re his time, and the thought of it rends my heart."

Now it was Tua's turn to play the comforter.

"Surely," she said, "surely, my Foster-mother, you forget the promise of
Amen, King of the Gods, which he made ere I was born, to Ahura who bore
me, that I should find a royal lover, and that from his love and mine
should spring many kings and princes, and that this being so, Rames must
live."

"Why must he live, Lady, seeing that even if he can be called royal,
there are others?"

"Nay, Asti," murmured Tua, laying her head upon her breast, "for me
there are no others, nor shall any child of mine be born that does not
name Rames father. Whatever else is doubtful, this is sure. Therefore
Rames lives, and will live, or the King of the gods has lied."

"You reason well," said Asti, and kissed her. Then she thought for a
moment, and added: "Now to our work, it is the hour. Take the harp,
go to the window-place, and call as the beggar-man bade you do in your
need."

So Tua went to the window-place and looked down on the great courtyard
beneath that was lit with the light of the moon. Then she struck on the
harp, and thrice she cried aloud:

"_Kepher! Kepher! Kepher!_"

And each time the echo of her cry came back louder and still more loud,
till it seemed as though earth and heaven were filled with the sound of
the name of Kepher.

CHAPTER XVI

THE BEGGAR AND THE KING

It was the afternoon of the third day. Tua and Asti, seated in the
window-place of their splendid prison, looked through the wooden screen
down into the court below, where, according to his custom at this hour,
Janees the King sat in the shadow to administer justice and hear the
petitions of his subjects. The two women were ill at ease, for the time
of respite had almost passed.

"Night draws near," said Tua, "and with it will come Janees. Look how he
eyes this window, like a hungry lion waiting to be fed. Kepher has made
no sign; perchance after all he is but a wandering beggar-man filled
with strange fancies, or perchance he is dead, as may well happen at his
age. At least, he makes no sign, nor does Amen, to whom I have prayed
so hard, send any answer to my prayers. I am forsaken. Oh! Asti, you who
are wise, tell me, what shall I do?"

"Trust in the gods," said Asti. "There are still three hours to sundown,
and in three hours the gods, to whom time is nothing, can destroy the
world and build it up again. Remember when we starved in the pylo