Butitwasnotfornothingthatheboreastoutandpatientheart，andabrainuncloudedbydangerorbylove。Hehadneverbeeninastraitlikethis；caughtwithbondsthatnoswordcouldcut，andintoilsthatnoskillcouldundo。Ononesidewereloveandpleasure——ontheotherabrokenoath，andthelossforeveroftheHeart’sDesire。Fortoloveanotherwoman，ashehadbeenwarned，wastoloseHelen。Butagain，ifhescornedtheQueen——nay，forallhishardihoodhedarednottellherthatshewasnotthewomanofhisvision，thewomanhecametoseek。Yetevennowhiscoldcourageandhiscunningdidnotfailhim。
“Lady，“hesaid，“webothhavedreamed。Butifthoudidstdreamthouwertmylove，thoudidstwaketofindthyselfthewifeofPharaoh。AndPharaohismyhostandhathmyoath。“
“IwoketofindmyselfthewifeofPharaoh，“sheechoed，wearily，andherarmsuncurledfromhisneckandshesankbackonthecouch。“IamPharaoh’swifeinword，butnotindeed。Pharaohisnothingtome，thouWanderer——noughtsaveaname。“
“Yetismyoathmuchtome，QueenMeriamun——myoathandthehospitablehearth，“theWanderermadeanswer。“IsworetoMeneptahtoholdtheefromallill，andthere’sanend。“
“AndifPharaohcomesbacknomore，whatthenOdysseus？“
“Thenwillwetalkagain。Andnow，Lady，thysafetycallsmetovisitthyGuard。“Andwithoutmorewordsheroseandwent。
TheQueenlookedafterhim。
“Astrangeman，“shesaidinherheart，“whobuildsabarrierwithhisoathbetwixthimselfandherhelovesandhaswanderedsofartowin！
YetmethinksIhonourhimthemore。PharaohMeneptah，myhusband，eat，drink，andbemerry，forthisIpromisethee——shortshallbethydays。“
“Swiftasabirdorathought，“saystheoldharperoftheNorthernSea。TheWanderer’sthoughtsinthemorningwereswiftasnightbirds，flyingbackandbroodingoverthethingshehadseenandthewordshehadheardintheQueen’schamber。Againhestoodbetweenthiswomanandtheoathwhich，ofalloaths，wastheworsttobreak。And，indeed，hewaslittletemptedtobreakit，forthoughMeriamunwasbeautifulandwise，hefearedherloveandhefearedhermagicartnolessthanhefearedhervengeanceifshewerescorned。Delayseemedtheonlycourse。LethimwaittilltheKingreturned，anditwouldgohardbuthefoundsomecauseforleavingthecityofTanis，andseekingthroughnewadventurestheWorld’sDesire。Themysteriousriverlayyonder。Hewouldascendtheriverofwhichsomanytalesweretold。Itflowedfromthelandoftheblameless/？thiopians/，themostjustofmen，atwhosetablestheveryGodssatasguests。There，perchance，farupthesacredstream，inalandwherenowrongevercame，there，iftheFatespermitted，hemightfindtheGoldenHelen。
IftheFatespermitted:butalltheadventurewasoftheFates，whohadshownhimtoMeriamuninadream。
Heturneditlonginhismindandfoundlittlelight。Itseemedthatashehaddriftedthroughdarknessacrossablood-redseatotheshoresofKhem，soheshouldwadethroughbloodtothatshoreofFatewhichtheGodsappointed。
Yetafterawhileheshooksorrowfromhim，arose，bathed，anointedhimself，combedhisdarklocks，andgirdedonhisgoldenarmour。FornowherememberedthatthiswasthedaywhentheStrangeHathorshouldstanduponthepylonofthetempleandcallthepeopletoher，andhewasmindedtolookuponher，andifneedbetodobattlewiththatwhichguardedher。
SoheprayedtoAphroditethatshewouldhelphim，andhepouredoutwinetoherandwaited；hewaited，butnoanswercametohisprayer。
Yetasheturnedawayitchancedthathesawhiscountenanceinthewidegoldencupwhencehehadpoured，anditseemedtohimthatithadgrownmorefairandlostthestampofyears，andthathisfacewassmoothandyoungasthefaceofthatOdysseuswho，manyyearsago，hadsailedintheblackshipsandlookedbackonthesmokingruinsofwindyTroy。InthishesawthehandoftheGoddess，andknewthatifshemightnotbemanifestinthislandofstrangeGods，yetshewaswithhim。And，knowingthis，hisheartgrewlightastheheartofaboyfromwhomsorrowisyetalongwayoff，andwhohasnotdreamedofdeath。
Thenheateanddrank，andwhenhehadputfromhimthedesireoffoodhearoseandgirdedonthesword，Euryalus’sgift，buttheblackbowheleftinitscase。NowhewasreadyandabouttosetforthwhenReithePriestenteredthechamber。
“Whithergoestthou，Eperitus？“askedRei，theinstructedPriest。“Andwhatisitthathasmadethyfacesofair，asthoughmanyyearshadbeenliftedfromthyback？“
“’Tisbutsweetsleep，Rei，“saidtheWanderer。“DeeplyIsleptlastnight，andthewearinessofmywanderingsfellfromme，andnowIamasIwasbeforeIsailedacrosstheblood-redseaintothenight。“
“SellthouthesecretofthissleeptotheladiesofKhem，“answeredtheagedpriest，smiling，“andlittleshaltthoulackofwealthforallthydays。“
ThushespakeasthoughhebelievedtheWanderer，butinhisheartheknewthatthethingwasoftheGods。
TheWandereranswered:
“IgouptotheTempleoftheHathor，forthoudostrememberitisto-daythatshestandsuponthepylonbrowandcallsthepeopletoher。Comestthoualso，Rei？“
“Nay，nay，Icomenot，Eperitus。Iamoldindeed，butyetthebloodcreepsthroughthesewitheredveins，and，perchance，ifIcameandlooked，themadnesswouldseizemealso，andItooshouldrushtomyslaying。ThereisawayinwhichamanmaylistentothevoiceoftheHathor，andthatistohavehiseyesblindfolded，asmanydo。Buteventhenhewilltearthebandagefromhiseyes，andlook，anddiewiththeothers。Oh，gonotup，Eperitus——Ipraytheegonotup。Ilovethee——Iknownotwhy——andamlittlemindedtoseetheedead。Though，perchance，“headded，asthoughtohimself，“itwouldbewellforthoseIserveifthouwertdead，thouWanderer，withtheeyesofFate。“
“Havenofear，Rei，“saidtheWanderer，“asitisdoomedsoshallI
dieandnototherwise。Nevershallitbetold，“hemurmuredinhisheart，“thathewhostoodinarmsagainstScylla，theHorroroftheRock，turnedbackfromanyformoffearorfromanyshapeofLove。“
ThenReiwrunghishandsandwentnightoweeping，fortohimitseemedapitifulthingthatsogoodlyamanandsogreataheroshouldthusbedonetodeath。ButtheWandererpassedoutthroughthecity，andReiwentwithhimforacertaindistance。Atlengththeycametotheroadsetoneithersidewithsphinxes，thatleadsfromtheouterwallofbricktothegardenoftheTempleofHathor，anddownthisroadhurriedamultitudeofmenofallracesandofeveryage。Heretheprincewasbornealonginhislitter；heretheyoungnobletravelledinhischariot。Herecametheslavebespatteredwiththemudofthefields；herethecripplelimpeduponhiscrutches；andherewastheblindmanledbyahound。Andwitheachmancamewomen:thewifeoftheman，orhismother，orhissisters，orshetowhomhewasvowedinmarriage。Weepingtheycame，andwithsoftwordsandclingingarmstheystrovetoholdbackhimwhomtheyloved。
“Oh，myson！myson！“criedawoman，“hearkentothymother’svoice。
GonotuptolookupontheGoddess，forifthoudostlookthenshaltthoudie，andthoualoneartleftalivetome。TwobrothersofthineI
bore，andbehold，botharedead；andwiltthoudiealso，andleaveme，whoamold，aloneanddesolate？Benotmad，myson，thouartthedearestofall；everhaveIlovedtheeandtendedthee。Comeback，I
pray——comeback。“
Buthersonheardnotandheedednot，pressingontowardtheGatesoftheHeart’sDesire。
“Oh，myhusband，myhusband！“criedanother，young，ofgentlebirth，andfair，whobareababeonherleftarmandwiththerightclutchedherlord’sbroideredrobe。“Oh，myhusband，haveInotlovedtheeandbeenkindtothee，andwiltthoustillgouptolookuponthedeadlygloryoftheHathor？TheysayshewearsthebeautyoftheDead。Lovestthoumenotbetterthanherwhodiedfiveyearsagone，MerisathedaughterofRois，thoughthoudidstloveherfirst？See，hereisthybabe，thybabe，butoneweekborn。EvenfrommybedofpainhaveI
risenandfollowedaftertheedownthesewearyroads，andIamliketolosemylifeforit。Hereisthybabe，letitpleadwiththee。Letmedieifsoitmustbe，butgonotthouuptothydeath。ItisnoGoddesswhomthouwiltsee，butanevilspiritloosedfromtheunder-
world，andthatshallbethydoom。Oh，ifIpleasetheenot，takethouanotherwifeandIwillmakeherwelcome，onlygonotuptothydeath！“
Butthemanfixedhiseyesuponthepylontops，heedinghernot，andatlengthshesankupontheroad，andtherewiththebabewouldhavebeencrushedbythechariots，hadnottheWandererbornehertoonesideoftheway。
Now，ofallsightsthiswasthemostdreadful，foroneverysiderosetheprayersandlamentationsofwomen，andstillthemultitudeofmenpressedonunheeding。
“NowthouseestthepowerofLove，andhowifawomanbebutbeautifulenoughshemaydragallmentoruin，“saidReithePriest。
“Yes，“saidtheWanderer；“astrangesight，truly。MuchbloodhaththisHathorofthineuponherhands。“
“Andyetthouwiltgiveherthine，Wanderer。“
“ThatIamnotmindedtodo，“heanswered；“yetIwilllookuponherface，sospeaknomoreofit。“
Nowtheywerecometothespacebeforethebronzegatesofthepylonoftheoutercourt，andtherethemultitudegatheredtothenumberofmanyhundreds。Presently，astheywatched，apriestcametothegates，thatsamepriestwhohadshowntheWandererthebodiesinthebathsofbronze。Helookedthroughthebarsandcriedaloud: