I think my heart would bleed to death if I tried to cut out those
thoughts and feelings. I have behaved strangely, nay unbecomingly, and
now that which is hard to endure is hanging over me, something
strange-which will perhaps drive you from me back to your mother."

"I will share everything with you," cried Nefert. "What is going to
happen? Are you then no longer the daughter of Rameses?"

"I showed myself to the people as a woman of the people," answered
Bent-Anat, "and I must take the consequences. Bek en Chunsu, the
high-priest of Amon, has been with me, and I have had a long conversation
with him. The worthy man is good to me, I know, and my father ordered me
to follow his advice before any one's. He showed me that I have erred
deeply. In a state of uncleanness I went into one of the temples of the
Necropolis, and after I had once been into the paraschites' house and
incurred Ameni's displeasure, I did it a second time. They know over
there all that took place at the festival. Now I must undergo
purification, either with great solemnity at the hands of Ameni himself,
before all the priests and nobles in the House of Seti, or by performing
a pilgrimage to the Emerald-Hathor, under whose influence the precious
stones are hewn from the rocks, metals dug out, and purified by fire. The
Goddess shall purge me from my uncleanness as metal is purged from the
dross. At a day's journey and more from the mines, an abundant stream
flows from the holy mountain-Sinai," as it is called by the Mentut--and
near it stands the sanctuary of the Goddess, in which priests grant
purification. The journey is a long one, through the desert, and over the
sea; But Bek en Chunsu advises me to venture it. Ameni, he says, is not
amiably disposed towards me, because I infringed the ordinance which he
values above all others. I must submit to double severity, he says,
because the people look first to those of the highest rank; and if I went
unpunished for contempt of the sacred institutions there might be
imitators among the crowd. He speaks in the name of the Gods, and they
measure hearts with an equal measure. The ell-measure is the symbol of
the Goddess of Truth. I feel that it is all not unjust; and yet I find it
hard to submit to the priest's decree, for I am the daughter of Rameses!"

"Aye, indeed!" exclaimed Nefert, "and he is himself a God!"

"But he taught me to respect the laws!" interrupted the princess. "I
discussed another thing