Page:The land of enchantment (1907, Cassell).djvu/63

 “chiton” round him. “On the morrow I will tell thee of other strange things.”

“Oh, Herodotus, I shan’t be here to-morrow. I am to go over and spend the day with my granny. I’m very fond of her, and I haven't seen her for a long time; but oh! I am sorry to miss you. You'll come the day after, won’t you?”

“If the sun be shining.”

And Harry was once more alone by the river’s brink.

happened to oversleep himself after his visit to his grandmother, so Herodotus was waiting for him. Harry was profuse in apologies.

“It matters not,” said the Greek. “Tell me, didst thou have much pleasure yesterday?”

“Rather,” said Harry. “I always enjoy myself at Granny’s. But I had a near squeak of not coming back. She wanted me to come and stay with her, but I said I couldn’t, because Mr. Grey will be back tomorrow, and Father always says I do nothing and forget all I know when I’m at Granny’s. So I’m going to her for Christmas, and that’ll be lovely. She gave me a pound, too, and I’m going to get a book all about Egypt. Not bad, was it?”

“Nay, thou art indeed favoured by fortune,” replied Herodotus.

“But I’m very lonely sometimes,” said Harry, wistfully. “You see, Father, and Mother are away so often, and this is a large house for only nurse and me.”

“That is true,” said Herodotus; “but since nothing is perfect, thou must needs take some evil with so much good.”

“I s’pose so,” Harry replied doubtfully. “What are you going to tell me this morning, Herodotus?”

“I will tell thee something of the Pyramids. Thou knowest it has puzzled men through the ages how such gigantic works were achieved. Cheops, the king who succeeded Rhampsinitus, was twenty years in building his pyramid. From his reign begins the misgovernment of Egypt, and the crushing down of the poor. The temples were closed, and men were set to work on hewing and dragging stones for the great buildings. A hundred thousand men were set working, and every three months a hundred thousand more took their places.”

“Gracious!” cried Harry. “And how high is it?”