“Thatyouwhohaveprovedyourselfaprophetessbyyourdeedsinyondertempleshoulddedicateyourpowerstotheserviceofyourpeople，receivinginreturnfullforgivenessfortheevilsyouhavewroughtagainstthem，whichwesweartoyouinthenameofGod。“
“Iamnoprophetess，andIhavewroughtnoevilsagainstmypeople，Priest。Ihaveonlysavedthemfromtheevilofmurderingonewhohasshownhimselftheirfriend，evenasIheartothelayingdownofhiscrownfortheirsake。“
“ThatisfortheFathersofIsraelandnotforyoutojudge，woman。
Youranswer？“
“Itisneitherforthemnorforme，butforGodonly。“Shepaused，thenadded，“Isthisallyouaskofme？“
“ItisalltheFathersask，butLabanaskshisaffiancedwife。“
“AndamItobegiveninmarriageto——thisassassin？“
“Withoutdoubtyouaretobegiventothisbravesoldier，beingalreadyhis。“
“AndifIrefuse？“
“Then，DaughterofNathan，itismyparttocurseyouinthenameofGod，andtodeclareyoucutoffandoutcastfromthepeopleofGod。Itismyparttoannouncetoyoufurtherthatyourlifeisforfeit，andthatanyHebrewmaykillyouwhenandhowhecan，andtakenoblame。“
Merapipaledalittle，thenturningtoJabez，asked：
“Youhaveheard，myuncle。Whatsayyou？“
Jabezlookedroundshiftily，andsaidinhisunctuousvoice：
“Myniece，surelyyoumustobeythecommandsoftheEldersofIsraelwhospeakthewillofHeaven，asyouobeyedthemwhenyoumatchedyourselfagainstthemightofAmon。“
“Yougavemeadifferentcounselyesterday，myuncle。ThenyousaidI
hadbetterbidewhereIwas。“
Themessengerturnedandglaredathim。
“Thereisagreatdifferencebetweenyesterdayandto-day，“wentonJabezhurriedly。“YesterdayyouwereprotectedbyonewhowouldsoonbePharaoh，andmighthavebeenabletomovehismindinfavourofyourfolk。To-dayhisgreatnessisstrippedfromhim，andhiswillhasnomoreweightinEgypt。Adeadlionisnottobefeared，myniece。“
Setismiledatthisinsult，butMerapi’sface，likemyown，grewred，asthoughwithanger。
“Sleepinglionshavebeentakenfordeaderenow，myuncle，asthosewhowouldspurnthemhavediscoveredtotheircost。PrinceSeti，haveyounowordtohelpmeinthisstrait？“
“Whatisthestrait，Lady？Ifyouwishtogotoyourpeopleand——toLaban，who，Iunderstand，isrecoveredfromhishurts，thereisnaughtbetweenyouandmesavemygratitudetoyouwhichgivesmetherighttosayyoushallnotgo。If，however，youwishtostay，thenperhapsI
amstillnotsopowerlesstoshieldorsmiteasthisworthyJabezthinks，whostillremainthegreatestlordinEgyptandonewiththosethatlovehim。Thereforeshouldyoudesiretoremain，Ithinkthatyoumaydosounmolestedofany，andleastofallbythatfriendinwhoseshadowitpleasesyoutosojourn。“
“Thoseareverygentlewords，“murmuredMerapi，“wordsthatfewwouldspeaktoamaidfromwhomnaughtisaskedandwhohasnaughttogive。“
“Atrucetothistalk，“snarledthemessenger。“Doyouobeyordoyourebel？Youranswer。“
Sheturnedandlookedhimfullintheface，saying：
“IdonotreturntoGoshenandtoLaban，ofwhoseswordIhaveseenenough。“
“Mayhapyouwillseemoreofitbeforeallisdone。Forthelasttime，thinkerethecurseofyourGodandyourpeoplefallsuponyou，andafterit，death。ForfallIsayitshall，I，who，asPharaohknowsto-day，amnofalseprophet，andasthatPrinceknowsalso。“
“IdonotthinkthatmyGod，whoseestheheartsofthosethathehasmade，willavengehimselfuponawomanbecausesherefusestobeweddedtoamurdererwhomofherownwillsheneverchose，which，Priest，isthefateyouofferme。ThereforeIamcontenttoleavejudgmentinthehandsofthegreatJudgeofall。FortherestIdefyyouandyourcommands。IfImustbeslaughtered，letmedie，butatleastletmediemistressofmyselfandfree，whoamnoman’slove，orwife，orslave。“
“Wellspoken!“whisperedSetitome。
Thenthispriestbecameterrible。Wavinghisarmsandrollinghiswildeyes，hepouredoutsomehideouscurseupontheheadofthispoormaid，muchofwhich，asitwasspokenrapidlyinanancientformofHebrew，wedidnotunderstand。Hecursedherliving，dying，andafterdeath。Hecursedherinherloveandhate，weddedoralone。Hecursedherinchild-bearingorinbarrenness，andhecursedherchildrenafterhertoallgenerations。Lastly，hedeclaredhercutofffromandrejectedbythegodsheworshipped，andsentencedhertodeathatthehandsofanywhocouldslayher。Sohorriblewasthatcursethatsheshrankawayfromhim，whileJabezcrouchedaboutthegroundhidinghiseyeswithhishands，andevenIfeltmybloodturncold。
Atlengthhepaused，foamingatthelips。Then，suddenly，shouting，“Afterjudgment，doom!“hedrewaknifefromhisrobeandsprangather。
Shefledbehindus。Hefollowed，butSeti，crying，“Ah，Ithoughtit，“
leaptbetweenthem，ashedidsodrawingtheironswordwhichheworewithhisceremonialdress。AthimhesprangandthenextthingIsawwastheredpointoftheswordstandingoutbeyondthepriest’sshoulders。
Downhefell，babbling：
“IsthishowyoushowyourloveforIsrael，Prince？“
“ItishowIshowmyhateofmurderers，“answeredSeti。
Thenthemandied。
“Oh!“criedMerapiwringingherhands，“oncemoreIhavecausedHebrewbloodtoflowandnowallthiscursewillfallonme。“
“Nay，onme，Lady，ifthereisanythingincurses，whichIdoubt，forthisdeedwasmine，andattheworstyondermadbrute’sknifedidnotfallonyou。“
“Yes，lifeisleftifonlyforalittlewhile。Haditnotbeenforyou，Prince，bynow，I-“andsheshuddered。
“Andhaditnotbeenforyou，MoonofIsrael，bynowI-“andhesmiled，adding，“SurelyFateweavesastrangewebroundyouandme。
Firstyousavemefromthesword；thenIsaveyou。Ithink，Lady，thatintheendweoughttodietogetherandgiveAnaherestuffforthebestofallhisstories。FriendJabez，“hewentontotheIsraelitewhowasstillcrouchinginthecornerwiththeeyesstartingfromhishead，“getyoubacktoyourgentle-heartedpeopleandmakeitcleartothemwhytheladyMerapicannotcompanionyou，takingwithyouthatcarriontoproveyourtale。Tellthemthatiftheysendmorementomolestyourniecealikefateawaitsthem，butthatnowasbeforeIdonotturnmybackuponthembecauseofthedeedsofafewmadmenorevil-doers，asIhavegiventhemproofto-day。Ana，makeready，sincesoonIleaveforMemphis。SeethattheLadyMerapi，whowilltravelalone，hasfitescortforherjourney，thatisifitpleaseshertodepartfromTanis。“
Now，notwithstandingallthewoesthatfellonEgyptandacertainsecretsorrowofmyown，beganthehappiestofthedayswhichthegodshavegivenme。WewenttoMenneferorMemphis，thewhite-walledcitywhereIwasborn，thecitythatIloved。NownolongerdidIdwellinalittlehouseneartotheenclosureofthetempleofPtah，whichisvasterandmoresplendidthanallthoseofThebesorTanis。MyhomewasinthebeautifulpalaceofSeti，whichhehadinheritedfromhismother，theGreatRoyalWife。Itstood，andindeedstillstands，onapiled-upmoundwithoutthewallsneartothetempleofthegoddessNeit，whoalwayshasherhabitationtothenorthofthewall，whyIdonotknow，becauseevenherpriestscannottellme。Infrontofthispalace，facingtothenorth，isagreatportico，whereoftheroofisborneuponpalm-headed，paintedcolumnswhencemaybeseenthemostlovelyprospectinEgypt。Firstthegardens，thenthepalm-groves，thenthecultivatedland，thenthebroadandgentleNileand，faraway，thedesert。
Here，then，wedwelt，keepingsmallstateandalmostunguarded，butinwealthandcomfort，spendingourtimeinthelibraryofthepalace，orinthoseofthetemples，andwhenweweariedofwork，inthelovelygardensor，perchance，sailinguponthebosomoftheNile。TheladyMerapidwelttherealso，butinaseparatewingofthepalace，withcertainslavesandservantswhomSetihadgiventoher。Sometimeswemetherinthegardens，whereitpleasedhertowalkatthesamehoursthatwedid，namelybeforethesungrewhot，orinthecooloftheevening，andnowandagainwhenthemoonshoneatnight。Thenthethreeofuswouldtalktogether，forSetineversoughthercompanyaloneorwithinwalls。
Thosetalkswereverypleasant。Moreovertheygrewmorefrequentastimewenton，sinceMerapihadathirstforlearning，andthePrincewouldbringherrollstoreadinalittlesummer-housetherewas。Herewewouldsit，oriftheheatwasgreat，outsidebeneaththeshadowoftwospreadingtreesthatstretchedabovetheroofofthelittlepleasure-house，whileSetidiscoursedofthecontentsoftherollsandinstructedherinthesecretsofourwriting。Sometimes，too，Ireadthemstoriesofmymaking，towhichitpleasedthembothtolisten，orsotheysaid，andI，inmyvanity，believed。AlsowewouldtalkofthemysteryandthewonderoftheworldandoftheHebrewsandtheirfate，orofwhatpassedinEgyptandtheneighbouringlands。