ame upon his
face, a most beautiful smile; he stretched out his arms, as though to
clasp one who bent down towards him, and fell backwards--quite dead.

Seti stood still as a statue; we all stood still, even Merapi. Then she
bend down, and lifted the body of the boy.

"Now, my lord," she said, "there has fallen on you that sorrow which
Jabez my uncle warned you would come, if ever you had aught to do with
me. Now the curse of Israel has pierced my heart, and now our child, as
Ki the evil prophesied, has grown too great for greetings, or even for
farewells."

Thus she spoke in a cold and quiet voice, as one might speak of
something long expected or foreseen, then made her reverence to the
Prince, and departed, bearing the body of the child. Never, I think, did
Merapi seem more beautiful to me than in this, her hour of bereavement,
since now through her woman's loveliness shone out some shadow of the
soul within. Indeed, such were her eyes and such her movements that well
might have been a spirit and not a woman who departed from us with that
which had been her son.

Seti leaned on my shoulder looking at the empty bed, and at the scared
nurse who still sat behind, and I felt a tear drop upon my hand. Old
Bakenkhonsu lifted his massive face, and looked at him.

"Grieve not over much, Prince," he said, "since, ere as many years as I
have lived out have come and gone, this child will be forgotten and his
mother will be forgotten, and even you, O Prince, will live but as a
name that once was great in Egypt. And then, O Prince, elsewhere the
game will begin afresh, and what you have lost shall be found anew, and
the sweeter for it sheltering from the vile breath of men. Ki's magic
is not all a lie, or if his is, mine holds some shadow of the truth, and
when he said to you yonder in Tanis that not for nothing were you named
'Lord of Rebirths,' he spoke words that you should find comfortable
to-night."

"I thank you, Councillor," said Seti, and turning, followed Merapi.

"Now I suppose we shall have more deaths," I exclaimed, hardly knowing
what I said in my sorrow.

"I think not, Ana," answered Bakenkhonsu, "since the shield of Jabez,
or of his god, is over us. Always he foretold that trouble would come to
Merapi, and to Seti through Merapi, but that is all."

I glanced at the kitten.

"It strayed here from the town three days ago, Ana. And the bats also
may have flown from the town. Hark to the wailing. Was ever su