“PerhapsitisbecauseIlovehimthatIwishtodie。IhavegivenhimallIhavetogive；thereisnothingleftofmypoortreasureexceptwhatwillbringtroubleandmisfortuneonhishead。Thereforethegreaterthelove——anditismoregreatthanallthosepyramidsmassedtoone——thegreatertheneedthatitshouldbeburiedforawhile。Doyouunderstand？“
Heshookhishead。
“Iunderstandonlythatyouareaverystrangewoman，differentfromanyotherthatIhaveknown。“
“Mychild，whowasslainwiththerest，wasalltheworldtome，andI
wouldbewhereheis。Doyouunderstandnow？“
“Youwouldleaveyourlife，inwhich，beingyoung，youmayhavemorechildren，tolieinatombwithyourdeadson？“heaskedslowly，likeoneastonished。
“IonlycareforlifewhileitcanservehimwhomIlove，andifadaycomeswhenhesitsuponthethronehowwilladaughterofthehatedIsraelitesservehimthen？AlsoIdonotwishformorechildren。
Livingordead，hethatisgoneownsallmyheart；thereisnoroominitforothers。Thatloveatleastispureandperfect，andhavingbeenembalmedbydeath，canneverchange。Moreover，itisnotinatombthatIshallliewithhim，orsoIbelieve。ThefaithoftheseEgyptianswhichwedespisetellsofalifeeternalintheheavens，andthitherIwouldgotoseekthatwhichislost，andtowaitthatwhichisleftbehindawhile。“
“Ah!“saidJabez。“FormypartIdonottroublemyselfwiththeseproblems，whofindinalifetemporalontheearthenoughtofillmythoughtsandhands。Yet，Merapi，youarearebel，andwhetherinheavenoronearth，howarerebelsreceivedbythekingagainstwhomtheyhaverebelled？“
“YousayIamrebel，“shesaid，turningonhimwithflashingeyes。
“Why？BecauseIwouldnotdishonourmyselfbymarryingamanIhate，onealsowhoisamurderer，andbecausewhileIliveIwillnotdesertamanwhomIlovetoreturntothosewhohavedonemenaughtbutevil。
DidGodthenmakewomentobesoldlikecattleofthefieldforthepleasureandtheprofitofhimwhocanpaythehighest？“
“Itseemsso，“saidJabez，spreadingouthishands。
“Itseemsthatyouthinkso，whofashionGodasyouwouldwishhimtobe，butformypartIdonotbelieveit，andifIdid，Ishouldseekanotherking。Myuncle，IappealfromthepriestandtheeldertoThatwhichmadeboththemandme，andbyItsjudgmentIwillstandorfall。“
“Alwaysaverydangerousthingtodo，“reflectedJabezaloud，“sincethepriestisapttotakethelawintohisownhandsbeforethecausecanbepleadedelsewhere。Still，whoamIthatIshouldsetupmyreasoningsagainstonewhocangrindAmontopowderinhisownsanctuary，andwhothereforemayhavewarrantforallshethinksanddoes？“
Merapistampedherfoot。
“YouknowwellitwasyouwhobroughtmethecommandtodarethegodAmoninhistemple。ItwasnotI-“shebegan。
“Idoknow，“repliedJabezwavinghishand。“Iknowalsothatiswhateverywizardsays，whateverhisnationorhisgods，andwhatnooneeverbelieves。Thusbecause，havingfaith，youobeyedthecommandandthroughyouAmonwassmitten，amongboththeIsraelitesandtheEgyptiansyouareheldtobethegreatestsorceressthathaslookedupontheNile，andthatisadangerousrepute，myniece。“
“OnetowhichIlaynoclaim，andneversought。“
“Justso，butwhichallthesamehascometoyou。Well，knowingaswithoutdoubtyoudoallthatwillsoonbefallinEgypt，andhavingbeenwarned，ifyouneededwarning，ofthedangerwithwhichyouyourselfarethreatened，youstillrefusetoobeythissecondcommandwhichitismydutytodelivertoyou？“
“Irefuse。“
“Thenonyourownheadbeit，andfarewell。Oh!Iwouldaddthatthereisacertainpropertyincattle，andthefruitoflandswhichdescendstoyoufromyourfather。Intheeventofyourdeath-“
“Takeitall，uncle，andmayitprosperyou。Farewell。“
“Agreatwoman，friendAna，andabeautiful，“saidtheoldHebrew，afterhehadwatchedhergo。“IgrievethatIshallneverseeheragain，and，indeed，thatnoonewillseeherforverylong；for，remember，sheismynieceofwhomIamfond。NowItoomustbegoing，havingcompletedmyerrand。Allgoodfortunetoyou，Ana。Youarenolongerasoldier，areyou？No？Believeme，itisaswell，asyouwilllearn。MyhomagetothePrince。Thinkofmeattimes，whenyougrowold，andnotunkindly，seeingthatIhaveservedyouasbestIcould，andyourmasteralso，whoIhopewillsoonfindagainthatwhichhelostawhileago。“
“HerHighness，PrincessUserti，“Isuggested。
“ThePrincessUsertiamongotherthings，Ana。TellthePrince，ifheshoulddeemthemcostly，thatthosehorseswhichIsoldhimarereallyofthefinestSyrianblood，andofastrainthatmyfamilyhasownedforgenerations。Ifyoushouldchancetohaveanyfriendwhosewelfareyoudesire，lethimnotgointothedesertsoldieringduringthenextfewmoons，especiallyifPharaohbeincommand。Nay，Iknownothing，butitisaseasonofgreatstorm。Farewell，friendAna，andagainfarewell。“
“Nowwhatdidhemeanbythat？“thoughtItomyself，asIdepartedtomakemyreporttoSeti。Butnoanswertothequestionroseinmymind。
VerysoonIbegantounderstand。ItappearedthatatlengththeIsraeliteswereleavingEgypt，avasthordeofthem，andwiththemtensofthousandsofArabsofvarioustribeswhoworshippedtheirgodandwere，someofthem，descendedfromthepeopleoftheHyksos，theshepherdswhoonceruledinEgypt。ThatthiswastruewasprovedtousbythetidingswhichreachedusthatalltheHebrewwomenwhodweltinMemphis，eventhoseofthemwhoweremarriedtoEgyptians，haddepartedfromthecity，leavingbehindthemtheirmenandsometimestheirchildren。Indeed，beforethesewent，certainofthemwhohadbeenfriendsvisitedMerapi，andaskedherifshewerenotcomingalso。Sheshookherheadasshereplied：
“Whydoyougo？Areyousofondofjourneyingsinthedesertthatforthesakeofthemyouarereadyneveragaintolookuponthemenyouloveandthechildrenofyourbodies？“
“No，Lady，“theyanswered，weeping。“Wearehappyhereinwhite-walledMemphisandhere，listeningtothemurmuroftheNile，wewouldgrowoldanddie，ratherthanstrivetokeephouseinsomedeserttentwithastrangeroralone。Yetfeardrivesushence。“
“Fearofwhat？“
“OftheEgyptianswho，whentheycometounderstandallthattheyhavesufferedatourhandsinreturnforthewealthandshelterwhichtheyhavegivenusformanygenerations，wherebywehavegrownfromahandfulintoagreatpeople，willcertainlykillanyIsraelitewhomtheyfindleftamongthem。Alsowefearthecursesofourpriestswhobidustodepart。“
“Then/I/shouldfearthesethingsalso，“saidMerapi。
“Notso，Lady，seeingthatbeingtheonlybelovedofthePrinceofEgyptwho，rumourtellsus，willsoonbePharaohofEgypt，byhimyouwillbeprotectedfromtheangeroftheEgyptians。Andbeing，asweallknowwell，thegreatestsorceressintheworld，theoverthrowerofAmon-Rathemighty，andonewhobysacrificingherchildwasabletowardawayeveryplaguefromthehouseholdwhereshedwelt，youhavenaughttofearfrompriestsandtheirmagic。“
ThenMerapisprangup，biddingthemtoleavehertoherfateandtobegonetotheirown，whichtheydidhastilyenough，fearinglestsheshouldcastsomespelluponthem。SoitcameaboutthatpresentlythefairMoonofIsraelandcertainchildrenofmixedbloodwerealloftheHebrewracethatwereleftinEgypt。Then，notwithstandingthemiseriesandmisfortunesthatduringthepastfewyearsbyterror，death，andfaminehadreducedthemtoperhapsonehalfoftheirnumber，thepeopleofEgyptrejoicedwithagreatjoy。
Ineverytempleofeverygodprocessionswereheldandofferingsmadebythosewhohadanythinglefttooffer，whilethestatuesofthegodsweredressedinfinenewgarmentsandhungaboutwithgarlandingsofflowers。Moreover，ontheNileandonthesacredlakesboatsfloatedtoandfro，adornedwithlanternsasatthefeastoftheRisingofOsiris。Astitularhigh-priestofAmon，anofficeofwhichhecouldnotbedeprivedwhilehelived，PrinceSetiattendedthesedemonstrations，whichindeedhemustdo，inthegreattempleofMemphis，whitherIaccompaniedhim。Whentheceremonieswereoverheledtheprocessionthroughthemassesoftheworshippers，cladinhissplendidsacerdotalrobes，whereoneverythroatofthethousandspresenttheregreetedhiminashoutofthunderas“Pharaoh!“oratleastasPharaoh’sheir。
Whenatlengththeshoutingdied，heturneduponthemandsaid：
“Friends，ifyouwouldsendmetobeofthecompanythatsitsatthetableofOsirisandnotatPharaoh’sfeasts，youwillrepeatthisfoolishgreeting，whereofourLordAmenmeseswillhearwithlittlejoy。“
Inthesilencethatfollowedavoicecalledout：
“Havenofear，OPrince，whiletheHebrewwitchsleepsnightbynightuponyourbosom。ShewhocouldsmiteEgyptwithsomanyplaguescancertainlyshelteryoufromharm；“whereontheroarsofacclamationwentupagain。
ItwasonthefollowingdaythatBakenkhonsutheagedreturnedwithmoretidingsfromTanis，wherehehadbeenuponavisit。Itseemedthatagreatcouncilhadbeenheldthereinthelargesthallofoneofthelargesttemples。Atthiscouncil，whichwasopentoallthepeople，AmenmeseshadgivenreportonthematteroftheIsraeliteswho，hestated，weredepartingintheirthousands。AlsoofferingsweremadetoappeasetheangrygodsofEgypt。Whentheceremonywasfinished，butbeforethecompanybrokeupinaheavymood，herHighnessthePrincessUsertiroseinherplace，andaddressedPharaoh：
“Bythespiritsofourfathers，“shecried，“andmoreespeciallybythatofthegoodgodMeneptah，mybegetter，Iaskofyou，Pharaoh，andIaskofyou，Opeople，whethertheaffrontthathasbeenputuponusbytheseHebrewslavesandtheirmagiciansisonethattheproudlandofEgyptshouldbecalledupontobear？Ourgodshavebeensmittenanddefied；woesgreatandterrible，suchashistorytellsnotof，havefallenuponusthroughmagic；tensofthousands，fromthefirst-bornchildofPharaohdown，haveperishedinasinglenight。AndnowtheseHebrews，whohavemurderedthembysorcery，fortheyaresorcerersall，menandwomentogether，especiallyoneofthemwhositsatMemphis，ofwhomIwillnotspeakbecauseshehaswroughtmeprivateharm，bythedecreeofPharaoharetobesufferedtoleavetheland。
More，theyaretotakewiththemalltheircattle，alltheirthreshedcorn，allthetreasuretheyhavehoardedforgenerations，andalltheornamentsofpriceandwealththattheyhavewrungbyterrorfromourownpeople，borrowingthatwhichtheyneverpurposetoreturn。