has broken
the law of the God I was taught to worship?"

"And which of us is there who has not broken the law of the god we were
taught to worship, Lady? If in truth you have done anything of the sort
by flying from a murderous villain to one who loves you well, which I do
not believe, surely there is forgiveness for such sins as this."

"Aye, perhaps, but, alas! the thing is blacker far. Have you forgotten
what I did? Dressed in the robes of Isis I worshipped in the temple of
Isis with my boy playing the part of Horus on my bosom. It is a crime
that can never be forgiven to a Hebrew woman, Ana, for my God is a
jealous God. Yet it is true that Ki tricked me."

"If he had not, Lady, I think there would have been none of us left to
trick, seeing that the people were crazed with the dread of the darkness
and believed that it could be lifted by you alone, as indeed happened,"
I added somewhat doubtfully.

"More of Ki's tricks! Oh! do you not understand that the lifting of the
darkness at that moment was Ki's work, because he wished the people to
believe that I am indeed a sorceress."

"Why?" I asked.

"I do not know. Perhaps that one day he may find a victim to bind to the
altar in his place. At least I know well that it is I who must pay
the price, I and my flesh and blood, whatever Ki may promise," and she
looked at the sleeping child.

"Do not be afraid, Lady," I said. "Ki has left the palace and you will
see him no more."

"Yes, because the Prince was angry with him about the trick in the
temple of Isis. Therefore suddenly he went, or pretended to go, for
how can one tell where such a man may really be? But he will come back
again. Bethink you, Ki was the greatest magician in Egypt; even old
Bakenkhonsu can remember none like to him. Then he matches himself
against the prophets of my people and fails."

"But did he fail, Lady? What they did he did, sending among the
Israelites the plagues that your prophets had sent among us."

"Yes, some of them, but he was outpaced, or feared to be outpaced at
last. Is Ki a man to forget that? And if Ki chances really to believe
that I am his adversary and his master at this black work, as because
of what happened in the temple of Amon thousands believe to-day, will he
not mete me my own measure soon or late? Oh! I fear Ki, Ana, and I fear
the people of Egypt, and were it not for my lord beloved, I would flee
away into the wilderness with my son, and get me out of this hau