rews. Also she was troubled in
her heart because she thought she had betrayed her faith and people.

"At least you are rid of Laban," I said.

"Never shall I be rid of him while we both live," she answered. "I
belong to him and he will not loose my bond, because his heart is set on
me."

"And is your heart set on him?" I asked.

Her beautiful eyes filled with tears.

"A woman may not have a heart. Oh! Ana, I am unhappy," she answered, and
went away.

Also I saw others. The Princess came to visit me. She thanked me much
because I had fulfilled my promise to her and guarded the Prince.
Moreover she brought me a gift of gold from Pharaoh, and other gifts of
fine raiment from herself. She questioned me closely about Merapi, of
whom I could see she was already jealous, and was glad when she learned
that she was affianced to a Hebrew. Old Bakenkhonsu came too, and asked
me many things about the Prince, the Hebrews and Merapi, especially
Merapi, of whose deeds, he said, all Egypt was talking, questions that I
answered as best I could.

"Here we have that woman of whom Ki told us," he said, "she who shall
bring so much joy and so much sorrow to the Prince of Egypt."

"Why so?" I asked. "He has not taken her into his house, nor do I think
that he means to do so."

"Yet he will, Ana, whether he means it or not. For his sake she betrayed
her people, which among the Israelites is a deadly crime. Twice she
saved his life, once by warning him of the ambush, and again by stabbing
with her own hands one of her kinsmen who was murdering him. Is it not
so? Tell me; you were there."

"It is so, but what then?"

"This: that whatever she may say, she loves him; unless indeed, it is
you whom she loves," and he looked at me shrewdly.

"When a woman has a prince, and such a prince to her hand, would she
trouble herself to set snares to catch a scribe?" I asked, with some
bitterness.

"Oho!" he said, with one of his great laughs, "so things stand thus, do
they? Well, I thought it, but, friend Ana, be warned in time. Do not try
to conjure down the Moon to be your household lamp lest she should set,
and the Sun, her lord, should grow wroth and burn you up. Well, she
loves him, and therefore soon or late she will make him love her, being
what she is."

"How, Bakenkhonsu?"

"With most men, Ana, it would be simple. A sigh, some half-hidden tears
at the right moment, and the thing is done, as I have known it done a
thousand times