“Merapi!“Iwhispered。
　　“MoonofIsrael!“murmuredSeti，“filledwiththemoon，lovelyasthemoon，mysticasthemoonandworshippingthemoon，hermother。“
　　“Sheisintrouble；letushelpher，“Isaid。
　　“Nay，waitawhile，Ana，forneveragainshallyouandIseesuchasightasthis。“
　　Lowaswespokebeneathourbreath，Ithinktheladyheardus。Atleastherfacechangedandgrewfrightened。Hastilysherose，liftedthegreatbundleofstrawuponwhichshehadbeenkneelingandplaceditonherhead。Sheranafewsteps，thenstumbledandsankdownwithalittlemoanofpain。Inaninstantwewereatherside。Shestaredatusaffrighted，forwhowewereshecouldnotseebecauseofthewidehoodsofourcommoncloaksthatmadeuslooklikemidnightthieves，orslave-dealingBedouin。
　　“Oh!Sirs，“shebabbled，“harmmenot。Ihavenothingofvalueonmesavethisamulet。“
　　“Whoareyouandwhatdoyouhere？“askedthePrincedisguisinghisvoice。
　　“Sirs，IamMerapi，thedaughterofNathantheLevite，hewhomtheaccursedEgyptiancaptain，Khuaka，murderedatTanis。“
　　“HowdoyoudaretocalltheEgyptiansaccursed？“askedSetiintonesmadegrufftohidehislaughter。
　　“Oh!Sirs，becausetheyare——ImeanbecauseIthoughtyouwereArabswhohatethem，aswedo。AtleastthisEgyptianwasaccursed，forthehighPrinceSeti，Pharaoh’sheir，causedhimtobebeheadedforthatcrime。“
　　“AnddoyouhatethehighPrinceSeti，Pharaoh’sheir，andcallhimaccursed？“
　　Shehesitated，theninadoubtfulvoicesaid：
　　“No，Idonothatehim。“
　　“Whynot，seeingthatyouhatetheEgyptiansofwhomheisoneofthefirstandthereforetwiceworthyofhatred，beingthesonofyouroppressor，Pharaoh？“
　　“Because，althoughIhavetriedmybest，Icannot。Also，“sheaddedwiththejoyofonewhohasfoundagoodreason，“heavengedmyfather。“
　　“Thisisnocause，girl，seeingthatheonlydidwhatthelawforcedhimtodo。TheysaythatthisdogofaPharaoh’ssonishereinGoshenuponsomemission。Isittrue，andhaveyouseenhim？Answer，forweofthedesertfolkdesiretoknow。“
　　“Ibelieveitistrue，Sir，butIhavenotseenhim。“
　　“Whynot，ifheishere？“
　　“BecauseIdonotwishto，Sir。WhyshouldadaughterofIsraeldesiretolookuponthefaceofaprinceofEgypt？“
　　“IntruthIdonotknow，“repliedSetiforgettinghisfeignedvoice。
　　Then，seeingthatsheglancedathimsharply，headdedingrufftones：
　　“Brother，eitherthiswomanliesorsheisnoneotherthanthemaidtheycallMoonofIsraelwhodwellswitholdJabeztheLevite，heruncle。Whatthinkyou？“
　　“Ithink，Brother，thatshelies，andforthreereasons，“Ianswered，fallingintothejest。“First，sheistoofairtobeoftheblackHebrewblood。“
　　“Oh!Sir，“moanedMerapi，“mymotherwasaSyrianladyofthemountains，withaskinaswhiteasmilk，andeyesblueastheheavens。“
　　“Secondly，“Iwentonwithoutheedingher，“ifthegreatPrinceSetiisreallyinGoshenandshedwellsthere，itisunnaturalthatsheshouldnothavegonetolookuponhim。Beingawomanonlytwothingswouldhavekeptheraway，one——thatshefearedandhatedhim，whichshedenies，andtheother——thatshelikedhimtoowell，and，beingprudent，thoughtitwisestnottolookuponhimmore。“
　　Whensheheardthefirstofthesewords，Merapiglancedupwithherlipspartedasthoughtoanswer。Instead，shedroppedhereyesandsuddenlyseemedtochoke，whileeveninthemoonlightIsawtheredbloodpourtoherbrowandalongherwhitearms。
　　“Sir，“shegasped，“whyshouldyouaffrontme？IswearthatnevertillthismomentdidIthinksuchathing。Surelyitwouldbetreason。“
　　“Withoutdoubt，“interruptedSeti，“yetoneofasortthatkingsmightpardon。“
　　“Thirdly，“IwentonasthoughIhadheardneitherofthem，“ifthisgirlwerewhatshedeclares，shewouldnotbewanderingaloneinthedesertatnight，seeingthatIhaveheardamongtheArabsthatMerapi，daughterofNathantheLevite，isaladyofnomeanbloodamongtheHebrewsandthatherfamilyhaswealth。Still，howevermuchshelies，wecanseeforourselvesthatsheisbeautiful。“
　　“Yes，Brother，inthatwearefortunate，sincewithoutdoubtshewillsellforahighpriceamongtheslavetradersbeyondthedesert。“
　　“Oh!Sir，“criedMerapiseizingthehemofhisrobe，“surelyyouwhoI
　　feel，Iknownotwhy，arenoevilthief，youwhohaveamotherand，perchance，sisters，wouldnotdoomamaidentosuchafate。MisjudgemenotbecauseIamalone。Pharaohhascommandedthatwemustfindstrawforthemakingofbricks。ThismorningIcamefartosearchforitonbehalfofaneighbourwhosewifeisillinchildbed。ButtowardssundownIslippedandcutmyselfupontheedgeofasharpstone。See，“
　　andholdingupherfootsheshowedawoundbeneaththeinstepfromwhichthebloodstilldropped，asightthatmovedbothofusnotalittle，“andnowIcannotwalkandcarrythisheavystrawwhichIhavebeenatsuchpainstogather。“
　　“Perchanceshespeakstruth，Brother，“saidthePrince，“andifwetookherhomewemightearnnosmallrewardfromJabeztheLevite。Butfirsttellme，Maiden，whatwasthatprayerwhichyoumadetothemoon，thatHathorshouldhelpyourheart？“
　　“Sir，“sheanswered，“onlytheidolatrousEgyptianspraytoHathor，theLadyofLove。“
　　“IthoughtthatalltheworldprayedtotheLadyofLove，Maiden。Butwhatoftheprayer？Istheresomemanwhomyoudesire？“
　　“None，“sheansweredangrily。
　　“Thenwhydoesyourheartneedsomuchhelpthatyouaskitoftheair？Isthereperchancesomeonewhomyoudo/not/desire？“
　　Shehungherheadandmadenoanswer。
　　“Come，Brother，“saidthePrince，“thisladyiswearyofus，andI
　　thinkthatifshewereatruewomanshewouldanswerourquestionsmorereadily。Letusgoandleaveher。Asshecannotwalkwecantakeherlaterifwewish。“
　　“Sirs，“shesaid，“Iamgladthatyouaregoing，sincethehyenaswillbesafercompanythantwomenwhocanthreatentosellahelplesswomanintoslavery。YetasweparttomeetnomoreIwillansweryourquestion。IntheprayertowhichyouwerenotashamedtolistenIdidnotprayforanylover，Iprayedtoberidofone。“
　　“Now，Ana，“saidthePrinceburstingintolaughterandthrowingbackhisdarkcloak，“doyoudiscoverthenameofthatunhappymanofwhomtheladyMerapiwishestoberid，forIdarenot。“
　　Shegazedintohisfaceandutteredalittlecry。
　　“Ah!“shesaid，“IthoughtIknewthevoiceagainwhenonceyouforgetyourpart。PrinceSeti，doesyourHighnessthinkthatthiswasakindjesttopractiseupononealoneandinfear？“
　　“LadyMerapi，“heansweredsmiling，“benotwroth，foratleastitwasagoodoneandyouhavetoldusnothingthatwedidnotknow。YoumayrememberthatatTanisyousaidthatyouwereaffiancedandtherewasthatinyourvoice。Suffermenowtotendthiswoundofyours。“
　　Thenhekneltdown，toreastripfromhisceremonialrobeoffinelinen，andbegantobindupherfoot，notunskilfully，beingamanfullofstrangeandunexpectedknowledge。Asheworkedatthetask，watchingthem，Isawtheireyesmeet，sawtoothatrichfloodofcolourcreeponcemoretoMerapi’sbrow。ThenIbegantothinkitunseemlythatthePrinceofEgyptshouldplaytheleechtoawoman’shurts，andtowonderwhyhehadnotleftthathumbletasktome。
　　Presentlythebandagingwasdoneandmadefastwitharoyalscarab？usmountedonapinofgold，whichthePrinceworeinhisgarments。Onitwascuttheur？uscrownandbeneathitwerethesignswhichread“LordoftheLowerandtheUpperLand，“beingPharaoh’sstyleandtitle。
　　“Seenow，Lady，“hesaid，“youhaveEgyptbeneathyourfoot，“andwhensheaskedhimwhathemeant，hereadherthewritinguponthejewel，whereatforthethirdtimeshecolouredtotheeyes。Thenheliftedherup，instructinghertorestherweightuponhisshoulder，sayinghefearedlestthescarab，whichhevalued，shouldbebroken。
　　Thuswestarted，Ibearingthebundleofstrawbehindashebademe，since，hesaid，havingbeengatheredwithsuchtoil，itmustnotbelost。Onreachingthechariot，wherewefoundtheguidegoneandthedriverasleep，hesatherinituponhiscloak，andwrappedherinminewhichheborrowed，sayingIshouldnotneeditwhomustcarrythestraw。Thenhemountedalsoandtheydroveawayatafoot’space。AsI
　　walkedafterthechariotwiththestrawthatfellaboutmyears，I
　　heardnothingoftheirfurthertalk，ifindeedtheytalkedatallwhich，thedriverbeingpresent，perhapstheydidnot。NorintruthdidIlistenwhowasengagedinthoughtastothehardlotofthesepoorHebrews，whomustcollectthisdirtystuffandbearitsofar，madeheavyasitwasbytheclaythatclungabouttheroots。