Heshookhishead。“Notaltogether。Ithinkthisdarknesscomesfromtheheavensaslightdoes。Menareafraidtheyknownotofwhat。“
“TheIsraelites，“Isuggested。
“Nowyouareneartoit，Ana，fordoubtlesstheyhavemuchtodowiththematter。HaditnotbeenforthemSetiandnotAmenmeseswouldbecrownedto-morrow。AlsothetaleofthemarvelwhichthebeautifulHebrewwomanwroughtinthetempleyonderhasgotabroadandistakenasanomen。DidItellyouthatsixdaysgoneafinenewstatueofthegodwasconsecratedthereandonthefollowingmorningwasfoundlyingonitsside，orratherwithitsheadrestingonthebreastofMut？“
“Ifso，Merapiisblameless，becauseshehasgoneawayfromthiscity。“
“Ofcourseshehasgoneaway，forhasnotSetigonealso？ButIthinksheleftsomethingbehindher。Howeverthatmaybe，evenournewdivinelordisafraid。Hedreamsill，Ana，“headded，droppinghisvoice，“soillthathehascalledinKi，theKherheb，[*]tointerprethisvisions。“
[*]“Kherheb“wasthetitleofthechiefofficialmagicianinancientEgypt。
“AndwhatsaidKi？“
“Kicouldsaynothingor，rather，thattheonlyanswervouchsafedtohimandhiscompany，whentheymadeinquiryoftheirKas，wasthatthisgod’sreignwouldbeveryshortandthatitandhislifewouldendtogether。“
“WhichperhapsdidnotpleasethegodAmenmeses，Bakenkhonsu？“
“Whichdidnotpleasethegodatall。HethreatenedKi。Itisafoolishthingtothreatenagreatmagician，Ana，astheKherhebKi，himselfindeedtoldhim，lookinghimintheeyes。Thenheprayedhispardonandaskedwhowouldsucceedhimonthethrone，butKisaidhedidnotknow，asaKherhebwhohadbeenthreatenedcouldneverrememberanything，whichindeedhenevercan——excepttopaybackthethreatener。“
“Anddidheknow，Bakenkhonsu？“
BywayofanswertheoldCouncillorcrumbledsomebreadfineuponthetable，thenwithhisfingertracedamongthecrumbstheroughlikenessofajackal-headedgodandoftwofeathers，afterwhichwithaswiftmovementhesweptthecrumbsontothefloor。
“Seti!“Iwhispered，readingthehieroglyphsofthePrince’sname，andhenoddedandlaughedinhisgreatfashion。
“Mencometotheirownsometimes，Ana，especiallyiftheydonotseektheirown，“hesaid。“Butifso，muchmusthappenfirstthatisterrible。ThenewPharaohisnottheonlymanwhodreams，Ana。OflateyearsmysleephasbeenlightandsometimesIdream，thoughIhavenomagicliketothatofKi。“
“Whatdidyoudream？“
“IdreamedofagreatmultitudemarchinglikelocustsoverEgypt。
Beforethemwentacolumnoffireinwhichweretwohands。OneoftheseheldAmonbythethroatandoneheldthenewPharaohbythethroat。Afterthemcameacolumnofcloud，andinitashapeliketothatofanunwrappedmummy，ashapeofdeathstandinguponwaterthatwasfullofcountlessdead。“
NowIbethoughtmeofthepicturethatthePrinceandIhadseenintheskiesyonderinthelandofGoshen，butofitIsaidnothing。YetIthinkthatBakenkhonsusawintomymind，forheasked：
“Do/you/neverdream，Friend？Youseevisionsthatcometrue——
Amenmesesonthethrone，forinstance。Doyounotalsodreamattimes？
No？Well，then，thePrince？Youlooklikemenwhomight，andthetimeisripeandpregnant。Oh!Iremember。Youarebothofyoudreaming，notofthepicturesthatpassacrosstheterribleeyesofKi，butofthosethatthemoonreflectsuponthewatersofMemphis，theMoonofIsrael。Ana，beadvisedbyme，putawaythefleshandincreasethespirit，forinitaloneishappiness，whereofwomanandallourjoysarebutearthlysymbols，shadowsthrownbythatmortalcloudwhichliesbetweenusandtheLightAbove。Iseethatyouunderstand，becausesomeofthatlighthasstruggledtoyourheart。Doyourememberthatyousawitshininginthehourwhenyourlittledaughterdied？Ah!Ithoughtso。Itwasthegiftsheleftyou，agiftthatwillgrowandgrowinsuchabreastasyours，ifonlyyouwillputawaythefleshandmakeroomforit，Ana。Man，donotweep——laughasIdo，Oho-
ho!Givememystaff，andgood-night。Forgetnotthatwesittogetheratthecrowningto-morrow，foryouareaKing’sCompanionandthatrankonceconferredisonewhichnonewPharaohcantakeaway。Itislikethegiftofthespirit，Ana，whichishardtowin，butoncewonmoreeternalthanthestars。Oh!whydoIlivesolongwhowouldbatheinit，aswhenachildIusedtobatheinNile？“
OnthefollowingdayattheappointedhourIwenttothegreathallofthepalace，thatinwhichIhadfirstseenMeneptah，andtookmystandintheplaceallottedtome。Itwassomewhatfarback，perhapsbecauseitwasnotwishedthatI，whowasknowntobetheprivatescribeofSeti，shouldremindEgyptofhimbyappearingwhereallcouldseeme。
Greataswasthehallthecrowdfilledittoitsfurthestcorners。
Moreovernocommonmanwaspresentthere，butrathereverynobleandhead-priestinEgypt，andwiththemtheirwivesanddaughters，sothatallthedimcourtsshonewithgoldandpreciousgemssetuponfestalgarments。WhileIwaswaitingoldBakenkhonsuhobbledtowardsme，thecrowdmakingwayforhim，andIcouldseethattherewaslaughterinhissunkeneyes。
“Weareill-placed，Ana，“hesaid。“StillifanyofthemanygodsthereareinEgyptshouldchancetorainfiresonPharaoh，weshallbethesafer。Talkingofgods，“hewentoninawhisper，“haveyouheardwhathappenedanhouragointhetempleofPtahofTaniswhenceIhavejustcome？PharaohandalltheBlood-royal——saveone——walkedaccordingtocustombeforethestatueofthegodwhich，asyouknow，shouldbowitsheadtoshowthathechoosesandacceptstheking。InfrontofAmenmeseswentthePrincessUserti，andasshepassedtheheadofthegodbowed，forIsawit，thoughallpretendedthattheydidnotsee。
ThencamePharaohandstoodwaiting，butitwouldnotbow，thoughthepriestscalledintheoldformula，’Thegodgreetstheking。’
“Atlengthhewenton，lookingasblackasnight，andothersofthebloodofRamesesfollowedintheirorder。LastofalllimpedSaptahand，behold!thegodbowedagain。“
“Howandwhydoesitdothesethings？“Iasked，“andatthewrongtime？“
“Askthepriests，Ana，orUserti，orSaptah。Perhapsthedivineneckhasnotbeenoiledoflate，ortoomuchoiled，ortoolittleoiled，orprayers——orstrings——mayhavegonewrong。OrPharaohmayhavebeenniggardinhisgiftstothatcollegeofthegreatgodofhisHouse。
WhoamIthatIshouldknowthewaysofgods？ThatinthetemplewhereIservedatThebesfiftyyearsagodidnotpretendtobowortotroublehimselfastowhichoftheroyalracesatuponthethrone。
Hush!HerecomesPharaoh。“
Theninasplendidprocession，surroundedbyprinces，councillors，ladies，priests，andguards，AmenmesesandtheRoyalWife，Urnure，alargewomanwhowalkedawkwardly，enteredthehall，aglitteringband。
Thehigh-priest，Roi，andthechancellor，Nehesi，receivedPharaohandledhimtohisthrone。Themultitudeprostrateditself，trumpetsblewandthricetheoldsaluteof“Life!Blood!Strength!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!
Pharaoh!“wascriedaloud。
Amenmesesroseandbowed，andIsawthathisheavyfacewastroubledandlookedolder。ThenhesworesomeoathtogodsandmenwhichRoidictatedtohim，andbeforeallthecompanyputonthedoublecrownandtheotheremblems，andtookinhishandsthescourgeandgoldensickle。Nexthomagewaspaid。ThePrincessUserticamefirstandkissedPharaoh’shand，butbentnoknee。Indeedfirstshespokewithhimawhile。Wecouldnothearwhatwassaid，butafterwardslearnedthatshedemandedthatheshouldpubliclyrepeatallthepromiseswhichherfatherMeneptahhadmadetoherbeforehim，confirmingherinherplaceandrights。Thisintheendhedid，thoughitseemedtomeunwillinglyenough。
Sowithmanyformsandancientcelebrationstheceremonywenton，tillallgrewwearywaitingforthattimewhenPharaohshouldmakehisspeechtothepeople。Thatspeech，however，wasnevermade，forpresently，thrustingpastus，IsawthosetwoprophetsoftheIsraeliteswhohadvisitedMeneptahinthissamehall。Menshrankfromthem，sothattheywalkedstraightuptothethrone，nordideventheguardsstrivetobartheirway。WhattheysaidthereIcouldnothear，butIbelievethattheydemandedthattheirpeopleshouldbeallowedtogotoworshiptheirgodintheirownfashion，andthatAmenmesesrefusedasMeneptahhaddone。
ThenoneofthemcastdownarodanditturnedtoasnakewhichhissedatPharaoh，whereontheKherhebKiandhiscompanyalsocastdownrodsthatturnedtosnakes，thoughIcouldonlyhearthehissing。Afterthisagreatgloomfelluponthehall，sothatmencouldnotseeeachother’sfacesandeveryonebegantocallaloudtillthecompanybrokeupinconfusion。BakenkhonsuandIwerebornetogethertothedoorwaybythepressureofthepeople，whenceweweregladenoughtoseetheskyagain。
ThusendedthecrowningofAmenmeses。