e you made up your mind? For myself I know
no one worthy of so much beauty, excellence, learning and--what shall I
add--sweetness, yes, sweetness."

"Seti," she said stamping her foot, "if it pleases you to make a mock
of me before a stranger, I suppose that I must submit. Send him away, I
would speak with you."

"Make a mock of you! Oh! mine is a hard fate. When truth gushes from the
well of my heart, I am told I mock, and when I mock, all say--he speaks
truth. Be seated, Sister, and talk on freely. This Ana is my sworn
friend who saved my life but now, for which deed perhaps he should be
my enemy. His memory is excellent also and he will remember what you say
and write it down afterwards, whereas I might forget. Therefore, with
your leave, I will ask him to stay here."

"My Prince," I broke in, "I pray you suffer me to go."

"My Secretary," he answered with a note of command in his voice, "I pray
you to remain where you are."

So I sat myself on the ground after the fashion of a scribe, having no
choice, and the Princess sat herself on a couch at the end of the table,
but Seti remained standing. Then the Princess said:

"Since it is your will, Brother, that I should talk secrets into
other ears than yours, I obey you. Still"--here she looked at me
wrathfully--"let the tongue be careful that it does not repeat what
the ears have heard, lest there should be neither ears nor tongue. My
Brother, it has been reported to Pharaoh, while we ate together, that
there is tumult in this town. It has been reported to him that because
of a trouble about some base Israelite you caused one of his officers to
be beheaded, after which there came a riot which still rages."

"Strange that truth should have come to the ears of Pharaoh so quickly.
Now, my Sister, if he had heard it three moons hence I could have
believed you--almost."

"Then you did behead the officer?"

"Yes, I beheaded him about two hours ago."

"Pharaoh will demand an account of the matter."

"Pharaoh," answered Seti lifting his eyes, "has no power to question the
justice of the Governor of Tanis in the north."

"You are in error, Seti. Pharaoh has all power."

"Nay, Sister, Pharaoh is but one man among millions of other men, and
though he speaks it is their spirit which bends his tongue, while above
that spirit is a great greater spirit who decrees what they shall think
to ends of which we know nothing."

"I do not understand, Seti."

"I never though