Farewell! Now I belong to the present and to the
future. Farewell!"
He rises, walks with firm footstep through the apartment, and enters
the room where Ada and his sons are awaiting him.
"Come, my sons, I will show you my capital, the most beautiful of
all cities--I will show you Cairo. Come!"
He takes his sons by the hand, and, alas! he forgets the poor woman
who is regarding him tenderly, and down whose cheeks two tears
slowly trickle as the door closes behind him.
Mohammed leads his sons through the long suite of splendid
apartments, which they regard with wonder, into the grand reception-
chamber, and steps out with them upon the balcony. The beautiful
city of Cairo now lies spread out before them. Over there glitters
the Nile, like a silver ribbon, and beyond tower aloft the wondrous
forms of the great Pyramids of Gheezeh.
A cry of delight escapes the lips of the boys. "Oh, how beautiful,
how glorious, father!"
"Yes, beautiful is Cairo; beautiful is Egypt, my sons. All that you
see spread out before you is mine. I am the ruler of Egypt; you
shall be its rulers after me, and our house shall become great and
glorious. This I swear, by Allah! I will not, like my predecessors,
be deposed from my throne and descend the hill on which stands the
proud citadel of Cairo. I swear, by Allah, that my house shall
continue to rule over Egypt, and it shall be inscribed in the books
of history: 'Mohammed Ali was the first free viceroy of Egypt, and
his sons succeeded him on the throne.
Pages:
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657