w morning, and shall take them to her myself."

"That you will not!" cried Bent-Anat. "You are still but half a
child--and, for the girl's sake too, you must give it up."

"We only gossip together," said the prince coloring, "and no one shall
recognize me. But certainly, if you mean that, I will leave the basket of
roses, and go to her alone. No--sister, I will not be forbidden this; she
is so charming, so white, so gentle, and her voice is so soft and sweet!
And she has little feet, as small as--what shall I say?--as small and
graceful as Nefert's hand. We talked most about Pentaur. She knows his
father, who is a gardener, and knows a great deal about him. Only think!
she says the poet cannot be the son of his parents, but a good spirit
that has come down on earth--perhaps a God. At first she was very timid,
but when I spoke of Pentaur she grew eager; her reverence for him is
almost idolatry--and that vexed me."

"You would rather she should reverence you so," said Nefert smiling.

"Not at all," cried Rameri. "But I helped to save her, and I am so happy
when I am sitting with her, that to-morrow, I am resolved, I will put a
flower in her hair. It is red certainly, but as thick as yours,
Bent-Anat, and it must be delightful to unfasten it and stroke it."

The ladies exchanged a glance of intelligence, and the princess said
decidedly:

"You will not go to the City of the Dead to-morrow, my little son!"

"That we will see, my little mother!" He answered laughing; then he
turned grave.

"I saw my school-friend Anana too," he said. "Injustice reigns in the
House of Seti! Pentaur is in prison, and yesterday evening they sat in
judgment upon him. My uncle was present, and would have pounced upon the
poet, but Ameni took him under his protection. What was finally decided,
the pupils could not learn, but it must have been something bad, for the
son of the Treasurer heard Ameni saying, after the sitting, to old
Gagabu: 'Punishment he deserves, but I will not let him be overwhelmed;'
and he can have meant no one but Pentaur. To-morrow I will go over, and
learn more; something frightful, I am afraid--several years of
imprisonment is the least that will happen to him."

Bent-Anat had turned very pale.

"And whatever they do to him," she cried, "he will suffer for my sake!
Oh, ye omnipotent Gods, help him--help me, be merciful to us both!"

She covered her face with her hands, and left the room. Rameri asked
Nefert:

W