“MymindisasKi’sinthismatter。ItoothinkthataterriblepowerisafootinEgypt，onethathasitshomeinthelandofGoshen，andthatIdidwelltorefusethethrone。ButfromwhatgodthesefortunescomeIdonotknow。Perhapstimewilltellus。MeanwhileifthereisaughtintheprophesiesoftheseHebrews，asinterpretedbyJabez，atleastyouandImaysleepinpeace，whichismorethanwillchancetoPharaohonthethronethatUserticovets。Ifso，thisplaywillbeworththewatching。Youhavedoneyourmissionwell，Ana。GorestyouwhileIthinkoverallthatyouhavesaid。“
ItwaseveningandasthepalacewasveryhotIwentintothegardenandmakingmywaytothatlittlepleasure-housewhereSetiandIwerewonttostudy，Isatmyselfdownthereand，beingweary，fellasleep。
WhenIawokefromadreamaboutsomewomanwhowasweeping，nighthadfallenandthefullmoonshoneinthesky，sothatitsraysfellonthegardenbeforeme。
Nowinfrontofthislittlehouse，asIhavesaid，grewtreesthatatthisseasonoftheyearwerecoveredwithwhiteandcup-likeblossoms，andbetweenthesetreeswasaseatbuiltupofsun-driedbricks。OnthisseatsatawomanwhomIknewfromhershapetobeMerapi。Alsoshewassad，foralthoughherheadwasbowedandherlonghairhidherfaceIcouldhearhergentlesighs。
ThesightofhermovedmeverymuchandIrememberedwhatthePrincehadsaidtome，tellingmethatIshoulddowelltoaskthisladywhethershehadanymindmyway。ThereforeifIdidso，surelyIcouldnotbeblamed。YetIwascertainthatitwasnottomethatherheartturned，thoughtospeakthetruth，muchIwisheditotherwise。Whowouldlookattheibisintheswampwhenthewide-wingedeaglefloatedinheavenabove？
Anevilthoughtcameintomymind，sentbySet。Supposethatthiswatcher’seyeswerefixedupontheeagle，lordoftheair。Supposethatsheworshippedthiseagle；thatsheloveditbecauseitshomewasheaven，becausetoheritwasthekingofallthebirds。Andsupposeonetoldherthatifshelureditdowntoearthfromtheglorioussafetyoftheskies，shewouldbringittocaptivityordeathatthehandofthesnarer。Thenwouldnotthatlovingwatchersay：“Letitgofreeandhappy，howevermuchIlongtolookuponit，“andwhenithadsailedfromsight，perhapsturnhereyestothehumbleibisinthemud？
JabezhadtoldmethatifthiswomanandthePrincegrewdeartoeachothershewouldbringgreatsorrowonhishead。IfIrepeatedhiswordstoher，shewhohadfaithinthepropheciesofherpeoplewouldcertainlybelievethem。Moreover，whateverherheartmightprompt，beingsohigh-natured，neverwouldsheconsenttodowhatmightbringtroubleonSeti’shead，eveniftorefusehimshouldsinkhersoulinsorrow。NorwouldshereturntotheHebrewstheretofallintothehandsofoneshehated。ThenperhapsI。ShouldItellher？IfJabezhadnotmeantthatthemattermustbebroughttoherears，wouldhehavespokenofitatall？Inshortwasitnotmydutytoher，andperhapsalsotothePrincewhotherebymightbesavedfrommiseriestocome，thatisifthistalkoffuturetroubleswereanythingmorethananidlestory。
SuchwastheevilreasoningwithwhichSetassailedmyspirit。HowI
beatitdownIdonotknow。Notbymyowngoodness，Iamsure，sinceatthemomentIwasaflamewithloveforthesweetandbeautifulladywhosatbeforemeandinmyfoolishnesswould，Ithink，havegivenmylifetokissherhand。Notaltogetherforhersakeeither，sincepassionisveryselfish。No，IbelieveitwasbecausethelovethatI
borethePrincewasmoredeepandrealthanthatwhichIcouldfeelforanywoman，andIknewwellthatwereshenotinmysightnosuchtreacherywouldhaveovercomemyheart。ForIwassure，althoughhehadneversaidsotome，thatSetilovedMerapiandaboveallearthlythingsdesiredherashiscompanion，whileifonceIspokethosewords，whatevermyowngainorlossandwhateverhersecretwish，thatshewouldneverbe。
SoIconquered，thoughthevictoryleftmetremblinglikeachild，andwishingthatIhadnotbeenborntoknowthepangsoflovedenied。Myrewardwasveryswift，forjustthenMerapiunfastenedagemfromthebreastofherwhiterobeandheldittowardsthemoon，asthoughtostudyit。InaninstantIknewitagain。Itwasthatroyalscaraboflapis-lazuliwithwhichinGoshenthePrincehadmadefastthebandageonherwoundedfood，whichalsohadbeensnatchedfromherbreastbysomepoweronthatnightwhenthestatueofAmonwasshatteredinthetemple。
Longandearnestlyshelookedatit，thenhavingglancedroundtomakesureshewasalone，shepressedittoherlipsandkisseditthricewithpassion，mutteringIknownotwhatbetweenthekisses。NowthescalesfellfrommyeyesandIknewthatshelovedSeti，andoh!howI
thankedmyguardiangodwhohadsavedmefromsuchuselessshame。
Iwipedthecolddampfrommybrowandwasabouttofleeaway，discoveringmyselfwithasfewwordsasmightbe，when，lookingup，I
sawstandingbehindMerapithefigureofaman，whowaswatchingherreplacetheornamentinherrobe。WhileIhesitatedamomentthemanspokeandIknewthevoiceforthatofSeti。ThenagainIthoughtofflight，butbeingsomewhattimidbynature，fearedtoshowmyselfuntilitwastoolate，thinkingthatafterwardthePrincewouldmakemethetargetofhiswit。SoIsatcloseandstill，hearingandseeingalldespitemyself。
“Whatgemisthat，Lady，whichyouadmireandcherishsotenderly？“
askedSetiinhisslowvoicethatsooftenhidahintoflaughter。
Sheutteredalittlescreamandspringingup，sawhim。
“Oh!mylord，“sheexclaimed，“pardonyourservant。Iwassittinghereinthecool，asyougavemeleavetodo，andthemoonwassobright——
that——IwishedtobeseeifbyitIcouldreadthewritingonthisscarab。“
Neverbefore，thoughtItomyself，didIknowonewhoreadwithherlips，thoughitistruethatfirstsheusedhereyes。
“Andcouldyou，Lady？Willyousuffermetotry？“
Veryslowlyandcolouring，sothateventhemoonlightshowedherblushes，shewithdrewtheornamentagainandheldittowardshim。
“Surelythisisfamiliartome？HaveInotseenitbefore？“heasked。
“Perhaps。Iworeitthatnightinthetemple，yourHighness。“
“YoumustnotnamemeHighness，Lady。IhavenolongeranyrankinEgypt。“
“Iknow——becauseof——mypeople。Oh!itwasnoble。“
“Butaboutthescarab？us-“hebrokein，withawaveofhishand。
“Surelyitisthesamewithwhichthebandagewasmadefastuponyourhurt——oh!yearsago？“
“Yes，itisthesame，“sheanswered，lookingdown。
“Ithoughtit。AndwhenIgaveittoyou，Isaidsomewordsthatseemedtomewellspokenatthetime。Whatwerethey？Icannotremember。Haveyoualsoforgotten？“
“Yes——Imean——no。YousaidthatnowIhadallEgyptbeneathmyfoot，speakingoftheroyalcartoucheuponthescarab。“
“Ah!Irecall。Howtrue，andyethowfalsethejest，orprophecy。“
“Howcananythingbebothtrueandfalse，Prince？“
“ThatIcouldprovetoyouveryeasily，butitwouldtakeanhourormore，soitshallbeforanothertime。Thisscarabisapoorthing，giveitbacktomeandyoushallhaveabetter。Orwouldyouchoosethissignet？AsIamnolongerPrinceofEgyptitisuselesstome。“
“Keepthescarab，Prince。Itisyourown。ButIwillnottaketheringbecauseitis-“
“-uselesstome，andyouwouldnothavethatwhichiswithoutvaluetothegiver。Oh!Istringwordsill，buttheywerenotwhatImeant。“
“No，Prince，becauseyourroyalringistoolargeforonesosmall。“
“Howcanyoutelluntilyouhavetried？Alsothatisafaultwhichmightperhapsbemended。“
Thenhelaughed，andshelaughedalso，butasyetshedidnottakethering。
“HaveyouseenAna？“hewenton。“Ibelievehesetouttosearchforyou，insuchahurryindeedthathecouldscarcelyfinishhisreporttome。“
“Didhesaythat？“
“No，heonlylookedit。SomuchsothatIsuggestedheshouldseekyouatonce。Heansweredthathewasgoingtorestafterhislongjourney，orperhapsIsaidthatheoughttodoso。Iforget，asoftenonedoes，onsobeauteousanightwhenotherthoughtsseemnearer。“
“WhydidAnawishtoseeme，Prince？“
“HowcanItell？Whydoesamanwhoisstillyoung——wanttoseeasweetandbeautifullady？Oh!Iremember。HehadmetyouruncleatTaniswhoinquiredastoyourhealth。Perhapsthatiswhyhewantedtoseeyou。“
“IdonotwishtohearaboutmyuncleatTanis。Heremindsmeoftoomanythingsthatgivepain，andtherearenightswhenonewishestoescapepain，whichissuretobefoundagainonthemorrow。“
“Areyoustillofthesamemindaboutreturningtoyourpeople？“heasked，moreearnestly。
“Surely。Oh!donotsaythatyouwillsendmehenceto-“
“Laban，Lady？“
“Labanamongstothers。Remember，Prince，thatIamoneunderacurse。
IfIreturntoGoshen，inthiswayorinthat，soonIshalldie。“
“AnasaysthatyouruncleJabezdeclaresthatthemadfellowwhotriedtomurderyouhadnoauthoritytocurseandmuchlesstokillyou。Youmustaskhimtotellyouall。“
“Yetthecursewillclingandcrushmeatthelast。HowcanI，onelonelywoman，standagainstthemightofthepeopleofIsraelandtheirpriests？“