About noon Kevork came to Jack with a pale, anxious face. "You see the
state men's minds are in here?" he said.
"It is only too easy to see," Jack answered.
"Did you notice the scared faces in church?" Kevork went on. "There is
nothing talked of here among our own people but death and massacre; and
among the Turks, but how they are going to kill us and take all we have.
And our own house is in the greatest danger of all. My uncle and the
rest are afraid we will be held accountable for Shushan; and Heaven
knows what the Turks will do to us when they find she is gone. In a
word, they are all saying that if you go to Urfa and take her with you,
the whole household must go too. They think they will be safer there,
lost in a crowd."
"But are they not afraid of coming so near Mehmed Ibrahim?"
"They think that very nearness will save them. He will never think of
looking for them at his own door. One and all, at least, are quite
determined to go, except perhaps my grandfather, who is rather passive
about it, and my father, who is doubtful. Still they do not oppose the
rest. My grandfather says 'Heaven is as near in Urfa as in Biridjik.'"
"Very good," said Jack, "but then, can they go to-night?"
"To-night!" exclaimed Kevork. "Heaven bless you! It will take them a
fortnight or three weeks to get ready; they must do it all quietly, you
know, for fear of the Turks."
"Then, look here, Kevork," Jack said, with a determined air, "I am not
going to leave Shushan in this place another day; the rest may follow as
they like."
"You are right," Kevork answered. "But as for me, I must stay. Think of
it! here are three-and-twenty souls, for the most part women and
children, to be brought to Urfa; and not one of them has been twenty
miles from home before--not even my Uncle Avedis, who is so shrewd and
clever. And then we shall have to make all our preparations, and to sell
off everything we can, but with the greatest secrecy, lest the Turks
should find out and stop us. Yes, I must stay. You shall take the
horses."
Jack nodded. "We must start at midnight," he said. "I am going now to
arrange matters, and to tell the women."
He went, and was fortunate enough to find Shushan for the moment alone.
He held in his hand a large bundle, which he laid on the ground beside
her. "My Shushan," he said, taking her hand tenderly, "I know you trust
me utterly. I am going to ask you for a proof of it."
She looked up at him, and her eyes said for her, "But prove me what it
is I will not do."
"Dearest, put on this clothing I have brought, kiss your father and your
mother, and be ready at midnight to ride with me to Urfa."
She looked at the garments, as he unfolded them, with an involuntary
shudder. "They are Kourdish clothes," she said.
Jack smiled. "At least they are clean," he answered. "They have never
been worn. And there is no law, that I know of, against sheep in wolves'
clothing."
"Oh, but all want to go, father, and mother, and Hagop--all of us."
"They shall follow us, my Shushan."
"But to leave them in such peril! And, Yon Effendi, it is I who have
brought it on them."
"Not altogether, my beloved. Now it is not one here and there who is
persecuted; the danger threatens your whole race--_our_ race," he said,
with a sudden throb of the passionate, pitying love that was springing
up in his heart for the people of his adoption. "Without you," he added,
"their danger certainly will be less. And if God wills, we will all meet
again, in Urfa."
"I will do what you tell me,--my husband," Shushan said, and the words,
if low, were quite steady. The whole trust of her simple heart was his;
and although tender, modest, refined, it was still a hot, impulsive
Eastern heart.
At midnight a group assembled in the courtyard of the Meneshians house.
There was no moon,--all the better for their purpose; but from the
cloudless sky the great, beautiful stars shone down upon them. Avedis
brought out a lantern, which showed two strange figures. In the midst
stood a young Kourdish warrior, his head protected by a gay "kafieh" of
yellow silk, bound about it with rolls of wool, and having the front
thrown back to reveal the face, which was nearly as dark as a mulatto's.
His zeboun was of bright scarlet, and it boasted, instead of a skirt,
four separate tails, or aprons, which showed beneath them Turkish
trousers of crude and staring blue, while a crimson belt contained the
perilous revolver, its two available barrels loaded. It was not
necessary now to conceal it, for it was part of the equipment.
A Kourdish boy, attired in similar fashion, and with face and hands yet
more carefully blackened, clung to the breast of Mariam, as if they
could never part.
"Come, my daughter," Boghos said at last; "the moments are precious."
"'Tis not as if the parting were a long one," Kevork said cheerfully. "A
few weeks, at most, and we follow you to Urfa."
"As we stand now," old Hohannes said solemnly, "_every_ parting may be
as long as life, or death; but we Christians are not afraid of death.
Shushan, my Lily, in Christ's name I bless thee, and bid thee
God-speed."
Shushan had been given into his arms by her mother, and now her father
stood waiting for the last embrace. As he gave it with tear-dimmed eyes,
Jack turned to Hohannes; "You have been as a father to me," he said.
"Bless me also, as a son."
In a broken voice, the old Armenian spoke the words of blessing. The
Englishman bowed his young head in reverence, then shook hands with the
others, and turned to lift into her saddle the shrinking girl in her
boy's attire. Next, he sprang lightly upon his own horse, which Kevork
was holding for him. "Good-bye, _brother_," he said, stooping down to
wring his hand.
Slowly and silently they moved along, the good horses climbing the
terraces that led out of the town. A bribe,--cleverly administered
beforehand by Hohannes, who had a life-long practice in these
matters,--opened to them the ancient gate of Biridjik, and they found
themselves in the road outside.
"Softly, softly," Jack whispered, stroking the neck of his steed, who
seemed quite to understand him. He wondered if, in this strange country,
even the dumb creatures learned to accommodate themselves to the
exigencies of a hunted life. Both their horses might almost have been
shod with felt, for all the noise they made.
When the terraces and gardens were left behind, a running stream or two
had to be crossed, and they found themselves beside the ancient
reservoir which supplied the town with water. After passing this, they
came to a place where three roads met, and where a Turkish guard was
always stationed. This was a serious danger; he might demand their
passports, and they had none.
"What shall we do if he does?" Shushan whispered. Jack pointed to his
purse. But, happily, the Turk gave them no trouble, being fast asleep in
his little booth by the roadside.
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