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Article THE REDEEMED. ← Page 5 of 11 →
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The Redeemed.
satiate thirst of knowledge punished thea ! Eager for fancied good , like a child , I have cast down my cup of happiness , scattering its rich contents . Accursed emblem ! " he continued , snatching from his brow the acanthus wreath , and treading it beneath his feet , " I do renounce ancl curse thee : I am free from thy pollution ; again I will seek Rachaelimplore her forgiveness—seek pardon from the offended God , whatere
the penalty . " " Death ! " exclaimed a stern voice near him . The neophite started at the word , and turning hastily round , beheld Arphax standing near him . The appearance of the Egyptian was cold and passionless ; his countenance , fixed as a marble statue , gave no index to the workings of the mind . The long robes of his office fell
gracefully round him , confined by a golden zone set with hieroglyphics . As Reuben gazed upon him his terror vanished : Arphax was his friend —the confidant of his every thought ; long before his conversion , the cunning Egyptian had obtained his unlimited confidence by the kindness he had exercised in li ghtening his labour ; and hence , by gradually perverting -his judgment , working on his imagination , and appealing to his passions , the triumph of his apostacy was gained . Arphax anticipated great reward from Pharaoh for the success of his scheme , but the few words he had overheard alarmed him for the faith of his convertite .
" I have seen her , Arphax , " exclaimed Reuben ; " she rejects—scorns me ! Where now are all your promises ? I have sacrificed relig ion—¦ my nation ' s esteem ; and the prize for which I have endangered thus my soul escapes me !" " Patience , " replied the priest , " she is a woman ; ere the wind shall change or the lotus wither , she will relent . "
" Never ! " answered the apostate . " Priest , thou art wise—hast scanned nature with a curious eye , and , far as human wisdom may , traced her secret workings ; but the heart is a mystery beyond thy skill : its strength , its weakness , its qualities are as various as the floxvers of the oasis : the bright , glaring ones that gild its surface thou hast seen ; the small , stern germ of resolution has escaped thy search—it hath unfolded in my Rachael ' s heart . I must regain her , though the cost be fife . "
" Is this thy reason ? " answered Arphax , unmoved by his apparent misery ; "behold what it is thou lovest : "he stooped , ancl raised a handful of the earth beneath their feet : " dust—yet it hath enslaved thee ; earth—yet , moulded by the caprice of nature in a pleasing form , thou wouldst sacrifice to the lust of thy sight , the independence and dignity of thy mind ! But , come , the assembled priests await thee ; the mysteries of this night complete thy initiation . I am thy friend—thy sworn brother ; if human means can aid thee , rely upon my power ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Redeemed.
satiate thirst of knowledge punished thea ! Eager for fancied good , like a child , I have cast down my cup of happiness , scattering its rich contents . Accursed emblem ! " he continued , snatching from his brow the acanthus wreath , and treading it beneath his feet , " I do renounce ancl curse thee : I am free from thy pollution ; again I will seek Rachaelimplore her forgiveness—seek pardon from the offended God , whatere
the penalty . " " Death ! " exclaimed a stern voice near him . The neophite started at the word , and turning hastily round , beheld Arphax standing near him . The appearance of the Egyptian was cold and passionless ; his countenance , fixed as a marble statue , gave no index to the workings of the mind . The long robes of his office fell
gracefully round him , confined by a golden zone set with hieroglyphics . As Reuben gazed upon him his terror vanished : Arphax was his friend —the confidant of his every thought ; long before his conversion , the cunning Egyptian had obtained his unlimited confidence by the kindness he had exercised in li ghtening his labour ; and hence , by gradually perverting -his judgment , working on his imagination , and appealing to his passions , the triumph of his apostacy was gained . Arphax anticipated great reward from Pharaoh for the success of his scheme , but the few words he had overheard alarmed him for the faith of his convertite .
" I have seen her , Arphax , " exclaimed Reuben ; " she rejects—scorns me ! Where now are all your promises ? I have sacrificed relig ion—¦ my nation ' s esteem ; and the prize for which I have endangered thus my soul escapes me !" " Patience , " replied the priest , " she is a woman ; ere the wind shall change or the lotus wither , she will relent . "
" Never ! " answered the apostate . " Priest , thou art wise—hast scanned nature with a curious eye , and , far as human wisdom may , traced her secret workings ; but the heart is a mystery beyond thy skill : its strength , its weakness , its qualities are as various as the floxvers of the oasis : the bright , glaring ones that gild its surface thou hast seen ; the small , stern germ of resolution has escaped thy search—it hath unfolded in my Rachael ' s heart . I must regain her , though the cost be fife . "
" Is this thy reason ? " answered Arphax , unmoved by his apparent misery ; "behold what it is thou lovest : "he stooped , ancl raised a handful of the earth beneath their feet : " dust—yet it hath enslaved thee ; earth—yet , moulded by the caprice of nature in a pleasing form , thou wouldst sacrifice to the lust of thy sight , the independence and dignity of thy mind ! But , come , the assembled priests await thee ; the mysteries of this night complete thy initiation . I am thy friend—thy sworn brother ; if human means can aid thee , rely upon my power ,