-named and beautiful!" she began to pray
aloud, "golden Hathor! who knowest grief and ecstasy--the present and the
future--draw near to thy child, and guide the spirit of thy servant, that
he may advise me well. I am the daughter of a father who is great and
noble and truthful as one of the Gods. He advises me--he will never
compel me--to yield to a man whom I can never love. Nay, another has met
me, humble in birth but noble in spirit and in gifts--"

Thus far, Pentaur, incapable of speech, had overheard the princess.

Ought he to remain concealed and hear all her secret, or should he step
forth and show himself to her? His pride called loudly to him: "Now she
will speak your name; you are the chosen one of the fairest and noblest."
But another voice to which he had accustomed himself to listen in severe
self-discipline made itself heard, and said--"Let her say nothing in
ignorance, that she need be ashamed of if she knew."

He blushed for her;--he opened the curtain and went forward into the
presence of Bent-Anat.

The Princess drew back startled.

"Art thou Pentaur," she asked, "or one of the Immortals?"

"I am Pentaur," he answered firmly, "a man with all the weakness of his
race, but with a desire for what is good. Linger here and pour out thy
soul to our Goddess; my whole life shall be a prayer for thee."

The poet looked full at her; then he turned quickly, as if to avoid a
danger, towards the door of the confessional.

Bent-Anat called his name, and he stayed his steps:

"The daughter of Rameses," she said, "need offer no justification of her
appearance here, but the maiden Bent-Anat," and she colored as she spoke,
"expected to find, not thee, but the old priest Rui, and she desired his
advice. Now leave me to pray."

Bent-Anat sank on her knees, and Pentaur went out into the open air.

When the princess too had left the confessional, loud voices were heard
on the south side of the terrace on which they stood.

She hastened towards the parapet.

"Hail to Pentaur!" was shouted up from below. The poet rushed forward,
and placed himself near the princess. Both looked down into the valley,
and could be seen by all.

"Hail, hail! Pentaur," was called doubly loud, "Hail to our teacher! come
back to the House of Seti. Down with the persecutors of Pentaur--down
with our oppressors!"

At the head of the youths, who, so soon as they had found out whither the
poet had been exiled, had escaped to tell him t