“Nextdayarumourbegantorunthatthisawfulthinghadhappened。Itgrewstrongerandstronger，untilallsworethatithadhappened。Nowthefuryofthepeopleroseagainstme，andtheyravenedroundthepalacelikelionsofthedesert，roaringformyblood。Yetitwasasthoughtheycouldnotenterhere，sincewhenevertheyrushedatthegatesorwalls，theyfellbackagain，forsomespiritseemedtoprotecttheplace。Thedayswentby；thenightcameagainandatthedawn，thisdawnthatispast，oncemoreIstoodupontheterrace，andoncemorethecloakedmanappearedfromamongthetrees。
“’Nowyouhaveheard，MoonofIsrael，’hesaid，’andnowyoumustbelieveandcome，althoughyouthinkyourselfsafebecauseatthebeginningoftheplaguesthis，thehomeofSeti，wasenchantedagainstevil，sothatnonewithinitcanbeharmed。’
“’Ihaveheard，andIthinkthatIbelieve，thoughhowthetidingsreachedMemphisinanhourIdonotunderstand。Yet，stranger，Isaytoyouthatitisnotenough。’
“Thenthemandrewapapyrusrollfromhisbosomandthrewitatmyfeet。Iopeneditandread。ThewritingwasthewritingofAnaasI
knewwell，andthesignaturewasthesignatureofyou，mylord，anditwassealedwithyourseal，andwiththesealofBakenkhonsuasawitness。Hereitis，“andfromthebreastofhergarment，shedrewoutarollandgaveittomeuponwhomsherestedallthiswhile。
Iopenedit，andbythelightoftorchesthePrince，Bakenkhonsu，andIread。Itwasasshehadtoldusinwhatseemedtobemywriting，andsignedandsealedasshehadsaid。Thewordsran：
“ToMerapi，MoonofIsrael，inmyhouseatMemphis。
“Come，Lady，FlowerofLove，tomeyourlord，towhomthebearerofthiswillguideyousafely。Comeatonce，forIamingreatdanger，asyouare，andtogetheronlycanwebesafe。“
“Ana，whatmeansthis？“askedthePrinceinaterriblevoice。“Ifyouhavebetrayedmeandher-“
“Bythegods，“Ibeganangrily，“amIamanthatIshouldlivetohearevenyourHighnessspeakthustome，oramIbutadogofthedesert？“
Iceased，foratthatmomentBakenkhonsubegantolaugh。
“Lookattheletter!“helaughed。“Lookattheletter。“
Welooked，andaswelooked，beholdthewritingonitturnedfirsttothecolourofbloodandthenfadedaway，tillpresentlytherewasnothinginmyhandbutablanksheetofpapyrus。
“Oho-ho!“laughedBakenkhonsu。“Truly，friendKi，youarethefirstofmagicians，savethoseprophetsoftheIsraeliteswhohavebroughtyou——Whitherhavetheybroughtyou，friendKi？“
ThenforthefirsttimethepaintedsmileleftthefaceofKi，anditbecamelikeablockofstoneinwhichweresettwoangryjewelsthatwerehiseyes。
“Continue，Lady，“saidthePrince。
“Iobeyedtheletter。Ifledawaywiththemanwhosaidhehadachariotwaiting。Wepassedoutbythelittlegate。
“’Whereisthechariot？’Iasked。
“’Wegobyboat，’heanswered，andledthewaytowardstheriver。Aswethreadedthebigpalmgrovemenappearedfrombetweenthetrees。
“’Youhavebetrayedme，’Icried。
“’Nay，’heanswered，’Iammyselfbetrayed。’
“ThenforthefirsttimeIknewhisvoiceforthatofLaban。
“Themenseizedus；attheheadofthemwasKi。
“’Thisisthewitch，’hesaid，’who，herwickednessfinished，flieswithherHebrewlover，whoisalsothefamiliarofhersorceries。’
“TheytorethecloakandthefalsebeardfromhimandtherebeforemestoodLaban。Icursedhimtohisface。Butallheansweredwas：
“’Merapi，whatIhavedoneIdidforloveofyou。Itwasmypurposetotakeyouawaytoourpeople，forhereIknewthattheywouldkillyou。
ThismagicianpromisedyoutomeifIcouldtemptyoufromthesafetyofthepalace，inreturnforcertaintidingsthatIhavegivenhim。’
“Theseweretheonlywordsthatpassedbetweenustilltheend。Theydraggedustothesecretprisonofthegreattemplewherewewereseparated。HerealldaylongKiandtheprieststormentedmewithquestions，towhichIgavenoanswer。TowardstheeveningtheybroughtmeoutandledmeherewithLabanatmyside。Whenthepeoplesawmeagreatcrywentupof’Sorceress!Hebrewwitch!’Theybrokethroughtheguard；theyseizedme，threwmetothegroundandbeatme。Labanstrovetoprotectmebutwastornaway。Atlengththepeopleweredrivenoff，andoh!mylord，youknowtherest。Ihavespokentruth，I
cannomore。“
Sosayingherkneesloosenedbeneathherandsheswooned。Weborehertothechariot。
“Youhaveheard，Ki，“saidthePrince。“Now，whatanswer？“
“None，OPharaoh，“herepliedcoldly，“forPharaohyouare，asI
promisedthatyoushouldbe。Myspirithasdesertedme，thoseHebrewshavestolenitaway。Thatwritingshouldhavefadedfromthescrollassoonasitwasreadbyyonderlady，andthenIwouldhavetoldyouanotherstory；astoryofsecretlove，ofbetrayalandattemptedflightwithherlover。Butsomeevilgodkeptitthereuntilyoualsohadread，youwhoknewthatyouhadnotwrittenwhatappearedbeforeyoureyes。Pharaoh，Iamconquered。Doyourwillwithme，andfarewell。Belovedyoushallalwaysbeasyouhavealwaysbeen，buthappyneverinthisworld。“
“OPeople，“criedSeti，“Iwillnotbejudgeinmyowncause。Youhaveheard，doyoujudge。Forthiswizard，whatreward？“
Thentherewentupagreatcryof“Death!Deathbyfire。Thedeathhehadmadereadyfortheinnocent!“
Thatwastheend，buttheytoldmeafterwardsthat，whenthegreatpyrehadburnedout，initwasfoundtheheadofKilookinglikeared-hotstone。Whenthesunlightfellonit，however，itcrumbledandfadedaway，asthewritinghadfadedfromtheroll。IfthisbetrueI
donotknow，whowasnotpresentatthetime。
WeboreMerapitothepalace。Shelivedbutthreedays，shewhosebodyandspiritwerebroken。ThelasttimeIsawherwaswhenshesentformenotanhourbeforedeathcame。ShewaslyinginSeti’sarmsbabblingtohimoftheirchildandlookingverysweetandhappy。Shethankedmeformyfriendship，smilingthewhileinawaywhichshowedmethatsheknewitwasmorethanfriendship，andbademetendmymasterwelluntilweallmetagainelsewhere。ThenshegavemeherhandtokissandIwentawayweeping。
AftershewasdeadastrangefancytookSeti。Inthegreathallofthepalacehecausedagoldenthronetobeputup，andonthisthronehesetherinregalgarments，withpectoralandnecklacesofgems，crownedlikeaqueenofEgypt，andthusheshowedhertothelordsofMemphis。Thenhecausedhertobeembalmedandburiedinasecretsepulchre，theplaceofwhichIhaveswornnevertoreveal，butwithoutanyritesbecauseshewasnotofthefaithofEgypt。
TherethenshesleepsinhereternalhouseuntiltheDayofResurrection，andwithhersleepsherlittleson。
ItwaswithinamoonofthisfuneralthatthegreatonesofEgyptcametoMemphistonamethePrinceasPharaoh，andwiththemcameherHighness，theQueenUserti。Iwaspresentattheceremony，whichtomewasverystrange。TherewastheVizierNehesi；therewasthehigh-
priestRoiandwithhimmanyotherpriests；andtherewaseventheoldchamberlainPambasa，pompousyetgrovellingasbefore，althoughhehaddesertedthehouseholdofthePrinceafterhisdisinheritanceforthatofthePharaohAmenmeses。Hisappearancewithhiswandofofficeandlongwhitebeard，ofwhichhewassoproudbecauseitwashisown，drewfromSetitheonlylaughIhadheardhimutterformanyweeks。
“Soyouarebackagain，ChamberlainPambasa，“hesaid。
“OmostHoly，OmostRoyal，“answeredtheoldknave，“hasPambasa，thegrainofdustbeneathyourfeet，everdesertedtheHouseofPharaoh，orthatofhimwhowillbePharaoh？“
“No，“repliedSeti，“itisonlywhenyouthinkthathewillnotbePharaohthatyoudesert。Well，getyoutoyourduties，rogue，whoperhapsatbottomareashonestastherest。“
ThenfollowedthegreatandancientceremonyoftheOfferingoftheCrown，inwhichspokepriestsdisguisedasgodsandotherpriestsdisguisedasmightyPharaohsofthepast；alsothenoblesoftheNomesandthechiefmenofcities。WhenallhadfinishedSetianswered：
“Itakethis，myheritage，“andhetouchedthedoublecrown，“notbecauseIdesireitbutbecauseitismyduty，asIsworethatIwouldtoonewhohasdeparted。BlowuponblowhavesmittenEgyptwhich，I
think，hadmyvoicebeenlistenedto，wouldneverhavefallen。Egyptliesbleedingandwell-nighdead。Letitbeyourworkandminetotrytonurseherbacktolife。FornolongwhileamIwithyou，whoalsohavebeensmitten，howitmattersnot，yetwhileIamhere，IwhoseemtoreignwillbeyourservantandthatofEgypt。Itismydecreethatnofeastsorceremonialsshallmarkthismyaccession，andthatthewealthwhichwouldhavebeenscattereduponthemshallbedistributedamongthewidowsandchildrenofthosewhoperishedintheSeaofReeds。Depart!“
Theywent，humbleyethappy，sinceherewasaPharaohwhoknewtheneedsofEgypt，onetoowholovedherandwhoalonehadshownhimselfwiseofheartwhileotherswerefilledwithmadness。ThenherHighnessentered，splendidlyapparelled，crownedandfollowedbyherhousehold，andmadeobeisance。
“GreetingtoPharaoh，“shecried。
“GreetingtotheRoyalPrincessofEgypt，“heanswered。
“Nay，Pharaoh，theQueenofEgypt。“
BySeti’ssidetherewasanotherthrone，thatinwhichhehadsetdeadMerapiwithacrownuponherhead。Heturnedandlookedatitawhile。
Then，hesaid：
“Iseethatthisseatisempty。LettheQueenofEgypttakeherplacethereifsoshewills。“
Shestaredathimasifshethoughtthathewasmad，thoughdoubtlessshehadheardsomethingofthatstory，thensweptupthestepsandsatherselfdownintheroyalchair。
“YourMajestyhasbeenlongabsent，“saidSeti。
“Yes，“sheanswered，“butasmyMajestypromisedshewoulddo，shehasreturnedtoherlawfulplaceatthesideofPharaoh——nevertoleaveitmore。“
“PharaohthanksherMajesty，“saidSeti，bowinglow。
Somesixyearshadgoneby，whenonenightIwasseatedwiththePharaohSetiMeneptahinhispalaceatMemphis，fortherehealwayschosetodwellwhenmattersofStateallowed。