“Thatyouwhohaveprovedyourselfaprophetessbyyourdeedsinyondertempleshoulddedicateyourpowerstotheserviceofyourpeople，receivinginreturnfullforgivenessfortheevilsyouhavewroughtagainstthem，whichwesweartoyouinthenameofGod。“
　　“Iamnoprophetess，andIhavewroughtnoevilsagainstmypeople，Priest。Ihaveonlysavedthemfromtheevilofmurderingonewhohasshownhimselftheirfriend，evenasIheartothelayingdownofhiscrownfortheirsake。“
　　“ThatisfortheFathersofIsraelandnotforyoutojudge，woman。
　　Youranswer？“
　　“Itisneitherforthemnorforme，butforGodonly。“Shepaused，thenadded，“Isthisallyouaskofme？“
　　“ItisalltheFathersask，butLabanaskshisaffiancedwife。“
　　“AndamItobegiveninmarriageto——thisassassin？“
　　“Withoutdoubtyouaretobegiventothisbravesoldier，beingalreadyhis。“
　　“AndifIrefuse？“
　　“Then，DaughterofNathan，itismyparttocurseyouinthenameofGod，andtodeclareyoucutoffandoutcastfromthepeopleofGod。Itismyparttoannouncetoyoufurtherthatyourlifeisforfeit，andthatanyHebrewmaykillyouwhenandhowhecan，andtakenoblame。“
　　Merapipaledalittle，thenturningtoJabez，asked：
　　“Youhaveheard，myuncle。Whatsayyou？“
　　Jabezlookedroundshiftily，andsaidinhisunctuousvoice：
　　“Myniece，surelyyoumustobeythecommandsoftheEldersofIsraelwhospeakthewillofHeaven，asyouobeyedthemwhenyoumatchedyourselfagainstthemightofAmon。“
　　“Yougavemeadifferentcounselyesterday，myuncle。ThenyousaidI
　　hadbetterbidewhereIwas。“
　　Themessengerturnedandglaredathim。
　　“Thereisagreatdifferencebetweenyesterdayandto-day，“wentonJabezhurriedly。“YesterdayyouwereprotectedbyonewhowouldsoonbePharaoh，andmighthavebeenabletomovehismindinfavourofyourfolk。To-dayhisgreatnessisstrippedfromhim，andhiswillhasnomoreweightinEgypt。Adeadlionisnottobefeared，myniece。“
　　Setismiledatthisinsult，butMerapi’sface，likemyown，grewred，asthoughwithanger。
　　“Sleepinglionshavebeentakenfordeaderenow，myuncle，asthosewhowouldspurnthemhavediscoveredtotheircost。PrinceSeti，haveyounowordtohelpmeinthisstrait？“
　　“Whatisthestrait，Lady？Ifyouwishtogotoyourpeopleand——toLaban，who，Iunderstand，isrecoveredfromhishurts，thereisnaughtbetweenyouandmesavemygratitudetoyouwhichgivesmetherighttosayyoushallnotgo。If，however，youwishtostay，thenperhapsI
　　amstillnotsopowerlesstoshieldorsmiteasthisworthyJabezthinks，whostillremainthegreatestlordinEgyptandonewiththosethatlovehim。Thereforeshouldyoudesiretoremain，Ithinkthatyoumaydosounmolestedofany，andleastofallbythatfriendinwhoseshadowitpleasesyoutosojourn。“
　　“Thoseareverygentlewords，“murmuredMerapi，“wordsthatfewwouldspeaktoamaidfromwhomnaughtisaskedandwhohasnaughttogive。“
　　“Atrucetothistalk，“snarledthemessenger。“Doyouobeyordoyourebel？Youranswer。“
　　Sheturnedandlookedhimfullintheface，saying：
　　“IdonotreturntoGoshenandtoLaban，ofwhoseswordIhaveseenenough。“
　　“Mayhapyouwillseemoreofitbeforeallisdone。Forthelasttime，thinkerethecurseofyourGodandyourpeoplefallsuponyou，andafterit，death。ForfallIsayitshall，I，who，asPharaohknowsto-day，amnofalseprophet，andasthatPrinceknowsalso。“
　　“IdonotthinkthatmyGod，whoseestheheartsofthosethathehasmade，willavengehimselfuponawomanbecausesherefusestobeweddedtoamurdererwhomofherownwillsheneverchose，which，Priest，isthefateyouofferme。ThereforeIamcontenttoleavejudgmentinthehandsofthegreatJudgeofall。FortherestIdefyyouandyourcommands。IfImustbeslaughtered，letmedie，butatleastletmediemistressofmyselfandfree，whoamnoman’slove，orwife，orslave。“
　　“Wellspoken!“whisperedSetitome。
　　Thenthispriestbecameterrible。Wavinghisarmsandrollinghiswildeyes，hepouredoutsomehideouscurseupontheheadofthispoormaid，muchofwhich，asitwasspokenrapidlyinanancientformofHebrew，wedidnotunderstand。Hecursedherliving，dying，andafterdeath。Hecursedherinherloveandhate，weddedoralone。Hecursedherinchild-bearingorinbarrenness，andhecursedherchildrenafterhertoallgenerations。Lastly，hedeclaredhercutofffromandrejectedbythegodsheworshipped，andsentencedhertodeathatthehandsofanywhocouldslayher。Sohorriblewasthatcursethatsheshrankawayfromhim，whileJabezcrouchedaboutthegroundhidinghiseyeswithhishands，andevenIfeltmybloodturncold。
　　Atlengthhepaused，foamingatthelips。Then，suddenly，shouting，“Afterjudgment，doom!“hedrewaknifefromhisrobeandsprangather。
　　Shefledbehindus。Hefollowed，butSeti，crying，“Ah，Ithoughtit，“
　　leaptbetweenthem，ashedidsodrawingtheironswordwhichheworewithhisceremonialdress。AthimhesprangandthenextthingIsawwastheredpointoftheswordstandingoutbeyondthepriest’sshoulders。
　　Downhefell，babbling：
　　“IsthishowyoushowyourloveforIsrael，Prince？“
　　“ItishowIshowmyhateofmurderers，“answeredSeti。
　　Thenthemandied。
　　“Oh!“criedMerapiwringingherhands，“oncemoreIhavecausedHebrewbloodtoflowandnowallthiscursewillfallonme。“
　　“Nay，onme，Lady，ifthereisanythingincurses，whichIdoubt，forthisdeedwasmine，andattheworstyondermadbrute’sknifedidnotfallonyou。“
　　“Yes，lifeisleftifonlyforalittlewhile。Haditnotbeenforyou，Prince，bynow，I-“andsheshuddered。
　　“Andhaditnotbeenforyou，MoonofIsrael，bynowI-“andhesmiled，adding，“SurelyFateweavesastrangewebroundyouandme。
　　Firstyousavemefromthesword；thenIsaveyou。Ithink，Lady，thatintheendweoughttodietogetherandgiveAnaherestuffforthebestofallhisstories。FriendJabez，“hewentontotheIsraelitewhowasstillcrouchinginthecornerwiththeeyesstartingfromhishead，“getyoubacktoyourgentle-heartedpeopleandmakeitcleartothemwhytheladyMerapicannotcompanionyou，takingwithyouthatcarriontoproveyourtale。Tellthemthatiftheysendmorementomolestyourniecealikefateawaitsthem，butthatnowasbeforeIdonotturnmybackuponthembecauseofthedeedsofafewmadmenorevil-doers，asIhavegiventhemproofto-day。Ana，makeready，sincesoonIleaveforMemphis。SeethattheLadyMerapi，whowilltravelalone，hasfitescortforherjourney，thatisifitpleaseshertodepartfromTanis。“
　　Now，notwithstandingallthewoesthatfellonEgyptandacertainsecretsorrowofmyown，beganthehappiestofthedayswhichthegodshavegivenme。WewenttoMenneferorMemphis，thewhite-walledcitywhereIwasborn，thecitythatIloved。NownolongerdidIdwellinalittlehouseneartotheenclosureofthetempleofPtah，whichisvasterandmoresplendidthanallthoseofThebesorTanis。MyhomewasinthebeautifulpalaceofSeti，whichhehadinheritedfromhismother，theGreatRoyalWife。Itstood，andindeedstillstands，onapiled-upmoundwithoutthewallsneartothetempleofthegoddessNeit，whoalwayshasherhabitationtothenorthofthewall，whyIdonotknow，becauseevenherpriestscannottellme。Infrontofthispalace，facingtothenorth，isagreatportico，whereoftheroofisborneuponpalm-headed，paintedcolumnswhencemaybeseenthemostlovelyprospectinEgypt。Firstthegardens，thenthepalm-groves，thenthecultivatedland，thenthebroadandgentleNileand，faraway，thedesert。
　　Here，then，wedwelt，keepingsmallstateandalmostunguarded，butinwealthandcomfort，spendingourtimeinthelibraryofthepalace，orinthoseofthetemples，andwhenweweariedofwork，inthelovelygardensor，perchance，sailinguponthebosomoftheNile。TheladyMerapidwelttherealso，butinaseparatewingofthepalace，withcertainslavesandservantswhomSetihadgiventoher。Sometimeswemetherinthegardens，whereitpleasedhertowalkatthesamehoursthatwedid，namelybeforethesungrewhot，orinthecooloftheevening，andnowandagainwhenthemoonshoneatnight。Thenthethreeofuswouldtalktogether，forSetineversoughthercompanyaloneorwithinwalls。
　　Thosetalkswereverypleasant。Moreovertheygrewmorefrequentastimewenton，sinceMerapihadathirstforlearning，andthePrincewouldbringherrollstoreadinalittlesummer-housetherewas。Herewewouldsit，oriftheheatwasgreat，outsidebeneaththeshadowoftwospreadingtreesthatstretchedabovetheroofofthelittlepleasure-house，whileSetidiscoursedofthecontentsoftherollsandinstructedherinthesecretsofourwriting。Sometimes，too，Ireadthemstoriesofmymaking，towhichitpleasedthembothtolisten，orsotheysaid，andI，inmyvanity，believed。AlsowewouldtalkofthemysteryandthewonderoftheworldandoftheHebrewsandtheirfate，orofwhatpassedinEgyptandtheneighbouringlands。