igh-pitched voices:

"Return to thy dwelling, O beauteous youth! To behold thee is bliss.

"Isis charges thee,--Isis, that was conceived in the one womb with
thee,--Isis, thy spouse and thy sister.

"Show us thy countenance anew, radiant god. Here is Nephthys, thy
sister. She is deluged in her tears and plucks out her hair in her
grief.

"In a yearning like unto death do we seek after thy beauteous body.
Return to thy dwelling, Osiris!"

Two other priests joined their voices to those of the first two. These
were Horus and Anubis lamenting for Osiris, and each time they concluded
a stanza, the chorus, disposed upon the steps of the staircase, repeated
it to a solemn and sad motif.

Then with the same chant the elder priests brought out of the sanctuary
the statue of the goddess, no longer covered with the _naos_. A black
mantle, strewn over with golden stars, now enveloped the goddess from
head to foot, leaving visible only her silvern feet, entwined by a
serpent, as well as, over her head, a silvern disc, confined within the
horns of a cow. And slowly, to the tinkling of the censers and sistra,
with mournful weeping, the procession of the goddess Isis set out from
the steps of the altar, down into the temple, along its walls, and in
and out between the columns.

Thus did the goddess gather up the scattered members of her spouse, that
she might resuscitate him with the aid of Thoth and Anubis.

"Glory to the city of Abydos, that preserved thy fair head, Osiris.

"Glory to thee, city of Memphis, where we did find the right hand of the
great god,--the hand of war and protection.

"And to thee also, O city of Sais, that didst harbour the left hand of
the radiant god,--the hand of justice.

"And be thou blessed, city of Thebes, where the heart of On-Nefer-Hophra
did repose."

Thus did the goddess make the round of the entire temple, coming back to
the altar, and more and more passionate and loud did the singing of the
chorus become. A sacred exaltation was taking possession of the priests
and those praying. All the parts of the body of Osiris had Isis found,
save one,--the sacred Phallus, impregnating the maternal womb, creating
new life eternal. Now was approaching the grandest act in the mystery of
Osiris and Isis....

* * * * *

"Is it thou, Eliab?" the queen asked the youth, who had quietly entered
the door.

In the darkness near the couch he noiselessly sank at her feet