“Ifhehadnot，Lady，Ithinktherewouldhavebeennoneofuslefttotrick，seeingthatthepeoplewerecrazedwiththedreadofthedarknessandbelievedthatitcouldbeliftedbyyoualone，asindeedhappened，“Iaddedsomewhatdoubtfully。
“MoreofKi’stricks!Oh!doyounotunderstandthattheliftingofthedarknessatthatmomentwasKi’swork，becausehewishedthepeopletobelievethatIamindeedasorceress。“
“Why？“Iasked。
“Idonotknow。Perhapsthatonedayhemayfindavictimtobindtothealtarinhisplace。AtleastIknowwellthatitisIwhomustpaytheprice，Iandmyfleshandblood，whateverKimaypromise，“andshelookedatthesleepingchild。
“Donotbeafraid，Lady，“Isaid。“Kihasleftthepalaceandyouwillseehimnomore。“
“Yes，becausethePrincewasangrywithhimaboutthetrickinthetempleofIsis。Thereforesuddenlyhewent，orpretendedtogo，forhowcanonetellwheresuchamanmayreallybe？Buthewillcomebackagain。Bethinkyou，KiwasthegreatestmagicianinEgypt；evenoldBakenkhonsucanremembernoneliketohim。Thenhematcheshimselfagainsttheprophetsofmypeopleandfails。“
“Butdidhefail，Lady？Whattheydidhedid，sendingamongtheIsraelitestheplaguesthatyourprophetshadsentamongus。“
“Yes，someofthem，buthewasoutpaced，orfearedtobeoutpacedatlast。IsKiamantoforgetthat？AndifKichancesreallytobelievethatIamhisadversaryandhismasteratthisblackwork，asbecauseofwhathappenedinthetempleofAmonthousandsbelieveto-day，willhenotmetememyownmeasuresoonorlate？Oh!IfearKi，Ana，andI
fearthepeopleofEgypt，andwereitnotformylordbeloved，Iwouldfleeawayintothewildernesswithmyson，andgetmeoutofthishauntedland!Hush!hewakes。“
FromthistimeforwarduntiltheswordfelltherewasgreatdreadinEgypt。Noneseemedtoknowexactlywhattheydreaded，butallthoughtthatithadtodowithdeath。Peoplewentaboutmournfullylookingovertheirshouldersasthoughsomeonewerefollowingthem，andatnighttheygatheredtogetherinknotsandtalkedinwhispers。OnlytheHebrewsseemedtobegladandhappy。Moreover，theyweremakingpreparationsforsomethingnewandstrange。ThusthoseIsraelitishwomenwhodweltinMemphisbegantosellwhatpropertytheyhadandtoborrowoftheEgyptians。Especiallydidtheyaskfortheloanofjewels，sayingthattheywereabouttocelebrateafeastandwishedtolookfineintheeyesoftheircountrymen。Nonerefusedthemwhattheyaskedbecauseallwereafraidofthem。TheyevencametothepalaceandbeggedherornamentsfromMerapi，althoughshewasacountrywomanoftheirownwhohadshowedthemmuchkindness。Yes，andseeingthathersonworealittlegoldcircletonhishair，oneofthembeggedthatalso，nordidshesayhernay。But，asitchanced，thePrinceentered，andseeingthewomanwiththisroyalbadgeinherhand，grewveryangryandforcedhertorestoreit。
“Whatistheuseofcrownswithoutheadstowearthem？“shesneered，andfledawaylaughing，withallthatshehadgathered。
AftershehadheardthatsayingMerapigrewevensadderandmoredistraughtthanshewasbefore，andfromherthetroublecrepttoSeti。Hetoobecamesadandillatease，thoughwhenIaskedhimwhyhevowedhedidnotknow，butsupposeditwasbecausesomenewplaguedrewnear。
“Yet，“headded，“asIhavemadeshifttolivethroughnineofthem，I
donotknowwhyIshouldfearatenth。“
Stillhedidfearit，somuchthatheconsultedBakenkhonsuastowhethertherewereanymeansbywhichtheangerofthegodscouldbeaverted。
Bakenkhonsulaughedandsaidhethoughtnot，sincealwaysifthegodswerenotangryaboutonethingtheywereangryaboutanother。Havingmadetheworldtheydidnothingbutquarrelwithit，orwithothergodswhohadahandinitsfashioning，andofthesequarrelsmenwerethevictims。
“Bearyourwoes，Prince，“headded，“ifanycome，foreretheNilehasrisenanotherfiftytimesatmost，whethertheyhaveorhavenotbeen，willbethesametoyou。“
“Thenyouthinkthatwhenwegowestwedieindeed，andthatOsirisisbutanothernameforthesunset，Bakenkhonsu。“
TheoldCouncillorshookhisgreathead，andanswered：
“No。Ifeveryoushouldloseonewhomyougreatlylove，takecomfort，Prince，forIdonotthinkthatlifeendswithdeath。Deathisthenursethatputsittosleep，nomore，andinthemorningitwillwakeagaintotravelthroughanotherdaywiththosewhohavecompanioneditfromthebeginning。“
“Wheredoallthedaysleadittoatlast，Bakenkhonsu？“
“AskthatofKi；Idonotknow。“
“ToSetwithKi，Iamangeredwithhim，“saidthePrince，andwentaway。
“Notwithoutreason，Ithink，“musedBakenkhonsu，butwhenIaskedhimwhathemeant，hewouldnotorcouldnottellme。
Sothegloomdeepenedandthepalace，whichhadbeenmerryinitsway，becamesad。Noneknewwhatwascoming，butallknewthatsomethingwascomingandstretchedouttheirhandstostrivetoprotectthatwhichtheylovedbestfromthestrokeofthewarringgods。InthecaseofSetiandMerapithiswastheirson，nowabeautifullittleladwhocouldrunandprattle，onetooofastrangehealthandvigourforachildoftheinbredraceoftheRamessids。Neverforaminutewasthisboyallowedtobeoutofthesightofoneorotherofhisparents；
indeedIsawlittleofSetiinthosedaysandallourlearnedstudiescametonothing，becausehewaseverconcernedwithMerapiinplayingnursetothissonofhis。
WhenUsertiwastoldofit，shesaidinthehearingofafriendofmine：
“WithoutadoubtthatisbecausehetrainshisbastardtofillthethroneofEgypt。“
But，alas!allthatthelittleSetiwasdoomedtofillwasacoffin。
Itwasastill，hotevening，sohotthatMerapihadbidthenursebringthechild’sbedandsetitbetweentwopillarsofthegreatportico。Thereonthebedheslept，lovelyasHorusthedivine。Shesatbyhissideinachairthathadfeetshapedliketothoseofanantelope。Setiwalkedupanddowntheterracebeyondtheporticoleaningonmyshoulder，andtalkingbysnatchesofthisorthat。
OccasionallyashepassedhewouldstayforawhiletomakesurebythebrightmoonlightthatallwaswellwithMerapiandthechild，asoflateithadbecomeahabitwithhimtodo。Thenwithoutspeaking，forfearlestheshouldawaketheboy，hewouldsmileatMerapi，whosattherebrooding，herheadrestingonherhand，andpasson。
Thenightwasverystill。Thepalmleavesdidnotrustle，nojackalswerestirring，andeventheshrill-voicedinsectshadceasedtheircries。Moreover，thegreatcitybelowwasquietasahomeofthedead。
Itwasasthoughthepresageofsomeadvancingdoomscaredtheworldtosilence。Forwithoutdoubtdoomwasintheair。Allfeltitdowntothenursewoman，whocoweredcloseasshedaredtothechairofhermistress，andeveninthatheatshiveredfromtimetotime。
PresentlylittleSetiawoke，andbegantoprattleaboutsomethinghehaddreamed。
“Whatdidyoudream，myson？“askedhisfather。
“Idreamed，“heansweredinhisbabytalk，“thatawoman，dressedasMotherwasinthetemple，tookmebythehandandledmeintotheair。
Ilookeddown，andsawyouandMotherwithwhitefacesandcrying。I
begantocrytoo，butthewomanwiththefeathercaptoldmenotasshewastakingmetoabeautifulbigstarwhereMotherwouldsooncometofindme。“
ThePrinceandIlookedateachotherandMerapifeignedtobusyherselfwithhushingthechildtosleepagain。Itdrewtowardsmidnightandstillnooneseemedmindedtogotorest。OldBakenkhonsuappearedandbegantosaysomethingaboutthenightbeingverystrangeandunrestful，when，suddenly，alittlebatthatwasflittingtoandfroaboveusfelluponhisheadandthencetotheground。Welookedatit，andsawthatitwasdead。
“Strangethatthecreatureshouldhavediedthus，“saidBakenkhonsu，when，behold!anotherfelltothegroundnearby。TheblackkittenwhichbelongedtoLittleSetisawitfallanddartedfrombesidehisbedwhereitwassleeping。Beforeeveritreachedthebat，thecreaturewheeledround，stooduponitshindlegs，scratchingattheairaboutit，thenutteredonepitifulcryandfelloverdead。
Westaredatit，whensuddenlyfarawayadoghowledinaverypiercingfashion。Thenacowbegantobaleasthesebeastsdowhentheyhavelosttheircalves。Next，quitecloseathandbutwithoutthegates，therearosetheear-curdlingcryofawomaninagony，whichontheinstantseemedtobeechoedfromeveryquarter，tilltheairwasfullofwailing。
“Oh，Seti!Seti!“exclaimedMerapi，inavoicethatwasratherahissthanawhisper，“lookatyourson!“
Wesprangtowherethebabelay，andlooked。Hehadawakenedandwasstaringupwardwithwide-openedeyesandfrozenface。Thefear，ifsuchitwere，passedfromhisfeatures，thoughstillhestared。Herosetohislittlefeet，alwayslookingupwards。Thenasmilecameuponhisface，amostbeautifulsmile；hestretchedouthisarms，asthoughtoclasponewhobentdowntowardshim，andfellbackwards——
quitedead。
Setistoodstillasastatue；weallstoodstill，evenMerapi。Thenshebenddown，andliftedthebodyoftheboy。
“Now，mylord，“shesaid，“therehasfallenonyouthatsorrowwhichJabezmyunclewarnedyouwouldcome，ifeveryouhadaughttodowithme。NowthecurseofIsraelhaspiercedmyheart，andnowourchild，asKitheevilprophesied，hasgrowntoogreatforgreetings，orevenforfarewells。“