Mandarins, for from the East come the arts and knowledge of the world,
and the converse of their people is polite. Thus Nehemoth passes on
through the other Audience Chambers and receives, perhaps, some
Sheikhs of the Arab folk who have crossed the great desert from the
West, or receives an embassy sent to do him homage from the shy
jungle people to the South. And all the while the slaves with the
ringing palanquin run westwards, following the sun, and ever the sun
shines straight into the chamber where Nehemoth sits, and all the
while the music from one or other of his bands of musicians comes
tinkling to his ears. But when the middle of the day draws near, the
slaves run to the cool groves that lie along the verandahs on the
northern side of the palace, forsaking the sun, and as the heat
overcomes the genius of the musicians, one by one their hands fall
from their instruments, till at last all melody ceases. At this
moment Nehemoth falls asleep, and the slaves put the palanquin down
and lie down beside it. At this hour the city becomes quite still,
and the palace of Nehemoth and the tombs of the Pharaohs of old face
to the sunlight, all alike in silence. Even the jewellers in the
market-place, selling gems to princes, cease from their bargaining
and cease to sing; for in Babbulkund the vendor of rubies sings the
song of the ruby, and the vendor of sapphires sings the song of the
sapphire, and each stone hath its song, so that a man, by his song,
proclaims and makes known his wares.

'But all these sounds cease at the meridian hour, the jewellers in
the market-place lie down in what shadow they can find, and the
princes go back to the cool places in their palaces, and a great
hush in the gleaming air hangs over Babbulkund. But in the cool of
the late afternoon, one of the King's musicians will awake from
dreaming of his home and will pass his fingers, perhaps, over the