“Areyouthenlonely？“
“Howcanitbeotherwisewithanoutcast，Prince？“
“No，itcannotbeotherwise。Iknowitwhoamalsoanoutcast。“
“AtleastthereisherHighnessyourwife，whodoubtlesswillcometocomfortyou，“shesaid，lookingdown。
“HerHighnesswillnotcome。IfyouhadseenAna，hewouldperhapshavetoldyouthatshehasswornnottolookuponmyfaceagain，unlessaboveitshinesacrown。“
“Oh!howcanawomanbesocruel？Surely，Prince，suchastabmustcutyoutotheheart，“sheexclaimed，withalittlecryofpity。
“HerHighnessisnotonlyawoman；sheisaPrincessofEgyptwhichisdifferent。Fortherestitdoescutmetotheheartthatmyroyalsistershouldhavedesertedme，forthatwhichshelovesbetter——powerandpomp。Butsoitis，unlessAnadreams。Itseemsthereforethatweareinthesamecase，bothoutcasts，youandI，isitnotso？“
Shemadenoanswerbutcontinuedtolookupontheground，andhewentonveryslowly：
“AthoughtcomesintomymindonwhichIwouldaskyourjudgment。Iftwowhoareforlorncametogethertheywouldbelessforlornbyhalf，wouldtheynot？“
“Itwouldseemso，Prince——thatisiftheyremainedforlornatall。
ButIdonotunderstandtheriddle。“
“Yetyouhaveansweredit。IfyouarelonelyandIamlonelyapart，weshould，yousay，belesslonelytogether。“
“Prince，“shemurmured，shrinkingawayfromhim，“Ispokenosuchwords。“
“No，Ispokethemforyou。Hearkentome，Merapi。TheythinkmeastrangemaninEgyptbecauseIhaveheldnowomandear，neverhavingseenonewhomIcouldholddear。“Hereshelookedathimsearchingly，andhewenton，“Awhileago，beforeIvisitedyourlandofGoshen——
Anacantellyouaboutthematter，forIthinkhewroteitdown——KiandoldBakenkhonsucametoseeme。Now，asyouknow，Kiiswithoutdoubtagreatmagician，thoughitwouldseemnotsogreatassomeofyourprophets。HetoldmethatheandothershadbeensearchingoutmyfutureandthatinGoshenIshouldfindawomanwhomitwasfatedI
mustlove。Headdedthatthiswomanwouldbringmemuchjoy。“HereSetipaused，doubtlessrememberingthiswasnotallthatKihadsaid，orJabezeither。“Kitoldmealso，“hewentonslowly，“thatIhadalreadyknownthiswomanforthousandsofyears。“
Shestartedandastrangelookcameintoherface。
“Howcanthatbe，Prince？“
“ThatiswhatIaskedhimandgotnogoodanswer。Stillhesaidit，notonlyofthewomanbutofmyfriendAnaaswell，whichindeedwouldexplainmuch，anditwouldappearthattheothermagicianssaiditalso。ThenIwenttothelandofGoshenandthereIsawawoman-“
“Forthefirsttime，Prince？“
“No，forthethirdtime。“
Hereshesankuponthebenchandcoveredhereyeswithherhands。
“-andlovedher，andfeltasthoughIhadlovedherfor’thousandsofyears。’“
“Itisnottrue。Youmockme，itisnottrue!“shewhispered。
“ItistrueforifIdidnotknowitthen，Iknewitafterwards，thoughneverperhapscompletelyuntilto-day，whenIlearnedthatUsertihaddesertedmeindeed。MoonofIsrael，youarethatwoman。I
willnottellyou，“hewentonpassionately，“thatyouarefairerthanallotherwomen，orsweeter，ormorewise，thoughthesethingsyouseemtome。IwillonlytellyouthatIloveyou，yes，loveyou，whateveryoumaybe。IcannotofferyoutheThroneofEgypt，evenifthelawwouldsufferit，butIcanofferyouthethroneofthisheartofmine。Now，LadyMerapi，whathaveyoutosay？Beforeyouspeak，rememberthatalthoughyouseemtobemyprisonerhereatMemphis，youhavenaughttofearfromme。Whateveryoumayanswer，suchshelterandsuchfriendshipasIcangivewillbeyourswhileIlive，andnevershallIattempttoforcemyselfuponyou，howevermuchitmaypainmetopassyouby。Iknownotthefuture。ItmayhappenthatIshallgiveyougreatplaceandpower，itmayhappenthatIshallgiveyounothingbutpovertyandexile，orevenperhapsashareinmyowndeath，butwitheitherwillgotheworshipofmybodyandmyspirit。Now，speak。“
Shedroppedherhandsfromherface，lookingupathim，andthereweretearsshininginherbeautifuleyes。
“Itcannotbe，Prince，“shemurmured。
“Youmeanyoudonotwishittobe？“
“Isaidthatitcannotbe。SuchtiesbetweenanEgyptianandanIsraelitearenotlawful。“
“Someinthiscityandelsewhereseemtofindthemso。“
“AndIammarried，ImeanperhapsIammarried——atleastinname。“
“AndItooammarried，Imean-“
“Thatisdifferent。Alsothereisanotherreason，thegreatestofall，Iamunderacurse，andshouldbringyou，notjoyasKisaid，butsorrow，or，attheleast，sorrowwiththejoy。“
Helookedathersearchingly。
“HasAna-“hebegan，thencontinued，“ifsowhatliveshaveyouknownthatarenotcompoundedofmingledjoyandsorrow？“
“None。ButthewoeIshouldbringwouldoutweighthejoy——toyou。ThecurseofmyGodrestsuponmeandIcannotlearntoworshipyours。Thecurseofmypeoplerestsuponme，thelawofmypeopledividesmefromyouaswithasword，andshouldIdrawclosetoyouthesewillbeincreaseduponmyhead，whichmattersnot，butalsouponyours，“andshebegantosob。
“Tellme，“hesaid，takingherbythehand，“butonething，andiftheanswerisNo，Iwilltroubleyounomore。Isyourheartmine？“
“Itis，“shesighed，“andhasbeeneversincemyeyesfelluponyouyonderinthestreetsofTanis。Oh!thenachangecameintomeandI
hatedLaban，whombeforeIhadonlymisliked。Moreover，ItoofeltthatofwhichKispoke，asthoughIhadknownyouforthousandsofyears。Myheartisyours，myloveisyours；allthatmakesmewomanisyours，andnever，nevercanturnfromyoutoanyotherman。Butstillwemuststayapart，foryoursake，myPrince，foryoursake。“
“Then，wereitnotforme，youwouldbereadytorunthesehazards？“
“Surely!AmInotawomanwholoves？“
“Ifthatbeso，“hesaidwithalittlelaugh，“beingoffullageandofanunderstandingwhichsomehavethoughtgood，byyourleaveI
thinkIwillrunthemalso。Oh!foolishwoman，doyounotunderstandthatthereisbutonegoodthingintheworld，onethinginwhichselfanditsmiseriescanbeforgot，andthatthingislove？Mayhaptroubleswillcome。Well，letthemcome，forwhatdotheymatterifonlytheloveoritsmemoryremains，ifoncewehavepickedthatbeauteousflowerandforanhourwornitonourbreasts。Youtalkofthedifferencebetweenthegodsweworshipandmaybeitexists，butallgodssendtheirgiftsofloveupontheearth，withoutwhichitwouldceasetobe。Moreover，myfaithteachesmemoreclearlyperhapsthanyours，thatlifedoesnotendwithdeathandthereforethatlove，beinglife’ssoul，mustendurewhileitendures。Lastofall，Ithink，asyouthink，thatinsomedimwaythereistruthinwhatthemagicianssaid，andthatlongagointhepastwehavebeenwhatoncemoreweareabouttobe，andthatthestrengthofthisinvisibletiehasdrawnustogetheroutofthewholeworldandwillbindustogetherlongaftertheworldisdead。Itisnotamatterofwhatwewishtodo，Merapi，itisamatterofwhatFatehasdecreedweshalldo。Now，answeragain。“
Butshemadenoanswer，andwhenIlookedupafteralittlemomentshewasinhisarmsandherlipswereuponhislips。
ThusdidPrinceSetiofEnglandandMerapi，MoonofIsrael，cometogetheratMemphisinEgypt。
OnthemorrowofthisnightIfoundthePrincealoneforalittlewhile，andputhiminmindofcertainancientmanuscriptsthathewishedtoread，whichcouldonlybeconsultedatThebeswhereImightcopythem；alsoofothersthatweresaidtobeforsalethere。Heansweredthattheycouldwait，butIrepliedthatthelattermightfindsomeotherpurchaserifIdidnotgoatonce。
“Youareoverfondoflongjourneysuponmybusiness，Ana，“hesaid。
Thenheconsideredmecuriouslyforawhile，andsincehecouldreadmymind，asindeedIcouldhis，sawthatIknewall，andaddedinagentlevoice：
“YoushouldhavedoneasItoldyou，andspokenfirst。Ifso，whoknows-“
“Youdo，Prince，“Ianswered，“youandanother。“