“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？“