He had been in a state of
doubt and hesitation all along; his future was enveloped in a thick
veil, and he was not aware what shape his destiny was to take; yet
he had closely observed all. He bad seen that poor Egypt was a
plaything of ambition, of rapacity, of intrigue--a prey for all.
Nowhere in the midst of this reign of intrigue and passion had he
seen law and justice prevail. He saw only a province trodden under
foot, a bleeding land, that must perish in its citizens, unless a
deliverer should come who knew how to bind up and heal its wounds.
Could he be its deliverer? Was it his mission to raise up the
downtrodden people from the dust, to erect for himself a throne upon
the ground that smoked with the blood of so many victims? Was this
his mission, and was there a way that would lead him up the steep
ascent to the throne? All this he considered earnestly and
profoundly throughout the entire night, and, when the rising sun had
dispelled the clouds of the morning, it was clear, too, in his soul.
He saw the way he must go to reach his goal.
"And this way I will go," said he to himself, in low tones. "I will
consider nothing but my interest and my aim. I will avail myself of
all means that are useful. Wise, shrewd, cautious, using every
thing, and recoiling from nothing, let this be the motto of my
immediate future: 'To overthrow the enemy by rebellion were unwise;
he who usurps another's place is always a rebel, and deserving of
punishment.
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