. But this prince being what he is, it may be otherwise.
She may show him that her name is gone from him; that because of him she
is hated by her people, and rejected by her god, and thus stir his pity,
which is Love's own sister. Or mayhap, being also, as I am told, wise,
she will give him counsel as to all these matters of the Israelites, and
thus creep into his heart under the guise of friendship, and then her
sweetness and her beauty will do the rest in Nature's way. At least by
this road or by that, upstream or downstream, thither she will come."

"If so, what of it? It is the custom of the kings of Egypt to have more
wives than one."

"This, Ana; Seti, I think, is a man who in truth will have but one, and
that one will be this Hebrew. Yes, a Hebrew woman will rule Egypt, and
turn him to the worship of her god, for never will she worship ours.
Indeed, when they see that she is lost to them, her people will use her
thus. Or perchance her god himself will use her to fulfil his purpose,
as already he may have used her."

"And afterwards, Bakenkhonsu?"

"Afterwards--who knows? I am not a magician, at least not one of any
account, ask it of Ki. But I am very, very old and I have watched the
world, and I tell you that these things will happen, unless----" and he
paused.

"Unless what?"

He dropped his voice.

"Unless Userti is bolder than I think, and kills her first or, better
still, procures some Hebrew to kill her--say, that cast-off lover
of hers. If you would be a friend to Pharaoh and to Egypt, you might
whisper it in her ear, Ana."

"Never!" I answered angrily.

"I did not think you would, Ana, who also struggle in this net of
moonbeams that is stronger and more real than any twisted out of palm
or flax. Well, nor will I, who in my age love to watch such human sport
and, being so near to them, fear to thwart the schemes of gods. Let this
scroll unroll itself as it will, and when it is open, read it, Ana, and
remember what I said to you this day. It will be a pretty tale, written
at the end with blood for ink. Oho! O-ho-ho!" and, laughing, he hobbled
from the room, leaving me frightened.

Moreover the Prince visited me every day, and even before I left my bed
began to dictate to me his report to Pharaoh, since he would employ no
other scribe. The substance of it was what he had foreshadowed, namely
that the people of Israel, having suffered much for generations at
the hands of the Egyptians, should now