bodyguard of twenty gigantic Nubian soldiers
who carried broad-bladed spears with shields of hippopotamus hide
curiously worked, and were clothed in tunics and caps of leopard-skin.

Next appeared the Prince of Kesh himself, a short, stout,
broad-shouldered young man, thick-featured, heavy-faced, and having
large, rolling eyes. He was clad in festal garments, and hung about with
heavy chains of gold fastened with clasps of glittering stones,
while from his crisp, black hair rose a tall plume of nodding ostrich
feathers. Fan bearers walked beside him, and the train of his long cloak
was borne by two black and hideous dwarfs, full-grown men but no taller
than a child of eight.

With one swift glance, while he was yet far away, Tua studied the man
from head to foot, and hated him as she had never hated anyone before.
Then she looked over his head, as from her raised seat upon the dais she
was able to do, and saw that behind him came a second guard of picked
Egyptian soldiers, and that in command of them, simply clad in his
scaled armour of bronze, and wearing upon his thigh the golden-handled
sword that Pharaoh had given him, was none other than the young Count
Rames, her playmate and foster-brother, the man whom her heart loved. At
the sight of his tall and noble form and fine-cut face rising above the
coarse, squat figure of the Ethiopian prince, Tua blushed rosy red, but
Pharaoh noting it, only thought, as others did, that it was because now
for the first time her eyes fell upon him who would be her husband.

Why, Tua wondered, was Rames chosen to attend upon the Prince Amathel?
At once the answer rose in her mind. Doubtless it had been done to
gratify the pride of Amathel, not by Pharaoh, who would know nothing
of such matters, but by some bribed councillor, or steward of the
household. Rames was of more ancient blood than Amathel, and by right
should be the King of Kesh, as he should also be Pharaoh of Egypt;
therefore, to humble him he was set to wait upon Amathel.

Moreover, it was guessed that the young Queen looked kindly upon this
Count Rames with whom she had been nursed, and who, like herself, was
beautiful to behold. Therefore, to abase him in her eyes he had been
commanded to appear walking in the train of Amathel and given charge
over his sacred person at the feast.

In a moment Tua understood it all, and made a vow before her father
Amen that soon or late those who had planned this outrage should pay i