ers to Amen that he might be pleased to hear her and to
satisfy the longings of her heart. She prayed and prayed till she grew
faint and weary, while always Asti uttered her invocations. But no
answer came, no deity appeared, no voice spoke. At length Asti rose, and
coming to her, whispered in her ear:

"Let us depart ere the watching spirits, whose rest we have broken, grow
wrath with us. The god has shut his ears."

So Tua rose, clinging to Asti, for now, she knew not why, her fear grew
and deepened. For a moment she stood upon her feet, then sank to her
knees again, for there at the far end of the great tomb, near to the
door by which they had entered, appeared a glow upon the darkness.
Slowly it took form, the form of a woman clad in the royal robes of
Egypt, and bearing in its hand a sceptre. The figure of light advanced
towards them, so that presently they saw its face. Tua did not know the
face, though it seemed to her to be like her own, but Asti knew it, and
at the sight sank to the ground.

Now the figure stood in front of them, a thing of light framed in the
thick darkness, and now in a sweet, low voice it spoke.

"Hail! Queen of Egypt," it said. "Hail! Neter-Tua, Daughter of Amen. Art
thou afraid to look on the spirit of her who bore thee, thou that didst
dare to summon the Father of the gods to do thy bidding?"

"I am afraid," answered Tua, shaking in all her limbs.

"And thou, Asti the Magician, art thou afraid also, who but now wast
bold enough to cry to Amen-Ra--'Come from thy high heaven and make
answer'?"

"It is even so, O Queen Ahura," murmured Asti.

"Woman," went on the voice, "thy sin is great, and great is the sin of
this royal one at thy side. Had Amen hearkened, how would the two of you
have stood before his glory, who at the sight of this shape of mine that
once was mortal like yourselves, crouch choking to the earth? I tell
you both that had the god arisen, as in your wickedness ye willed,
there where ye knelt, there ye would have died. But he who knows all is
merciful, and in his place has sent me his messenger that ye may live to
look upon to-morrow's sun."

"Let Amen pardon us!" gasped Tua, "it was my sin, O Mother, for I
commanded Asti and she obeyed me. On me be the blame, not on her, for I
am torn with doubts and fears, for myself and for another. I would know
the future."

"Why, O Queen Neter-Tua, why wouldst thou know the future? If hell yawns
beneath thy feet, why wouldst