a murmur of dissent. For
in their hearts the company were on the side of Rames and Pharaoh's
guards. Moreover, they were proud of the young captain's skill and
courage, and glad that the Nubians, whom they hated with an ancient
hate, had been defeated by the lesser men of Egypt, some of whom were
their friends or relatives.

Now, while they argued among themselves Tua rose from her chair and
went to look at Pharaoh, whom the physicians were attending, chafing his
hands and pouring water on his brow. Presently she returned with tears
standing in her beautiful eyes, for she loved her father, and said in a
heavy voice:

"Alas! Pharaoh is very ill. Set the evil has smitten him, and it is
hard, my people, that he perchance may be taken from us and we must
bear such woe, because of the ill behaviour of a royal foreigner, for I
cannot forget that it was he who caused this tumult."

The audience agreed that it was very hard, and looked angrily at the
surviving Nubians, but Tua, conquering herself, continued:

"We must bear the blows that the fates rain on us, nor suffer our
private grief to dull the sword of justice. Now, as I have said, even
though we love them as our brothers or our husbands, yet the Count Rames
and his brave comrades should perish by a death of shame, such a death
as little befits the flower of Pharaoh's guard."

Again she paused, then went on in the midst of an intense silence, for
even the physicians ceased from their work to hearken to her decree, as
supreme judge of Egypt.

"And yet, and yet, my people, even as I was about to pass sentence upon
them, uttering the doom that may not be recalled, some guardian spirit
of our land sent a thought into my heart, on which I think it right
to take your judgment. If we destroy these men, as I desire to destroy
them, will they not say in the Southern Country and in all the nations
around, that first they had been told to murder the Prince of Kesh and
his escort, and then were themselves executed to cover up our crime?
Will it not be believed that there is blood upon the hands of Pharaoh
and of Egypt, the blood of a royal guest who, it is well known, was
welcomed here with love and joy, that he might--oh! forgive me, I am but
a maiden, I cannot say it. Nay, pity me not and answer not till I have
set out all the case as best I may, which I fear me is but ill. It is
certain that this will be said--aye, and believed, and we of Egypt all
called traitors, and tha