in it free from care with her grandmother. She may wait a year, and
then she may choose a husband. Nebsecht loves Uarda much. If at the end
of thirteen months he has not been to see her, she had better marry whom
she will; but not before she has shown the jewel left her by her mother
to the king's interpreter."

"How strange!" exclaimed Rameri. "Who would have given the singular
physician, who always wore such dirty clothes, credit for such
generosity? But what is this jewel that you have?"

Uarda opened her shirt, and showed the prince the sparkling ornament.

"Those are diamonds---it is very valuable!" cried the prince; "and there
in the middle on the onyx there are sharply engraved signs. I cannot read
them, but I will show them to the interpreter. Did your mother wear
that?"

"My father found it on her when she died," said Uarda. "She came to Egypt
as a prisoner of war, and was as white as I am, but dumb, so she could
not tell us the name of her home."

"She belonged to some great house among the foreigners, and the children
inherit from the mother," cried the prince joyfully. "You are a princess,
Uarda! Oh! how glad I am, and how much I love you!"

The girl smiled and said, "Now you will not be afraid to touch the
daughter of the unclean."

"You are cruel," replied the prince. "Shall I tell you what I determined
on yesterday,--what would not let me sleep last night,--and for what I
came here today?"

"Well?"

Rameri took a most beautiful white rose out of his robe and said:

"It is very childish, but I thought how it would be if I might put this
flower with my own hands into your shining hair. May I?"

"It is a splendid rose! I never saw such a fine one."

"It is for my haughty princess. Do pray let me dress your hair! It is
like silk from Tyre, like a swan's breast, like golden star-beams--there,
it is fixed safely! Nay, leave it so. If the seven Hathors could see you,
they would be jealous, for you are fairer than all of them."

"How you flatter!" said Uarda, shyly blushing, and looking into his
sparkling eyes.

"Uarda," said the prince, pressing her hand to his heart. "I have now but
one wish. Feel how my heart hammers and beats. I believe it will never
rest again till you--yes, Uarda--till you let me give you one, only one,
kiss."

The girl drew back.

"Now," she said seriously. "Now I see what you want. Old Hekt knows men,
and she warned me."

"Who is Hekt, and what can she know of me?"