IwaitedbehindthePrince，thinkingitwelltowatchhisbackamongallthosefiercemen，anddidnothearwhatthepriestsaidtohim，ashewhisperedinthatholyplace。Kohathledhimforward，tofreehimfromthethrong，Ithought，tilltheycametotheheadofthelittletemplethatwasmarkedbysomesteps，abovewhichhungathickandheavycurtain。ThePrince，walkingon，didnotseethelowestofthesestepsinthegloom，whichwasdeep。Hisfootcaughtonit；hefellforward，andtosavehimselfgraspedatthecurtainwherethetwohalvesofitmet，anddraggeditopen，revealingachamberplainandsmallbeyond，inwhichwasanaltar。ThatwasallIhadtimetosee，fornextinstantaroarofragerenttheairandknivesflashedinthegloom。
　　“TheEgyptiandefilesthetabernacle!“shoutedone。“Draghimoutandkillhim!“screamedanother。
　　“Friends，“saidSeti，turningastheysurgedtowardshim，“ifIhavedoneaughtwrongitwasbychance-“
　　Hecouldaddnomore，seeingthattheywereonhim，orratheronmewhohadleaptinfrontofhim。Alreadytheyhadgraspedmyrobesandmyhandwasonmysword-hilt，whenthepriestKohathcriedout：
　　“MenofIsrael，areyoumad？WouldyoubringPharaoh’svengeanceonus？“
　　Theyhaltedalittleandtheirspokesmanshouted：
　　“WedefyPharaoh!OurGodwillprotectusfromPharaoh。Draghimforthandkillhimbeyondthewall!“
　　Againtheybegantomove，whenaman，inwhomIrecognizedJabez，theuncleofMerapi，calledaloud：
　　“Cease!IfthisPrinceofEgypthasdoneinsulttoJahvehbywillandnotbychance，itiscertainthathewillavengehimselfuponhim。
　　ShallmentakethejudgmentofGodintotheirownhands？Standbackandwaitawhile。IfJahvehisaffronted，theEgyptianwillfalldead。
　　Ifhedoesnotfalldead，lethimpasshenceunharmed，forsuchisJahveh’swill。Standback，Isay，whileIcountthreescore。“
　　TheywithdrewaspaceandslowlyJabezbegantocount。
　　AlthoughatthattimeIknewnothingofthepowerofthegodofIsrael，IwillsaythatIwasfilledwithfearasonebyonehecounted，pausingateachten。Thescenewasverystrange。TherebythestepsstoodthePrinceagainstthebackgroundofthecurtain，hisarmsfoldedandalittlesmileofwondermixedwithcontemptuponhisface，butnotasignoffear。OnonesideofhimwasI，whoknewwellthatI
　　shouldsharehisfatewhateveritmightbe，andindeeddesirednoother；andontheotherthepriestKohath，whosehandsshookandwhoseeyesstartedfromhishead。InfrontofusoldJabezcounted，watchingthefierce-facedcongregationthatinadeadsilencewaitedfortheissue。Thecountwenton。Thirty。Forty。Fifty——oh!itseemedanage。
　　Atlengthsixtyfellfromhislips。HewaitedawhileandallwatchedthePrince，notdoubtingbutthathewouldfalldead。ButinsteadheturnedtoKohathandaskedquietlyifthisordealwasnowfinished，ashedesiredtomakeanofferingtothetemple，whichhehadbeeninvitedtovisit，andbegone。
　　“OurGodhasgivenhisanswer，“saidJabez。“Acceptit，menofIsrael。
　　WhatthisPrincedidhedidbychance，notofdesign。“
　　Theyturnedandwentwithoutaword，andafterIhadlaidtheoffering，nomeanone，intheappointedplace，wefollowedthem。
　　“Itwouldseemthatyoursisnogentlegod，“saidthePrincetoKohath，whenatlengthwewereoutsidethetemple。
　　“Atleastheisjust，yourHighness。Haditbeenotherwise，youwhohadviolatedhissanctuary，althoughbychance，woulderenowbedead。“
　　“Thenyouhold，Priest，thatJahvehhaspowertoslayuswhenheisangry？“
　　“Withoutadoubt，yourHighness——as，ifourProphetsspeaktruth，I
　　thinkthatEgyptwilllearnereallbedone，“headdedgrimly。
　　Setilookedathimandanswered：
　　“Itmaybeso，butallgods，ortheirpriests，claimthepowertotormentandslaythosewhoworshipothergods。Itisnotonlywomenwhoarejealous，Kohath，orsoitseems。YetIthinkthatyoudoyourgodinjustice，seeingthatevenifthisstrengthishis，heprovedmoremercifulthanhisworshipperswhoknewwellthatIonlygraspedtheveiltosavemyselffromfalling。IfeverIvisityourtempleagainitshallbeinthecompanyofthosewhocanmatchmightagainstmight，whetherofthespiritorthesword。Farewell。“
　　Sowereachedthechariot，neartowhichstoodJabez，hewhohadsavedus。
　　“Prince，“hewhispered，glancingatthecrowdwholingerednotfaraway，silentandglowering，“Iprayyouleavethislandswiftlyforhereyourlifeisnotsafe。Iknowitwasbychance，butyouhavedefiledthesanctuaryandseenthatuponwhicheyesmaynotlooksavethoseofthehighestpriests，anoffencenoIsraelitecanforgive。“
　　“Andyou，oryourpeople，Jabez，wouldhavedefiledthissanctuaryofmylife，spillingmyheart’sbloodand/not/bychance。Surelyyouareastrangefolkwhoseektomakeanenemyofonewhohastriedtobeyourfriend。“
　　“Idonotseekit，“exclaimedJabez。“IwouldthatwemighthavePharaoh’smouthandearwhosoonwillhimselfbePharaohuponourside。OPrinceofEgypt，benotwrothwithallthechildrenofIsraelbecausetheirwrongshavemadesomefewofthemstubbornandhard-
　　hearted。Begonenow，andofyourgoodnessremembermywords。“
　　“Iwillremember，“saidSeti，signingtothecharioteertodriveon。
　　YetstillthePrincelingeredinthetown，sayingthathefearednothingandwouldlearnallhecouldofthispeopleandtheirwaysthathemightreportthebetterofthemtoPharaoh。FormypartI
　　believedthattherewasonefacewhichhewishedtoseeagainbeforeheleft，butofthisIthoughtitwisetosaynothing。
　　Atlengthaboutmiddaywediddepart，anddroveeastwardsonthetrackofAmenmesesandourcompany。Alltheafternoonwedrovethus，precededbythetwosoldiersdisguisedasrunnersandfollowed，asadistantcloudofdusttoldme，bythecaptainandhischariots，whomI
　　hadsecretlycommandedtokeepusinsight。
　　TowardseveningwecametothepassinthestoryhillswhichboundedthelandofGoshen。HereSetidescendedfromthechariot，andweclimbed，accompaniedbythetwosoldierswhomIsignedtofollowus，tothecrestofoneofthesehillsthatwasstrewnwithhugebouldersandlinedwithridgesofsandstone，betweenwhichgullieshadbeencutbythewindsofthousandsofyears。
　　Leaningagainstoneoftheseridgeswelookedbackuponawondroussight。Farawayacrossthefertileplainappearedthetownthatwehadleft，andbehinditthesunsank。Itwouldseemasthoughsomestormhadbrokenthere，althoughthefirmamentaboveuswasclearandblue。
　　Atleastinfrontofthetowntwohugepillarsofcloudstretchedfromearthtoheavenlikethecolumnsofsomemightygateway。Oneofthesepillarswasasthoughitweremadeofblackmarble，andtheotherliketomoltengold。Betweenthemranaroadoflightendinginaglory，andinthemidstoftheglorytheroundballofRa，theSun，burnedliketheeyeofGod。Thespectaclewasasawesomeasitwassplendid。
　　“HaveyoueverseensuchaskyinEgypt，Prince？“Iasked。
　　“Never，“heanswered，andalthoughhespokelow，inthatgreatstillnesshisvoicesoundedloudtome。
　　Forawhilelongerwewatched，tillsuddenlythesunsank，andonlythegloryaboutitandaboveremained，whichtookshapesliketothepalacesandtemplesofacityintheheavens，afarcitythatnomortalcouldreachexceptindreams。
　　“Iknownotwhy，Ana，“saidSeti，“butforthefirsttimesinceIwasamanIfeelafraid。ItseemstomethatthereareomensintheskyandIcannotreadthem。WouldthatKiwereheretotelluswhatissignifiedbythepillarofblacknesstotherightandthepillaroffiretotheleft，andwhatgodhashishomeinthecityofglorybehind，andhowman’sfeetmaywalkalongtheshiningroadwhichleadstoitspylongates。ItellyouthatIamafraid；itisasthoughDeathwereveryneartomeandallhiswondersopentomymortalsight。“
　　“Itooamafraid，“Iwhispered。“Look!Thepillarsmove。Thatoffiregoesbefore；thatofblackcloudfollowsafter，andbetweenthemI
　　seemtoseeacountlessmultitudemarchinginunendingcompanies。Seehowthelightglittersontheirspears!SurelythegodoftheHebrewsisafoot。“
　　“He，orsomeothergod，ornogodatall，whoknows？Come，Ana，letusbegoingifwewouldreachthatcamperedark。“
　　Sowedescendedfromtheridge，andre-enteringthechariot，droveontowardstheneckofthepass。Nowthisneckwasverynarrow，notmorethanfourpaceswideforacertaindistance，and，oneithersideoftheroadwayweretumbledsandstoneboulders，betweenwhichgrewdesertplants，andgulliesthathadbeencutbystorm-water，whilebeyondtheserosethesidesofthemountain。Herethehorseswentatawalktowardsaturninthepath，atwhichpointthelandbegantofallagain。
　　Whenwewereabouthalfaspear’sthrowfromthisturnofasuddenI
　　heardasoundand，glancingtotheright，perceivedawomanleapingdownthehillsidetowardsus。Thecharioteersawalsoandhaltedthehorses，andthetworunnerguardsturnedanddrewtheirswords。Inlessthanhalfaminutethewomanhadreachedus，comingoutoftheshadowsothatthelightfelluponherface。
　　“Merapi!“exclaimedthePrinceandI，speakingasthoughwithonebreath。
　　Merapiitwasindeed，butinevilcase。Herlonghairhadbrokenlooseandfellabouther，thecloaksheworewastorn，andtherewerebloodandfoamuponherlips。Shestoodgasping，sincespeakshecouldnotforbreathlessness，supportingherselfwithonehanduponthesideofthechariotandwiththeotherpointingtothebendintheroad。Atlastawordcame，oneonly。Itwas：